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DeutschJoe Gibbs Racing - Wikipedia
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| Owner(s) | Joe Gibbs Coy Gibbs |
|---|---|
| Principal(s) | Dave Alpern (President) Wally Brown (Competition dir.) |
| Base | Huntersville, North Carolina |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Xfinity Series ARCA Menards Series |
| Race drivers | Cup Series: 11. Denny Hamlin 18. Kyle Busch 19. Martin Truex Jr. 20. Christopher Bell Xfinity Series: 18. Drew Dollar, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Truex, Bubba Wallace, John Hunter Nemechek, Connor Mosack, Sammy Smith 19. Brandon Jones 54. Ty Gibbs ARCA Menards Series: 81. Brandon Jones (part-time) |
| Sponsors | Cup Series: 11. FedEx, Sport Clips, Coca-Cola 18. Mars, Incorporated (M&M's, Ethel M, Skittles, Snickers, Pedigree), Interstate Batteries, DeWalt, Rheem 19. Bass Pro Shops, Reser's Fine Foods, Auto-Owners Insurance 20. DeWalt, Rheem, SiriusXM, Yahoo! Xfinity Series: 18. Lynx Capital, Devotion Nutrition, Toyota, USA Pickleball, Auto-Owners Insurance, Dr Pepper, Safeway Inc., Acme, ROMCO Equipment, OpenEyes.net, Allstate Parts & Service Group 19. Menards (Swiffer, Patriot Lighting, Barracuda Pumps, Jeld-Wen, Pentair Myers, Oklahoma Joe's Smokers, Nibco, Lyons, Atlas Roofing, Pelonis, Turtle Wax, Delta Faucet, Bali Blinds, Ortho, Pennington Seed, Tuscany Faucets, Fisher Oven, Magick Wood Vanities, Little Hug, DuPont Air Filtration) 54. Monster Energy, Sport Clips, Interstate Batteries, Reser's Fine Foods, He Gets Us ARCA Menards Series: 81. Tide, Morton Salt |
| Manufacturer | Toyota |
| Opened | 1992 |
| Career | |
| Debut | Cup Series: 1992 Daytona 500 (Daytona) Xfinity Series: 1997 All Pro Bumper To Bumper 300 (Charlotte) Truck Series: 2000 NAPA 250 (Martinsville) ARCA Menards Series: 1999 Georgia Boot 400 (Atlanta) |
| Latest race | Cup Series: 2022 Kwik Trip 250 (Road America) Xfinity Series: 2002 Ford 200 (Homestead) ARCA Menards Series: 2022 Calypso Lemonade 150 (Iowa) |
| Races competed | Total: 2,018 Cup Series: 1,049 Xfinity Series: 801 Truck Series: 62 ARCA Menards Series: 106 |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 9 NASCAR Cup Series: 5 2000, 2002, 2005, 2015, 2019 Xfinity Series: 3 2009, 2016, 2021 Truck Series: 0 ARCA Menards Series: 1 2021 |
| Race victories | Total: 409 Cup Series: 197 Xfinity Series: 189 Truck Series: 0 ARCA Menards Series: 23 |
| Pole positions | Total: 326 Cup Series: 132 Xfinity Series: 174 Truck Series: 0 ARCA Menards Series: 20 |
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is an American professional stock car racing organization owned and operated by former Washington Football Team coach Joe Gibbs, which first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991. His son, J. D. Gibbs, ran the team with him until his death in 2019. Headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina, roughly 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the team has amassed five Cup Series championships since the year 2000.
For the team's first sixteen seasons, JGR ran cars from General Motors. During that period, the team won their first three championships: two in Pontiac Grand Prixs and one in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Despite this, Joe Gibbs Racing announced during the 2007 season that they would be ending their arrangement with GM at the end of the year and begin running Toyotas the following season. This partnership would eventually bring Toyota their first Premier series championship when Kyle Busch won in 2015.[1]
In the NASCAR Cup Series, the team currently fields four full-time entries: the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Denny Hamlin, the No. 18 Camry for Kyle Busch, the No. 19 Camry for Martin Truex Jr., and the No. 20 Camry for Christopher Bell. In the Xfinity Series, the team currently fields three full-time entries: the No. 18 Toyota Supra for multiple drivers, the No. 19 Supra for Brandon Jones, the No. 54 Supra for Ty Gibbs.
The team also has a strong development program for up and coming drivers, grooming future Cup winners Joey Logano and Aric Almirola and winning one championship in the Camping World East Series with Logano. The organization teamed up with former NFL player Reggie White in 2004 to create a diversity program,[2][3] fielding drivers such as Almirola, Marc Davis, and Darrell Wallace Jr., and forming the basis for NASCAR's own Drive for Diversity program. Currently Chandler Smith is under a development contract driving in the Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports and the ARCA Menards Series for JGR.
