37 points. That’s what stood in the way of Christopher Bell and the playoff cutline going into the Xfinity 500. The No. 20 driver was the highest-ranking non-winner of the round, just a single point ahead of Kyle Larson. Just a year prior, in the 2024 Martinsville cutoff, Bell was eliminated in a controversial finish after a last-lap, all-or-nothing dive for a key point position was ruled a safety violation similar to Ross Chastain’s famous 2022 Hail Melon move.

NASCAR’s penalty docked him four positions, which was just enough for William Byron to advance by four points instead. This year, Bell was the last Joe Gibbs Racing car with work to do, and mid-race engine failures from two of his manufacturer brethren only heightened the possibility of an unexpected winner from below the cutline.

Multiple engine failures overshadow the NASCAR race

The pivotal Round of 8 race at Martinsville Speedway’s Xfinity 500 was dramatically altered by mechanical failures, beginning with the No. 19 car of Chase Briscoe. The team first reported an issue as Briscoe came down the pit road, with the grim prediction that the engine could be “blowing up.” Indeed, Briscoe, who was running P14 at Lap 320, was forced to the garage as his day was officially done for the day.

Crew chief James Small confirmed the damage after a closer inspection under the hood, stating concisely, “Hole in the valve cover.” This sudden and premature exit due to engine failure was a severe attack for the No. 19 team, sidelining them early in the critical elimination race. With this problem, Briscoe would not be able to help his JGR teammate, Christopher Bell, in clearing paths or defending positions, removing a key alliance that Bell, who was still racing for a final pit spot in the Championship 4, was relying on.

The engine failure was compounded by a broader crisis hitting the manufacturer, as Briscoe’s teammate, Denny Hamlin, suffered a similar fate just a few laps later. Hamlin was forced to the garage at Lap 335 of 500 after an apparent engine issue, following Briscoe’s exit. The dual catastrophe was not only an immediate disaster for the 2 sidelined drivers but also sent a clear warning through the entire organization.

Crucially, Briscoe’s unfortunate retirement had a silver lining that immediately reframed his season’s narrative. The Talladega win now becomes even more important, as despite a DNF, Briscoe will race for his first Cup title at Phoenix next weekend. But the string of mechanical problems escalated what began as an isolated incident into a full-blown manufacturer reliability crisis for Toyota at a critical time in the NASCAR Playoffs.

With Briscoe’s engine failure, Riley Herbst’s crew declared, “We’re done, Campbell,” at Lap 348. And with Hamlin suffering from the same fate, Toyota Racing Development was left facing an unprecedented loss of three motors in a single event. The immediate consequences saw the No. 35 of Herbst finish 36th, sandwiched between the other two disabled Toyotas of Hamlin and Briscoe.

This sequence of failures has severely compromised the entire Toyota camp’s race effort, stripping Bell of potential allies, forcing him to finish the Xfinity 500 without tactical support typically provided by a full manufacturer stable. However, JGR had a strategy ready for Bell before the race even began.

Inside Joe Gibbs Racing’s strategy war room

As the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs barrel toward Martinsville, Christopher Bell finds himself both safe and uneasy, third in the standings but just one bad race away from elimination. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the No. 20 JGR team, especially with powerhouse contenders like Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron lurking below the cutline. Martinsville’s tight corners and chaotic energy promise no room for error.

Crew chief Adam Stevens knows that better than anyone. “I’ve been in that situation or a similar situation, you don’t want to have a disaster weekend, the weekend before,” he warned. After last year’s heartbreak, when Bell’s playoff lead evaporated in a Martinsville meltdown, Steven is determined to avoid deja vu.

This time, he is focused on perfect execution, admitting, “We’re probably 95 percent worried about Martinsville, and there are two teams that are probably 95 percent worried about Phoenix.”

With Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin already locked into the Championship 4, Stevens’ team must fight on 2 fronts: survive Martinsville while preparing for a possible Phoenix showdown. As he put it, “Thankfully, for myself and my team, if we make it through this weekend, we can piggyback off of all the homework that’s been done.” For Bell, that means walking the fine line between caution and courage; one misstep could undo a season’s worth of progress.