Joe Gibbs Racing facts for kids
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| Owner(s) |
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|---|---|
| Base | Huntersville, North Carolina |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Xfinity Series ARCA Menards Series |
| Race drivers | Cup Series: 11. Denny Hamlin, Ryan Truex 19. Chase Briscoe 20. Christopher Bell 54. Ty Gibbs Xfinity Series: 18. William Sawalich (R), Justin Bonsignore 19. Justin Bonsignore, Aric Almirola, Riley Herbst, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Jack Perkins 20. Brandon Jones 54. Taylor Gray (R) ARCA Menards Series: 18. William Sawalich, Brent Crews, Gio Ruggiero, Max Reaves |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet (1992–1996, 2003–2007), Pontiac (1997–2002), Toyota (2008–Present) |
| 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: 2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix) Xfinity Series: 2002 Ford 200 (Homestead) ARCA Menards Series: 2025 General Tire 150 (Dover) |
| Races competed | Total: 2,310 Cup Series: 1,174 Xfinity Series: 908 Truck Series: 60 ARCA Menards Series: 168 |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 10 NASCAR Cup Series: 5 2000, 2002, 2005, 2015, 2019 Xfinity Series: 4 2009, 2016, 2021, 2022 Truck Series: 0 ARCA Menards Series: 1 2021 |
| Race victories | Total: 493 Cup Series: 227 Xfinity Series: 221 ARCA Menards Series: 45 |
| Pole positions | Total: 410 Cup Series: 167 Xfinity Series: 198 ARCA Menards Series: 45 |
Joe Gibbs Racing (often called JGR) is a famous American team that races stock cars. It was started by Joe Gibbs, a coach who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His son, J. D. Gibbs, helped run the team for many years until he passed away in 2019.
The team began in Huntersville, North Carolina, in 1992. Since then, JGR has won many big championships. They have won five titles in the top Cup Series, four in the Xfinity Series, and one in the ARCA Series.
For its first 16 years, Joe Gibbs Racing used cars from General Motors. They won three championships with these cars. In 2008, the team switched to Toyota cars. In 2015, Kyle Busch won Toyota's first top-series championship with JGR.
Today, JGR has four full-time cars in the Cup Series. These include the No. 11 Toyota Camry driven by Denny Hamlin and Ryan Truex, the No. 19 Camry for Chase Briscoe, the No. 20 Camry for Christopher Bell, and the No. 54 Camry for Ty Gibbs. They also have four full-time cars in the Xfinity Series. These are the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra for William Sawalich, the No. 19 Supra for several drivers, the No. 20 Supra for Brandon Jones, and the No. 54 Supra for Taylor Gray.
JGR also helps train young drivers through its special program. This program helped drivers like Joey Logano and Aric Almirola become successful. In 2021, Ty Gibbs won the ARCA Menards Series championship after coming through this program. The organization also worked with former NFL player Reggie White to start a program for diverse drivers. This program helped create NASCAR's Drive for Diversity initiative.
In 2021, JGR started working closely with 23XI Racing. In 2023, parts of the team were sold to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Arctos Partners.
Contents
About Joe Gibbs Racing
How the Team Started
Joe Gibbs started his racing team in 1991. He worked with Don Meredith, who is now a top leader at the team. In 1997, Joe's son, J. D. Gibbs, became the team president. The team built its main building in Huntersville, North Carolina, in 1998.
Team Growth and Changes
JGR started with one car, but soon grew bigger. In 1999, they added a second car, the No. 20, sponsored by Home Depot and driven by Tony Stewart. Later, in 2005, the No. 11 car joined, sponsored by FedEx and driven by Denny Hamlin. In 2015, the team added the No. 19 car, driven by Carl Edwards.
For many years, JGR raced with cars from Chevrolet and Pontiac. They won three championships and over 70 races with these cars. In 2007, the team announced a big change. They decided to switch to Toyota cars starting in 2008. Joe Gibbs explained that Toyota offered the team more support and opportunities.
