Martin Truex Jr. clinches 2023 Regular Season Championship

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Martin Truex Jr. clinched the Regular Season Championship in the NASCAR Cup Series during Saturday's race at Daytona International Speedway. The title is Truex’s second since NASCAR began recognizing the leading points scorer at regular season’s end in 2017, when the New Jersey native claimed the inaugural championship. That momentum carried Truex to his first NASCAR Cup Series Championship through a masterful postseason in which he won four of the final 10 races, including the title race. MORE: Field set for playoffs | See all Regular Season Champions "It’s really awesome to get these bonus points," Truex said. "I’m just really proud of my team and everybody at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing), TRD, Bass Pro, Auto Owners, Resers -- all of our partners for giving us the opportunity to be here and to be able to have the season that we had. Hopefully, we can keep it going." Truex, driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, is a three-time winner in 2023, collecting checkered flags at Dover Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The year is a significant turnaround from 2022, when Truex went winless and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. As the Regular Season Champion, Truex receives a bonus of 15 playoff points that will carry through each round of the NASCAR Playoffs to which he advances.