Gibbs lineup for playoffs is strong

LAS VEGAS >> Joe Gibbs has a powerhouse lineup leading the NASCAR playoffs, with four drivers laser-focused on winning the overall title. If there is a favorite in this 10-race tournament, it would be one of Gibbs’ guys.

Only the championship isn’t decided on regularseason strength, and is instead a calculated series of three-race segments in which a driver need only advance. The goal is to qualify for one of the four slots in the Nov. 17 finale, where the winner at Homestead-Miami Speedway will claim the Cup.

Joey Logano was the dark horse spoiler a year ago, when he snatched away the title Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. had set their sights on as the strongest drivers of the regular season. The socalled “Big 3” walked away empty-handed, shocked that a season’s worth of work meant nothing in the final run of the year.

The domination this year has been at Joe Gibbs Racing, which combined for 13 wins in 26 races. Busch is the regular-season champion, Denny Hamlin the Daytona 500 winner and Truex is trying to win a second title in three years. Erik Jones, meanwhile, is fresh off a Southern 500 victory and a contract extension with Toyota’s flagship organization.

All four expect to be racing for the title at Homestead, and the organization will undoubtedly have fallen short if it doesn’t advance at least two drivers to the final four.

“If you don’t win a championship, it’s disappointing,” Busch said. “I’ve been to the Homestead race four years in a row and I’ve only won it once. I don’t know if that is a little LeBron James-esque (three NBA titles in eight chances), but it feels like I can get there and just can’t seal the deal.”

The playoffs begin Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 16-driver field that is cut by four after every third race. The JGR group has some early breathing room based on bonus points earned in the regular season. For example, Busch opens the playoffs with a 45-point lead over Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman, the lowest-seeded drivers in the field.

The strongest challenger to Gibbs is likely Kevin Harvick, who was fast all season but couldn’t get to victory lane until late July.