Joe Gibbs Racing arrives at Martinsville Speedway this weekend with strong momentum, targeting another victory after their earlier-season win at the venue. For this Joe Gibbs Racing Martinsville Preview, the team boasts a deep track record at Martinsville, with several drivers vying for the NASCAR Cup Series championship and looking to add another triumph to their impressive list.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martinsville Legacy and Season Overview
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has demonstrated persistent strength at Martinsville Speedway, amassing 15 NASCAR Cup Series victories at the track, most recently with Denny Hamlin’s win earlier in the season. Over 182 combined starts, JGR drivers have secured 62 top-five finishes, 94 top-10s, 13 pole awards, and led a total of 7,109 laps at Martinsville. Among those contributing to this legacy are Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, and Martin Truex Jr., joining Hamlin in claiming wins for the organization at this Virginia short track.
This year, Joe Gibbs Racing continues to elevate its reputation across NASCAR’s top tier. As the playoffs ramp up, multiple JGR drivers have already secured their place in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway following decisive victories by Denny Hamlin at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Chase Briscoe at Talladega Superspeedway. This marks the fourth instance in the current playoff era that JGR has advanced at least two drivers to the championship final. Notably, JGR fielded three title contenders in 2019—an achievement unmatched by any other team in the series under the present elimination format.
JGR’s on-track dominance in 2025 extends beyond the postseason push. Collectively, JGR drivers have captured 13 points-paying Cup Series wins this season, their strongest performance since they set the record with 19 wins in 2019. This win total is also the highest by any team during the Next Gen vehicle era, which began in 2022.
In terms of consistency, three JGR drivers are among the top four in average finishing position through 34 races this season. Christopher Bell leads all with an average of 11.3, Chase Briscoe is second at 11.8, and Denny Hamlin holds fourth with a 13.6 average. Such statistics reflect a season marked by competitiveness and regular front-running performances.
Denny Hamlin: Martinsville Master and Championship Contender
Denny Hamlin approaches Martinsville as the winningest active driver at the track, having claimed six career victories, 21 top-five finishes, and 27 top-10s there. Hamlin has also established his dominance by leading a total of 2,772 laps at the 0.526-mile oval and has consistently set the pace in recent events—he’s led at least 100 laps in five of the last nine Martinsville races. His most recent outing saw him start in fifth, dominate the event by leading 274 out of 400 laps, and capture his sixth win at the famed short track. These results reinforce Hamlin’s stature as a perennial favorite whenever NASCAR returns to Martinsville.
While Hamlin was in contention at last week’s Talladega race, a mechanical issue during a caution pushed him back in the field, resulting in a 24th-place finish after he was forced to pit and lost critical track position.
Nonetheless, Hamlin’s previous victory at Las Vegas confirmed his place among the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. For the Virginia-born driver, this will be his fifth appearance in the championship round and his first since 2021—a testament to both longevity and consistency in NASCAR’s high-pressure postseason.
This season marks Hamlin’s record-setting 19th playoff appearance. Apart from missing the 2013 playoffs due to injury, he has qualified for the post-season every year of his career. Over the years, Hamlin has finished among the top five in points a remarkable nine times and has advanced to the penultimate playoff round 10 times. Since the elimination format was introduced in 2014, he has qualified for the Championship 4 on five occasions, including this season.
This weekend, Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota Camry will showcase a special King’s Hawaiian livery. This marks King’s Hawaiian’s 75th anniversary—a brand started by Robert Taira in 1950 in Hilo, Hawaii, that has grown into a celebrated family-owned business known for its signature sweet rolls and other popular bread products. King’s Hawaiian continues to evoke the warmth and spirit of togetherness that has been its hallmark for generations.
Chase Briscoe: Riding Momentum into the Playoffs
Chase Briscoe enters Martinsville on the heels of a significant victory at Talladega Superspeedway, his third win of 2025 and fifth overall in his career. The Talladega win cemented Briscoe’s slot in the Championship 4, marking his first time reaching the final round in NASCAR’s Cup Series. During the Talladega event, Briscoe led 16 laps and achieved his first superspeedway triumph across all NASCAR series.
Briscoe has developed a strong reputation at Martinsville, tallying two top-five finishes and six top-10s in nine Cup starts—his highest tally at any track. At Martinsville, he’s also logged his most laps led at a single venue, with 142 to his name. Beyond his Cup experience, Briscoe finished seventh in his lone NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Martinsville in 2020 and earned a pole in the Truck Series.
