Who Says Joe Gibbs Racing Drivers aren’t Cooperating?

Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

Team owner Joe Gibbs says it’s every man for himself in Sunday’s Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on NBC at 2:30 pm ET.

Just don’t tell his drivers.

Gibbs is the first owner to place two drivers in the final round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the elimination format debuted in the 2014 season.

And to Gibbs, it’s understandable if Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards hold back proprietary information from each other as they compete for the series title. Continue reading

‘Secret’ Allies Help Hamlin Hold Chase Berth

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, walks on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hellmann's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 22, 2016 in Talladega, Alabama. Photo - Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, walks on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hellmann’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 22, 2016 in Talladega, Alabama. Photo – Patrick Smith/Getty Images

With his three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates running at the back of the field throughout Sunday’s race to protect Round of 8 spots, Denny Hamlin had no obvious friends at the front of the field to help him join his teammates in the next round of the Chase.

But Hamlin revealed after finishing third behind Joey Logano and Brian Scott that he had received help from unexpected quarters in doing just enough to beat Austin Dillon for the final berth on a tiebreaker. Continue reading

TOYOTA 1000th NASCAR National Series Race By-The-Numbers

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HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 22: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Crispy Toyota, celebrates winning the series championship and the race with a burnout after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 22, 2015 in Homestead, Florida. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 22: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota, celebrates winning the series championship and the race with a burnout after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 22, 2015 in Homestead, Florida. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

The Hellmann’s 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the 1000th national series race for Toyota.
Here’s a By The Numbers look at the manufacturer’s presence in NASCAR. All stats are as of races prior to this weekend at Talladega.

1 – Number of Toyota driver championships in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Kyle Busch, 2015) and the NASCAR XFINITY Series (Kyle Busch, 2009).

4 – Number of car owner titles Toyota has won in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (Joe Gibbs: 2008, ’09,’10 and ’12). 

6 – Number of driver titles Toyota has won in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Todd Bodine, 2006 and 2010; Johnny Benson, 2008; Matt Crafton, 2013-2014; and Erik Jones 2015). Continue reading

NASCAR XFINITY Series Drive for Safety 300 at Chicagoland Speedway Preview

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321227 NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers will race 300 miles in 200 laps in the Drive for Safety 300 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, September 17th. This is their final race before the inaugural Chase for the XFINITY Series title begins. Television coverage begins at 2:30 pm ET on NBC, with a green flag around 3 pm ET. Radio coverage is on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.  Continue reading

DEWALT Tools Spreads Sponsorship Across Joe Gibbs Racing; Gibbs Talks Matt Kenseth Contract

Photo - CIA Stock Photo

Photo – CIA Stock Photo

Joe Gibbs Racing announced Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway that DEWALT Tools will step up their commitment within the organization, with a primary focus on Matt Kenseth in 2016 and 2017.

Promoting their new DEWALT FLEXVOLT product, the company will sponsor Kenseth in Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 and for four of the 10 Chase races at Chicagoland Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Kansas Speedway and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway respectively. Continue reading