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  • Ty Gibbs set for full ARCA schedule; Xfinity debut at Daytona road course

    Ty Gibbs set for full ARCA schedule; Xfinity debut at Daytona road course

    Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Ty Gibbs will contend for the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship as he will also make his inaugural presence in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

    Gibbs, the 18-year-old grandson of NASCAR championship-winning team owner Joe Gibbs and a native from Charlotte, North Carolina, will be assuming a full-time driving role in the No. 18 Toyota Camry for JGR as he will contend for the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship.

    Throughout the 2020 season, Gibbs recorded a season-high six ARCA Menards Series victories and one ARCA Menards Series East victory. In 16 of 20 ARCA Menards Series starts, Gibbs also recorded five poles, 12 top-five results, 14 top-10 results, 969 laps led and an average result of 4.4 as he contributed to the first ARCA Menards Series Owner’s Championship for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “We want to build on the success that our team had last season,” Mark McFarland, crew chief of JGR’s ARCA program, said. “Ty works extremely hard to prepare each week, and it’s exciting to have him behind the wheel for every race and the opportunity to go after our goal of winning that championship.

    Along with his ARCA schedule, Gibbs will make his debut within NASCAR’s top three national touring series in 2021 as he will pilot the No. 54 Toyota Supra in the Xfinity Series event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Saturday, February 20. Gibbs will serve as one of multiple competitors driving the No. 54 car throughout the 2020 Xfinity season, with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. also slated to compete in at least one event while Chris Gayle will serve as the crew chief of the No. 54 team. The current schedule has Gibbs eligible to contend for the 2021 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year title.

    “I’m pumped to run the full season in the ARCA Menards Series,” Ty Gibbs said. “[Crew Chief] Mark [McFarland] has put together an amazing team that gives me a chance to be successful every week. I’m also really excited to have the opportunity to work with [crew chief] Chris Gayle to make my debut in the Xfinity Series. I can’t imagine a better situation for me to learn and be able to compare notes, not only with my series teammates like Brandon [Jones], Harrison [Burton] and Daniel [Hemric], but also veterans like Kyle, Denny and Martin who I will share the car with.”

    “I’m looking forward to the upcoming season,” Chris Gayle added. “Ty has already shown a great deal of talent with each step he has taken in his career and I think the opportunity to also learn from his veteran teammates will be a huge benefit to his development.”

    Additional announcements regarding the full Xfinity Series schedule for Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota team will be announced at a later date.

  • Joe Gibbs Racing announces 2021 crew chief lineup

    Joe Gibbs Racing announces 2021 crew chief lineup

    Joe Gibbs Racing revealed its crew chief lineup for the 2021 NASCAR season, featuring a handful of changes to the organization’s powerhouse stable between the Cup and Xfinity Series.

    Adam Stevens, two-time Cup Series championship crew chief, will move to JGR’s No. 20 Toyota Camry team and serve as crew chief for Christopher Bell, who is to embark on his first full-time season with JGR in NASCAR’s premier series. Ben Beshore, a former engineer for JGR’s No. 18 team, will become a full-time Cup Series crew chief for the No. 18 Toyota team and be paired with two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch.

    Stevens is coming off his sixth full-time season as crew chief for the No. 18 Toyota team in the Cup circuit, having won two championships and 28 races with Kyle Busch. Beshore is coming off his second full-time season in the Xfinity Series as a crew chief, where he led Harrison Burton to four victories and the 2020 Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year title. He won four Xfinity races with Kyle Busch in 2019.

    Chris Gabehart, reigning two-time Daytona 500 winning crew chief, will remain atop the pit box of the No. 11 Toyota Camry team driven by reigning three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin while James Small, coming off his first full-time season as a Cup crew chief, will also return as crew chief for the No. 19 Toyota Camry team driven by former Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. for the 2021 Cup season.

    In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, veteran Jason Ratcliff will return to JGR and serve as crew chief for Harrison Burton and the No. 20 Toyota Supra team. Ratcliff is coming off a full-time Cup Series season as crew chief for Christopher Bell and Leavine Family Racing, which ceased operations following the 2020 season.

    Jeff Meendering will remain as crew chief for Brandon Jones and the No. 19 Toyota Supra team while veteran Dave Rogers will also return as crew chief for the No. 18 Toyota Supra team set to be driven by Daniel Hemric, JGR’s newest competitor, in 2021.

    Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images.

    “We go through a process at the conclusion of every season that includes evaluating each of our teams,” Joe Gibbs, Owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “We believe our crew chief lineup for 2021 will best position each team and driver for success across both series.”

