TALLADEGA, Ala. — Joe Gibbs Racing was facing an internal mutiny just a month ago.
Two of the three JGR drivers who made the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs didn’t feel the organization’s fourth driver was helping his teammates try to win the title.
Ty Gibbs, the grandson of the team’s namesake NASCAR Hall of Fame owner, raced both Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin hard early on Sept. 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the first race in the second round of the playoffs. Gibbs didn’t even make the initial field of 16 for this year’s playoffs, and Hamlin grew frustrated at being held up by him, so he wrecked Gibbs out of his way.
It led to organizational discussions as to what Joe Gibbs expected out of his four drivers the remainder of the playoffs. The payoff came Sunday, when Ty Gibbs pushed teammate Chase Briscoe’s No. 19. Toyota to an overtime win at Talladega Superspeedway, giving JGR two title-eligible drivers in the Nov. 2 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Briscoe joins Hamlin — whose 60th win as a Cup Series driver came a week earlier at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — with one race remaining to determine the last two of what will be four contenders at Phoenix, where the highest finisher from the eligible quartet will win the season championship.