Before Sunday, it had been some time since Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing celebrated victory.
There was a time not too long ago when Denny Hamlin won with regularity. And the same could be said of Joe Gibbs Racing.
Neither, however, has done much winning lately. Before Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, Hamlin's previous victory came last May at Talladega Superspeedway. That also was the last for JGR, as the organization has seen itself mired in a lengthy slump having won all of two races in 2014.
A reshuffling over the offseason was supposed to curb the underachieving teams and help rejuvenate JGR, which also expanded and added Carl Edwards to a driver lineup including Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. But the early season returns were discouraging, suggesting 2015 would just continue with frustration and disappointment.
Having seen enough, Joe Gibbs harkened back to his days as head coach of the Washington NFL franchise when he guided them to three Super Bowl victories. In the week leading to Martinsville, Gibbs demanded more.
"Joe raised his voice, which doesn't happen very often," said Hamlin, who won for the fifth time at Martinsville. "(He) told us to get off our tails and go to work, and we all did it, and great result for this race team.
"Sometimes you need a leader like that to kind of put things in perspective. Not that people weren't working hard, but it just takes that extra 10 percent out of everyone to get to that next level."
Message delivered. Not just because Hamlin was victorious Sunday, but because JGR also placed two other cars in the top-five -- the only exception was Edwards, who fell victim to a flat tire late. Martinsville was the team's first win on a non-restrictor-plate in over a year.
"This sport is a humbling sport," Gibbs said. "It shows you how hard it is."
The victory carried added importance beyond just a confidence boost. Last Wednesday, team president J.D. Gibbs, the oldest son of Joe, announced he's been dealing with symptoms impacting brain function for the past six months.
Little is known about the cause of J.D. Gibbs' condition or his long-term prognosis, only that while he will continue to have a "day-to-day" role at the team's headquarters. However, his at-track presence will be limited.
"I was honestly thinking that down the stretch with Denny," Joe Gibbs said. "I thought, ‘Man, that would be awesome to have Denny be able to win this race.'"
It was J.D. who unearthed a then-unknown Hamlin, a Virginia native, when he was running Late Models locally. When Joe Gibbs returned to the NFL from 2004-2008, J.D. assumed control of the NASCAR operation and continued to have a large role even after his father stopped coaching.
Without J.D. discovering him, Hamlin readily admits his chance of reaching NASCAR's upper divisions were minimal. He had little funding and few contacts, two critical elements a young driver needs in securing a ride.
"They believed in me and they gave me opportunities to succeed," Hamlin said. "So many young guys come into this sport and don't get an opportunity with a good team. But these guys gave me my chance, and J.D. was a big key to that."
J.D.'s health and how it impacts the team is a story going forward. To quell any concerns, Joe offered reassurance Sunday the infrastructure was in place to maintain its status as one of NASCAR's premiere outfits. And if further proof is needed about the direction of JGR, all one has to do is look how the team's patriarch handled the events of the last week.
"Bossman over here expects a lot from us," Hamlin said. "And we expect to be in victory lane and be up front."
What's less certain is if Sunday signals a true reversal of JGR's performance.
A half-mile in length, Martinsville is unlike the vast majority of tracks on the Cup schedule. Horsepower and aerodynamics aren't as critical on the Virginia bullring as elsewhere. Considerable improvements are still needed on intermediate speedways, which comprise half the Chase calendar and the size of track that will decide the championship.
But now solidly in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Hamlin can play the guinea pig role over the summer months to help better his teammate's on-track fortunes. He can run experimental chassis setups, while Kenseth and Edwards pursue wins.
"Even though it doesn't cure things, it makes things better," Hamlin said. "We've got some kinks in our team right now, but this buys you months of time to get everything worked out and get all the kinks worked out because we know we can go on a championship run."
Big picture, Sunday was important. Hamlin can rest easier knowing his playoff ticket is punched, while JGR gains some degree of solace in what has been a tough week. Whether it's the beginning of a greater turnaround is to be determined in the months ahead.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/19APGab
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