    JGR also announced plans to field a fourth entry, the No. 54 Toyota Supra, for the 2021 Xfinity Series season led by crew chief Chris Gayle. Gayle is coming off his fourth full-time season as a Cup crew chief, where he worked with Erik Jones, who transitioned to Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2021 season. The driver lineup and schedule of the No. 54 operation will be announced at a later date.

    “We take a lot of pride in our depth of talent across our entire organization,” Gibbs added. “All of our crew chiefs are proven winners. We are also looking forward to bringing the No. 54 Toyota Supra back to the track in 2021 with an exciting team of drivers.”

    Joe Gibbs Racing’s new driver-crew chief pairings will debut at Daytona International Speedway in February 2021.

  • Harrison Burton to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Harrison Burton to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Following an impressive performance in his rookie season, Harrison Burton will be returning to Joe Gibbs Racing and compete in his second full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series season in 2021.

    A 20-year-old native from Huntersville, North Carolina, and the son of former NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton, Harrison is coming off a strong first full-time season in the Xfinity Series, where he drove the No. 20 Dex Imaging Toyota Supra for JGR and after spending the 2019 season as a full-time NASCAR Truck Series competitor for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

    Throughout the 33-race schedule, Burton achieved his first four career victories (Auto Club Speedway in February, Homestead-Miami Speedway in June, Texas Motor Speedway in October and Martinsville Speedway in November). He also led the series standings for two weeks early in the season, following his first series victory at Auto Club Speedway and a runner-up result at Phoenix Raceway the following week. In addition, Harrison Burton broke Carl Edwards’ previous rookie record of achieving top-10 results in nine races after he achieved top-10 results during the first 10 consecutive races of the season, an achievement that was made in June following the series’ doubleheader feature at Homestead.

    Along with his first four victories, Burton achieved 15 top-five results, 22 top-10 results and an average result of 10.0. He also made the 2020 Xfinity Playoffs until he was eliminated from title contention in October following the first round. Despite his early exit from the Playoffs, Burton went on to win back-to-back races in the Playoffs before he concluded the season in eighth place in the final standings. When the season concluded, he achieved the 2020 Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year title.

    Burton’s return to JGR completes the team’s full-time lineup for the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, where he will be a teammate to veteran Brandon Jones and the team’s newcomer Daniel Hemric.

    Catch the beginning of Harrison Burton’s sophomore season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2021.

  • Hemric lands full-time ride with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Hemric lands full-time ride with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Daniel Hemric has a team to call home for the 2021 NASCAR season. That team is Joe Gibbs Racing after it was announced that Hemric will be joining the organization and drive the No. 18 Toyota Supra on a full-time basis in next year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    Hemric, a 29-year-old native from Kannapolis, North Carolina, is coming off a part-time season with JR Motorsports, where he recorded seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an average result of 16.2 in 21 starts throughout the 33-race schedule. He also earned a pair of runner-up finishes last season and contributed to JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro team finishing in ninth place in the 2020 Xfinity Owners’ standings.

    Hemric’s move to JGR next season will mark the third different team he has driven for in the past three seasons. It will also mark his first full-time season in NASCAR since the 2019 Cup Series, where he captured the Rookie-of-the-Year title, and first in the Xfinity Series since 2018.

    In two previous full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series with Richard Childress Racing (2017 and 2018), Hemric earned a combined 23 top-five results and 39 top-10 results. He also made the Championship 4 round in both seasons, finishing fourth in the 2017 final standings and third in the 2018 final standings.

    With a combined 175 starts across NASCAR’s top three national touring series (50 in the Truck Series, 87 in the Xfinity Series and 38 in the Cup Series), Hemric is still pursuing his first victory.

    “It’s been quite a roller coaster ride for me over the last few years, but I can’t say how thankful I am for the opportunity to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hemric said. “Their reputation speaks for itself. I know they have high expectations for me, as I do as well, and I could not be more excited to chase the Xfinity Series championship with them next season.”

    With Hemric set to join JGR, he will be a teammate to Brandon Jones, a three-time race winner of the 2020 Xfinity Series season, and Harrison Burton, the 2020 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year who won his first four races this past season. This also completes JGR’s full-time Xfinity Series lineup for the 2021 season.

    We’re excited to have Daniel join our Xfinity Series team,” Steve de Souza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Development for Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “He has proven the ability to run up front and we believe his experience and consistency will be a benefit to our overall program. We look forward to him competing with Brandon [Jones] and Harrison [Burton] for wins and contending for a championship.”

