Joe Gibbs Racing looks for Martinsville breakthrough

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- On Sunday, it will have been 882 days since Joe Gibbs Racing last won at Martinsville Speedway -- a triumph that marked its 200th in the NASCAR Cup Series. All three powerhouse teams of JGR, Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske have taken turns dominating the Virginia short track, and while JGR has had performances capable of winning, it's been Hendrick and Penske who have emerged victorious in the last four Martinsville races. "It's one of the most physically tough tracks that we go to," said Denny Hamlin, who has five grandfather clocks. "Not because of the G-loads or anything like that, just how much concentration it takes. You're shifting multiple times per lap. You got to hit a mark on the race track that's only about six inches wide. So it just takes a tremendous amount of focus and certainly some stamina." RELATED: Sunday's lineup | At-track photos While Martinsville may not have the high banks or speed at a place like Talladega or the trickiness in turns like Pocono, it has its challenges that Christopher Bell, a three-time winner this season and Sunday's polesitter, has struggled with throughout his career. "We've came here with many, many different setups," Bell said after qualifying. "I'll never forget that 2022 season, which was the first Next Gen season, Martinsville [spring], was a struggle for majority of JGR. I was actually one of the best JGR cars, but the rest of the team really struggled. Then, there was a test in the middle of summer, and we kind of brought the same package because we had a decent race. Denny was here; he was on a different setup, and he was super fast and I was really slow at that test. "Then, coming back in the fall, we put in [Hamlin's] setup and won the race. So we were like, OK, box checked. And then from that moment on, the box became unchecked, and it's been a big struggle for us to have good performances here. I wish that I could tell you that it's been one thing, but it, you know, I've struggled with everything." Luckily for the Gibbs stable, they will be able to lean on newcomer and short-track ace Chase Briscoe, who's been consistent at Martinsville with five top 10s driving the No. 14 Ford for the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing. "I always thought the 14 car was really strong here, but we always just lacked that little bit," Briscoe said before practice. "The only two teams that were better than I was JGR, Hendrick and the 12 car [Ryan Blaney]. This is one that I definitely feel like we can go be in the mix kind of all day long. I feel like that every week, but certainly at this place, where I feel like I've always had a pretty good understanding, and from a car standpoint, I know it should be good." A win or even a solid showing from all four JGR cars would be vital, given it's a track where a team's speed can set up a rhythm over the next few weeks, and of course, be a crucial measuring stick for the penultimate race of the season that sets the Championship 4. "If you run good, it's a momentum builder. If you run like crap, it's momentum killer," Hamlin added. "The sport has always been so week to week. But, you know, I guess I'm probably a little more in the mindset when I come here, just win and everything will work out." With Bell on the pole, Hamlin not too far behind starting fifth, Briscoe just outside the top 10 and Ty Gibbs starting 13th, what could stand in JGR's way of heading to Victory Lane? Rain. However, wet-weather tires are on hand in case of a Sunday downpour, and Bell is "hoping for rain," given he won last year at New Hampshire on wets. Perhaps his dirt-racing background comes in handy in being one of the best at handling slippery conditions. "I think it's the guys who can control the slide the best and maximize the grip level of the tires and find the grip in the race track; those are the successful guys," Bell said. "I think my dirt background helped give me the skill set of looking around for grip and improvising and specifically on the damp conditions ... the track is ever-changing because as it dries out, the lines change and you have to find different stuff. Just being able to look around and find those different lines is what dirt-track racing is a skill set that it gives you." Briscoe also has a deep history of racing on dirt, also finishing behind Bell in second last year at New Hampshire in the wet. Briscoe even texted his longtime friend earlier in the week about the possibility of weather being a major factor on Sunday. "I told him [Bell] I was like, I feel like this is the one week I've maybe not wanted rain just because I feel like I can win legitimately," Briscoe said. "Where other weeks, like New Hampshire last year, I was 26th all day long and until the rain came, I had no shot. I'm torn on the rain, truthfully, rain would not hurt my feelings just because I feel like I typically run better in the rain than the average person. I would be OK either way." Four hundred laps around the 0.536-mile paperclip will determine if JGR can make gains as an organization and find some momentum to carry into April.