With Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe having each clinched a spot in the Championship Four and Christopher Bell currently the top driver in points trying to get in, Joe Gibbs Racing very well could have three of its four drivers vying for the championship next week at Phoenix.
Which one of those would have the best chance?
At first thought, it would be natural to go with Hamlin. The veteran, tied for 10th all-time with 60 career victories but without a Cup title on his resume, leads the series in victories this year with six.
He has more Champ Four appearances (four) than the other drivers combined (Bell has two; this will be Briscoe’s first). Hamlin also has 14 career playoff wins, while Bell has 13 wins in his entire career (regular season and playoffs) and Briscoe has just five. And Hamlin finished second at Phoenix earlier this year.
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But … that second-place finish came with him following Bell across the finish line. Bell will most likely get into the Champ Four either by scoring the same amount or more points than Kyle Larson in the elimination race Sunday at Martinsville. Or as long as one of the four drivers below the cutline (William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott) doesn’t win.
Bell led 105 laps of the 312 at Phoenix earlier this year. And while the Penske drivers still would be the favorites if they can get in, thanks to having won the last three championships at Phoenix, Bell hasn’t finished outside the top eight in the last seven races.
Bell is the only one of the three JGR drivers with a crew chief who has won a Cup title as a crew chief. That’s Adam Stevens, and he won two with Kyle Busch.
Briscoe, though, can claim the most consistent overall stats among the three. He leads the Cup Series with 15 top-five finishes (Hamlin is second with 14).
When it comes to laps led, Briscoe has led 881 (third overall) to Hamlin’s 816, while Bell has led just 282 laps. Briscoe has led more miles (1,258) than his teammates as well (Hamlin 913, Bell 317).
With seven, Briscoe has earned more poles than any driver in the series. And in the playoffs, Briscoe has earned the most points (330) than any other driver, with Bell earning 302 and Hamlin at 263.
Will Chase Briscoe cross the finish line first in Phoenix and win one for JGR?
“We’re consistently, in my opinion, the best team in the series,” Briscoe crew chief James Small said Sunday after Briscoe’s victory at Talladega. “We scored more points than anybody, more poles, had the most points in the playoffs here. Now we’re going to Phoenix.”
There’s no arguing those stats. But Briscoe is entering his first Champ Four against drivers who have already been there. None of the three JGR titles have ever won a Cup title.
“Definitely, whoever wins this championship is going to be more than deserving,” Briscoe said. “Hopefully it’s obviously me.”
Whether Briscoe can pull it off in his first time remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure — he has the momentum and not as much of the pressure.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
