In NASCAR, pit stops are the hushed moments that can sculpt a driver’s destiny. While a myriad of elements dance in the backdrop?the tire’s grip, the car’s mechanical heartbeat, the engine’s roar, and the driver’s unwavering focus?it’s often the orchestrated ballet of pit stops that can catapult a driver ahead by not just one, but sometimes even three or four positions, if the crew’s choreography is swift and precise.

Yet, despite the dazzling efficiency JGR showcased this year during pit stops, their playoff dance seemed to miss a few beats. A keen-eyed NASCAR connoisseur suggests that the responsibility for this misstep, which potentially swayed the fate of Martin Truex Jr. in Las Vegas, lies squarely on the shoulders of Joe Gibbs and his ensemble.

NASCAR insider casts a critical gaze at Joe Gibbs and Co., linking them to Martin Truex Jr.’s precarious position

The South Point 400 race saw Kyle Larson clinch victory, but it was Christopher Bell who dazzled the audience, finishing a razor-thin 0.082 seconds behind. Despite an unexpected hiccup during his pit stop, Bell, who had an enviable start at the pole for Joe Gibbs Racing, managed to secure the third position post-stop. With the Las Vegas track proving to be a challenging ground for overtakes, Bell found himself trailing Larson for much of the race.

While Bell’s subsequent races in Homestead saw the team iron out the kinks, enabling him to taste victory and earn a coveted spot in the Championship Four, Martin Truex Jr. wasn’t as fortunate. Representing a team renowned for their lightning-fast pit stops, it’s baffling to think that the very pit crew could be the Achilles’ heel for Truex Jr., causing him to lose significant ground at Las Vegas. An engine glitch at Homestead further relegated him to the 6th spot in the top-8.

Echoing these sentiments, Steve Letarte, a former HMS aficionado, remarked, ?Everything has gone wrong, and then you have unacceptably slow pit stops. […] Don?t pretend that the best deserves to win. Everybody can?t be the best. And you know what I saw? Pit stops that were not deserving to win. […] I have the data. The answer is slow. The pit stops are slow; they are slow when they matter. […] I am sorry. Pit crew guys get paid handsomely to do their job.”

He further added, “They have all the effort in the world, and they have to step up on the big stage. And just like the drivers make mistakes and James Small made it a week ago when the pit stops were fine, this week it was pit stops. When you have a dry pile of leaves, which is this relationship or the #19 radio, and you start throwing sparks towards them, they catch on fire.?

Furthermore, Letarte didn’t hold back, casting a discerning eye on Truex’s crew chief for the latter’s playoff fiasco as well.

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Letarte’s critique didn’t stop at the pit crew; Martin Truex Jr.’s crew chief found himself in the crosshairs too

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Delving deeper into the intricacies of Joe Gibbs’s team, Letarte shed light on the turbulent dynamics between James Small and Martin Truex Jr. However, he later emphasized that despite their earnest efforts to navigate through the storm, Martin Truex Jr.’s crew chief, James Small, and the former seemed to be sailing solo, with no assistance from their crew or allies within the team.

?So the James Small, Martin Truex thing: they are the couple trying to work through rough waters, and there?s no friends helping them. No one on the team, no pit crew?like nobody is stepping up to make this easier. It?s already; Martin would be the first guy to tell you, and James will agree that the strategy got him off the last week. […] You take a heated situation for a regular-season champ who has had a debacle. I mean, their playoffs is as cold a streak as you can get on.?

With Martinsville on the horizon, this is Truex’s final play to secure a spot in the Championship Four. Given his impressive track record there, boasting an average of 16.0, three victories, 10 top-5s, and 16 top-10s from 35 races, it would be remiss of us not to consider him a formidable contender at Martinsville.

Read More: Is Martin Truex Jr an Undeserving Regular Season Champion?