Joe Gibbs Racing is striving to break a six-year Joe Gibbs Racing championship drought heading into the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series finale. With drivers Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe securing spots in the Championship 4 at Phoenix on November 2, the team aims to reclaim a title that has eluded them since 2019.
Joe Gibbs’s Record and the Challenge for JGR
Joe Gibbs, who found remarkable success as a coach in Washington with three Super Bowl wins and as a car owner with five Cup Series championships, now confronts an enduring dry spell in stock car racing. The last time Joe Gibbs Racing captured the championship was with Kyle Busch in 2019. This year, the pressure is mounting as expectations grow higher each season the drought continues.
“It seems like it’s been forever,”
said Joe Gibbs, Team Owner, speaking of JGR’s struggles to secure another championship.
“I think that’s the thing about pro sports. You work so hard. With our (NASCAR’s) championship it goes to the last race. It’s really, really hard.”
Gibbs highlighted how intense and emotionally demanding the NASCAR season is, noting the effort each person within the organization invests over 38 weekends of competition.
“You go 38 weekends. Everybody’s put everything, all the work effort and everything they put into preparing our cars, all the people here. When you stop and think about it, so many people kind of depend on this.”
– Joe Gibbs, Team Owner
Contrasting Paths for Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin
This year’s dramatic run is especially significant for drivers Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin, whose career narratives are starkly different yet equally compelling in the championship context. Briscoe, in just his first season driving for Joe Gibbs Racing and fifth in Cup Series overall, would reach instant superstar status in NASCAR if he claimed the title so early in his JGR tenure.
Hamlin, meanwhile, is seeking the crowning achievement of his veteran career. In his 20th Cup Series season and after 60 race wins, Hamlin has checked nearly every box except for a championship, a missing accolade that could solidify his legacy.
“To see (Chase Briscoe), a first-year guy, be able to get everything done that he’s got done, be on seven poles, won three races, to wind up in the Final 4 … That’s a great story when you think about that,”
Joe Gibbs said, reflecting on Briscoe’s achievements.
Turning to Hamlin’s enduring pursuit of NASCAR’s top honor, Gibbs acknowledged the unique stakes for the veteran:
“Then you move over to Denny. Here’s somebody who’s won 60 times in our sport. It’s two definitely different stories. I think for everybody, the only thing that Denny has not claimed is a championship. I know everybody asks him about that in every interview. If you do that for 20 years, I can tell you there’s a burning desire for him to win a championship.”
– Joe Gibbs, Team Owner
Formidable Competition Awaits
The path to breaking the Joe Gibbs Racing championship drought is far from easy. Both Briscoe and Hamlin will have to outperform fierce rivals from Hendrick Motorsports, particularly William Byron and Kyle Larson, both of whom have demonstrated strong form this season. The Bill France Cup will be decided in a final showdown, with the eyes of the racing world on which driver can deliver for JGR under intense pressure.
Inside the halls of Joe Gibbs Racing, anticipation and desire for another championship run high, the weight of expectations underscoring every turn. Drivers, crew, and team leadership are united in their pursuit to end the drought and restore the team’s championship reputation.
What’s at Stake in Phoenix?
If either Denny Hamlin or Chase Briscoe can secure victory against their top competitors in Phoenix, the impact will resonate through JGR and the broader NASCAR world. For Briscoe, a title would mark the beginning of what could be a storied career, launching him into the ranks of racing superstars. For Hamlin, it represents the final piece to cap his long and celebrated journey as one of NASCAR’s most successful drivers.
With the Joe Gibbs Racing championship drought close to its possible end, all eyes are on the upcoming race, where history could be made and legacies cemented. The resolution of this season will not only define drivers and team leaders like Joe Gibbs but also set the tone for the future of one of NASCAR’s flagship organizations.