    Riley Herbst, who drove the No. 18 Toyota full-time in 2020, will be departing the organization and pursue another opportunity in racing to be announced.

    Sponsorship and crew chief details for Hemric will be announced at a later date.

  • Mike Wheeler to crew chief Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in 2021

    Mike Wheeler to crew chief Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in 2021

    Veteran Mike Wheeler will be serving as crew chief for Bubba Wallace and the newly formed 23XI Racing for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    Wheeler, a native from Southold, New York, and a graduate of Michigan’s Kettering University with a degree in mechanical engineering, currently works as a competition director for Leavine Family Racing, which is set to cease operations following this season. He carries an abundant of experience as a crew chief as he has called 148 Cup Series races and 33 Xfinity Series races atop the pit box. He made his debut as a crew chief for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team on a six-race interim role in 2014, served his first full-time season as a Cup crew chief in 2016 with Hamlin and last served as crew chief for Matt DiBenedetto with Leavine Family Racing in the 2019 Cup season. He also served as a full-time crew chief in the 2015 Xfinity Series season for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota team that was piloted by eight different competitors.

    The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season will serve as Wheeler’s fifth full-time season as a crew chief in the sport’s premier series.

    The move for Wheeler to 23XI Racing reunites him with Denny Hamlin, whom Wheeler worked with as a crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing for 112 races in the Cup Series (2014, 2016-2018) and six races in the Xfinity Series (2015). Together, Wheeler and Hamlin have won five Cup races, the 2016 non-point Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway and three Xfinity races, with a best points result of sixth place occurring twice in the 2016 and 2017 Cup Series seasons. Their biggest accomplishment was winning the 2016 Daytona 500 following a photo finish, where Hamlin edged Martin Truex Jr. at the finish line by a nose to claim one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel events. They also won the 2017 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

    23XI Racing is a newly formed NASCAR Cup Series team owned by three-time reigning Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan that is set to make its debut in 2021, beginning at Daytona International Speedway for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14, with Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s lone African-American competitor, to serve as the team’s driver. Plans of the team’s formation was first announced on September 20 and the team name, 23XI Racing, was revealed on October 22 as Wallace is set to sport the No. 23, Jordan’s number in NBA, on his car next season.

    The announcement of Wheeler joining 23XI Racing served as one of two major announcements for the team on Friday, October 30. Earlier, Toyota announced their support for the team along with Joe Gibbs Racing, which will be forming a technical alliance with 23XI Racing.

    Catch Wheeler’s return and 23XI Racing’s debut at Daytona International Speedway for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021.

  • Jeffrey Earnhardt to make 100th Xfinity start at Texas

    Jeffrey Earnhardt to make 100th Xfinity start at Texas

    A significant milestone is in the making for Jeffrey Earnhardt, driver of the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt will achieve his 100th career start in the Xfinity Series.

    A fourth-generation competitor from Mooresville, North Carolina, and grandson of the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, Jeffrey made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen International in August 2009. By then, he had competed in the NASCAR Busch East Series and what is now the ARCA Menards Series East for the last two seasons for Dale Earnhardt Inc. before being released. 

    Driving the No. 40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet at Watkins Glen, Earnhardt started 36th and finished 24th in his series debut. He ended up competing in another Xfinity race in 2009 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, where he finished 31st. 

    After competing in select NASCAR Truck Series races for Rick Ware Racing in 2010, Earnhardt was set to compete in the series on a full-time basis with RWR as a rookie contender. Following the first four races of the season, however, Earnhardt’s full-time ride was cut and he ended up competing in one additional Truck race and two Xfinity races for the remainder of the season. In the Xfinity Series, he drove for RWR in two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and at Daytona International Speedway in July, where he notched a 19th-place result.

    In 2012, Earnhardt competed on a full-time basis in the Grand Am Series in the Rolex GT Class for Rick Ware Racing. He also competed in a total of six Xfinity races, four with RWR while making one with Go Green Racing and one with Randy Hill Racing. His best result during his six-race slate in 2012 was 21st at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

    Earnhardt’s racing schedule in 2013 expanded as he made 17 starts throughout the 33-race Xfinity Series schedule. During the season, all but one of his 17-race Xfinity schedule occurred with Go Green Racing, where he finished no higher than 16th place. His lone start outside of Go Green Racing was with JR Motorsports and for his nephew, Dale Earnhardt Jr., at Richmond Raceway in April. Driving the No. 5 Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net Chevrolet Camaro for JRM, Earnhardt started 22nd and finished 17th.

