Currently, Joe Gibbs Racing looks pretty safe with all their drivers making it into the playoffs. Despite having a decent season, it has been an uphill battle. Denny Hamlin is currently fourth in the standings, and Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. have not won a race to make it into the playoffs; however, they do have enough points to put them in the top 16.

There are only 3 races left, and anything can happen at this point, as there could be more surprise winners like what happened at Richmond. JGR is a team that runs Toyota cars, and although they have been doing quite well over the season, it does not come without struggles. One of the main issues with the cars is that their engines keep breaking, and that came to the attention of the former Hendrick Motorsports crew member and crew chief, Steve Letarte.

Toyota’s engine issues lead to Joe Gibbs Racing running out of them

In the latest episode of Dirty Mo Dough, Steve Letarte, Tampa Tims, and Professor Trav talk about what exactly the situation is with JGR and Toyota. Letarte stated, “I have a little concern about Toyotas and their engines. You’re going where the engines have got to be tested at the highest level, and we saw Truex break another one.”

After explaining the situation at the JGR garage, the host explains how the team has given him different stories about why their engines are breaking. He stated, “I’m not going to air them all out here, but the simple fact is they have broken a few, and that concerns me going to Michigan. But speed-wise, Gibbs and Bubba, both over 20 to one—I see you have Gibbs highlighted.”

Trying to understand what Letarte was saying, a co-host asked him, “So with the engines, there’s been what, like four of them? And they said they have different issues. Is that more concerning to you? or it’s just something different?”

Breaking down the problem with a solution for all four Joe Gibbs Racing cars, Steve Letarte responded, “I mean, I think it’s more concerning that they’re different issues because if it’s one issue, you know—well, here’s the problem. My concern, if it’s one issue, is, why can’t you fix it? You know, if it was one issue all at the same time, you should be able to fix it.”

He further gave an analogy, saying, “You know, sometimes what happens is like the old air bubble under a decal, right? I know they’re different issues, but you get an air bubble over here, and you start to fix it, and all it does is move somewhere else.” Steve Letarte believes clearly that JGR is facing a problem where the team is not able to figure out the problem of their engines blowing up.

Next drawing a comparison to the other Toyota teams like 23XI Racing and Legacy Motor Club who were not facing similar issues. Irrespective of the issues that the team is facing, their drivers are fighting hard to prove that they are competing for the Cup and nothing else.

Denny Hamlin starts at the pole position in Michigan

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The heavy rains at Michigan International Speedway led to the NASCAR Cup Series canceling the practice session along with the qualifiers. Denny Hamlin was given the pole position for the Firekeepers Casino 400 based on the previous race outcomes. It is a strange occurrence where drivers haven’t needed to set lap times to achieve pole position.

Starting in the front row alongside Denny Hamlin will be Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin’s team’s best driver this year, who is also running a Toyota due to their strategic partnership with JGR. The next spot will be taken by Christopher Bell, followed by Kyle Larson. This makes the No. 5 car the only non-Toyota in the top 5. Most likely we’ll see a Toyota dominance tomorrow.

Bubba Wallace takes P5 at Michigan, as he will be fighting hard to secure himself a place in the playoffs. Although Toyota cars have been fast on the circuits, the main issue is their sustainability. If Joe Gibbs Racing runs out of engines due to them blowing up, they might run out of backup engines, which might lead to drivers not being able to participate in the playoffs.

With that said, do you think that we will get to see a JGR winner at Michigan International Speedway? Share your thoughts in the comments below.