JGR has a technical alliance with 23XI Racing that started in 2021.[4]
NASCAR Cup Series[edit]
![[icon]](/en/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: 2015-2017. You can help by adding to it. (May 2017) |
Overview[edit]
The team was founded by Gibbs in 1991 after exploring opportunities with Don Meredith, who currently serves as the team's Executive Vice President.[5] In 1997, Gibbs' son J.D. Gibbs was named team president.[6][7] In 1998, the team began construction on its current facility in Huntersville, North Carolina.[7] The team expanded to a two-car operation in 1999 with Tony Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot-sponsored car, then a three-car operation in 2005 with the No. 11 FedEx-sponsored car currently driven by Denny Hamlin and owned by Coy Gibbs.[8] The team expanded to four cars for the 2015 season with Carl Edwards driving the No. 19 car, following former Roush Racing teammate Matt Kenseth to JGR.[9]
After winning three Cup championships and over 70 NASCAR races in Chevrolet and Pontiac equipment, it was announced in September 2007 that the team would be switching to Toyota (who had just entered the Cup series that year) following the end of their commitment with General Motors at the end of the season. It was believed that the executives at JGR felt as if they weren't as important as some of the other GM teams such as Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, leading to the decision to swap manufacturers. According to Joe Gibbs, Toyota offered the team resources and options they "were not going to be able to afford to do" if they remained at GM.[10]
In 2012, JGR shuttered its in-house Sprint Cup Series engine program, merging with California-based Toyota Racing Development which currently provides engines to JGR as well as 23XI Racing.[11][12] The team continues to build engines for its own Xfinity Series operations and those of RAB Racing[13] and JGL Racing,[14] the Camping World Truck Series operations of Kyle Busch Motorsports,[15][16] and the Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series operations of Venturini Motorsports.[17][18] The team had a technical alliance with Furniture Row Racing, a single car team based in Denver, Colorado, before their closure following the 2018 season.[19][20][21]
Car No. 11 history[edit]
- Multiple drivers (2004-2005)
The No. 11 car (the number J. D. Gibbs wore playing football at College of William & Mary) began in 2004.[22] Ricky Craven, recently released from PPI Motorsports finished 30th at Talladega with sponsorship from Old Spice,[23] and Busch Series driver J. J. Yeley ran two races in the car with Vigoro/The Home Depot sponsorship.[24]
The No. 11 car went full-time in 2005, with new sponsor FedEx coming on to fund the full season in a multi-year deal. Jason Leffler, who had driven for JGR in the Busch series, was signed to drive the No. 11 for the full season, while Dave Rogers was named the crew chief.[22] The new team struggled early on in the season. Leffler missed the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, with FedEx Freight moving over to the 18 car that Bobby Labonte would drive to a second-place finish.[25] Rogers was reassigned and replaced with veteran crew chief Mike Ford in June,[26] then former Cup champion Terry Labonte was hired to run the road course at Sonoma, qualifying 8th and finishing a solid 12th.[27] After 19 starts with a best finish of 12th and sitting 36th in points, Leffler was released from the ride. Terry Labonte ran the next three races, then ran the Fall Richmond race finishing 9th.[28] J. J. Yeley ran 4 races with a best finish of 25th. In November, it was announced that Denny Hamlin would drive the car for the remainder of the season, then run for Rookie of the Year in 2006.[29] Hamlin ran seven races, finished in the top 10 three times, and earned a pole at Phoenix International Raceway.[30]
- Denny Hamlin (2005–present)
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Hamlin was awarded the No. 11 FedEx Express full-time ride in 2006 in addition to his full-time Busch schedule in the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet. Hamlin was part of a large and strong rookie class, including teammate J.J. Yeley, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., David Stremme, Brent Sherman, and Reed Sorenson.[31] Hamlin opened the season by winning the Budweiser Shootout non-points race, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr. on a green-white-checker restart.[32] In June, Hamlin scored his first Cup Series victory at the difficult Pocono Raceway. Hamlin started on the pole, then battled back from a cut tire to take the victory.[33] In his return to the track in July, Hamlin again won the pole, then proceeded to lead 151 of 200 laps en route to a second victory, the first rookie to sweep both Pocono races. Hamlin credited his prowess on the track to practicing on the racing simulator NASCAR Racing 2003 Season.[34] Hamlin's strong performance earned the rookie a berth in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, where he would finish 3rd in points. Until 2016, Hamlin was the only rookie to make the Chase.
In 2007, Hamlin won the first of two races at New Hampshire International Speedway 2007 and finished 12th in points. In 2008, Hamlin won the Gatorade Duel and the first race at Martinsville Speedway, and improved to eighth in points. He qualified for the Chase again in 2009 after winning the second race at Pocono Raceway and Richmond International Raceway. He ended the season with four victories after winning Martinsville and Homestead-Miami Speedway in the chase. 2010 was Hamlin and the 11 team's breakout year. They won at Martinsville and Denny followed the win by having knee surgery. After the surgery, the team won 4 of the next 10 races at Texas, Darlington, Pocono, and Michigan. The team made the chase after another win at Richmond. The team won races during the Chase at Martinsville and Texas and held the points lead going into the season finale. However, an early wreck would put them behind the competition, and Hamlin wound up finishing second to Jimmie Johnson during the 2010 chase. Hamlin later admitted to putting too much pressure on himself during the Chase, which mentally impacted him. As a result, Mike Ford took a "no compromise" attitude for 2011, hoping to right the ship. However, the team struggled throughout 2011, with multiple blown engines and a single win at Michigan to push the No. 11 into the Chase. Hamlin would finish 9th in the final standings. At season's end, Mike Ford was released as crew chief and was replaced by Tony Stewart's crew chief Darian Grubb.
