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Joe Gibbs Racing Faces Turmoil After Phoenix Raceway Disaster: A Closer Look at the Team’s Performance Dilemma

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 9, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
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Joe Gibbs Racing Faces Turmoil After Phoenix Raceway Disaster: A Closer Look at the Team’s Performance Dilemma

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) swaggered into the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway, riding high on the wave of a recent Xfinity Series victory courtesy of Aric Almirola. Their record-breaking 18th Xfinity win at the track was a testament to their dominance at the Desert Mile; a dominance they were keen to replicate in the Cup Series showdown. Yet, come Sunday, JGR’s powerhouse posture crumbled as their audacious strategy backfired, resulting in a nightmarish wreck that knocked two of their drivers out of the race.

The catastrophe unfolded on the 99th lap, when the race was preparing to go green following a caution prompted by William Byron’s tire mishap. Attempting to squeeze into a space meant for two cars, Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, and Justin Haley found themselves in a disastrous pile-up. Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota bore the brunt of the impact, sparking a chain reaction that involved Carson Hocevar, Riley Herbst, Brad Keselowski, Cole Custer, Todd Gilliland, Shane van Gisbergen, and Austin Dillon.

The magnitude of the crash was cataclysmic. Hocevar, Herbst, and Haley saw their races come to an abrupt end, and although Briscoe and Gibbs made desperate attempts to rejoin the race, the extent of the damage was too severe. In the midst of the chaos, Joey Logano and Alex Bowman miraculously evaded disaster, but for the majority of those involved, it was a scene straight from a motorsport nightmare.

The Phoenix race had already set a chaotic tone with a series of cautions, starting with Katherine Legge’s spin on lap 4, followed by Michael McDowell’s tire failure on lap 92. However, the lap 99 catastrophe not only ended several races but also cast a massive shadow over Joe Gibbs Racing’s team strategy. While Christopher Bell remained a dominant force throughout the season, Ty Gibbs and Chase Briscoe’s performance emerged as a significant liability.

The season has spotlighted a glaring inconsistency in driver performance within JGR. Although Christopher Bell is demonstrating his championship contender status, his teammates are struggling to maintain a steady performance. Ty Gibbs and Chase Briscoe’s struggles are palpable, and even Cup series veteran Denny Hamlin is navigating a less than stellar season.

Despite the turbulent tide within the JGR team, Christopher Bell holds his gaze steady on victory. After two consecutive triumphs in Atlanta and COTA, he led the second stage at Phoenix Raceway. Determined to clinch his third race of the season, Bell is looking forward to turning the tide in his favor and securing the championship. “I’m excited about what’s to come. We have high expectations and high hopes. For the last couple of years at JGR, I haven’t been living up to the standards I set for myself. Maybe 2025 will be the year,” he confidently stated.

However, JGR’s legacy is built on championships, and currently, only Bell seems to be standing tall in the limelight. Hamlin, despite being a reliable performer, lacks dominance. The JGR leadership, particularly Joe Gibbs, faces some tough decisions if they intend to keep their team at the pinnacle of the sport. As the dust settles on the Phoenix Raceway, the aftermath of the catastrophic incident leaves Joe Gibbs Racing with lessons to learn and strategies to reconsider.

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