A lot has been made out of Joe Gibbs Racing’s struggles in the 2022 season but Hendrick Motorsports legend Steve Letarte doesn’t believe the narrative.
JGR finally relieved the pressure that was building on them as Denny Hamlin clinched their first win of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. Compared to their heavyweight rivals Hendrick Motorsports, who already have seen three of their four drivers win races, JGR statistics truly turn pale. However, there is more than meets the eye for o Hendrick Motorsports’ former crew chief Steve Letarte, who never thought JGR lost their edge.
“They never lost it, they just didn’t execute. They’ve had speed all year long,” Letarte said.
“Denny Hamlin finally runs a clean race, he goes to victory lane. I think everybody was too hard on Joe Gibbs Racing to start the year.”
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The HMS former crew also spoke about how he has changed his perception of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“I will admit, I didn’t give Hall Of Fame credit enough until I sat there and watched some of my heroes, some of my co-workers, Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon…Dale Jr,” Letarte said, “and saw what it meant to them and their families, that’s when it set in, not only what it does for the sport, but what it means to the names on this list.”
While JGR have certainly struggled against the likes of HMS but there are still a lot of races left in the season. HMS really exerted their dominance last season and they seem to be on a similar track this season and JGR needs to step up their game if they are to compete against their elite rivals.