NASCAR Veteran Snubs Joe Gibbs Racing Superstar for Ford’s Wildcard to Rain on Rick Hendrick’s Parade

There are only three races left before the 2023 Championship 4 race in Phoenix. Four drivers will be eliminated and four will make it through to the final round in these three races. Most fans and experts believe three drivers are strong favorites to make it through to the championship round: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and William Byron. It is the fourth spot that has been a subject of debate ever since the round of 12 concluded. According to an influential ex-driver, that fourth place could be occupied by a driver no one had given any chance at the start of the season.

Rick Hendrick holds the biggest advantage on paper as both his playoff drivers have been in fine form. Kyle Larson and William Byron have been consistent throughout the season and have a whopping nine wins this season between them. Joe Gibbs, on the other hand, has Denny Hamlin who is performing exceptionally well at the moment. Martin Truex Jr has struggled in the playoffs but he is the regular-season champion and might get his form back at any time.

Former Cup Series champion puts his money on Ford’s wildcard 

There are four other drivers still in the race and either of them could pull off a massive upset. In a recent episode of NBC’s Motor Mouths, sportscaster Rick Allen sat down with Dustin Long and Dale Jarrett to discuss the four potential drivers who could make it into the last four.

When asked about their predictions for the final four in the championship race, Dustin Long said it would be a head-on fight between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. “I’m gonna go with William Byron, his teammate Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports and I’m gonna go with Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. I’m gonna call it Hendrick Motorsports versus Joe Gibbs Racing,” he said.

That’s when 1999 Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett stepped in to tell his colleague that he was only 75% correct. According to Jarrett, there is one man who could upset the HMS vs JGR battle, and it’s someone who burst onto the scene towards the end of the regular season.

“That’s great Dustin, you’re 75% right but I like Byron, Hamlin, Larson also. I think those three drivers have been the best and most consistent, fast all year long. But I’m gonna throw in the young man that had his best season, Chris Buescher. I think he has an opportunity right here to make his way into the Championship 4,” Jarrett said.

It is important to note that Chris Buescher has won as many races this year as Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Martin Truex Jr. The RFK Racing superstar won back-to-back races in Richmond and Michigan and finished the season with a victory in Daytona. The Ford driver is perhaps the biggest wildcard in the Round of 8 field.

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The man under the most threat out of the four is Martin Truex Jr. Ever since he won the regular season title, the JGR man’s has drastically dropped. The situation has shocked a number of eminent NASCAR insiders, including Kyle Petty.

Joe Gibbs Racing veteran’s form is a cause for concern as per prominent NASCAR insider

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Martin Truex Jr is yet to finish even in the top 15 of a playoff race so far. The only reason he has been able to get this far is thanks to the points he picked up during the regular season. Speaking to NASCAR in an interview, former race car driver Kyle Petty expressed his shock at the drop-off.

“The guy I want to talk about is Martin Truex Jr. Martin Truex; where have you gone, man? Where have you gone? In the 11 races leading up to the playoffs, Martin Truex was smoking hot. Out of 11 races, he won two of them and only finished outside the top 5 or 10 twice. That’s an amazing streak when you look back on it. When we get to the playoffs, Martin Truex has not even sniffed the top 15 in the playoffs, that’s crazy to me,” he said.

Petty raises a good point and let’s be honest, it’s what all of us have on our minds. Martin Truex Jr. was a force to be reckoned with in the regular season. Will the JGR man be able to find his form back just in time? Let us know your thoughts.

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