Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) was established as All-Star Racing in 1984, whereas Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) joined NASCAR for the primary time in 1992.
Since then, HMS has received 320 races and JGR has received 227, making them the 2 of the three winningest groups in Cup Sequence historical past.
They’ve additionally mixed to win 19 of the final 30 Cup titles, with Hendrick amassing 14 championships and Gibbs 5. Nevertheless, neither staff has earned a crown because the Subsequent Gen period started in 2022, because of the three-year reign of Group Penske. This 12 months, Group Penske isn’t within the closing.
“Largest mistake I made in racing was serving to Joe Gibbs,” staff boss Rick Hendrick not too long ago joked
It’s true, Hendrick and Gibbs’ Subsequent Gen dropping streak will quickly finish: every staff has two drivers within the Championship 4. The following query — which driver will win — is far more difficult.
JGR has Denny Hamlin, probably the most profitable racer in NASCAR Cup historical past and not using a title, in addition to Chase Briscoe, who’s in his very first 12 months with the staff.
Hendrick has the one former champion within the battle with Kyle Larson, who received all of it in 2021. In addition they have William Byron, who has received the final two Daytona 500s and has made the ultimate 4 for the third consecutive 12 months.
Who’s stronger at Phoenix?
Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Causey (middle) with Championship 4 drivers (from left to proper) Chase Briscoe, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and William Byron
Picture by: James Gilbert / Getty Photographs
These are all heavy hitters, however who will prevail on Sunday? Whereas Phoenix has been Penske’s playground, all the contenders have had latest success there as effectively. Wanting solely on the Subsequent Gen period, Hendrick has one win, courtesy of Byron within the spring of 2023. JGR has two wins, each through Christopher Bell, who received within the spring of 2024 and 2025. Briscoe additionally received a Subsequent Gen race at Phoenix, however that got here with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2022.
the latest race, received by Bell, Hamlin completed an extremely shut second. It was practically a photograph end between the teammates, with Larson ending proper behind them in third. Byron was sixth, whereas Briscoe crashed out of the occasion. The 2 organizations appeared pretty equal in that race, however maybe Gibbs had a slight edge. The JGR squad led 108 laps and HMS vehicles led 83 of the 312 run. Bell and Byron made up the lion’s share of that.
As for simply the drivers at Phoenix through the years, Hamlin is clearly probably the most skilled one with 40 begins, and he is the one one with a number of wins. Nevertheless, all 4 of them have received on the Cup degree in Phoenix, and Hamlin hasn’t received since 2019.
Primarily based on common end, three of those drivers are remarkably shut. Hamlin enters the weekend with a median end of 10.6, Larson a ten.7, and Byron at a ten.8! The extra one searches for a bonus, the extra it looks as if now we have a real degree enjoying discipline right here between each drivers and tools.
What the house owners should say about one another
Rick Hendrick, proprietor of Hendrick Motorsports
Picture by: James Gilbert / Getty Photographs
Talking on the matchup earlier this week, ‘Coach’ Joe Gibbs mentioned: “It should be an enormous deal. I feel our followers love that. It is the very best on the planet competing in a single race. It ought to be actually thrilling.”
Gibbs later aded: “I would like to go towards anyone that is not excellent (smiling). The issue is that does not occur in NASCAR. So, to get to the Ultimate 4 is simply so onerous. So now we bought one race. We all know what we’re up towards, anyone that is actually, actually good. Two vehicles in there for them. Two for us.
“Hopefully this will probably be good for the followers and everyone and the thrill. In all probability will not be good for me. I will be so nervous and uptight about it (smiling). To get to the Ultimate 4 is a thrill, and we’re thrilled to be in it. It is nice for our sponsors and our total group. You bought to offer Rick and them simply all of the credit score on the planet.”
Joe Gibbs
Picture by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Photographs
Satirically, Mr. H. helped Gibbs to get into the game within the first place, leasing engines to the staff within the early 90s.
“Largest mistake I made in racing was serving to Joe Gibbs,” joked Hendrick throughout his latest media availability. He additionally spoke in regards to the respect between these two legendary automotive house owners.
“No, Joe, I am unable to consider it, however Joe has been form of considered one of my idols. I like the Redskins. Once I bought a name from him, and I went as much as camp, after which I went to a sport after they had been enjoying the Falcons. I feel it was the Playoffs. It was chilly, and I bought off the tram. I began towards the sphere, and the underside got here off of my boot. I had considered one of these I suppose mountain boots I hadn’t had on shortly. So the underside got here off.
“I’m going down on the sphere, and I am standing in water. It is freezing and sleeting, and I bought no sneakers on. I imply, I bought the bottoms come off each of my boots. There’s Joe Gibbs up there. I am like, Ought to I’m going up and attempt to ask him can he get me a pair of sneakers or one thing (laughter)? After, after I advised him, he mentioned, ‘you need to have mentioned one thing.’ I mentioned, ‘man, all these bodyguards round you, if I walked as much as you, I most likely would have been put in jail.’
“Joe and I’ve had some good occasions. We have had some unhappy occasions collectively. There’s no person I respect any greater than I do Joe Gibbs and the nice group he is put collectively. I imply, I love the person for his energy, what he is gone by.”
The ‘large respect’ and kinship Hendrick talks about goes method past the race observe as effectively, as they’ve each skilled comparable tragedies … Rick misplaced his solely son Ricky in a 2004 airplane crash, whereas each of Joe’s sons died earlier than the age of fifty.
And now, these fixed rivals, good mates, and titans of the game will come collectively for a 2 vs. 2 showdown at Phoenix Raceway. Whether or not it finally ends up being JGR’s sixth or HMS’ fifteenth, they may have actually earned it with the caliber of their competitors this weekend.
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