The 2023 NASCAR playoffs are finally here and we just got done with the first race at Darlington. With Kyle Larson clinching the win beating the likes of Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick, Hendrick Motorsports had a good day in the field. They found 3 of their drivers finish inside P10 on the track that is ‘too tough to tame’. For car maker Chevrolet the win means more assertion of their dominance in the sport.

Another car maker in the spotlight on Sunday was Toyota. Manufacturing cars for Joe Gibbs Racing, the company has its name etched on the rides of Denny Hamlin and former champion Martin Truex Jr. While the night was slightly favorable for the carmaker, its JGR counterparts did not fare particularly well. The hosts of the podcast, ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ came together and revealed an interesting insight into JGR and its drivers.

Martin Truex Jr fails to shine at a place where Denny Hamlin excels

Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin are among the few drivers who qualified for Playoffs quite early in the season. With a plethora of experience between them, the teammates have their own advantages as well as shortcomings. Going into the playoffs, both drivers would have hoped to take a strong first step. Considering the fact that both the drivers have won Southern 500s at the Darlington before, much was expected of them. But they did not end up meeting those expectations.

Discussing the same on the podcast, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft said, “That’s one place where Denny excels. Denny is phenomenal there. I was surprised that Martin wasn’t better yesterday. He had a loose wheel at one point, he got behind but he was just a non-factor all day.”

Denny Hamlin has conquered the Darlington Raceway on 3 different occasions before and his teammate on 1. Though both failed to win on Sunday, their races were completely different from each other’s. Denny Hamlin dominated and led most of the race, and would have gone on to win had it not been for a potential loose wheel. Martin Truex Jr, on the other hand, failed to impress right from the start of the race.

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Toyota fails to get names on the leaderboard despite strong performance

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Cars from Toyota led a staggering 307 of the possible 367 laps in Darlington. Despite posting such strong numbers, only two names that drove Toyotas were found in the top 17 standings at the race’s end. In the current season, Toyota fields 6 cars partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing. While both these teams have some of the grid’s fastest drivers, Sunday night did not churn up enough fortunes for them. Or rather, for JGR.

23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick both managed to get their names into the top 10 list. JGR’s drivers couldn’t follow the example. The race was Bubba Wallace’s first ever playoff appearance and he managed to finish at P7. Talking of Toyota’s dominance, Kraft said, “Toyotas yesterday were super fast. We (Bubba Wallace) forfeited the track position a couple of times and were able to get back into the top 10. They’ve been the best manufacturer all year.”

With Joe Gibbs Racing renewing its contract with star driver and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin, all the parties involved will get to continue with Toyota as their manufacturer going into 2024. But before then, there is work to be done for these racers. With 5 cars in the 2023 playoff lineup, Toyota will be hoping that its drivers at Joe Gibbs Racing will have better outings at the Kansas Speedway.

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