Under Darian Grubb, the team started 2012 off in the best way possible by winning the second race of the season at Phoenix. That win was followed by another victory at Kansas six weeks later. The 11 team once again proved dominant on the short tracks pulling off a convincing win in the Bristol Night Race in August. The week after Bristol, the No. 11 FedEx team brought home another victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, making the No. 11 the car number with the most wins in NASCAR with 200 wins. Hamlin then won the Sylvania 300, giving Joe Gibbs Racing its 100th win.
Hamlin's 2013 season began with an on-and-off track feud with former teammate Joey Logano. Initially started on Twitter, the on track incidents began at Bristol in March, where Hamlin spun Logano in turns 1 and 2, leading Logano to confront Hamlin after the race.[35] The rivalry continued into the next race at Auto Club Speedway, where the two fought for the lead in the closing laps. In the final corner, the two collided, allowing JGR teammate Kyle Busch to win the race, and sending Hamlin's 11 car into a non-SAFER barrier wall near pit road.[36] This wreck would mark the beginning of a difficult season for Hamlin, as he suffered a lower back fracture and was forced to sit out several races. Veteran Mark Martin replaced Hamlin at one of Denny's better tracks, Martinsville Speedway, where he scored a top 10.[37] Brian Vickers then drove the car for the next three races, scoring an 8th-place finish at Texas. Though Hamlin returned to the car at Talladega Superspeedway, he never returned to form during the year, with only 8 top 10s on the year.[38] He did score a win at the season finale at Homestead.
After Jason Leffler's death in 2013, the 11 team paid tribute to their former driver by running a white FedEx scheme at Michigan similar to the one Leffler ran in 2005.[39][40]
In the 2014 Auto Club 400, Sam Hornish Jr. replaced Hamlin due to Hamlin having what was thought to be a sinus infection, but later revealed to be a piece of metal in his eye that impaired his vision.[41] Hornish, who was actually on standby for teammate Matt Kenseth, finished a solid 17th in his return to Cup.
At the 2015 Food City 500, Erik Jones replaced Hamlin after the latter suffered neck spasms. Jones took the car to a 26th-place finish, but Hamlin started the race and was credited with the finish.
In 2016, Hamlin started his season out well, winning the 2016 Daytona 500 by beating out Martin Truex Jr. by 0.010 seconds, the closest finish in Daytona 500 history. The win was also the first for his rookie crew chief, Mike Wheeler. He would also win Watkins Glen and Richmond to finish 6th in the standings
In 2017, Hamlin won at the first New Hampshire race, and Darlington and finished 6th in points for the second straight year.
Hamlin started the 2018 season with a third-place finish at the Daytona 500. However, for the first time in his career, he finished a season winless. Despite this, he stayed consistent enough to make the Playoffs. Hamlin was eliminated in the Round of 16 after the Charlotte Roval race and finished the season 11th in points.
Hamlin started the 2019 season with his second Daytona 500 win after surviving a mass pile-up with 10 laps to go in the race. The win was about a month after the passing of J. D. Gibbs. Hamlin celebrated by performing a slow lap of honor instead of a burnout to preserve the car.[42] He scored his second win of the season at Texas.[43] At Martinsville, Hamlin collided with Logano on turn four, squeezing Logano into the outside wall and causing him to lose a tire and spin out two laps later. Hamlin finished fourth while Logano salvaged an eighth-place finish. After the race, Hamlin and Logano discussed the incident before Logano slapped Hamlin's right shoulder, sparking a fight between the two.[44] NASCAR suspended Dave Nichols Jr., the No. 22 team's tire technician, for one race for pulling Hamlin down to the ground during the altercation.[45] Hamlin would make the Championship 4 for the first time since 2014 as well as earn his fourth pole at Homestead after qualifying got canceled due to rain, but finished 10th in the race and fourth in the final standings.
Hamlin started the 2020 season by winning the 2020 Daytona 500, becoming only the fourth driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s after Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, and Sterling Marlin. Before the Las Vegas race, the team was docked 10 driver and owner points for an L1 level penalty during pre-race inspection.[46] Following the 2020 Coca-Cola 600, crew chief Chris Gabehart, car chief Brandon Griffeth, and engineer Scott Simmons were suspended for four races after a tungsten ballast came loose and fell off the frame rail of the car during the start of the race.[47] Hamlin once again made the Championship 4 and had a more competitive race for the championship than in the previous year, but still finished fourth in the race and final standings behind 3rd-place finisher Joey Logano, runner-up Brad Keselowski, and Champion Chase Elliott.
Hamlin started the 2022 season with a 37th place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500. Aside from a win at Richmond, he struggled with finishes outside the top 10 during the first 11 races. On May 3, 2022, Gabehart was suspended for four races due to a tire and wheel loss at Dover.[48]
On May 29, 2022, Denny won the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 for his second win of the season.
Car No. 11 results[edit]
Car No. 18 history[edit]
- Dale Jarrett (1992–1994)
Joe Gibbs Racing debuted at the 1992 Daytona 500 with second-generation driver Dale Jarrett driving the No. 18 Interstate Batteries-sponsored Chevrolet Lumina to a 36th-place finish after a crash. The team improved dramatically the next year when Jarrett won the Daytona 500 and finished a then career-high 4th in points. Jarrett won a race at Charlotte but he slipped to 16th in points in 1994 and moved to Robert Yates Racing's famed 28 car for 1995.
