Will Joe Gibbs Racing Continue Short Track Dominance in LA?

The Busch Light Clash takes place on Sunday, February 6, at 6 p.m. ET (FOX). The top NASCAR Cup Series drivers will battle for the win, but there are some members of Joe Gibbs Racing that will remain favorites based on a history of short track dominance.

According to Racing Reference, Kyle Busch currently sits 21st all-time on the list of short track wins with 16 trips to Victory Lane in 97 starts. However, he has the most wins among active drivers. His teammate, Denny Hamlin, sits in a tie with Kurt Busch for the second-most wins (10) among active drivers.

Martin Truex Jr., who also drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, has six wins across NASCAR’s short tracks, placing him in a tie with Joey Logano. They are behind Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski, who have seven wins apiece.

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Busch & Hamlin Have the Best Average Finish Among Active Drivers

While JGR drivers have won a multitude of short track races, these trips to Victory Lane are not the only stats that matter. The average finish also plays an important role in whether the drivers will be in contention for a top-five finish or a win each time.

Busch and Hamlin are two of the best in the Cup Series in terms of average finish. The driver of the No. 18 Toyota Camry is the best since 2000 with an average finish of 10.653 at tracks shorter than one mile. Hamlin is second among active drivers at 11.075. Christopher Bell (15.5) and Truex (17.590) are farther down the list. Though Bell only has 10 short track races in his Cup Series career.

While Busch and Hamlin have the best stats at short tracks among the JGR drivers, Truex has the most recent wins. He won the April race at Martinsville Speedway in 2021 and then captured the playoff race at Richmond Raceway in September.

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Will the Shorter Distance Affect the Drivers?

The history at short tracks indicates that Joe Gibbs Racing drivers will achieve success in the Busch Light Clash, but there will be some other factors in play that could cause some disruptions. Specifically, the new stock car and the shorter track.

The specially-constructed oval inside of the LA Memorial Coliseum is only a quarter-mile in length. This will be the shortest track that the Cup Series drivers have faced, and only 23 of them will have the opportunity after the heat races and the Last Chance Qualifiers.

The other question mark is the Gen 7 stock car. None of the drivers know how the new vehicles will handle in a true race scenario, especially while on a small track. Busch, in particular, has seen how thin the line is between pushing the car to its edge and spinning out and bringing out the caution flag.

One interesting name to watch will be Bell. He doesn’t have the same stats as his fellow JGR drivers, but he has some factors that will play in his favor. He has a history of winning dirt races in difficult-to-control vehicles. He also has crew chief Adam Stevens back on the pit box, continuing a partnership that began in 2021 and featured a win at the Daytona Road Course. Stevens previously worked as the crew chief for Busch and helped him win two Cup Series championships.

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