There is no doubt that Joe Gibbs has always been openly devoted to faith. Remember the time Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 in 2019? Reflecting on it this year after Hamlin’s 60th milestone win, Gibbs connected with the legacy of his son while saying, “And I think God’s hand was on that race. And so Denny’s a big part of that history with JD, too.” And now, the Joe Gibbs Racing team needs God’s guidance more than ever

After a tough weekend at Martinsville, with Christopher Bell getting ousted by Kyle Larson to take up the last spot in the Championship 4 and Denny Hamlin’s and Chase Briscoe’s momentum going for a toss, Gibbs still stands tall on his two cars that made it. With Hamlin and Briscoe burning the midnight oil, the organization is determined to give it their best and leave the rest up to God.

Joe Gibbs turns to God for guidance as the season finale approaches

Speaking to the JGR team in a video on Instagram, the coach shared some inspiring words. He said, ” So I just want to share one little parable that’s in God’s word that I think emphasizes where we are in pro sports … the fishermen were out fishing that night in the sea, and they came back in and they had caught nothing. Not one fish. They were the best in the world in that part of time at fishing. They had the best stuff, best boats. They knew the most about that lake.”

He added, “And when they came back in, Jesus was standing on the shore, and he told them to go back out and put the nets down on the other side. And when they did that, they tried to pull the nets up. They were so full of fish that in some cases the nets were breaking. The illustration from that is, if God’s not in it, you got a chance to get the zero.” 

 Joe Gibbs is rallying behind the metaphor for success and purpose in professional sports. Even the most skilled and experienced people—in this case, drivers with the best tools and knowledge—can still fail if they don’t have God’s guidance or blessing. In the story, the fishermen only succeeded when they followed Jesus’ instruction, symbolizing faith, humility, and alignment with divine purpose.

With such a heavy meaning behind this concept, Joe Gibbs certainly believes that God is on their side and is leaving the championship up to the gods. But make no mistake, the organization is definitely going to pour its heart and soul into the two cars as the battle for the 2025 crown intensifies.

However, luck hasn’t been on their side so far. Last week at Martinsville, Hamlin’s race came to a sudden and frustrating halt when his car’s engine simply shut off while he was running second. There were no warning signs, no odd noises or smoke, and he coasted into Turn 1 before the engine cut out entirely. This was a particularly troubling issue because Hamlin had already suffered multiple mechanical setbacks during the playoffs, including throttle and power steering issues.

Similarly, Briscoe’s race ended prematurely when, from around 14th place on lap 296, he suddenly slowed down on the frontstretch and drifted off due to engine trouble. Further investigation by the team revealed that the root cause was a defective batch of valve springs, which affected both of the driver’s engines and pointed to a larger quality control issue within the team. Although both drivers had already clinched their Championship 4 spots before the incident, the timing of the failures cast a shadow over the team’s reliability just ahead of the finale.

But with all checks in place, Monday debriefs done right, Joe Gibbs is ready to take on his old friend, Rick Hendrick, with Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe finding themselves in a head-to-head battle with Denny Hamlin, who is fueled by chasing after his elusive title, and Chase Briscoe, who is making his first trip to the playoffs.

Gibbs started his speech by saying, “We just want to say thanks to everybody. That’s because of you guys. We win because of our people. At Phoenix, here’s what’s going to take place. 32 years and we’ve been there with good cars, good everything. They’re hard to win. We’ve won five cup championships. So we’re embarking on something where it’s exciting, and that’s the way I look at it. That’s all you want. It’s an opportunity in pro sports. In pro sports, the absolute best people in the world are racing cars and NASCAR. We’ve got the best cars, best teams, and we get to go against them.”

So far, Denny Hamlin remains the winningest driver without a Cup championship, and he has been in the Championship 4 five times. Making his first appearance in 2014 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he wound up seventh in the finale and third in the standings.

Then, Hamlin went on a three-year streak of Championship 4 appearances through 2019 and 2021. But now, after three straight years of Round of 8 heartbreak, Hamlin is back in the mix, and maybe the sixth time is the charm. Moreover, Chase Briscoe has been quite impressive this year, too. With 7 poles in 2025 for JGR, Briscoe is also set to put his best foot forward. But with all the strategy in place, it is easy for drivers to get into a bad spot with all this pressure, but Denny Hamlin isn’t swinging that way.

Denny Hamlin opens up about his mindset heading into the season finale

The 44-year-old veteran, whose 60 career wins make him the most successful Cup Series driver without a championship, has heard the biggest weekend of his career narrative many times before, only to fall short each time.

True to form, Hamlin plans to approach this weekend with his usual calm and focus. He will arrive as prepared as ever, aiming for one more victory and the long-awaited title, surrounded by friends and family who will be cheering him on.

Speaking to FOX Sports on Tuesday, he said, “I’m going to have fun with it just like I would any week. I probably would have had this [multiple home rentals] had we not even made the Championship 4. But it just makes it more gratifying to me when you know my friends are around and more family. Obviously, I want them to experience the whole week like I am.”

His loved ones haven’t pressed him about whether this will finally be there. To claim his first title at Phoenix Raceway, Hamlin will need to finish ahead of Kyle Larson, Briscoe, and William Byron. With a season-best six victories, he is entering the finale confident and composed.

Hamlin said, “They really don’t talk to me about it. I think we’ve more just been positive. … Positive vibes only. We’re staying positive. I certainly am in a really good headspace to feel like I’m going in there with a lot of confidence. I’m preparing to win, not lose.”

This marks Hamlin’s third championship bid at Phoenix Raceway, though it’s his first with the Next-Gen car, a change that limits how much teams can find setups to suit a driver’s style. Thanks to his win in the Las Vegas semi-final, Hamlin has enjoyed extra time to focus on perfecting his approach for Sunday’s all-or-nothing finale.