- Bobby Labonte (1995–2005)
The team replaced Jarrett with Bobby Labonte, younger brother of Terry Labonte and 1993 Rookie of the Year runner-up. In 1995, Labonte won 3 races, sweeping both Michigan events and winning at Charlotte, finishing 10th in points. This would mark the beginning of a decade of success between Labonte, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Interstate Batteries. In 1996 the team struggled to win until the season finale at Atlanta and finished 11th in points. In 1997 the team had a similar year to the previous but managed to improve to 7th in points. Their lone win came at the season finale. The team improved in 1998 by winning races at Atlanta and Talladega en route to 6th place in points.
1999 was a breakout year for the No. 18 team. They scored 5 wins which came at Dover, Michigan, Atlanta and both races at Pocono. The team came just short of the championship and finished 2nd in points to Jarrett, once again at Atlanta. The team continued their success in the next season, winning the second race of the season at Rockingham.[49] Labonte's next win was the Brickyard 400 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[50] His third win came at the Southern 500 at Darlington recovering from a hard practice crash and taking the lead on a late race pit stop to win the rain and darkness shortened event.[51] His fourth and final win of the year came at Charlotte a month later. Labonte would hold the points lead for 25 consecutive races to win the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship.[52]
The team faced disappointment in 2001 after high expectations following the championship season, winning only 2 races at Pocono and Atlanta and finishing 6th in points. 2002 was the team's worst year since Labonte joined the team, scoring only one win at Martinsville and finishing a disappointing 16th in points. The team rebounded in 2003 scoring 2 wins at Atlanta and Homestead to finish 8th in points. Even though the team made some progression in 2004, the team fired crew chief Michael "Fatback" McSwain midseason, with Brandon Thomas taking over for the rest of the year. The team went winless to finish 12th in points. Steve Addington, a Gibbs Busch Series crew chief, was named new crew chief for the 2005 season, but a rash of troubles, some caused by mechanical problems, continued to daunt the team. The high point of the year was the Coca-Cola 600 when he finished second to Jimmie Johnson by half a car length.[25] Labonte finished 24th in the championship standings, and the team's regression led to his departure following the end of 2005. Bobby Labonte earned all 21 of his career Cup Series wins in the car, as well as the Winston Cup championship in 2000. He would depart for the 43 car of Petty Enterprises.
- J. J. Yeley (2006–2007)
After Labonte's departure, Gibbs announced that JGR Busch Series driver and former USAC standout J. J. Yeley would replace him in the No. 18 for 2006, joining fellow rookie teammate Denny Hamlin.[31] Yeley had a dismal rookie season with only three top tens while failing to finish seven races, leading to 29th-place points finish. Yeley's sophomore campaign was only slightly better, earning a pole at Michigan and scoring three more top tens to finish 21st in points. Yeley moved to JGR-affiliated Hall of Fame Racing for 2008.
- Kyle Busch (2008–present)
On August 14, 2007, it was announced that 22-year-old Kyle Busch had signed a contract to drive the number 18 with Joe Gibbs Racing through 2010, leaving Hendrick Motorsports' number 5 car after a successful but controversial tenure with the organization.[53] Mars, Incorporated's M&M's brand was signed as the team's primary sponsor, leaving Robert Yates Racing, while longtime partner Interstate Batteries scaled down to be a secondary sponsor and six race primary sponsor.[54] Joe Gibbs racing also left General Motors in favor of becoming Toyota's highest-profile team.[10] Busch gave Toyota its first Cup win on March 9, 2008, leading a race-high 173 laps to win the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In his first year in the 18, Busch had brought the car back to its former glory, winning 7 additional races (Talladega, Darlington, Dover, Infineon, Daytona, Chicagoland, and Watkins Glen) and would finish tenth in points.
In 2009, Busch opened the season by winning his Gatorade Duel qualifying race but finished 41st in the race after a crash. He won the third race of the season from the pole at Las Vegas, and scored additional wins at Richmond and both Bristol races, but failed to qualify for the Chase by only 8 points. As a result, longtime JGR crew chief Steve Addington was fired near the end of the season and coincidentally went to crew chief for Kyle's brother Kurt Busch at Penske Racing. Dave Rogers, Busch's Nationwide Series crew chief, took over the pit box in 2010. The year produced 3 victories at Richmond, Dover, and Bristol, but more struggles in the final 10 races led to an 8th-place finish in the standings. 2011 was an up and down year for the 18 team. The team won at Bristol and Richmond early in the season, as well as the inaugural Cup race at Kentucky and the August race at Michigan. At Texas Motor Speedway in November, Busch was parked by NASCAR for the remainder of the race weekend after intentionally spinning out Ron Hornaday in the Truck Series race. Michael McDowell would replace Busch that weekend, finishing a dismal 33rd.[55] Mars, Inc proceeded to pull its sponsorship for the final two races, with Interstate Batteries covering those races.[56] Busch was relegated to twelfth in the final standings.
