Martin Truex Jr. reveals wishes for final Cup Series race at Phoenix: 'I'd like to spoil the championship party'

Martin Truex Jr. is starting his final race as a full-time Cup Series driver on Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, and he has designs on making it a memorable one.

Before Truex walks off into the sunset, hanging up his helmet for the final time, he wants to return to Victory Lane. While he won't be racing as part of the Championship 4 in Arizona, it's evident Truex wants to be like Ross Chastain last season and throw a wrench into NASCAR's quest to crown a champion in 2024.

"I'd like to spoil the championship party," Truex told FOX's Bob Pockrass , regarding how he'd like his final full-time start to play out. "You'd love to win that thing. It's happened before. We've been pretty good there. And hopefully, we can find something a little bit extra and go there.

"Going out with a win would be the most amazing thing ever short of a championship, obviously, which is impossible. But just want to go have fun and enjoy the last race with the team."

The Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman had a shot at winning the title this season, but he wasn't able to get the job done in the playoffs. Surprisingly, Truex hasn't been to Victory Lane yet in 2024, and fans have wondered whether we'd ever see him celebrate a win in the Cup Series again over the past couple of months.

One thing is for sure, when Martin Truex Jr. is motivated, he can takeover a race weekend like it's nobody's business. Don't count out the No. 19 Toyota wheelman, even if it's potentially his final time getting behind the wheel.

More on Martin Truex Jr, NASCAR Cup Series career

Moreover, it'll be bittersweet seeing Martin Truex Jr. walk away from the sport, but it's something he's contemplated over the past few years. He's amassed a highly decorated career, winning 34 races across 19 seasons in NASCAR's premier series, including two Coca-Cola 600s and a Southern 500.

Additionally, Truex has reached the mountain top in NASCAR, as in 2017, while driving the No. 78 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing, he won his first and only Cup Series championship. Truex tallied eight checkered flags that season and capped it off with a victory in the season finale at Homestead-Miami.

Truex's success continued the following year as he finished runner-up to Joey Logano — his last season with Furniture Row. Furniture Row closed up shop at the end of the 2018 campaign and soon thereafter, Truex signed a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to pilot the No. 19 Toyota.

Truex finished second again in 2019 and 2021 and has remained one of the Cup Series' most consistent drivers all the way up to and through the current season.

In addition to his Cup Series career, Truex had one of the better careers in the history of the Xfinity Series. He captured back-to-back Xfinity Series championships in 2004 and '05 and won 13 races in 104 starts. Truex was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers last year and is a shoo-in for the NASCAR Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible.

On3's Nick Geddes contributed to this .