Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the third of the Next Gen era, which means it's an opportunity for Joe Gibbs Racing to keep its perfect streak alive.
The four-car organization has won both of the Cup Series races at the 1.058-mile track since moving to the Next Gen car in 2022. Christopher Bell won that season's race after leading 42 laps. Martin Truex Jr. won last season's rain-postponed race at New Hampshire after leading 254 of 301 possible laps and sweeping all three stages.
The wins are not the only sign of dominance. JGR drivers won the pole award for both races -- Bell last season and Truex in 2022 -- and they combined to lead 469 of 602 possible laps. Bell and Truex combined to lead 214 laps in 2022. They combined to lead 255 laps last season.
"Martin and Christopher have been really fast there the last few years, so I will study the data to see what I can do inside the car to improve," Denny Hamlin said in a release from the team.
"I feel like we've been good, but not great, there in this car, so we'd definitely like to take that next step and be able to run with those guys because I would expect them to both be very strong this weekend."
Hamlin, who has three Cup wins at New Hampshire, hasn't been dominant at the track in the Next Gen era. However, he has been in contention for strong finishes. He has finished sixth and seventh in the Next Gen Cup races at the track. Last season, he scored 11 stage points, an important note as he currently pursues the regular-season championship.
Ty Gibbs has limited experience at New Hampshire. He made his debut at the track last season and finished 27th after being collected in a multi-car crash in the final stage.
While Bell, Hamlin, and Truex have all achieved success at New Hampshire, that doesn't guarantee the Next Gen perfect streak continues this weekend. One reason is that there will be a new tire combination this weekend, one that the Cup teams used at North Wilkesboro Speedway and Iowa Speedway.
Another reason is that the track will not be the same as it was last season or in 2022. The weather changes throughout the year in the Northeast guarantee this.
"The older (New Hampshire) gets, the harder it gets," Truex said. "Last year, we saw the track be very different than it's ever been before. You would always run that second lane and a little bit the third one and sometimes lane one, but at the end of the race last year we were running the fourth and fifth lanes. It was just crazy to see how that old asphalt in the corner came in during the race.
"It's a very challenging and unique track, it's got those seams in between each lane that can make your life miserable in the car if you hit those wrong. It's crazy how it will change your car and mess up your lap. It's a very technical track and it's gotten bumpy over the years as well. It's flat, has a fast entry, and not a lot of grip. New Hampshire is a real challenge but it's a lot of fun when you get it right."