After going winless within the last 18 Cup races final season, a key query getting into this 12 months was when Joe Gibbs Racing would win once more.
Denny Hamlin’s back-to-back victories at Martinsville and Darlington give JGR 5 wins within the first eight races of this season.
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The query now could be if Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the best group practically a 3rd of the best way by means of the common season.
“I do not assume that we have been, wanting (Martinsville, that) was domination, however there hasn’t been plenty of dominating Gibbs wins this 12 months,” Hamlin stated after his Darlington victory. “(Martinsville) was one of many solely ones.
“You see (Christopher) Bell at Phoenix was dominating. I see it as we had two occasions that we had one of the best automotive, received the race. Then we have had different issues sort of simply fall our manner.”
Hamlin led 274 of the ultimate 275 laps to win at Martinsville. Bell led a race-high 105 of 312 laps to win at Phoenix.
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Within the different three JGR wins this season, the group led only a few laps. Bell led solely the final lap at Atlanta (JGR led simply 2.3% of that race). Bell led eight laps at Circuit of the Americas — the one laps JGR led within the 95-lap occasion. Hamlin led solely 10 of 297 laps in his Darlington victory.
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Even with JGR’s success, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron lead the factors heading into Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. All 4 of Hendrick’s drivers are within the high 10 in factors: Byron (first), Chase Elliott (fourth), Kyle Larson (sixth) and Alex Bowman (tenth).
A 12 months in the past, Byron received three of the primary eight races. This 12 months he has one victory however has extra top-five finishes (4 this 12 months to 3 final 12 months) and has led extra laps this 12 months (354) in comparison with final 12 months (149).
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“I really feel like we’re a manner stronger group this 12 months,” Byron stated after main 243 laps on the best way to ending second at Darlington final weekend. “I don’t really feel like we ever had this efficiency final 12 months in us. We received some races (final 12 months), certain, however they had been totally on capitalizing on the top of the race or issues like that, or having simply good monitor place.”
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Whereas Hendrick has all 4 drivers within the high 10 in factors, Joe Gibbs Racing has two of its 4 drivers within the high 10: Hamlin has vaulted from eighth to second up to now two weeks together with his victories and Bell is third.
23XI Racing has two of its drivers within the high 10: Tyler Reddick is fifth and Bubba Wallace is eighth.
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Workforce Penske has two drivers within the high 10: Ryan Blaney is seventh and Joey Logano is ninth.
“It is the identical crowd yearly,” Elliott stated this previous weekend at Darlington when requested at what level within the season does he assess who the robust title contenders are. “We do not have to beat across the bush. It’ll be the identical folks which can be going to be good within the final 15 weeks of the 12 months.
“The folks which can be good proper now are simply going to get higher. That is simply how it’s. It will likely be the identical crowd, as at all times, after we get all the way down to it.”
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