Getty Martin Truex Jr. prepares for a race at Road America.
The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry TRD will have a brand-new look for the Cup Series trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. will showcase the Interstate Batteries colors, marking his first time working with the brand.
JGR announced the news on July 11 and showed off Truex’s scheme. The No. 19 Toyota will have a green base with lightning covering the body. The scheme will feature a special “70 Years” anniversary badge on the hood. There will also be associate partner logos for Bass Pro Shops and Reser’s Fine Foods.
Same, but different ‼️
@MartinTruex_Jr is running the famed @interstatebatts colors at @NHMS 🔋#TeamInterstate
Truex, who joined JGR after the 2018 season, has worked with a variety of partners during his time driving the No. 19 Toyota. This list does not include Interstate Batteries. Instead, Truex has showcased Bass Pro Shops, SiriusXM, Reser’s Fine Foods, and Auto-Owners Insurance. He also raced at Pocono in 2021 with Stanely Tools.
The 2017 Cup Series champion will showcase the new scheme while fighting for a spot in the playoffs. He is currently 62 points above the cutline after an 11th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Truex is one of three winless drivers above the cutline with seven races remaining in the regular season.
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The New Scheme Will Create Some Confusion
GettyKyle Busch (left) has regularly worked with Interstate Batteries.
Having a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with an Interstate Batteries scheme is nothing new. The company has been a key partner since 1991 when Joe Gibbs was preparing to make his move into NASCAR. What will be different, however, is the number on the side of the Cup Series stock car.
Multiple drivers have showcased Interstate Batteries in the Xfinity Series, including Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs, but the green scheme has primarily been present on the No. 18 entry in the Cup Series.
Dale Jarrett was the first driver to showcase Interstate Batteries for JGR. He ran full-time in the No. 18 for three seasons (1992-1994), and he won twice. His first win with Interstate Batteries was actually the 1993 Daytona 500.
Bobby Labonte then displayed the company on his No. 18 stock car while winning 21 Cup Series races. This includes the 2000 season when he reached Victory Lane four times and won the championship over Dale Earnhardt.
Interstate Batteries continued to serve as a primary partner of the No. 18 during the 2006 and 2007 seasons when JJ Yeley was the driver. The Arizona native did not reach Victory Lane, but he finished second behind Casey Mears in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 while driving an Interstate Batteries Chevrolet.
Truex’s Teammate Has Won Several Times With Interstate Batteries
GettyKyle Busch has numerous wins with Interstate Batteries.
Jarrett and Labonte both won races with Insterstate Batteries while Yeley came close to reaching Victory Lane. Kyle Busch, for comparison, has nearly reached double-digit wins with the company among his list of primary partners.
Busch has also enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Interstate Batteries. He has won nine times with the company on the No. 18 Toyota, dating back to the 2008 Coke Zero Sugar 400. Busch also captured two separate Cup Series championships — one in 2015 and one in 2019 — with Interstate Batteries among his list of partners.
This relationship has continued during the 2022 season. Busch has made two starts with Interstate Batteries as his primary partner, headlined by a third-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. He has four others on his schedule, based on a preseason announcement by JGR.
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