    In 2014, Earnhardt competed on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series with JD Motorsports and in the No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro. Throughout the season, his best result was 12th place at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. He was able to capture six top-20 results and an average result of 26.3 throughout the 33-race schedule before finishing in 18th place in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2015 season, Earnhardt made a total of six Xfinity starts in the No. 55 Chevrolet Camaro for Viva Motorsports. His best on-track results were 15th at Bristol in April and 12th at Talladega in May.

    From 2016 to 2018, Earnhardt competed in a total of 73 races in the NASCAR Cup Series as he drove for teams that included Go Fas Racing, BK Racing, Circle Sport-The Motorsports Group, StarCom Racing, Premium Motorsports and Gaunt Brothers Racing. His best result in NASCAR’s premier series during the three-year span was 11th place at Daytona in July 2018.

    A week before the 2018 season concluded, it was announced that Earnhardt will be returning to the Xfinity Series and join Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 18 Toyota Supra sponsored by Xtreme Concepts/iK9 for nine races in 2019. A few days before the 2019 Xfinity Series commenced, Earnhardt’s part-time 2019 schedule expanded when Xtreme Concepts Inc. formed Xtreme Concepts Racing (XCI Racing) with intentions of competing in five Xfinity races and two Cup races with Earnhardt driving throughout the season. 

    Earnhardt made his first start with JGR in the 2019 season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. During the event, Earnhardt finished in the top five in both stages and led 29 laps before being shuffled back to a 15th-place result. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt restarted on the front row alongside teammate Christopher Bell on a three-lap shootout and was in position to win his first NASCAR career race. His chances of winning, however, evaporated when he struggled to pick up speed on the outside lane and was shuffled back. Nonetheless, he was able to finish in sixth place and achieve his career-best result within NASCAR’s top three major division series. 

    Four races later, Earnhardt made his first start with XCI Racing at Texas Motor Speedway, where he finished in eighth place. Another five races later, Earnhardt rallied from a spin with 58 laps remaining to make a late charge and notch a career-best third-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The result marked Earnhardt’s first top-five career result across NASCAR’s top three major division series and it was also meaningful for Earnhardt, who sported a special patriotic scheme to his No. 18 Toyota during the Charlotte race while paying tribute to Mooresville, North Carolina, Officer Jordan Sheldon, who died in the line of duty during a traffic stop earlier in May. 

    In August, Earnhardt announced that he and XCI have parted ways, which ended Earnhardt’s 2019 season early and the end of his partnership with XCI and Joe Gibbs Racing. By then, he had made five Xfinity starts with JGR, two Xfinity starts with XCI Racing and one Cup start with XCI, which occurred at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

    In February 2020, Earnhardt rejoined JD Motorsports with Gary Keller and started the season with plans on competing in 12 Xfinity Series races. He made his first start of the season at Darlington Raceway in May, where he finished 23rd. He went on to finish 25th the following week at Charlotte before he notched a 15th-place result the next week at Bristol.

    Since Darlington in May, Earnhardt ended up competing on a full-time basis with JDM and he has driven the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro in all but two races, where he drove the No. 15 Chevrolet for JDM. Through last weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway, Earnhardt has achieved 13 top-20 results, a best result of 11th place at Charlotte in October and an average result of 22.3.

    Catch Earnhardt’s milestone start at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 24, at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Almirola to reach 350 Cup starts at Texas

    Almirola to reach 350 Cup starts at Texas

    A significant milestone is in the making for Aric Almirola, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Cup event at Texas Motor Speedway, Almirola will achieve his 350th career start in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Tampa, Florida, Almirola’s debut in NASCAR’s premier series occurred at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2007. By then, he made 10 career starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 29 starts in the Truck Series. Driving the No. 80 Joe Gibbs Driven Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing, Almirola started 31st and finished 41st in his Cup debut after being involved in an early accident.

    Later in the 2007 season, Almirola transitioned from Joe Gibbs Racing to Dale Earnhardt Inc. and he piloted the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet in five of the remaining 13 scheduled Cup races. His best result during his five-race stretch with DEI was 30th place, which occurred at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

    In 2008, Almirola remained with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and served as a co-primary driver of the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala along with veteran Mark Martin. Following the first four races of the season, Almirola made his first Cup start of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, where he collected his first top-10 career finish in eighth place. He made 11 additional starts throughout the 2008 Cup season, where he collected two 13th-place results in the fall and led 53 laps at Martinsville Speedway in October before being shuffled back to a 20th-place result. He capped off the season by finishing in 35th place in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.

