Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, recently discussed a situation that could “severely hurt” Joe Gibbs Racing’s (JGR) chances at the NASCAR Cup Series championship title.
During the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Kraft opened up about the drivers competing for the two remaining spots in the Championship Four finale race—an outcome that could significantly impact JGR’s title hopes.
### JGR Championship Contenders Secure Early Spots
JGR driver Denny Hamlin was the first to clinch a spot in this season’s Championship Four after winning the South Point 400. Following that, his teammate Chase Briscoe won the next race, the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, securing the second berth in the championship race. With two spots still open, playoff-qualified drivers continue to battle for their chance to advance.
### Kraft Highlights Potential Threats From Other Teams
Looking ahead, Freddie Kraft pointed out that if Christopher Bell fails to advance to the championship race at Phoenix, this could open the door for Hendrick Motorsports or Team Penske drivers to compete for the title.
Kraft stated at [38:30]:
*”If all three make it, it’s spot on. But if—for Bell to miss—that means somebody like Logano, Blaney, Byron, or Chase is going to win this race, and then, you know, Larson’s going to beat them on points. So if you’re telling me that Logano and Blaney are going to make it, that severely hurts their chances.”*
### Current Playoff Standings
Christopher Bell currently leads the Cup Series playoff points table, holding a 37-point buffer above the cutoff line. Kyle Larson follows closely, sitting 36 points above the qualifying line.
Meanwhile, Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney are positioned sixth and seventh but trail 38 and 47 points below the cutline, respectively.
### Chase Briscoe Praises Teammate Ty Gibbs After Key Victory
Chase Briscoe clinched his spot in the finale by winning the YellaWood 500 at Talladega on Sunday, October 19. His JGR teammate Ty Gibbs played a crucial role in securing that victory during the closing laps of the 193-lap race, pulling a last-minute maneuver that gave Briscoe the chance to take the lead.
Briscoe, driving the #19 Toyota Camry XSE, qualified second for the race with a best lap time of 52.50 seconds and a top speed of 182.40 mph—just 0.02 seconds behind the pole sitter, Michael McDowell.
Despite a challenging start where Briscoe lost multiple spots in the initial stage, he recovered well in stage two by clinching the stage win. The final stage went into overtime, with Hendrick Motorsports drivers leading the pack. Then, Kyle Larson ran low on fuel, disrupting the race’s flow and handing Bubba Wallace the lead.
Seizing the moment, Chase Briscoe took the lead again with help from Ty Gibbs, who pushed Wallace and enabled Briscoe to get back in front.
Reflecting on Gibbs’s role, Briscoe stated:
*”Ty Gibbs was the whole reason I won the race. He was extremely committed from the get-go, really did a good job of keeping up tight to Bubba so I could keep pushing him along. And then when I made my move, he went with me, selfless in the fact of going for his first win, easily tried something different, pushed me—an incredible team effort. Can’t thank Ty enough.”*
### Looking Ahead: The Xfinity 500
The final race of the Round of Eight, the Xfinity 500, is scheduled to take place at Martinsville Speedway on October 26, 2025. This 500-lap race will be broadcast live on NBC Sports, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and HBO Max, starting at 2 p.m. ET.
Stay tuned as drivers battle for the final Championship Four spots and the chance to compete for NASCAR’s ultimate crown.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nascar/news-bubba-wallace-s-spotter-pinpoints-situation-severely-hurt-jgr-s-chances-nascar-cup-series-championship