His playoff campaign has been dominant: Briscoe leads all drivers with 331 points scored in the postseason and boasts an average finish of 5.6 in the playoff races so far. The Mitchell, Indiana native, now in the spotlight, has surpassed previous career marks in numerous categories this season. He leads the field in top-five finishes with 15, pole awards with seven, and boasts an impressive 9.9 average starting position. His 2025 laps-led total of 881 surpasses the combined total from his prior four Cup seasons, highlighting his competitive leap this season.
Guiding Briscoe from atop the pit box is crew chief James Small, now in his sixth season as a Cup Series crew chief. Small previously managed the No. 19 team for Martin Truex Jr., with whom he achieved eight wins, 46 top-five results, and four playoff runs, including a runner-up finish in the 2021 championship and the 2023 regular season title. Last weekend’s Talladega win marked Small’s 11th career triumph as a leader. This season, he advances to his second Championship 4 appearance, following up on his previous experience guiding Truex to a strong finish in 2021.
Bass Pro Shops, featured on Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota Camry, is recognized throughout North America for its leadership in outdoor gear and conservation efforts.
America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear
— Johnny Morris, Founder and CEO
Christopher Bell: Past Winner Looks for Repeat Success
Christopher Bell heads into the Martinsville weekend as a former Cup Series winner at the venue, having clinched a critical victory there in October 2022 that punched his first Championship 4 ticket. Bell’s Martinsville history also includes two top-five and four top-10 finishes, and he has led 184 laps in Cup events. Earlier this season, Bell captured the pole, led 25 laps, and ultimately secured a strong second-place finish at the track.
Bell is riding a wave of momentum through the playoffs, now having notched seven consecutive top-10 results after finishing eighth at Talladega last week. As the series approaches the cut-off for the Championship 4, Bell finds himself in third place overall with a 37-point buffer from elimination and only one point ahead of fourth-place rival Kyle Larson.
Adam Stevens, Bell’s crew chief, is well-established as one of the top strategists in recent Cup Series history. Since 2014, Stevens has led drivers to the Championship 4 a record seven times, claiming championships with Kyle Busch in 2015 and 2019, and steering Bell to deep playoff runs in both 2022 and 2023.
This weekend, Bell’s No. 20 Toyota will be adorned by COOFANDY, an international menswear brand launched in 2015 that specializes in elegantly tailored, confidence-boosting apparel. With a commitment to blending tradition and modernity, COOFANDY is dedicated to crafting garments for life’s significant moments and brings a fresh presence to the NASCAR scene.
Ty Gibbs: Building Experience and Aiming Higher
For Ty Gibbs, the Martinsville event offers another opportunity to build his Cup Series résumé at the historic Virginia short track. Gibbs has started six races at Martinsville in the Cup Series, with his best finish to date coming earlier this year—a 13th-place result. Notably, Gibbs has performed well in qualifying at the track, including a front-row start in October 2023 and a fifth-place start the previous fall. Gibbs has also shown his talent in the Xfinity Series at Martinsville, claiming a victory there in 2022, with two top-five finishes, three top-10s, one pole, and 343 laps led over four starts in that series.
Last week at Talladega, Gibbs started 18th, secured the stage one win, and ultimately crossed the line in third, further highlighting his progress at the Cup level.
This NASCAR season marks Tyler Allen’s first year as Gibbs’ Cup Series crew chief. Allen previously enjoyed a successful 2024 campaign in the Xfinity Series, leading JGR’s No. 20 team to eight wins and a strong runner-up finish in the owner’s championship. Notably, Allen’s first-year successes included a pair of Xfinity Series victories at Martinsville Speedway, with Aric Almirola behind the wheel.
As the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE seeks a breakthrough Cup performance at Martinsville, Gibbs and Allen continue to fine-tune their approach, hoping to convert their prior Xfinity success to Cup level at the challenging short track.
High Expectations and What Lies Ahead
Joe Gibbs Racing heads into the Martinsville weekend poised, with four capable drivers and crew chiefs like Adam Stevens, James Small, and Tyler Allen leading the way, each bringing unique experience and recent playoff success. With drivers such as Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and Christopher Bell in championship contention and Ty Gibbs building experience, JGR’s lineup is among the strongest in the paddock for this pivotal race.
This race at Martinsville will go a long way in defining the final Championship 4 lineup at Phoenix Raceway. With a history of playoff achievements and recent winning form, JGR and its drivers are expected to be major factors in the event and in the title-deciding race ahead. Fans and observers alike will be watching closely as JGR, representing storied brands from King’s Hawaiian to Bass Pro Shops, aims for yet another Martinsville victory and potentially another championship bid in the NASCAR Cup Series.