In 2012, JGR joined forces with Toyota Racing Development for their top-series engines. This group now builds engines for JGR and 23XI Racing. JGR still builds engines for its own Xfinity Series and ARCA Series cars. In 2023, JGR sold a small part of the company to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Arctos Partners.
Racing Achievements
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
This is the highest level of NASCAR racing. Joe Gibbs Racing has won five championships in this series, showing they are one of the best teams.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
JGR has also been very successful in the Xfinity Series, winning four championships. This series is often where future Cup Series stars get their start.
NASCAR Truck Series History
From 2000 to 2002, Joe Gibbs Racing had trucks in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Joe's sons, Coy Gibbs and J. D. Gibbs, drove these trucks. Coy raced full-time in 2001 and 2002, finishing in the top 10 many times.
Later, from 2004 to 2006, JGR drivers raced in the Truck Series with other teams. Famous drivers like Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart sometimes drove these trucks.
From 2010 to 2022, JGR drivers also competed in the Truck Series through Kyle Busch Motorsports. This team was owned by Cup Series driver Kyle Busch. This partnership ended after the 2022 season.
ARCA Menards Series Involvement
The ARCA Menards Series is another important racing series where young drivers learn and grow. Joe Gibbs Racing has been involved in ARCA for many years, helping new talent.
Car No. 2 History
In 2004 and 2005, Joe Gibbs Racing worked with Shaver Motorsports for the No. 2 car. This car was for young drivers in the ARCA Series. Denny Hamlin finished third in a race in 2004. J. J. Yeley and Aric Almirola also raced this car.
Car No. 18 History
The No. 18 car has a long history with JGR in the ARCA Series. Jason Leffler raced it in 1999 and 2000. In 2017, Riley Herbst raced the No. 18 full-time.
Ty Gibbs became a key driver for the No. 18 car. In 2019, he won two races. In 2020, he won six races and finished fifth in the standings, even though he missed some races.
In 2021, Ty Gibbs raced full-time and won 10 out of 20 races. He also finished in the top three 17 times, winning the ARCA Menards Series championship.
In 2023, the No. 18 car returned to JGR. William Sawalich drove 13 races, and Connor Mosack drove six. In the 2024 season, Sawalich and Tanner Gray shared the No. 18 car. Sawalich earned three wins and seven top-three finishes.
For 2025, Max Reaves is scheduled to drive the No. 18 car part-time.
Car No. 19 History
In 2018, Drew Herring drove the No. 19 Toyota in the final race of the season at Kansas. He started from the pole position and finished eighth.
Car No. 81 History
In 2017, Riley Herbst was supposed to race the No. 81 car at Daytona but was not old enough.
The No. 81 car returned in 2022 with Brandon Jones driving in five races. He won three of those races at Charlotte, Iowa, and Watkins Glen.
In 2021, Sammy Smith drove both the No. 18 and No. 81 cars and won the ARCA Menards Series East championship.
In 2023, William Sawalich won the ARCA Menards Series East championship. He won his second championship in a row in 2024.
For 2025, Brent Crews is also scheduled to drive the No. 81 in some races.
Beyond Car Racing: Motocross
In 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing also started a team for motorcycle racing. This team, called JGRMX, competed in AMA motocross and Supercross championships. The team was based in Huntersville, North Carolina, and was managed by Joe Gibbs' son, Coy Gibbs. Many talented riders competed for JGRMX over the years, winning several races.
Remembering J. D. Gibbs
On January 11, 2019, J. D. Gibbs passed away at the age of 49. He had been dealing with health complications that affected his brain function. J. D. was a very important part of Joe Gibbs Racing, working alongside his father to build the successful team we know today. A special memorial service was held on January 25, 2019, to remember him.
See also
In Spanish: Joe Gibbs Racing para niños
