Coach Joe Gibbs reflects on DNF finishes for Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr.

Sunday was a bit of an up-and-down day for Coach Joe Gibbs and his NASCAR Cup Series teams. They got a win, but also two DNFs. Now, it would be very difficult to get all three JGR drivers into the Championship 4, they knew that going in.

After Christopher Bell’s big win, there was a lot to celebrate. However, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.’s failures late in the race are cause for concern. Now, both veteran drivers are under the cutline. This is a continuation of Truex’s bad fortune in the playoffs.

For Hamlin, this is really his first big slip-up and it came at a critical time. Racing for a top-5 spot, Hamlin found himself in the wall with less than 50 laps to go. His steering gave out and that was it. Truex Jr. had a blown engine at almost the exact same time, too.

Coach Joe Gibbs talked about the balance in those three outcomes. The Super Bowl champion knows a thing or two about playoffs and winning. He also knows about losing.

“Today Adam and Christopher, they don’t give up,” Coach Gibbs said after the race. “I know Denny and Martin won’t either. It’s just amazing sometimes what can happen in this sport. To have the 19 do what it did in regular season, you don’t luck out on that. That was 26 weeks, won it by a bunch. It shows you what can happen in sports. It’s the greatest reality show in the world because we don’t know.

“I think as fans, that’s why we all like it. We don’t know. So just thrilled to be a part of it. God has blessed us with a lot of great people really.”

It’s going to be an uphill battle from here for the 11 and 19 of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Coach Joe Gibbs knows it’s hard to make the Championship 4

Look, Joe Gibbs Racing is the only team to put a driver in the Championship 4 every year since the playoff format was instituted in 2014. Even if Christopher Bell is the only one to make it, that is an incredible achievement.

Even though they keep doing it, Coach Gibbs knows how hard it is to make that final race. He’s got two drivers that likely won’t and can’t both make the Championship 4. Not at this point. So, Martinsville will have to decide.

“I think it’s hard to get in the Final 4. I’ll tell you that. I don’t think anything’s a given. Certainly the 19, all they did in regular season, like I mentioned, as good as they are, but we’ve had real disappointments with everything that’s happened. I think the 11 has been pretty consistent up until the last couple of weeks. I think you’re looking at it, and the great thing is we have three cars for our team that have a chance. We still got a chance. That’s the way we look at it.

“I think we’re going to Martinsville, it’s going to be a classic, I’m sure. But we do have a chance. We go there with both Denny and Martin…”

Together, Hamlin and Truex have 8 combined wins at Martinsville. A year ago, Christopher Bell had to get a walk-off win to make Phoenix, and Hamlin fell just short on points. Is the story going to be any different this time around?