Toyota’s camp has been under the glare after a string of internal clashes in the Round of 12 races. These had followed what had been a dominant start to the playoffs with three straight JGR victories. The point of contention was whether playoff drivers should get preferential treatment from non-playoff contesting teammates.
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Jimmie Johnson’s driver, Erik Jones, weighed in on how playoff and non-playoff teammates should race one another. After all, he is in the thick of it, caught between his priority to make a mark and earn points for his team, while trying not to get in the way of championship contenders.
“Number one, if it’s a day where we’re in contention to win and running really well, I’m going to do everything I can to win. If it’s a day, you know, we’re running 18th, and you got a guy battling through the field and he’s trying to make his way above the cut line. It’s going to be a bit different,” said Jones in his pre-race media session ahead of Charlotte Roval.
“I think they’ve earned that respect, right? They raced all year to be in the playoffs, and they’ve worked hard and [are] now in the Round of 12 and having an opportunity to go to the Round of 8. So, in my opinion, I think it’s fairly disrespectful if you didn’t give them that service a little bit. I would hope to have that returned, in the future, hopefully, when we’re a playoff team and in that spot,” added the Legacy Motor Club driver.
Jones emphasized that playoff drivers have earned that courtesy, and it’s something non-playoff teammates should honor. These ethical discussions started doing the rounds after Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs’ skirmish at New Hampshire.
During Stage 2 of that race, as the duo fought for 11th place with Christopher Bell in tow, Gibbs refused to yield. And, as Hamlin dove low in frustration, he clipped the No. 54’s left rear and sent him into the Turn 1 wall, bringing out a caution.
A week later, in Kansas, Hamlin tangled with Bubba Wallace while fighting for the win on the final lap, pushing Wallace into the wall. That slowed both the cars down enough for Chase Elliott to sneak by and steal the victory.
While some backed Hamlin’s no-holds-barred approach, arguing that fans pay to see that kind of intensity, several veterans called out his tactics, suggesting he could have played his cards wiser.
