With two road courses and one Speedway, It’s going to be a dogfight for a playoff spot. As the playoffs approach, drivers are giving their all to secure a spot. Ty Gibbs recently claimed Michael McDowell‘s position, sliding into the playoff bubble after the Michigan race.

In the McDowell vs. Ty Gibbs showdown, determining the frontrunner isn’t a straightforward task. Well, it is surely not going to be a cup of tea for rookie drivers. McDowell holds better stats compared to Ty for the remaining three races, while Denny Hamlin sees promise in Ty’s Toyota’s pace and consistency. Simply put, it’s still anyone’s game.

“It’s gonna be a dogfight“, Denny Hamlin speaks about the McDowell vs. Ty Gibbs showdown

During a podcast on Actions Detrimental, the veteran highlighted that the Front Row Motorsports driver holds a notable advantage over the 20-year-old Ty Gibbs. Denny Hamlin believes that Michael McDowell’s 24th-place finish at Michigan, caused by a crash, was an unfortunate occurrence. He also brings attention to NASCAR’s rule change on stage breaks, suggesting it could have a significant impact on the competition.

The No 11 driver started, “It’s going to be so close and it’s setting up towards the fastest guys on the road course about the cut line superspeedway you would give edge to McDowell, I’m not disrespecting McDowell all on road courses I understand he had scored most stage points of any other driver thank you I know the data on that.”

“However you know it is a little different now there’s no stage breaks so it’s whenever you’re running you’re gonna get points for those where before typically we have most of the top 10 peel off. But I still think he’s in a really good spot I like McDowell’s chances now significantly more than I did before.”

On the other hand, Denny Hanlin pointed out his teammate’s pressure during those intense runs. Hamlin said, “Gibbs, he’s got the fastest car of all of these guys it’s just a matter that he just inexperienced but he’s driving like a wet, he’s not getting in any trouble right? We are not talking about Gibbs any week, right? He’s just chipping away chipping away. And I think he’s getting a little better each week It’s like what about you know surely the pressure I know that kid he feels a lot of pressure on himself.”

Nonetheless, Joe Gibbs grandson remains steadfast in his belief in Toyotas, as he discussed his approach to handling these pressures during a post-race interview following the FireKeepers Casino 400.

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“Mental Game”- Ty Gibbs’ insight on pressure management

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In an interview, Ty Gibbs exuded confidence in his car manufacturer, Toyota. To bolster his point, Gibbs cited Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace’s strong runs from last year and the current year. Simply put, he holds the belief that all Toyotas are contenders, including himself. However, how will he navigate pressure situations on the track, even with a strong car? The rookie has a perspective on that matter as well.

During the same interview, the No. 54 Toyota Camry driver said, “First of all it’s a rookie season so I think that’s what everybody has been telling me’ It’s alright, just do the best you can’. So for me, I feel like I go on each race the same and just try to complete the mission and do the best I can and do the best I can with my car you know sometimes I don’t do as good with what my car is capable of, so I gotta go back and learn but in times when you know.

“I can’t really make my car go any faster because the setup something’s wrong with it. Then I gotta suck it up and deal with it basically and do the best I can do with this so I think it’s a mental game, Racing seems really really hard um Cup is really really hard”, he further added.

Indeed, only time will unveil the contender who secures that coveted spot. Who do you believe has the edge?

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