NASCAR Joe Gibbs Racing

534 posts

Rain Cancels Vegas Qualifying; Inspection Issue Sends Kyle Busch from Pole to Rear

NASCAR NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Wire Service Track News
LAS VEGAS, NV – FEBRUARY 22: The crew of NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones (20) Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota Camry wait in the rain to get their race car through tech inspection Saturday, February 22, 2020, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV. Photo by Will Lester/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

LAS VEGAS – A persistent drizzle at Las Vegas Motor Speedway forced the cancellation of Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Accordingly, the starting field has been set according to the rule book, with the cars set to line up according to the final 2019 owner points. That puts Kyle Busch on the pole, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. on the outside of the front row.

Because of inspection issues, however, Busch will drop to the rear for the start of the race. Racing to the front could be a huge issue for the reigning series champion, given handling issues that plagued the No. 18 Toyota during Friday’s practice sessions.

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Brandon Jones Taking Aggressive Approach to Daytona

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service NASCAR Xfinity Series Track News
Brandon Jones with Joe Gibbs Racing
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 14: Brandon Jones, driver of the (19) Interstate Batteries Toyota, sits in his car during the NASCAR Xfinity Series practice for the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Brandon Jones used to think aggression was the quick way to calamity in superspeedway racing. Then the Joe Gibbs Racing driver made a careful study and found otherwise.

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Denny Hamlin Pushes Teammate Erik Jones to Victory in Busch Clash

NASCAR Cup Series Track News
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 09: Erik Jones, driver of the #20 Sport Clips Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 09, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Florida Photo – Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Denny Hamlin couldn’t win the Busch Clash at Daytona for himself, but he made sure his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate did.

For nearly the entire final lap in the third attempt at overtime, Hamlin pushed the mangled Toyota of Erik Jones all the way to finish line in a race that saw only six of 18 cars running at the finish.

With the nose of his car caved in and held together with tape, Jones led only the final lap—the 88th of the race and the 13th of overtime—in collecting his first victory in the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race.

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Emotional Season Ends with Championship for Joe Gibbs Racing

NASCAR NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Wire Service Track News
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 17: Team owner Joe Gibbs of Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, celebrates after winning the championship and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead Speedway on November 17, 2019, in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – It was Kyle Busch’s championship evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday, but it also had a distinctive feel of being a J.D. Gibbs’ kind of achievement.

Team owner Joe Gibbs’ oldest son J.D. was president of the Joe Gibbs Racing team and an omnipresent positive vibe in the NASCAR garage for more than a decade. Typically smiling and joking, but also ultra-competitive, the team won four previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships under his leadership and won hearts because of his enduring positive spirit.

J.D. Gibbs passed away on January 11 at the age of 49 after a valiant and lengthy fight against degenerative neurological disease. His passing and its effect on the 2019 season has been simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-strengthening.

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