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 19. Chase Briscoe 20. Christopher Bell 54. Ty Gibbs Xfinity Series: 18. William Sawalich (R) 19. Brandon Jones 54. Taylor Gray (R) ARCA Menards Series: 18. TBA |
| Sponsors | Cup Series: 11. Sport Clips, Mavis Tire and Brakes, Interstate Batteries, Yahoo! 19. Bass Pro Shops, Interstate Batteries 20. DeWalt, Reser's Fine Foods, Interstate Batteries, Rheem, Mobil 1, Yahoo!, Craftsman 54. Monster Energy, He Gets Us, SiriusXM, Interstate Batteries Xfinity Series: 18. TBA 19. Menards 54. TBA ARCA Menards Series: 18. TBA |
| 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: 2024 Owens Corning 200 (Toledo) |
| Races competed | Total: 2,224 Cup Series: 1,141 Xfinity Series: 874 Truck Series: 60 ARCA Menards Series: 149 |
| 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: 469 Cup Series: 214 Xfinity Series: 215 Truck Series: 0 ARCA Menards Series: 40 |
| Pole positions | Total: 384 Cup Series: 154 Xfinity Series: 192 Truck Series: 0 ARCA Menards Series: 38 |
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is a well-known American professional stock car racing team. It was started by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. His son, J. D. Gibbs, helped run the team with him until he passed away in 2019. JGR was founded in Huntersville, North Carolina, in 1992. Since then, the team has won many championships. They have five Cup Series championships, four Xfinity Series championships, and one ARCA Series championship.
For its first 16 years, Joe Gibbs Racing used cars from General Motors. They won three championships with these cars. Two wins were with Pontiac Grand Prix cars, and one was with a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. In 2008, the team switched to Toyota cars. In 2015, Kyle Busch won Toyota's first top-level championship with JGR.
The team currently has four full-time cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. These include the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Denny Hamlin, the No. 19 Camry for Chase Briscoe, the No. 20 Camry for Christopher Bell, and the No. 54 Camry for Ty Gibbs. In the Xfinity Series, JGR has three full-time cars. These are the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra for William Sawalich, the No. 19 Supra for Brandon Jones, and the No. 54 Supra for Taylor Gray.
JGR also has a special program to help young drivers grow. This program has helped future Cup winners like Joey Logano and Aric Almirola. Joey Logano even won a championship in the Camping World East Series (now ARCA Menards East Series) through this program. In 2021, Ty Gibbs won the ARCA Menards Series championship for the team. In 2004, JGR worked with former NFL player Reggie White. They created a program to support diverse drivers, which helped start NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program.
In 2021, JGR started working closely with 23XI Racing. In 2023, parts of JGR were sold to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Arctos Partners.
Contents
Team History and Growth
Joe Gibbs started the team in 1991. In 1997, his son, J. D. Gibbs, became the team president. The team built its main facility in Huntersville, North Carolina, in 1998.
JGR grew to have two cars in 1999 with Tony Stewart driving the No. 20 car. In 2005, they added the No. 11 car, driven by Denny Hamlin. For the 2015 season, the team added the No. 19 car, driven by Carl Edwards.
In September 2007, JGR announced they would switch to Toyota cars. They had used Chevrolet and Pontiac cars for many years. Joe Gibbs said Toyota offered more support and resources.
In 2012, JGR stopped building its own engines for the top NASCAR series. Instead, they teamed up with Toyota Racing Development. This company now provides engines for JGR and 23XI Racing. JGR still builds engines for its own Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series cars.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Cars
JGR has a strong history in the Xfinity Series, which is NASCAR's second-highest level.
Car No. 11: Drivers and Races
The No. 11 team started racing in 2011. Brian Scott drove the car for two years. He had some good finishes, but also faced bad luck in races. In 2012, Dollar General became the main sponsor for the car.
