Five races into the 2024 Cup Series season, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has found solid ground to launch its entire roster into the playoffs. Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin are already through thanks to their heroics over the last two weekends. Going ahead towards the remaining fixtures, how much more dominant could Coach Gibbs’ cars get?
Advertisement
The races at Phoenix and Bristol were strong showings of the work that went on at JGR’s race shop over the offseason. The Toyota Camry XSE came into the season with all the doubts that fall on a new stock car variant. The Next Gen troubles on the short tracks presented another big bump.
However, JGR trumped those challenges by fixing machines that Bell and Hamlin were able to cruise to victory through.
Talking to NBC after the race in Bristol, racing icon Jeff Burton credited JGR for its work and acknowledged that it seemed to have things together more than any other team in the garage area. He said, “Yesterday [Bristol race] was to me even more impressive than Christopher’s win at Phoenix,” and continued detailing what he took away from Sunday’s bout.
What the Bristol race proved about Joe Gibbs Racing’s chances in the 2024 season
Sunday’s event was particularly difficult for a majority of the field because of the poor tire-to-track adaptability. The resin that was used to coat the concrete surface ate up rubber quicker than normal for reasons yet to be known. This forced teams to alter their racing strategies and manage their tires more effectively than usually required.
Despite the sudden issue that popped up, all four crews of the Gibbs camp rose to the occasion and kept their drivers on the field for the longest stretches. Burton continued, “They could go further than other people with more pace. What that tells me is they have a better handling package.”
“They’re able to not have to put too much camber in tires, be super low on air pressure, or whatever it happens to be, and still manage the tire wear. That’s handling. That’s not just the driver. The race car has a lot to do with how tires get worn. All their drivers could be more aggressive and have less issues.”
The pit crews were one of JGR’s biggest weaknesses in the 2023 season. As things stand, it appears that they have had quite the turnaround. Their next shot at proving their abilities will be at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend.
If the Camry XSE and the crews maintain this level of performance over the upcoming races, there could be little done to stop them.
