The Cup Series race at the Pocono Raceway last Sunday marked an important milestone for NASCAR’s biggest teams. Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) each reached 500 entries with the Next-Gen car. This demands a comparison of how the teams have fared against each other thus far.
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These 500 entries for each team have come in 125 races. With seven drivers powering it, JGR has an average finish of 14.88. HMS, on the other hand, has a slightly better average finish of 13.98 with nine drivers behind the wheel. HMS also has more wins (36) than JGR (27). Similar trends follow in every other major category, including top-fives and top-tens.
A total of 33,018 laps have been raced since the beginning of the Next-Gen era. HMS has been the most dominant force through this time and led 9,210 laps (27.9%). JGR follows closely behind having led 8,933 laps (27.1%). These two teams destroy the rest of the field when it comes to stage wins. HMS has 69 stage wins compared to JGR’s 67.
Three full seasons have gone by since the Next-Gen car was introduced. One would expect that the championships since then would have been shared by these two powerhouses with such amazing statistics. But that hasn’t been the case. It is rather Team Penske, with its relatively modest numbers, that has won all three Next-Gen championships.
Penske + Wood’s numbers for those curious: pic.twitter.com/pv3uhCFdut
— Daniel Céspedes (@_DanielCespedes) June 23, 2025
Team Penske’s statistics in the Next-Gen era
Team Penske and Wood Brothers Racing are in a technical alliance with each other. Together, the teams reached 500 entries at Pocono Raceway too. But the numbers they have garnered in the Next-Gen era are nowhere as impressive as that of JGR or HMS. For instance, the average finish of the teams is 18.26.
They’ve led only 4,783 laps which is roughly half of what the leaders have led. They’ve secured 47 stage wins and four Championship 4 appearances. The underwhelming read, however, ends when the championship tally is considered. Joey Logano kicked off the streak by winning the 2022 Cup Series championship, to claim his second title.
In 2023, Ryan Blaney took the honor of carrying the Penske name to glory with his maiden Cup Series title. In 2024, Logano raced to the championship once again with a bit of speed and an immense amount of luck. Courtesy of all this, it is Team owner Roger Penske who carries the widest smile at the end of the day.