In 2013, experienced driver Elliott Sadler took over the No. 11 car. He brought his sponsor, OneMain Financial. Sadler won a race at Talladega in 2014. After 2014, the No. 11 team's points and crew moved to the No. 18 car.
Car No. 18: A Long History
The No. 18 car has been part of JGR for a long time. It started in 1998 when Joe Gibbs bought a team from his driver, Bobby Labonte.
- Early Years (1998-2006): In 1998, Tony Stewart drove the car in some races. He even started from the pole position once. Bobby Labonte also won a race in this car in 1998. In 1999, the car became the No. 18. Jason Leffler drove it full-time in 2000. Jeff Purvis and Mike McLaughlin drove it in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, Joe Gibbs' son, Coy Gibbs, drove the car full-time. He had two top-10 finishes. In 2004, the car ran part-time with drivers like J. J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin. Yeley then drove full-time in 2005 and 2006, finishing 5th in points in 2006.
- Multiple Drivers (2007-2013): In 2007, young drivers like Brad Coleman and Aric Almirola shared the No. 18 car. Tony Stewart also drove it sometimes. Almirola started from the pole at Daytona. In 2008, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch shared the car. Busch won eight races in the No. 18 that year! In 2009, Kyle Busch drove the No. 18 full-time and won the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship with nine wins. From 2010 to 2013, many drivers shared the car, including Kyle Busch, Michael McDowell, Joey Logano, and Matt Kenseth. Logano helped the team win the Nationwide Owners' Championship in 2012.
- Daniel Suárez (2015): In 2015, Daniel Suárez drove the No. 18 car full-time. He had a great rookie season, finishing fifth in points and winning Rookie of the Year.
- More Shared Rides (2016-2019): The No. 18 car continued to be driven by many different drivers. In 2016, the car won 12 races, with Kyle Busch winning ten of them. Other winners included Denny Hamlin and Sam Hornish Jr.. In 2017, drivers like Daniel Suárez, Christopher Bell, and Denny Hamlin all drove the No. 18. Bell won his first Xfinity Series race in this car. In 2018, Ryan Preece won a race in the No. 18. In 2019, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Harrison Burton, and Riley Herbst shared the car.
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- Riley Herbst (2020): Riley Herbst drove the No. 18 full-time in 2020. He made it to the playoffs.
- Daniel Hemric (2021): Daniel Hemric replaced Herbst in 2021. He won his first Xfinity race and the championship at Phoenix.
- Sammy Smith (2023): In 2023, Sammy Smith drove the No. 18 full-time. He won his first race at Phoenix, becoming the youngest Xfinity Series winner at age 18.
- Sheldon Creed (2024) & William Sawalich (2025): Sheldon Creed is driving the No. 18 full-time in 2024. For 2025, William Sawalich will take over the car full-time.
Car No. 19: From Part-Time to Champion
The No. 19 team started in 2004 but didn't race much at first. Bobby Labonte and Aric Almirola drove it in a few races. The team was stopped after 2006.
- Daniel Suárez (2016): The No. 19 car returned in 2016 for Daniel Suárez. He won three races and became the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR National championship!
- Matt Tifft (2017): Matt Tifft drove the No. 19 full-time in 2017, finishing 7th in points.
- Brandon Jones (2018-2022): Brandon Jones took over the No. 19 in 2018. He won five races during his time with the team.
- Multiple Drivers (2023-Present): Since 2023, the No. 19 car has been shared by several drivers. Ryan Truex got his first career win at Dover in 2023. Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin also won races in the No. 19 that year. In 2024, drivers like Aric Almirola and William Sawalich have also driven the car.
Car No. 20: Many Winners
- Early Years (2000-2004): JGR bought this team in 2000. Jeff Purvis and Mike McLaughlin drove the No. 20. Coy Gibbs also drove it in 2002. Mike Bliss drove it in 2003 and 2004, winning a race in 2004.
- Denny Hamlin (2005-2008): Denny Hamlin started driving the No. 20 in 2005. He won two races in 2006. In 2007, Hamlin won four races in the No. 20.
