Joe Gibbs Racing has lost its numerical advantage of having all four cars into the playoffs after the first round. Martin Truex Jr and Ty Gibbs could not overcome their shortcomings of the regular season and crashed out of the title race at Bristol last Sunday. The lack of experience did hamper Gibbs in finding his way around his opponent. But the veteran driver of the #19 car was the architect of his downfall.

It’s fair to say that the #19 Toyota is one of the fastest cars in the Cup garage this year. But rather than competing for wins, Truex Jr. has often found himself cornered with mistakes and unforced errors. And this was evident from his pit-road penalty at Bristol that sent him back in the pecking order for the final stage. While there was a lot of chatter about the lack of tire wear and passing opportunities, Kevin Harvick wasn’t having any of it. Stating that Truex Jr.’s half-hearted approach has held back the #19 team’s progress.

Kevin Harvick shares his honest verdict on Martin Truex Jr. after his elimination from the playoffs

Martin Truex Jr. has always been unsure about his future competing at the Cup level. Every year seemed to be his last, but there would be no confirmation until this year. It was announced that the 44-year-old would step down from his duties by the end of 2024. However, this lack of clarity and a clear road map has proven costly for JGR, according to Kevin Harvick. The former SHR driver wasn’t a fan of the one-foot-in, one-foot-out approach that has proved detrimental for the #19 team.

“I think James is frustrated with that one foot in, one foot out commitment that Martin has that, do I retire, do I not retire. I’ll come back; it’s gone the exact same way the last two years. You cannot race this car with one foot in, one foot out commitment. Because there’s a workload that is required to go with this car on a week-to-week basis.” Kevin Harvick said this on the 59th episode of the Happy Hour podcast.

On lap 333, during the final pit stop of the race, Truex Jr. fluffed his lines after speeding on the pit road. 0.09 mph proved to be decisive in his hopes of a title run, as he was dropped down to 26th spot on the grid. From here on, the race went caution-free, and the biggest surprise was that the veteran driver couldn’t make any gains during this run. And Kevin Harvick found it surprising that a race car driving P2 wasn’t able to make any gains late when it mattered the most.

“Martin was running second; he made a mistake on pit road; that happens. But you can’t tell me that a second-place car couldn’t pass one car after the pit stops. You have to feel for those guys, and I think some of James’ frustrations, from the crew chief side, is was my driver fully engaged to go what I needed to do? Martin kind of said it last week. I’m frustrated, don’t really like what I do and I’m happy it’s almost over.” Harvick added.

Amidst all the failures and shortcomings, the good news for JGR is that Chase Briscoe is having a good run in the playoffs.

Chase Briscoe is proving his critics wrong with a gritty performance in the playoffs

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Kevin Harvick at the start of the playoffs predicted that Briscoe, among the other few surprise winners, wouldn’t make any difference. But, despite the struggles at SHR, the driver has taken up the responsibility of providing his team with a storied end to their NASCAR story. Despite being handed a short stick after crashing into Larson at Atlanta, the #14 team has bounced off in some style. A P6 finish at the Glen followed by an eight-place finish at Bristol was enough for Briscoe to make the next round.

Imagine the SHR driver’s No. 14 car having the same speed as the #19; he could prove to be a real threat. But, again, it goes on to show that having a good racing setup isn’t enough to weave your way through to the next round. This show of determination by Briscoe might see him repeat his heroics of the 2022 season, where he managed to reach the Round of 8 in the playoffs.

“Hopefully, people will start taking us serious. I truthfully feel like we can battle for the championship, so hopefully tonight proved that.” Briscoe said this after the race in Bristol, and he does have a point. Now, a championship 4 is indeed a long shot for the #14 team, but given the change in dynamics, nothing can be ruled out. It’s fair to say, JGR indeed made the right call naming Briscoe as Martin Truex Jr.’s replacement.