NASCAR insider suggests Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe could try to prevent Penske drivers from advancing

Joe Gibbs Racing has been the dominant team in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe have already clinched their spots in the Championship 4, and JGR teammate Christopher Bell is +37 above the cutline with just one Round of 8 race to go.

JGR has every reason to be confident in their chances of winning a championship but still, the threat of Team Penske looms. All year long, the field’s mantra has been “don’t let a Penske driver get to Phoenix.” Heading into Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, neither Joey Logano nor Ryan Blaney is in position to advance to the Championship 4.

At best, one will advance, and they have to win at Martinsville. Jeff Gluck of The Athletic will be paying attention at Martinsville to Hamlin and Briscoe, whom he believes will do everything in their power to keep Penske out of the Championship 4.

“You’re really gonna have, and I really think this is an underrated thing, you’re gonna have the Briscoe’s and the Denny’s of the world trying to keep a Penske driver out of the final four,” Gluck said on The Teardown podcast. “Briscoe just said again in his news conference, he said, ‘I really hope a Penske driver doesn’t win.’ The field is still talking about Penske at Phoenix.”

Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe have turned their attention to Phoenix

It’s simple; if Penske gets a car to Phoenix, good luck beating them. They have won every championship in the Next Gen era, easily the team to beat at Phoenix year in and year out. Opposing teams would prefer a Championship Race without them involved.

“Truthfully, I’ll be rooting that a Penske car doesn’t win,” Briscoe admitted after his win on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. “I think all of those that are in the finals will be doing that.”

Jordan Bianchi, Gluck’s colleague, said that there is “legitimate fear” about letting Logano or Blaney get to Phoenix. It should make for a very interesting race at Martinsville.

“There’s a legitimate fear that if the 12 or the 22 get to Phoenix with a shot at racing for the championship, we’re racing for second place. That’s it,” Bianchi said. “How these guys manage this situation is going to be absolutely fascinating because the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates that are in, they’re all-in on keeping one of the Penske guys out.”