Next up on The Sports Chief NASCAR season preview is Joe Gibbs Racing. Located in Huntersville, NC. JGR has been in operation since 1991. Their first Cup victory came at the 1992 Daytona 500 with Dale Jarrett winning the race in the #18 Interstate Batteries car. Joe Gibbs was an NFL Head Coach prior to entertaining the possibility of opening a NASCAR team. JGR is also known as one of the powerhouse teams in NASCAR. With 152 Cup victories to their name, they are a contender week in and week out. Joe Gibbs Racing has 4 championships with Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, and Kyle Busch. With the help of Toyota, they are a self-sufficent team, and other teams rely upon them for intel and research (Leavine Family Racing is one). In 2018 JGR had 9 wins and nearly won the title with Kyle Busch. They have also added Martin Truex Jr to their team, as Daniel Suarez is now with Stewart Haas Racing. Aside from Erik Jones, they arguably have the most experienced drivers in the sport.

#11 Denny Hamlin

Starting with the veteran of the team, Denny Hamlin has been with JGR since 2006. Hamlin did not record a victory last season, marking the first year he did not win a race. The 38-year-old driver from Chesterfield, Virginia has been a chase driver every year of his career, aside from his injury shortened season in 2013. Hamlin still had a solid 2018, with 10 top-5’s and 17 top-10’s. Much like Jimmie Johnson, he has maintained a common sponsor throughout his career. FedEx has been on Hamlin’s car since his rookie 2006 campaign. Look for Denny to be contending at every short track on the circuit and Darlington. In 2019, I have Hamlin getting 1 win, 9 top-5’s and 17 top-10’s.

#18 Kyle Busch

Kyle has been with JGR since 2008 and hit the ground running with 8 wins in that season. Leaving Hendrick Motorsports was the best career move for Rowdy. He has 47 victories with Joe Gibbs and won the 2015 Cup title. Kyle has created a reputation as being the most hated driver with his flamboyant and arrogant interactions with the media. Statistically, 2018 was Busch’s best year with 8 wins, 22 top-5’s and 28 top-10’s. With an amazing 194 wins in NASCAR top 3 series’, there is no doubt that Busch is one of the best drivers NASCAR has ever seen. The famous M&M Toyota will always be up front as long as Kyle is the driver, so I have the #18 car getting 7 wins 19 top-5’s and 26 top-10’s.

#20 Erik Jones

In his second season for JGR, Erik Jones looks to make a leap in terms of performance. Jones recorded 1 win last season at Daytona, as well as 9 top-5’s and 18 top-10’s. At 22 years old, he is arguably the best young driver in the Cup series. The fact that he is on the star-studded JGR will take a lot of pressure off of him, and could elevate his on-track performance. Jones has performed highly at all levels of NASCAR, and it is just a matter of “when” not “if” he breaks out. Jones performs well at most tracks, road courses are not his strong suit, but he did get a couple top-10’s at Watkins Glen and Sonoma last season. In 2019 Jones will go winless, but get 9 top-5’s and 15 top-10’s.

#19 Martin Truex Jr.

The “newbie” to the group is 38-year-old Martin Truex Jr. After Furniture Row Motorsports closed its doors, Truex found a home at JGR. In 13 full-time seasons, Truex has recorded 19 victories (16 in the last three years). Upon entering Cup competition, Truex won the 2004 and 2005 Xfinity title for (now defunct) Dale Earnhardt Inc. Bass Pro Shops have been a longtime supporter of the New Jersey native. In all reality, Martin Truex was not relevant until starting with Furniture Row Racing. Winning the 2017 Cup title is the highlight of his career. In 2018, he recorded 4 wins, 20 top-5’s and 21 top-10’s. The most memorable thing I remember about Truex is the fact he led 392 of the 400 laps of the 2016 Coke 600. You can count on Martin at about any track on the circuit. I do believe his peak was in the last couple seasons, and the move to a multi-car team will hinder him. I have Truex Jr. getting 1 win, 7 top-5’s and 18 top-10’s.

AustYn

References: racing reference, Joe Gibbs Racing, wiki

2019 NASCAR Preview: Joe Gibbs Racing