In 2012, Busch won the Budweiser Shootout to open the season and scored a single points-paying victory, the spring race at Richmond. He would miss making the Chase for the Sprint Cup by 3 points, but scored 7 top 5 and 8 top 10 finishes during the final ten races, finishing the year in 13th place and nearly 100 points ahead of 14th place Ryan Newman. In 2013, Busch won the second Budweiser Duel qualifying race, and won the pole at the spring Bristol race, finishing second. He also swept the spring Fontana and Texas race weekends, winning the Nationwide and Cup races, giving Joe Gibbs his first win at Fontana in Sprint Cup competition and first win for himself at Texas. He would win at Watkins Glen and Atlanta. Busch's four wins and career-high 22 top ten finishes would lead to a fourth-place finish in the championship, the highest of his career. In 2014, Busch earned a spot in the new Chase for the Sprint Cup with his early-season win at Fontana. Busch would be eliminated in the second round, after being swept up in a wreck at Talladega, and would finish tenth in points.
For 2015, sponsor Mars, Inc. introduced a new green paint scheme to promote Crispy M&M's on the 18 car.[57] After an injury to Kyle Busch in the season-opening Xfinity Series race,[58] the No. 18 started the 2015 season with two-time Truck Series champion Matt Crafton making his Sprint Cup debut at the 2015 Daytona 500, finishing 18th.[59] The next week, David Ragan was announced as interim driver, moving from his full-time ride at Front Row Motorsports.[60] Ragan drove the car for nine races through Talladega and scored a single top-five finish at Martinsville, before moving to Michael Waltrip Racing.[61][62] Development driver Erik Jones, who drove for Busch in the Truck Series, made his first series start at Kansas.[63] Jones ran in the top ten for much of the race, before crashing on the front stretch and finishing 40th.[64] After missing a total of 11 races, Busch returned to the car for the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte, receiving a waiver from NASCAR to be eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup provided he win a race and gain a top 30 position in the championship standings.[65] At Sonoma in June, his fifth start of the year, Busch scored his first victory of the season. It was also the first time he and his brother Kurt Busch had finished first and second in any Cup Series event.[66] Busch would then win three consecutive races – Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Indianapolis – with four total wins across a five-race span. The latter victory was also Busch's first Brickyard 400 victory, the first for manufacturer Toyota, and marked the first time a driver swept both the Cup and Xfinity races at Indianapolis. Busch would go on to make the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup. At the second Phoenix race, Busch would be one of the four drivers going to Homestead-Miami Speedway with an opportunity to win the Sprint Cup championship after the race was stopped by NASCAR due to rain. The following weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Busch would go on to win the race as well as his first Sprint Cup title. He and brother Kurt join Bobby and Terry Labonte as the only brothers in NASCAR's top series to win championships. This was the 2nd championship for the No. 18 car. Busch ended the season with 5 wins, 12 top fives, and 16 top tens in only 25 starts. It was the first championship for manufacturer Toyota and fourth for team owner Joe Gibbs.[67]
On May 13, 2016, JGR announced that Busch would drive the number 75 car at the All-Star race only, to celebrate M&Ms 75th anniversary.[68]
Busch ended 2016 with four wins, made the Championship 4, and finished third in the final standings.
In 2017, Busch was hampered by bad luck, especially at the beginning of the season as JGR was also having trouble finding speed. However, he picked up steam late in the season and won five races starting at the second Pocono race, a week after being wrecked while leading at Indianapolis. Busch made the Championship 4 again by winning at Martinsville and finished second to Martin Truex Jr. in both the Homestead race and the final standings.
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In 2018, Busch had possibly his best season in the cup series, scoring eight wins including three in a row at Texas, Bristol, and Richmond. He also dominated the 2018 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, becoming the first driver to win all four stages. Busch's fifth win came at Chicagoland, where he used a bump and run to beat Kyle Larson on the last lap. His sixth win was the second Pocono race where he beat teammate Daniel Suárez on several late restarts. Busch also won the fall Richmond race to sweep the 2018 Richmond races. His last win was the penultimate race at Phoenix, which clinched his spot in the Championship 4. Unfortunately, at Homestead, his car was noticeably slower than his three competitors for the championship and he finished fourth in the race and the final standings.
Busch started the 2019 season by finishing second at the Daytona 500, behind teammate Denny Hamlin.[42] He had consistent top-10 finishes at Atlanta and Las Vegas before scoring his first win of the season at Phoenix. Busch also won at California and Bristol to maintain his points lead. Following the 2019 Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Busch clinched his second consecutive Regular Season Championship. Busch also won the 2019 Ford Ecoboost 400 clinching his second Monster energy NASCAR Cup series title.[69]
Busch started the 2020 season with a 34th place finish at the Daytona 500. Before the Las Vegas race, the team was docked 10 driver and owner points for an L1 level penalty during pre-race inspection.[46] Busch finished the regular season winless, but stayed consistent enough to make the playoffs. A series of bad finishes at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval resulted in him being eliminated from the round of 8. Despite no longer being a championship factor, Busch won at Texas and finished the season eighth in points. Following the season, Xfinity Series crew chief Ben Beshore replaced Stevens, who was transferred to the No. 20 team driven by Christopher Bell.