- Cup Drivers (2008-2012): From 2008 to 2012, many top drivers from the Cup Series drove the No. 20. These included Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, and Joey Logano. All four of them won races in the No. 20 in 2008. Logano won seven races with the No. 20 team in 2012, helping them win the Owners' Championship.
- Brian Vickers (2013): Brian Vickers drove the No. 20 full-time in 2013. He had many top-5 and top-10 finishes.
- Multiple Drivers (2014): In 2014, Matt Kenseth drove the No. 20 in most races and won the final race of the season. Other drivers like Sam Hornish Jr., Darrell Wallace Jr., and Denny Hamlin also drove the car.
- Erik Jones (2015-2017): Erik Jones started driving the No. 20 in 2015 and won his first Xfinity race. He drove the car full-time in 2016, winning four times. In 2017, many drivers shared the No. 20, including Jones, Hamlin, and Christopher Bell.
- Christopher Bell (2017-2019): Christopher Bell drove the No. 20 full-time in 2018. He won seven races, which was a record for a rookie driver! He returned for the 2019 season.
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- Harrison Burton (2020-2021): Harrison Burton drove the No. 20 full-time in 2020 and 2021. He won four races in 2020. After 2021, JGR stopped running the No. 20 Xfinity team for a short time.
- John Hunter Nemechek (2023): The No. 20 car returned in 2023 with John Hunter Nemechek driving full-time. He won seven races that season.
- Multiple Drivers (2024): In 2024, the No. 20 car is being shared by Nemechek, Aric Almirola, Ryan Truex, Ty Gibbs, and Christopher Bell. They have all won races in this car.
Car No. 54: Monster Energy Power
- Multiple Drivers (2013-2015): In 2013, Kyle Busch returned to JGR's Xfinity program with the No. 54 car, bringing his sponsor Monster Energy. He won an amazing 12 races that year! Other drivers like Joey Coulter and Owen Kelly also drove the car. In 2014, Kyle Busch continued to drive the No. 54 part-time, and Sam Hornish Jr. also drove it, winning a race at Iowa. In 2015, after Kyle Busch was injured, drivers like Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, and Boris Said filled in. Busch returned later and won a race.
- Part-time (2020): In 2020, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin drove the No. 54 car in a few races.
- Multiple Drivers (2021): In 2021, several drivers shared the No. 54, including Ty Gibbs, Ty Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr.. Ty Gibbs won in his very first Xfinity Series race! Kyle Busch also made history by winning his 100th Xfinity race in this car.
- Ty Gibbs (2021-2022): Ty Gibbs drove the No. 54 full-time in 2022. He won five races and became the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion!
- Taylor Gray (2025): For the 2025 season, Taylor Gray will drive the No. 54 car.
Car No. 81: New Addition
The No. 81 car first appeared in 2021 for Ty Gibbs at Road America. It returned full-time in 2024 with Chandler Smith as the driver. Smith has already won two races in 2024 with the No. 81.
Car No. TBA History
Brandon Jones is returning to JGR for the 2025 season. His car number and sponsors will be announced later.
NASCAR Truck Series History
From 2000 to 2002, Joe Gibbs Racing had trucks in the Craftsman Truck Series. His sons, Coy and J. D. Gibbs, drove these trucks. Coy had many top-10 finishes.
From 2004 to 2006, JGR drivers also raced in the Truck Series for other teams. These drivers included Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Aric Almirola.
From 2010 to 2022, JGR drivers raced in the Truck Series through Kyle Busch Motorsports. This team was owned by Cup Series driver Kyle Busch. They used JGR-built engines. This partnership ended after the 2022 season.
ARCA Menards Series Cars
JGR has also been involved in the ARCA Menards Series, which is a development series for young drivers.
Car No. 2 History
From 2004 to 2005, Joe Gibbs Racing worked with Shaver Motorsports. They used the No. 2 car for young drivers. Denny Hamlin and Aric Almirola both raced in this car.
