Currently, the two strongest teams in NASCAR are Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. Both teams? drivers have found themselves locked in a battle against a member of the rival team. With the penultimate round of the 2023 Cup Series season right around the corner, a lot of people believe that the fight for the title will be between HMS and JGR. Both teams have fantastic cars and talented drivers behind the wheel. Right now, Rick Hendrick seems to have an edge over his long-time rival Joe Gibbs.

HMS has two drivers in the round of 8, Kyle Larson and William Byron. Both drivers are in fantastic form and are title favorites. JGR, on the other hand, only has one title favorite in Denny Hamlin. But they have three drivers in the playoffs, the other two being Christopher Bell and Martin Truex Jr. It is important to remember that Truex is the regular season champion who could regain his form at any moment. So where does HMS hold the clear edge over JGR?

Hendrick Motorsports drivers stand head and shoulders over JGR’s

Well, the answer to that question is quite simple. Points. The penultimate stage of the playoffs is perhaps the most stressful in the whole of a campaign. The gap between the drivers on the table is so small that every single point matters. In that respect, Hendrick Motorsports has truly done a better job than Joe Gibbs Racing.

Let?s take a look at how things stand among the 8 drivers left in terms of points earned during the playoffs. All that is needed to ascertain these points is to subtract the regular season points for each driver from the total points earned so far this season.

HMS star William Byron sits on the top of the table with 234 points so far in the playoffs. His teammate Kyle Larson is a close second with 226 points. Both drivers have been consistent in winning stages even if they weren?t winning races all the time. But then again, Byron does have 6 wins to his name.

The first Joe Gibbs Racing driver on that table is Denny Hamlin with 212 points. The 42-year-old title hopeful is followed by Christopher Bell with 210 points. However, Joe Gibbs has a problem at hand whose name is Martin Truex Jr.

The 2023 regular-season champion has been beyond poor in the playoffs this year. He has not finished in the top 15 in a single playoff race so far and given his form, it is unlikely that he will. Truex has only amassed 105 points ever since the playoffs began. So how did he get so far?

Martin Truex Jr was brilliant in the regular season, scoring good points consistently. He became the regular season champion and was awarded with an extra 15 playoff points. These points have kept him alive in the race so far, proving their importance in the long run.

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The Cup Series is not the only thing that has been worrying Joe Gibbs of late, In fact, things have not gone to plan for their Xfinity Series favorite of late either.

The misery of Joe Gibbs extends beyond the Cup Series

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John Hunter Nemechek has been one of the standout performers in the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series. Sitting atop the driver?s championship table, Nemechek is one of the strongest favorites to win the title. But of late, misfortune has befallen the #20.

The 26-year-old suffered an oil leak in last weekend?s race in Charlotte. The incident happened during the qualifying session and it concerned both the team and Nemechek?s fans. The JGR man could not make it out in time and had to start from the back of the grid.

After a commendable P8 finish at the Roval, John Hunter Nemechek was hoping for a better qualifying in Las Vegas. However, the JGR man suffered the exact same issue, and once again has to start from the back of the grid. Will he be able to pull off another stunning recovery drive? Let us know your thoughts.

Read More – Can Joe Gibbs? Underdog Edge Over Martin Truex Jr at Vegas?