Joe Gibbs Racing was founded in 1991 by Joe Gibbs and son J.D. and began the first NASCAR season in 1992 with just 18 crew members. The first NASCAR win for JGR came when driver Dale Jarrett won at the 1993 Daytona 500 race. Headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina, today JGR employs close to 450 people.
Joe Gibbs unwavering principles of integrity, a relentless work ethic, determination, perseverance and team building define Joe Gibbs Racing. These same characteristics made Joe Gibbs a successful coach in the National Football League, leading the Washington Redskins to the Super Bowl four times and winning three times.
Joe Gibbs Racing Cars and Drivers
JGR supports three NASCAR Toyota Camry Sprint Cup Cars:
Denny Hamlin in Car # 11
James Dennis Alan Hamlin, Jr. drives Car #11, sponsored by Fedex. At seven, Denny was racing go-karts. At 15 he won the WKA manufacturers cup and at 16, he was racing Ministocks.
Denny progressed though the Grand stock division and moved to the Late Model Stock Cars in 2000. In 2002 he won ten Late Model races and in 2003 had 25 wins out of 36 races. In 2004 Hamlin signed a driver development contract with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Hamlin finished eighth for Joe Gibbs Racing in overall Sprint Cup point standings at the end of 2008 and had also won three races in the Nationwide Series.
Kyle Busch in Car # 18
Kyle Thomas Busch drives Car #18 and is sponsored by M&M’s/Interstate Batteries. Kyle started his NASCAR career at 16, in 2001 in the Craftsman Truck Series. NASCAR carried out a new rule of a minimum age of 18 for drivers and Busch had to wait two more years to compete in NASCAR’s top divisions.
At the end of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Busch ran 26 races, with eight wins and finished ninth in point rankings. He also finished the Nationwide Series with ten wins in 2008.
Joey Logano in Car # 20
Joseph Thomas Logano drives Car #20 and is sponsored by Home Depot. Joey began his racing career at the age of six in midget racing in Connecticut. He won his first Eastern Grand National Championship in 1997 in the Jr. Stock Car Division. He then won the Jr. Honda Division Championship in 1998 and a Lt. Modified Division Championship in 1999. Later in 1999 Logano won 3 New England Regional Championships in the Sr. Stock, Lt. Mod., Lt. B. divisions.
At ten in Georgia, Logano set a 14-consecutive winning streak track record at Atlanta Motor Speedway along with a Lions National Championship. At 12, he won the Southeast-based Pro Legends National Championship. When Joey was 15, veteran NASCAR driver Mark Martin referred to Logano as “the real deal” and was positive that he could be one of the greatest drivers to race in NASCAR.
From the age of 15 to 18, Logano raced Late Model racing, FASCAR Pro Truck Series races, the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, the Grand National Division of NASCAR, Camping World East Series, NASCAR West Series, the Toyota All-Star Showdown, ARCA RE/MAX Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Logano made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Dover International Speedway in 2008. He became the youngest winner in Nationwide history by winning his first major NASCAR series race at the 2008 Meijer 300, in only his third start.
In August, 2008, Joe Gibbs announced that Joey Logano would drive the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry full-time in the 2009 Sprint Cup Series. Joey is the youngest modern-era driver to compete in NASCAR’s top division.
NASCAR Toyota Controversy
NASCAR levied serious fines and penalties against two of the JGR race cars following the 2008 Michigan International Speedway race. Toyota went on to win 20 of the 35 races in the season, 19 of them by JGR.
Joe Gibbs Racing supports all three cars in the Nationwide series with Brad Coleman alternating with Denny Hamlin in the Number 20 car. Truck #18 competes in the Camping World East Series, driven by development driver Matt DiBenedetto.
With Joe Gibbs’ drive and determination heading the organization, talented drivers, experienced crew chiefs and pit crews, Joe Gibbs Racing is a contender for another Sprint Cup Championship.
 |