    Almirola started the 2009 season as a full-time Cup Series competitor of the No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. He started the season by finishing in 30th place in the Daytona 500 after being involved in two separate incidents. Following the first seven races of the season, however, Almirola’s full-time Cup ride with DEI came to an end due to sponsorship issues. He, ultimately, went on to compete in four Xfinity and 16 Truck Series races throughout the 2009 season.

    For the 2010 season, Almirola started the season with plans of competing on a full-time basis in the Cup Series with Phoenix Racing while also racing in the Truck Series for Billy Ballew Motorsports. Following the first seven races of the season, where he failed to qualify for three and finished no higher than 39th, he parted ways with Phoenix Racing and competed the remainder of the season with Billy Ballew Motorsports in the Truck Series, where he went on to win his first two Truck career races and finish in second place in the final standings. He also competed in eight Xfinity races with JR Motorsports. In October, Almirola served as an interim competitor of the No. 9 Budweiser Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports at Martinsville after Kasey Kahne left RPM for Red Bull Racing. Almirola ended up competing in the final five Cup races of the season with RPM, where he notched a career-best fourth-place result in the season finale at Homestead in November.

    After spending the 2011 season in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports, where he finished in fourth place in the final standings, Almirola returned to the Cup Series for the 2012 season as a full-time competitor of the iconic No. 43 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola started the 2012 season by finishing in 33rd place in the season-opening Daytona 500 after being involved in a late multi-car accident. His best result during the first nine races was an eighth-place result at Martinsville in April.

    For the next scheduled race at Talladega Superspeedway, Almirola was paired with veteran Mike Ford, who replaced Greg Erwin. Finishing in 12th place at Talladega and in 19th place the following week at Darlington Raceway, Almirola captured his first Cup career pole for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Despite finishing in 16th place in the Coke 600, Almirola rebounded the following week at Dover International Speedway by finishing in sixth place. 

    From Pocono Raceway in June through Richmond Raceway in September, Almirola finished no higher than 17th place on the track. After missing the Playoffs, he was paired with veteran Todd Parrott for the upcoming race at Chicagoland Speedway. For the remaining 10 Cup races of the season, Almirola captured one top-five result, two top-10 results, a total of 72 laps led and a 20th-place result in the final standings.

    Remaining with Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2013 Cup season, Almirola started the season by finishing 13th in the Daytona 500 before finishing 15th the following race at Phoenix Raceway. Following the first 10 Cup races of the season, he was coming off four consecutive top-10 results and was in eighth place in the regular-season standings. The consistency for Almirola and the No. 43 team, however, did not last for the remainder of the regular-season stretch, as he achieved only one top-five result and failed to make the Playoffs. He went on to conclude the 2013 season in 18th place in the final standings along with six top-10 results and a career-best average result of 18.8. Following the 2013 season, Almirola surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series. 

    Prior to the 2014 season, which marked Almirola’s third season with Richard Petty Motorsports, RPM announced a three-year contract extension for Almirola to remain as driver of the No. 43 Ford with Smithfield Foods and its brands serving as key primary sponsors. Almirola was also paired with crew chief Trent Owens.

    Almirola started the 2014 season with a 39th-place result in the Daytona 500 after being involved in a late multi-car accident. Three races later, he captured his first top-three result in the Cup circuit after finishing in third place at Bristol Motor Speedway behind Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 

    Entering Daytona International Speedway in July, Almirola achieved one top-five result and three top-10 results, with an opportunity grab an upset victory and race his way into the 2014 Cup Playoffs. During the race, Almirola dodged two multi-car accidents and outlasted the field, including late challenges from Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch and Casey Mears, to retain the lead when the race was red-flagged and deemed official on Lap 112 due to rain, thus giving Almirola his first Cup career victory in his 125th series start. Almirola’s first Cup win marked the first win for the Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 car since 1999, which was last made by the late John Andretti. The victory also occurred 30 years to the day where Richard Petty recorded his unprecedented 200th and final NASCAR win at Daytona. With his victory, Almirola clinched a spot for the 2014 Cup Playoffs.

    Following his upset victory at Daytona, Almirola recorded two top-10 results for the remaining eight regular-season races before entering the Playoffs and as one of 16 competitors with an opportunity to win the championship. Following finishes of 41st, sixth and 28th in the first three races of the Playoffs, Almirola was one of four competitors who were eliminated from title contention. Despite the early exit from title contention, he went on to finish the season in 16th place in the final standings and with a career-high seven top-10 results.

