How would it feel if a driver won his spot in the coveted Championship 4 and got told that his victory did more harm than good for his team? Perhaps the word you’re looking for is ‘awful’. Last week, when Christopher Bell fell short of appeasing Joe Gibbs by 0.083 seconds, many blamed Bell for not having tried too hard. And now that he has won, suddenly it doesn’t matter anymore.
Well, at least that’s what Kyle Petty thinks. While Christopher Bell became the first Joe Gibbs Racing candidate to make it into the Championship 4, two other JGR drivers fell out of contention and into the playoff bubble. And that puts the teams in a precarious situation.
Kyle Petty revealed the dual danger for Joe Gibbs Racing at Martinsville
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It just took a lap for two JGR stars to fall behind the cutline by 17 points. Moving on to Martinsville, it’s either the 7-time Pocono winner Denny Hamlin or the regular season champion Martin Truex Jr, that will make it to the top 4. Even if there are no new winners next week, it will come down to a battle of points for both these speedsters.
In a recent NBC Sports podcast, NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty called Sunday’s Cup Series race a ‘horrendous’ day for Joe Gibbs Racing. Despite Christopher Bell making it into the top 4 for the second straight year, Petty didn’t sound too appreciative about the fact. Instead, he hinted at the danger lurking behind the number 11 and the number 19 teams.
Denoting Denny Hamlin’s steering issue and Martin Truex Jr’s engine failure as the first two bad things, Petty said, “The third thing that happened bad for Joe Gibbs Racing is Christopher Bell wins the race.”
“Because that puts Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex at a deficit of minus 17. I believe if Ryan Blaney or someone else had won the race, it was a little bit tighter,” he added.
Petty further exclaimed, “It’s gonna be tough, especially with this new car to make up a 17-point deficit. Even if one of them does, the other one’s going to be eliminated. That’s the crazy part about this. Two title contenders from JGR are eliminated, maybe, at Homestead.”
Despite Joe Gibbs Racing’s playoff woes, the team reposted a tweet by NASCAR on NBC, about a streak that the team has been maintaining since NASCAR brought about the elimination system in the postseason. However, the fans did not hold back from trolling JGR. And here’s why.
Watch This Story: Kyle Busch Mocks Joe Gibbs With Sarcastic Remark
Fans rebuked Joe Gibbs Racing, making bold Kyle Busch claims
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NBC wrote, “An impressive stat from@JoeGibbsRacing. ?
The streak continues for them making the Championship 4. #NASCARPlayoffs”
The ‘streak’ is that Joe Gibbs Racing has placed at least one driver since 2014 in the Championship 4 race. And even this time, it’s no different. Doesn’t it seem even a little odd that on one hand, Bell’s victory is deemed dangerous and on the other, that same victory is bringing glory to JGR? Definitely something to consider.
However, the fans felt like it was courtesy of Kyle Busch that Joe Gibbs’ Cup team had made it into the coveted race so many times. After all, it’s Kyle Busch who had appeared consecutively from 2015 to 2019 in the top 4.
An impressive stat from @JoeGibbsRacing. 👀
The streak continues for them making the Championship 4. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/v8qrXdKUHR
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 23, 2023
Someone wrote “ONLY Championships won by @KyleBusch. ?? But couldn’t find funding for him. I’m glad he left”
While another wrote, “ALL BUSCHY BUSCHY”
A Kyle Busch fan came in and typed, “14 opportunities only two championships both by Busch”
“KB still top dog??..out for two seasons,” wrote someone else.
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Another JGR hater commented, “You mean @kylebusch carried you.”
Breathing sarcasm, a user asked, “You mean Kyle Busch made the playoffs for joe Gibbs every year? JGR is the new RWR”
For many, Kyle Busch is still the G.O.A.T. On that note, someone wrote, “None of yall?s drivers can win the titles exept KFB????”
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What are your thoughts on this? Do let us know!
Read More: Joe Gibbs Snatches Away Grandsons? Privileges to Boost Playoff Contention for JGR