Car No. 18 History
In 1999, Jason Leffler drove the No. 18 car for JGR in one ARCA race, finishing 5th. In 2017, Riley Herbst drove the No. 18 full-time in ARCA. Matt Tifft drove the first race of that season.
In 2019, Ty Gibbs drove the No. 18 in 11 races, winning two of them. In 2020, Gibbs ran 16 races and won six times. He finished fifth in the driver's standings despite missing some races. In 2021, Gibbs drove full-time and won 10 out of 20 races, becoming the series champion!
In 2023, the No. 18 car returned to JGR. Connor Mosack and William Sawalich shared the driving duties. In 2024, William Sawalich and Tanner Gray are sharing the No. 18 car. Sawalich has won three races and had seven top-three finishes.
Car No. 19 History
In 2018, Drew Herring drove the No. 19 car for one race at Kansas, starting from the pole position.
Car No. 81 History
In 2017, the No. 81 car was entered for Riley Herbst at Daytona, but he couldn't race. In 2021, Sammy Smith drove the No. 81 in a few races. In 2022, JGR brought back the No. 81 for Brandon Jones in five races. He won three times with this car.
Motocross Team
In 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing started a motorcycle racing team called JGRMX. This team competes in motocross and Supercross championships. Joe Gibbs' son, Coy Gibbs, manages the team.
The JGRMX Team first raced on January 5, 2008. Over the years, many riders have raced for the team, including Josh Hansen, Josh Summey, Josh Grant, Justin Brayton, Davi Millsaps, and James Stewart. In 2009, Josh Grant won the first Supercross race of the season. James Stewart won two Supercross races in 2012.
In 2015, Justin Barcia and Weston Peick joined the team. Barcia won two national motocross races. In 2017, the team switched to Suzuki motorcycles. For 2018, JGRMX became the official factory Suzuki team. Riders included Weston Peick, Justin Bogle, Justin Hill, and Phil Nicoletti. In 2019, the team included two-time Supercross champion Chad Reed.
About J. D. Gibbs
J. D. Gibbs, Joe Gibbs' son, was a very important part of the team. He helped run Joe Gibbs Racing for many years. Sadly, J. D. Gibbs passed away in January 2019 due to a long-term health condition.
Images for kids
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The team's headquarters.
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Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars being prepared in 2018.
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Brian Scott at Road America in 2012.
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Elliott Sadler at Road America in 2014.
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Brad Coleman at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2010.
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Kyle Busch in 2008.
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Michael McDowell at Road America in 2012.
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Daniel Suárez at Road America in 2015.
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Owen Kelly at Road America in 2016.
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Riley Herbst at Dover International Speedway in 2020.
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Daniel Hemric at Darlington Raceway in 2021.
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Sammy Smith at Sonoma Raceway in 2023.
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Sheldon Creed's No. 18 car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024.
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Daniel Suárez won the 2016 Xfinity Series championship.
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Tifft's No. 19 Xfinity Series car at Road America in 2017.
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Jones' No. 19 at Road America in 2018.
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Gibbs's No. 19 at Sonoma in 2023.
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Denny Hamlin's No. 20 Busch car (right) battling Matt Kenseth (left) for position.
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Joey Logano at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2010.
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Brian Vickers in 2013.
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Kenny Habul at Road America in 2014.
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Erik Jones at Road America.
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Christopher Bell at Road America in 2019.
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Burton's No. 20 car at Dover International Speedway in 2020.
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John Hunter Nemechek’s race-winning car at Auto Club Speedway in 2023.
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Sam Hornish Jr. at Road America in 2014.
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Smith's No. 81 car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024.
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Erik Jones in 2013.
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Gibbs after Kyle Busch won the 2015 Toyota/Save Mart 350.
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Riley Herbst in 2017.
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See also
In Spanish: Joe Gibbs Racing para niños