    Determined to return to the Playoffs, Almirola started the 2015 Cup season with a 15th-place result in the Daytona 500 followed by an 11th-place run at Atlanta. Through 25 of the 26-race regular-season stretch, he achieved only one top-five result and 13 top-15 results. During the regular-season finale at Richmond in September, Almirola recorded a strong fourth-place result, but he missed the Playoffs by 17 points. He went on to record one additional top-five run and four top-10 results for the remaining 10 Playoff races before finishing in 17th place in the final standings. In addition, he achieved a career-best result of 17.9, compared to his average result of 21.4 in 2014 when he won a race and made the Playoffs.

    Remaining with Richard Petty Motorsports for a fifth consecutive season, Almirola started the 2016 season with a 12th-place result in the Daytona 500. He finished in 15th place the following race at Atlanta despite being involved in a four-car wreck during overtime. Compared to his previous two seasons, the 2016 season was a down season for Almirola, who achieved only one top-10 result and an average result of 23.3 before concluding the season in 26th place in the final standings. Following the 2016 season, Almirola surpassed 200 Cup career starts.

    Returning for a sixth full-time Cup season with RPM and with new full-time crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, Almirola started the season on a high note by finishing in fourth place in the Daytona 500. For the first 10 races of the season, he achieved three top-10 results, despite being penalized 35 points following the recent event at Talladega for a post-race infraction. 

    For the following race at Kansas Speedway, Almirola was involved in a late harrowing accident involving Danica Patrick and Joey Logano, where he could not slow his No. 43 Smithfield Ford in time and rammed into Logano at full speed as the rear end of Almirola’s car came off the ground amid a shower of sparks. Following the incident, where Logano and Patrick were able to emerge uninjured, Almirola had to be extricated from his car and placed on a stretcher, where he was airlifted to the University of Kansas Hospital. It was later determined that he had suffered a compression fracture of his T5 vertebrae. While Almirola spent time recovering from his injuries, he was absent for eight races, including the All-Star Open/Race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. During his absence, Regan Smith, Bubba Wallace and Billy Johnson each took turns piloting the No. 43 Smithfield Ford.

    In July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Almirola returned to the track and finished in 24th place. Despite missing the Playoffs, he remained in the No. 43 seat for the remaining 18 races of the season, where he collected three top-10 results and finished in 29th place in the final standings. He also recorded an average result of 18.8.

    In September, two months before the season’s conclusion, Almirola and Smithfield Foods announced their departure from RPM at season’s end. Two months later, both announced that they will be joining Stewart-Haas Racing and the No. 10 Ford team led by Johnny Klausmeier for the 2018 Cup Series season.

    Three months later, Almirola made his first Cup start with SHR in the 60th running of the Daytona 500. During the event, he ran consistently and was able to move into the lead over Denny Hamlin at the start of the final lap. Entering the backstretch, Almirola continued to lead, though he had Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace closing in on him for the lead and the win. Entering Turn 3, however, Dillon made contact and turned Almirola, which sent Almirola’s No. 10 Ford into the outside wall and out of contention while Dillon went on to win. Instead of a possible trip to Victory Lane in one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel events, Almirola ended his race in 11th place and with a wrecked race car. 

    For the first 16 Cup races of the season, Almirola recorded seven top-10 results and 14 top-15 results, as he was also ranked in 10th place in the regular-season standings. He went on to record three additional top-10 results and secure a spot in the 2018 Playoffs based on points and following a strong consistent regular-season stretch with no victories. 

    Almirola opened his second appearance in the Playoffs as a title contender by finishing sixth at Las Vegas and in fifth at Richmond. Despite finishing in 19th place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, he was able to transfer into the Round of 12 in the Playoffs on a three-way tie-breaker along with Kyle Larson and over Jimmie Johnson.

    After leading 64 laps and finishing 13th the following week at Dover due to being involved in a late multi-car incident, Almirola came into the following race at Talladega Superspeedway with a “Checkers or Wreckers” mindset. After spending the majority of the race running towards the front with his Stewart-Haas Racing teammates, he capitalized on a late restart and with teammate Kurt Busch running out of fuel on the final lap to hold off teammate Clint Bowyer and capture his first elusive victory of the season. With his second Cup career win and first with SHR, Almirola transferred into the Round of 8 in the 2018 Cup Playoffs.

    After finishing 10th the following week at Kansas, Almirola finished 11th, eighth and fourth in the Round of 8. Despite the results, he failed to advance to the Championship 4 round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he finished ninth. Though he missed an opportunity to contend for his first Cup title, Almirola capped off a successful and productive 2018 season with SHR with a win, a career-high four top-five result, a career-high 17 top-10 results, a career-high 181 laps led and a career-best points result of fifth place.