After only winning just one race in 2020, Busch opened the 2021 season by winning the Busch Clash on a last-lap pass. Ryan Blaney was leading and Chase Elliott was in second when the two collided on the front-stretch chicane which led to Busch passing both to win his second Busch Clash. He also scored two wins at Kansas and Pocono to make the playoffs. After crashing at the 2021 Cook Out Southern 500, a frustrated Busch ran over several safety cones and nearly hit some people on his way to the garage, landing him a $50,000 fine.[70]
On December 20, 2021, Mars, Inc. announced that it will leave NASCAR following the 2022 season.[71]
Busch started the 2022 season with a second place finish at the 2022 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, losing to Joey Logano after leading 65 of the exhibition race's 150 laps. He finished sixth at the 2022 Daytona 500. Busch won the Bristol dirt race after Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe collided with each other for the lead on the final lap. His run at Darlington ended abruptly when Brad Keselowski blew a tire and collided with him. Busch parked his car on pit road and walked off when its front suspension was too damaged for it to return to the garage.[72]
Car No. 18 results[edit]
Car No. 19 history[edit]
As the 80 (2003–2004, 2007)
Before expanding to four full-time cars, JGR had occasionally fielded a fourth car for R&D or driver development purposes. Mike Bliss drove several races for JGR in 2003 & 2004 in a No. 80 car. In 2007, development driver Aric Almirola made his NEXTEL Cup debut in the No. 80 at Las Vegas with Joe Gibbs Driven sponsoring.[73] Almirola started 31st and finished 40th after a crash. He was scheduled to drive at the All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600, but he suffered a practice crash and the car was withdrawn from both races. He would leave the team later in the season for Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc.[74]
As the 02 (2008-2009)
In 2008, 18-year-old Joey Logano was scheduled to run several late-season races in preparation for running the full 2009 season. Logano drove the No. 02 (reverse of the 20), with an inverted Home Depot scheme of teammate Tony Stewart's.[75] He was scheduled to make his Sprint Cup debut at Richmond International Raceway,[75] but qualifying was rained out by Hurricane Hanna. The 02 attempted again at Loudon and at Atlanta, but qualifying was rained out in both races as well, leading Logano to make his debut in JGR-affiliated Hall of Fame Racing's No. 96 at Loudon and miss the Atlanta race. Logano made the race in his fourth attempt with Gibbs at Texas, starting 43rd and last and finishing 40th, several laps down.
In 2009 Farm Bureau Insurance, who had been banned from the Nationwide Series due to the Viceroy Rule, moved up to sponsor 6 Sprint Cup Series races for JGR, including 3 for the 02 car at Charlotte, Texas, and Homestead.[76] David Gilliland was tabbed to drive the car in the three events,[77] with a best finish of 25th at Charlotte. After the 2009 season, Farm Bureau Insurance announced they would not return for the 2010 season.
As the 81 (2013)
In 2013, Elliott Sadler was signed to drive the renumbered No. 81 (reverse of 18) for three races, with his former sponsor at Robert Yates Racing, Mars, Inc., promoting their new Alert Energy Caffeine Gum on the car. Sadler was scheduled to run at Kansas Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and a third unannounced race. The deal was made in part to avoid conflict on the 18 car with Kyle Busch's sponsor Monster Energy.[78] For Sadler, it was his first start in the Sprint Cup Series since the 2012 Daytona 500, and his first opportunity since he was forced to turn down a part-time deal at Michael Waltrip Racing that same year (ultimately taken by 2013 teammate Brian Vickers) by then-owner Richard Childress. At Kansas, he got out of the racing groove and wrecked in turn 3 on lap 85, relegating him to a 40th-place finish.[79] He failed to qualify at Talladega after rain washed out qualifying and was set by owner points as the No. 81 was too low in points. After Alert Energy was pulled from the market, Doublemint sponsored the car at Talladega.
- Carl Edwards (2015–2016)
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After not running in 2014, the fourth car returned full-time in 2015 as the No. 19 with Carl Edwards driving. New partner Arris signed on to sponsor 17 races,[80] while Stanley Black & Decker moved from Richard Petty Motorsports to sponsor 12 races.[81] Comcast/Xfinity, Sport Clips, and Edwards' longtime sponsor Subway Restaurants also sponsored the car. Darian Grubb made his return to JGR as Edwards' crew chief.[82] Before the Cup series season, Edwards and JGR were informed that because the No. 19 team was not formed until 2015, they were not eligible for one of the 36 charters NASCAR granted to teams who participated full-time in Cup. Joe Gibbs Racing managed to secure Edwards a spot in every race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season by purchasing a charter from the defunct Michael Waltrip Racing.[83] Edwards won his first race with JGR at Charlotte in May. Starting third, he led a total of 25 laps, using fuel mileage strategy to take the victory. He also went on to win at Darlington Raceway and finished the season fifth in points. Edwards would go on to win three races in 2016 and would advance to the championship four. Near the end of the race, Joey Logano would make contact causing Edwards to spin and bring out the caution. He would finish fourth in points.
- Daniel Suárez (2017–2018)
On January 11, 2017, Edwards announced that he was stepping away from NASCAR effective immediately, and it was announced that 2016 Xfinity Series champion Daniel Suárez would replace Edwards in the No. 19 car starting at the Daytona 500 in 2017.[84] Suárez finished 20th in points in his rookie season but lost rookie of the year to teammate Erik Jones. Suárez struggled throughout the 2018 season and finished 21st in points.
