The 2024 Cup Series season started with strong domination from Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. While other teams also managed to clinch races in between, the two outfits are still favorites to have a champion in their midst. Their consistently superior performance is reflected by yet another stat – their average starting positions.
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The four drivers of Coach Gibbs have combined over the first 22 races of the season to have an average starting position of 11.13. Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs have contributed to this number best with two poles each. Christopher Bell started one race, at Kansas, from the lead. Martin Truex Jr. has never been the fastest in qualifying so far.
Average starting position by team in 2024 pic.twitter.com/3bLFnd6Rlo
— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) August 5, 2024
Rick Hendrick’s men, on the other hand, have combined to have a slightly lower average starting position of 11.17. Kyle Larson has been the team’s most successful driver this year. He champions it in this category as well, starting from the pole in five races this year. William Byron is the one driver who has helped him here, starting from the pole at COTA and winning the race.
Neither Chase Elliott nor Alex Bowman have been the quickest in the field yet in qualifying. 23XI Racing is the team that has been most competitive with the two big giants. Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace have combined to produce an average starting position of 12.16. Reddick has been the more refined of the two this season and that is reflected by the two pole positions he has secured.
Larson currently leads the points table heading to Richmond this weekend but his edge is too narrow to be comfortable with. Elliott only sits 10 points below him and Reddick, 15. Hamlin faces a 43-point deficit to overcome but this isn’t too high a goal for the veteran.
The upcoming race in Richmond falls after the two-week Olympic break that the sport was on. Drivers, crew members, and fans will all come rejuvenated and ready to tackle the rest of the season. Will it be the names of Hendrick or Gibbs in the front leg when the green flag waves again or will a different team grab the honor?
We will know at 6:00 p.m. ET on August 11.
