After going winless within the closing 18 Cup races final season, a key query getting into this yr 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.
The query now could be if Joe Gibbs Racing is the perfect group almost a 3rd of the way in which by means of the common season.
“I don’t suppose that we’ve been, in need of (Martinsville, that) was domination, however there hasn’t been lots of dominating Gibbs wins this yr,” 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 instances that we had the perfect automotive, gained the race. Then we’ve had different issues type 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.
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.
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 yr in the past, Byron gained three of the primary eight races. This yr he has one victory however has extra top-five finishes (4 this yr to 3 final yr) and has led extra laps this yr (354) in comparison with final yr (149).
“I really feel like we’re a manner stronger group this yr,” Byron stated after main 243 laps on the way in which to ending second at Darlington final weekend. “I don’t really feel like we ever had this efficiency final yr in us. We gained some races (final yr), positive, however they had been totally on capitalizing on the tip of the race or issues like that, or having simply good monitor place.”
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 prior 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.
Crew Penske has two drivers within the high 10: Ryan Blaney is seventh and Joey Logano is ninth.
“It’s 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 don’t should beat across the bush. It’s going to be the identical individuals which are going to be good within the final 15 weeks of the yr.
“The individuals which are good proper now are simply going to get higher. That’s simply how it’s. Will probably be the identical crowd, as at all times, after we get right down to it.”