- Martin Truex Jr. (2019–Present)
On November 7, 2018, it was announced that Martin Truex Jr. will replace Suárez in the No. 19 team. In addition, Truex's crew chief Cole Pearn from the defunct Furniture Row Racing will join the team in the 2019 season.[85] Truex Jr. also brought in long-time sponsors Bass Pro Shops and Auto-Owners Insurance to the No. 19 team.[86][87]
Unlike his new teammates, Truex's 2019 season started on a low when he was caught in "The Big One" at the Daytona 500, finishing 35th.[88] He made five consecutive top-10 finishes and two top-20 finishes before winning his first short track race at Richmond. Truex also scored wins at Dover, Charlotte, and Sonoma. After the season-ending race at Homestead, Truex finished second to Kyle Busch in the 2019 standings.
On December 9, 2019, Pearn announced he parted ways with JGR to pursue opportunities outside the sport.[89] Truex's 2020 season with new crew chief James Small yielded only one win at Martinsville. During the Playoffs, he was eliminated after the Round of 8 and finished seventh in the 2020 standings.
In the 2021 season, Truex scored wins at Phoenix Martinsville and Darlington.[90]
Car No. 19 results[edit]
Car No. 20 history[edit]
- Tony Stewart (1999–2008)
Tony Stewart debuted the No. 20 The Home Depot Pontiac Grand Prix at the 1999 Daytona 500, qualifying on the outside pole. He won three races at Richmond, Phoenix, and Homestead, as well as the Winston Open and the NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors and finished fourth in points. 2000 was an up and down year for Stewart as he won six races, including both Dover races, Martinsville, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Homestead but only finished sixth in points. 2001 was another good year for Stewart, as he won the Budweiser Shootout, Richmond, Infineon, and Bristol and finished second in the overall standings.
2002 was a break-out year for Stewart with wins at Atlanta, Richmond, and Watkins Glen along with the Budweiser Shootout and the team won the 2002 points championship. With JGR switching to Chevrolet in 2003, Stewart won twice at Pocono and Charlotte and finished seventh in the points standings. The 2004 season saw Stewart score two wins and finish sixth in points in the first-ever chase.
Stewart won his second championship in 2005. After winning the Gatorade Duel, the team did not win again until Infineon and then they went on to win the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, followed by New Hampshire, Indianapolis, and Watkins Glen, and held the championship through the Chase.
2006 statistically was Stewart's worst season with JGR. After winning early at Martinsville, he suffered an injury at Charlotte and was replaced during Dover. He won the Pepsi 400 again at Daytona but missed the Chase. During the Chase, Stewart won three races at Kansas, Atlanta, and Texas and finished 11th in points. 2007 was another good year for him and the team. Though Stewart won both the Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duel, an early wreck smashed his Daytona 500 hopes. He and the team won three races though at Chicagoland, Indianapolis, and Watkins Glen and finished 6th in points.
Following the team's switch from Chevrolet to Toyota, Stewart's performance dwindled,[91] earning ten top-fives and sixteen top-10s. Stewart's only win for this season was the 2008 AMP Energy 500 at Talladega. On June 9, 2008, Stewart was granted a release from his final year of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, ending a twelve-year relationship with the organization that included over 30 wins and two Cup Series Championships.[92] Stewart moved to Haas CNC Racing, renamed Stewart-Haas Racing after he purchased a 50% ownership stake from founder Gene Haas, in part to return to longtime manufacturer Chevrolet.[92][93][94]
- Joey Logano (2009–2012)
On August 25, 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that 18-year-old Joey Logano would replace Stewart as the driver of the No. 20 car for the 2009 season, after only making his NASCAR debut in May 2008 and running abbreviated Nationwide and Cup schedules.[75] Longtime crew chief Greg Zipadelli remained with JGR for Logano's rookie season.[93] Logano's first win came in the rain-shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after a fuel mileage gamble, becoming the youngest winner in Cup Series history.[95] Logano beat former open-wheel drivers Max Papis and Scott Speed for the Rookie of the Year Award, with seven top-tens and a 20th-place points finish.[96] Logano failed to win in 2010 and finished 16th in points.
In 2011, Logano again was winless and finished 24th in points. On October 13, 2011, Joe Gibbs Racing announced The Home Depot will become a co-primary sponsor for Logano's car with Dollar General. Dollar General sponsored 12 races while the other 22 continued to be sponsored by The Home Depot. Logano won his second career race at Pocono from the pole in the 2012 Pocono 400 after passing Mark Martin with three laps to go.
- Matt Kenseth (2013–2017)
Beginning in 2013, the No. 20 car was taken over by Matt Kenseth, who left Roush Fenway Racing, as Logano moved to the No. 22 at Team Penske. The team had a resurgence, with Kenseth winning five races in the regular season (Las Vegas, Kansas, Darlington, Kentucky, and Bristol), and led the most laps at several other races (Daytona 500, Kansas, Richmond, and Talladega). Kenseth also won the first two races of the Chase at Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway, bringing the team up to seven wins – which was more wins in a single season than the car had ever achieved with Stewart or Logano.
