Las Vegas last Sunday saw the smell of gasoline disappear after wrapping up the first race of the Round of 8. Now, all eyes turn to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the next showdown. Teams across the garage are fine-tuning plans, leaning on non-playoff drivers to shield their title contenders in the pack. And amid these strategy sessions, Joe Gibbs Racing stands apart, not for seamless teamwork, but for a fresh scar from Loudon two weeks back.
Denny Hamlin had dumped teammate Ty Gibbs into the wall when the latter refused to give way to a championship-chasing Hamlin. This time, though Hamlin is already locked for the finale, the pressure falls on Gibbs again to back Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, both eyeing a Final 4 spot. Gibbs carries a rep for racing solo, but whispers s