After a rain-delayed, overtime race at Michigan, only two races remain on the schedule. NASCAR Cup Series drivers hovering around the playoff bubble are in tough spots. Four vacant slots and two regular-season races remain until the playoffs. And what makes it even more challenging is a certain four-member team in the premier series, led by Joe Gibbs.

The Joe Gibbs Racing team has been at the forefront for most of the season. In most races, if it was not a Hendrick Motorsports driver, it was certainly a JGR one at Victory Lane. So a NASCAR insider breaks down the strong points that Gibbs’ drivers harbor against their rivals.

Joe Gibbs is carrying some big bosses

Although Hendrick Motorsports leads with the number of wins (nine), JGR is close behind with six trophies. But currently, Denny Hamlin‘s 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick leads the entire race field in terms of points. After clinching the FireKeepers Casino 400 trophy, he has a 10-point cushion protecting him from Chase Elliott. Joe Gibbs’ drivers are equally tenacious, consistently securing front-row positions in races despite persistent engine issues.

So ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ hosts reckon this team is a mighty contender in the playoffs. Freddie Kraft appreciated Hamlin, as he recovered from an aerodynamic mishap on Sunday. “Denny was a rocket this week. He spun out and did a bunch of damage to his car, and still drove back to the top ten I think.” Engine problems have plagued Joe Gibbs’ Toyota team several times, as Martin Truex Jr‘s car sputtered after 250 laps in Richmond recently. Yet the 34-time Cup winner clinched 9 top tens and 5 top fives. “I think Martin Truex…He’s gonna have to get hot…I know their cars are definitely fast enough for him to get hot.” 

Then TJ Majors, spotter for Brad Keselowski, showered further praises on Hamlin. The No. 11 driver owns three victories and consistent top-row showing due to his driving prowess. “Denny knows how to make the race the easiest on himself. Like we caught Denny, as soon as we got position on him, he didn’t mess around…You know what happens when you race side-by-side here…Denny knows how to limit his losses on the track. You might not see him in the top five, but he’s right there. And he knows how to run a very smart race…could go on and win the next two races.”

Griffin continued about Joe Gibbs’ other studs, outlining what other drivers would need to face. “The 20 car could…Tyler, he could get hot. Honestly, there’s probably five or six guys you could be afraid of right now…Martin knows how to get to the end of the race.” Yet Joe Gibbs has his eyes on one of his drivers for future contention.

No. 20 driver for 20 years

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Joe Gibbs Racing has been a powerhouse in NASCAR for decades. Since 1995, racing legends like Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, and Tony Stewart have earned numerous trophies and championships. Denny Hamlin has been with Gibbs since 2006, and Martin Truex Jr. joined the team in 2018. Now even these veteran drivers are nearing their threshold. Truex has already announced his retirement, and Hamlin has played around with his own exit recently. So Joe Gibbs has his eyes on his young studs – Ty Gibbs and especially Christopher Bell.

Joe Gibbs remarked about Bell: “We can ride him for 20 years.” The 29-year-old No. 20 driver stamped himself as a championship favorite after a wet-weather victory in New Hampshire. Bell already owns three victories and 13 top-ten finishes this season. So Gibbs had nothing but honey to ooze for his nine-time Cup-winning driver. “I just think Christopher, he’s gifted, and the further he goes, we all just really appreciate it. I think he’s a real talented, young guy. I’ll tell you, he’s the all-American guy. Sponsors love him. He’s just a kid that everybody loves.”

Evidently, the Hall of Fame football coach has some diamonds shining brightly in his NASCAR team. We can only wait to see the thrilling race performances Joe Gibbs’ drivers execute in the future.