Joe Gibbs never seems to be able to stack all his cards right. Getting to enjoy seeing one of his three cars win at Miami, he also had to despair watching the other two not finish. Facing mechanical issues with their cars, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. had to retire before they got to see the finishing line. Problems with the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing aren’t new for either of these drivers. Throughout the season, they have been marred by this plague and lost many points.

But for the team owner, however, it was the character of NASCAR that was to be blamed rather than the incompetency of his own technical crew. Talking to the press after the race, he let his thoughts out in the wind.

Joe Gibbs expresses his disappointment with his drivers after a day of mixed feelings

Going to the 1.5-mile intermediate at Homestead-Miami, expectations were that at least one among Hamlin and Truex Jr. would create a good impact and find their way to Phoenix. They both have great records at the track and all they had to do was play to their strengths. For a long while in the day that did appear likely. Unfortunately, late troubles emerged for the two cars and both had to enter the pit in immediate succession. A crash induced by a cut tire and motor problems turned villains for the drivers, ending their days around 30 laps early.

As Gibbs sat down with Christopher Bell’s crew chief Adam Stevens to answer questions, he was asked about what his reaction and words would be to Truex Jr.’s team after the engine problems they faced. He responded, “I think it shows you how hard our sport is. We had such a disappointment with the 11, he cut a tire down, felt like he was fast. Martin qualified on a pole. I thought we had a chance, you know, with that car. But it is just a series of circumstances and losing the motor. It shows you how hard our sport is because those were the two cars that for a while for us were up front.”

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The difficulty of NASCAR or the failures of Joe Gibbs Racing’s crews?

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Though Gibbs’ claim that NASCAR’s difficulty forces such scenarios is true to an effect, the consistent mishaps of his crews cannot be ignored. Both the No. 11 and the No.19 drivers have been at odds with their crews throughout the season. Being an outfit in the highest tier of stock car racing, it is the very job of the team to put together machines that can withstand the brunt of high-speed racing. A failure of the car on the track literally translates to failure of the crew.

A snap in the steering of Hamlin’s car in the midst of his immense battle with Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney put a full stop to his strong run. His Camry swung to the fence and crashed, leaving him stranded. Moments later, Truex Jr. too climbed out of his car facing an engine failure, as Joe Gibbs watched on from the stall.

With Miami done, we are to see just one more race until the season finale. The upcoming 500 laps at Martinsville will decide the destiny of many including the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers. Should they face more troubles with their cars, the reason being the crew or the difficulty of the sport, it will be a hit that they can’t recover from. Until next weekend, Gibbs will be a praying man hoping to see all three of his cars contend at Phoenix.

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