We're now 7 races into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. So far, Joe Gibbs Racing has zero wins and only 3 top five finishes. Two of the four teams are outside the top 20 in points.
At this point in 2016, JGR had 3 wins and seemed to be the team to beat for the Championship.
What in the world happened?
One team's drop off was to be expected. The sudden departure of Carl Edwards in January caught many by surprise. Daniel Suarez was placed in car. Having never driven a Cup car, nobody expected Suarez to immediately have success in the Cup series. When crew chief Dave Rogers took an unexpected leave of absence, it created more turmoil for the 19 team. Suarez is still a rookie, so he gets a pass.
Matt Kenseth currently sits 22nd in points. Matt finished a strong 3rd in Atlanta, but three DNFs in the first 7 races has pushed him down in the standings. Kenseth has yet to lead a lap in 2017.
Denny Hamlin won the 2016 Daytona 500 and had a strong start to last season. This year Hamlin has struggled. His best finish was a 6th at Las Vegas, but has only managed to amass one other top 10 in 2017. Hamlin has led 28 laps so far this year.
Kyle Busch has been JGR's top performer again this year. A 2nd place at Martinsville and a 3rd at Phoenix have boosted him to 7th in the standings, the only JGR driver to be in the top 10. Busch has led 413 laps so far this season.
What happened to a team that seemed so strong last season?
Some ideas as to what has happened:
1. Stage racing: JGR has played the strategy game several times this season to attempt to win stages. This has not worked out well, with Kyle Busch having the only stage wins for the team so far this season.
2. Bad luck. All four drivers were involved in accidents in the season opening Daytona 500. Busch was bumped out of the way on the last lap of stage 2 at Martinsville. Matt Kenseth has crashed in 3 different races.
3. The 2018 Camry is still working out the "bugs". This is less likely, as JGR's satellite team, Furniture Row Racing, has found success with the new car. However, since the car was a completely new design, it is possible that the teams and drivers are still struggling to find the perfect setups.
4. Loss of Carl Edwards. Most multi-car teams share information between drivers and teams. The loss of an elite driver in Carl Edwards means a loss of critical data to the other teams.
Hendrick Motorsports, who was on par with JGR last season, just picked up their first win of the season with Jimmie Johnson. However, Chase Elliott and Kasey Kahne have run well in the first few races. Johnson has struggled as well until his win.
It's too early in the season to hit the panic button. But if JGR doesn't turn things around by Talladega, it's going to be a long season for a team that has enjoyed a ton of success over the last several seasons.
At this point in 2016, JGR had 3 wins and seemed to be the team to beat for the Championship.
What in the world happened?
One team's drop off was to be expected. The sudden departure of Carl Edwards in January caught many by surprise. Daniel Suarez was placed in car. Having never driven a Cup car, nobody expected Suarez to immediately have success in the Cup series. When crew chief Dave Rogers took an unexpected leave of absence, it created more turmoil for the 19 team. Suarez is still a rookie, so he gets a pass.
Matt Kenseth currently sits 22nd in points. Matt finished a strong 3rd in Atlanta, but three DNFs in the first 7 races has pushed him down in the standings. Kenseth has yet to lead a lap in 2017.
Denny Hamlin won the 2016 Daytona 500 and had a strong start to last season. This year Hamlin has struggled. His best finish was a 6th at Las Vegas, but has only managed to amass one other top 10 in 2017. Hamlin has led 28 laps so far this year.
Kyle Busch has been JGR's top performer again this year. A 2nd place at Martinsville and a 3rd at Phoenix have boosted him to 7th in the standings, the only JGR driver to be in the top 10. Busch has led 413 laps so far this season.
What happened to a team that seemed so strong last season?
Some ideas as to what has happened:
1. Stage racing: JGR has played the strategy game several times this season to attempt to win stages. This has not worked out well, with Kyle Busch having the only stage wins for the team so far this season.
2. Bad luck. All four drivers were involved in accidents in the season opening Daytona 500. Busch was bumped out of the way on the last lap of stage 2 at Martinsville. Matt Kenseth has crashed in 3 different races.
3. The 2018 Camry is still working out the "bugs". This is less likely, as JGR's satellite team, Furniture Row Racing, has found success with the new car. However, since the car was a completely new design, it is possible that the teams and drivers are still struggling to find the perfect setups.
4. Loss of Carl Edwards. Most multi-car teams share information between drivers and teams. The loss of an elite driver in Carl Edwards means a loss of critical data to the other teams.
Hendrick Motorsports, who was on par with JGR last season, just picked up their first win of the season with Jimmie Johnson. However, Chase Elliott and Kasey Kahne have run well in the first few races. Johnson has struggled as well until his win.
It's too early in the season to hit the panic button. But if JGR doesn't turn things around by Talladega, it's going to be a long season for a team that has enjoyed a ton of success over the last several seasons.
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