    With the 2018 season complete, Almirola approached the 2019 season with high aspirations of being a title threat and contending for wins, beginning with the 61st running of the Daytona 500. His season, however, started off on a low note when he was involved in a late multi-car accident and ended his run in 29th place. He rebounded the following six weeks by finishing in the top 10 in all of them. 

    Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield/SHR team achieved 10 top-10 results, as Almirola qualified for his third Cup Playoffs as a title contender. After finishing 13th, 16th and 14th through the first three races of the Playoffs, however, he was eliminated from title contention. Unable to produce a late rally for this year’s title run, he went on to capture two top-five results, including a season-best second place behind teammate Kevin Harvick at Texas Motor Speedway in November, and conclude the season in 14th place in the final standings despite not winning once throughout the season. Following the 2019 season, Almirola surpassed 300 Cup career starts.

    Almirola remained with SHR for the 2020 season, but was paired with crew chief Mike Bugarewicz while Johnny Klausmeier was reassigned. For the third consecutive year, Almirola’s season started off on a down note after he was involved in a late multi-car accident that took him out of contention of winning his first 500 title.

    Following the first 11 Cup races of this season, Almirola achieved three top-10 results and was in 14th place in the regular-season standings. For the next scheduled race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Almirola and the No. 10 team began to turn the tide as they went on a nine-race stretch of finishing in the top five or top 10 on the track. After finishing in seventh place at New Hampshire in July, he was ranked in eighth place in the regular-season standings. Ultimately, he went on to record two additional top-10 results and secure a spot in this year’s Playoffs, which marked his fourth career appearance in the Playoffs as a title contender.

    Entering the 2020 Cup Playoffs with momentum and high expectations, Almirola advanced into the Round of 12 after finishing ninth, eighth and fifth in the first round of the Playoffs spanning three races. His momentum, however, came to an end during the second round, where he finished 17th, 37th and 16th during the following three races and failed to advance to the Round of 8. He went on to finish in 13th place in last weekend’s event at Kansas.

    Through October 2020, Almirola has achieved two Cup career victories, two poles, 24 top-five results and 78 top-10 results in 349 previous starts in the Cup circuit. He is set to remain with Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2021 Cup Series season.

    Catch Almirola’s milestone start at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 25, at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Brandon Jones to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Brandon Jones to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Brandon Jones will be remaining as a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor for the organization and in the No. 19 Toyota Supra in 2021.

    The 23-year-old native from Atlanta, Georgia, is currently in his third season competing with JGR in the Xfinity circuit. Through 29 Xfinity races this season, Jones has achieved three victories (Phoenix Raceway in March, Kansas Speedway in July and at Darlington Raceway in September). He has also recorded one pole, a career-high nine top-five results, 16 top-10 results and an average result of 13.0. He is still in contention for this year’s Xfinity Series championship after advancing to the Round of 8 in the Xfinity Playoffs following last weekend’s event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.

    “This has been a dream season so far and I couldn’t be prouder of our 19 team,” Jones said. “It’s been great to have Jeff Meendering as my crew chief for the second consecutive year and his leadership along with the consistency is exactly what this team needed. I also realize how fortunate I am to have partners like Menards and Toyota; their support means the world to me. This has been a phenomenal year and I couldn’t be more excited about being back at Joe Gibbs Racing next season. Right now, I remain focused on our championship run and making it to Phoenix where I won earlier this year for a shot at the Xfinity Series title.”

    Through mid-October 2020, Jones has made 166 career starts in the Xfinity Series. He competed with Richard Childress Racing from 2015 through 2017 before joining JGR in 2018. He has achieved four career wins in the Xfinity circuit along with three poles, 18 top-five results and 66 top-10 results. He has made the Xfinity Playoffs four times, including this season.

    Jones has also made 48 career starts in the NASCAR Truck Series, from 2013 through this year. He captured his first elusive victory in the series at Pocono Raceway in June while driving the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

    “It has been a real thrill to watch Brandon’s development over the past few years with us in the Xfinity Series,” Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, added. “He is a Championship contender of course and his veteran leadership has been a real asset to our overall program. We’re excited about the opportunity he has the rest of this year and that he will return next season and continue to build upon that success.”

    While Jones is set to remain at JGR next season, the remainder of the team’s driver lineup in the Xfinity Series will be announced at a later date.