It was announced in September 2014 that Stanley Black & Decker would leave Richard Petty Motorsports to sponsor JGR in the Cup Series for 2015. This move reunited Kenseth with the DeWalt brand for six races as a primary, and the entire season as an associate.[97]
Kenseth won the Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes And Stand Up To Cancer at Bristol in April, his first victory since 2013. On November 3, he was suspended for two races after intentionally wrecking Logano at Martinsville.[98] Erik Jones was named the replacement driver for Kenseth in both of those races, with Jones finishing 12th and 19th in those races.[99]
In 2016 Kenseth won twice at Dover and New Hampshire and finished 5th in points after he was wrecked while leading at Phoenix by Alex Bowman. Dollar General left the team at the end of the season.
On July 11, 2017, JGR announced that Jones would replace Kenseth in the No. 20 car in 2018. Like his JGR teammates, Kenseth was hampered by bad luck and lack of speed at the beginning of the year. He scored his final win with Joe Gibbs Racing at Phoenix in November after passing Chase Elliott late in the race.
- Erik Jones (2018–2020)
In 2018, Jones claimed his first career Cup win at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona and made it to the Playoffs until he was eliminated after the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte. Jones finished the season 15th in points.
Jones started the 2019 season by finishing third at the Daytona 500, behind teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.[42] On September 2, 2019, Jones scored his second career Cup Series win at Darlington, securing him in the 2019 Playoffs.[100] During the playoffs, Jones finished fourth at Richmond, but was disqualified when his car was discovered to have a rear wheel alignment issue during post-race inspection.[101] He once again was eliminated after the Bank of America Roval at Charlotte due to a multi-car incident that punctured his radiator.
Jones kicked off 2020 by winning the Busch Clash; despite being involved in three accidents towards the end of the race, further wrecks among the field led to multiple overtime attempts. On the third overtime, Jones received a push from Hamlin on the final lap to win.[102] On May 18, 2020, following the 2020 The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington, crew chief Chris Gayle was suspended for one race and fined US$20,000 after it was discovered that two lug nuts were not safely secured during post-race inspection. Race engineer Seth Chavka was announced to take over Gayle's duties at the 2020 Toyota 500 at Darlington.[103] Jones missed the Playoffs, went winless, and finished 17th in the final standings.
- Christopher Bell (2021–present)
On August 6, 2020, it was confirmed that Erik Jones would not be returning to the No. 20 car in 2021. Four days later, Christopher Bell was announced as Jones' replacement. On February 21, 2021, Bell passed Joey Logano with two laps remaining at the Daytona Road Course and scored his first career victory with the team, the first time the No. 20 car returned to victory lane since the 2019 Bojangles' Southern 500 with Jones behind the wheel, 48 races ago. During the playoffs, Bell made it to the Round of 12, but struggled with a poor finish at Las Vegas, yet he rebounded with a fifth-place finish at Talladega. Following the Charlotte Roval race, he was eliminated from the Round of 8.[104]
Car No. 20 results[edit]
NASCAR Xfinity Series[edit]
Car No. 11 history[edit]
- Brian Scott (2011-2012)
The No. 11 team began racing in 2011. JGR signed 22-year-old Brian Scott (former driver of the No. 11 with Braun Racing) to a two-year contract, with Kevin Kidd announced as the crew chief, and Scott bringing sponsorship from his family-owned Shore Lodge.[105][106] The new team was constantly hampered by bad luck during races, with 5 DNF's on the season. Scott earned a pole, two top 5s and seven top 10s, finishing 8th in points.[107] For 2012, Dollar General expanded its sponsorship deal with JGR, sponsoring the No. 11 car for the full season.[108] Despite showing speed, the team continued to struggle finishing races (7 DNF's), and had a best finish of 3rd at Dover, with Scott finishing 9th in points.[107]
- Elliott Sadler (2013-2014)
In 2013, Scott was replaced by veteran Elliott Sadler, who finished second in the championship standings in the two prior seasons. Sadler brought sponsorship from OneMain Financial with him from Richard Childress Racing.[109] After winning four races in 2012, Sadler went winless in 2013, though he did score 20 top 10s en route to a fourth-place points finish. Sadler scored his first win for JGR at Talladega in 2014, leading a race high 40 laps.[110] On October 31, 2014, it was announced that Sadler would depart for Roush Fenway Racing's Nationwide program, taking the OneMain sponsorship with him.[111] The team's points and crew were moved to the No. 18 for the 2015 season, and the number was reassigned in 2016 to Kaulig Racing for Blake Koch.
Car No. 11 results[edit]
| NASCAR Xfinity Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | Owners | Pts | ||
| 2011 | Brian Scott | 11 | Toyota | DAY 34 | PHO 9 | LVS 14 | BRI 12 | CAL 13 | TEX 10 | TAL 11 | NSH 22 | RCH 15 | DAR 29 | DOV 30 | IOW 27 | CLT 8 | CHI 17 | MCH 17 | ROA 16 | DAY 12 | KEN 15 | NHA 17 | NSH 17 | IRP 15 | IOW 14 | GLN 14 | CGV 12 | BRI 10 | ATL 12 | RCH 32 | CHI 3 | DOV 11 | KAN 17 | CLT 5 | TEX 12 | PHO 41 | |||||