The thunderous roar of success defined Joe Gibbs Racing’s 2025 regular season, setting a formidable precedent for the title hunt. The four-car stable amassed a staggering 11 victories in the regular season, with Hamlin leading the charge as the winningest driver. But while their form has been near-perfect, they’re still facing other challenges beyond their control, risking their championship ambitions.

Entering the final race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville, JGR has already locked two drivers into the winner-take-all season finale at Phoenix. However, the ongoing mechanical woes affecting Denny Hamlin’s No.11 JGR Toyota are a significant concern, and that is exactly what some NASCAR veterans are also worried about.

Kevin Harvick questions JGR’s up-and-down season

Former Cup Series Champion Kevin Harvick acknowledged the severity of the situation in his Happy Hour podcast, noting, “They’ve had this throttle problem a few times. And when you look at it, I think that’s where the frustration from Denny came from on the radio, was the fact that they’ve dealt with that particular issue.”

The Talladega Superspeedway race, where Hamlin encountered a throttle issue caused by debris, forcing a lengthy pit stop, and a subsequent 24th-place finish, was merely the latest in a string of component failures.

While Hamlin had already clinched a spot in the Championship 4 due to his recent win at Las Vegas, the recurring nature of the problem is a definite momentum killer as teams seek flawless preparation for the season finale. The concern also extends beyond just JGR to the affiliate team, 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Hamlin.

Harvick highlighted a pattern of component-related difficulties impacting both Toyota organizations, stating, “But you’ve talked about some other mechanical issues that go with that car. And we’ve seen the brake issues that 23XI has had. We see the brake issues that Christopher Bell had there with the rotor.” The Next Gen car, introduced in 2022, has occasionally been plagued by issues with parts supplied to all teams.

For instance, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick both experienced significant brake issues, including exploding rotors, during the 2023 race at Pocono Raceway, which underscored a systemic mechanical strain across the Toyota camp and the common component structure. Christopher Bell famously had his 2023 championship hopes dashed at Phoenix when a right-front brake rotor exploded, causing him to crash and retire early from the final race.

Harvick pointed out that Denny Hamlin‘s issues are not isolated to the throttle, citing another major failure from earlier in the playoffs, as he explained, “The mechanical issues are just, there’s been a lot of them. And I think that that was where the frustration has come with Denny in, you know, the power steering that he had at Kansas and all the things that have come with those really fast cars. They’ve had some gremlins that go along with that.”

At Kansas Speedway, Hamlin reported a loss of power steering on his No. 11 car late in the event. Though he managed to muscle the car to a runner-up finish with minimal power steering assist, the mechanical failure cost him his rhythm and arguably contributed to a controversial, non-winning final-lap incident with Bubba Wallace. The conversation then shifted to the consistency of the issues and whether they are affecting JGR’s other teams or are unique to the No. 11.

Co-host, Mamba Smith, offered an observation based on team performance, noting, “Interesting, it’s only the 11 that, like the other ones seem to be pretty sound with their week-to-week. The cars are, I’m not going to say prepared, because I don’t want to make it sound like the guys back at the shop aren’t preparing the car correctly, because obviously it’s going to attract mass.” 

This critical distinction suggests that performance can be excellent, but the underlying reliability can still be lacking due to a seemingly random pattern of part failures.

Smith also acknowledged the nuance in the situation, realizing that shared processes should, theoretically, lead to shared reliability, saying, “You’d think the processes would be almost the same, but obviously there’s something different that is going on. And I’m sure they want to figure that out this week for sure.” 

Harvick wrapped up the point by emphasizing that the team is certainly not sabotaging themselves, but that the pattern is undeniable: “Yeah, they’re definitely not doing it on purpose. I think that it could be a coincidence, but it seems to be somewhat consistent with that car.”

This consistent inconsistency is what gives the team a high level of anxiety heading into the Championship 4 race, where even a minor mechanical fault will cost the chance at the season title. However, Talladega also brought in Harvick’s critique of modern superspeedway racing.

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Kevin Harvick breaks down why Talladega’s early laps feel tame

Superspeedway racing has long been a hallmark of high-risk, high-reward NASCAR action, but Kevin Harvick believes the Next Gen era has changed the dynamic. Speaking on his podcast, he reflected, “I think it’s been what we’ve seen, right? I think that if I’d have turned it on with 25 laps to go, I’d have been like, ‘Man, that was a bad–s race.'” 

Harvick noted that fuel-saving tactics and strategy-heavy approaches in the early laps have muted the excitement until the final segments.

The dramatic ending of the 2025 Talladega fall race, however, showcased the intensity the sport still can deliver. Harvick explained, “But at the end, it was very exciting to watch and very intense for the way that the race finished. Now I understand that there are moments that lead up to getting towards the finish. And the drivers all know how to get to the finish, as we watched a video clip here of Kyle Larson running out of gas at the end of the race.” 

Larson‘s misfortune opened a window for Briscoe and Ty Gibbs to maneuver into a winning position, creating a textbook superspeedway finish.

Harvick also addressed the underlying issues with Next Gen drafting, suggesting more could be done to reward driver effort. “I still don’t like the fact that you can push as hard as they can push and not get more rewarded for it. I don’t know how we fix that problem of when the two cars get connected, that it’s a bigger difference of speed than what it is right now,” he said.

Harvick emphasized that until rules better incentivize aggressive drafting, superspeedway races will continue balancing thrilling conclusions with chaotic risk.