    Jones is set to return for the next NASCAR Xfinity Series event on the schedule this weekend at Kansas Speedway, a track where he has won at the last two visits for the series. The Xfinity event at Kansas will occur on Saturday, October 17, at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 to reach 1,000 starts at the Roval

    Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 to reach 1,000 starts at the Roval

    A significant milestone is in the making for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 car in the NASCAR Cup Series, currently driven by two-time reigning series champion Kyle Busch. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Cup event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for the Bank of America Roval 400, the No. 18 car competing under the JGR banner will reach 1,000 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    The No. 18 car serves as the first car fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR when the team made its debut in the 1992 Daytona 500 led by Washington Football Team head coach Joe Gibbs. By then, Interstate Batteries was sponsoring the car while Dale Jarrett, a second-generation competitor from Hickory, North Carolina, was serving as the team’s first competitor. Jarrett and the No. 18 team achieved two top-five results and eight top-10 results throughout the 29-race schedule before finishing the team’s first season in 19th place.

    The following season, Jarrett and the No. 18 Interstate Batteries car opened the season in style by winning the season-opening Daytona 500 as Jarrett recorded the first NASCAR win for Joe Gibbs Racing. Jarrett went on to record a total of 13 top-five results and 18 top-10 results before he finished in fourth place in the final standings. In 1994, Jarrett won at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October and he notched four top-five results and nine top-10 results in 30 of the 31-race schedule, where he did not make the field at North Wilkesboro Speedway in October, before he concluded the season in 16th place in the final standings.

    Following the 1994 season, Jarrett moved to Robert Yates Racing while Terry Labonte, the younger brother of the 1984 Cup champion Terry Labonte, took over as driver of JGR’s No. 18 Interstate Batteries car for the 1995 Cup season. Eleven races into the season, Labonte scored his first Cup career win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May and he became the second competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series for JGR. Ironically, JGR’s No. 18 car made its 100th Cup career start when Labonte won his first career race at Charlotte.

    Ultimately, Labonte achieved two additional victories throughout the 1995 season: Michigan International Speedway in June and again at Michigan in August. He also achieved two poles, seven top-five results and 14 top-10 results before he concluded the season in 10th place in the final standings.

    From 1996 to 1998, Labonte and the No. 18 team won a total of four races and racked up 25 top-five results and 50 top-10 results, with Labonte’s best final result in the standings being a sixth-place result in 1998. By then, JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 200 Cup starts. After winning five races and concluding the 1999 season in second place in the final standings behind Jarrett, Labonte and the No. 18 team notched four victories, 19 top-five results and 24 top-10 results before claiming the 2000 NASCAR Cup championship by 265 points over Dale Earnhardt. The championship was a first for both Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR. 

    In 2001, Labonte and the No. 18 team were unable to defend their title after winning only two races, recording 20 top-10 results and concluding the season in sixth place in the final standings. By then, JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 300 Cup starts. The following season, Labonte and the No. 18 team recorded only one victory throughout the 36-race schedule before finishing the season in 16th place in the final standings. By then, Joe Gibbs Racing achieved its second Cup championship with Tony Stewart and the No. 20 Home Depot team.

    In 2003, Labonte and the No. 18 team rallied by winning twice throughout the 36-race schedule and racking up four poles, 12 top-five results and 17 top-10 results before concluding the season in eighth place in the final standings. For the next two Cup seasons, however, Labonte and the No. 18 team went winless. They also achieved one pole, nine top-five results and 18 top-10 results, with Labonte’s best points result being 12th place in 2004. By then, JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 400 Cup starts.

    For the 2006 season, J.J. Yeley, a native from Phoenix, Arizona, and a former USAC competitor who competed for JGR as an Xfinity Series competitor, assumed driving responsibilities of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet while Bobby Labonte made the move to Petty Enterprises. In his first full Cup season in the No. 18 car, Yeley struggled on the track as he only achieved three top-10 results before he finished in 29th place in the final standings. Following the 2006 season, JGR’s No. 18 team reached 500 Cup career starts.

    Yeley and the No. 18 team rebounded the following season by notching a second-place result in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 in May, three top-10 results and a pole position at Michigan International Speedway in June before concluding the season in 21st place in the final standings. Following the 2007 season, Joe Gibbs Racing changed manufacturers from General Motors to Toyota.

    In 2008, JGR welcomed Las Vegas, Nevada’s Kyle Busch as the newest driver of the No. 18 Toyota Camry sponsored by M&M’s/Mars Inc. and Interstate Batteries. It only took the first four races into the season until Busch achieved his first victory with the team at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. Busch’s win at Atlanta was historical with Toyota achieving its first victory in the Cup Series. Through the first 26 races of the season, Busch won eight races, recorded 17 top-10 results and led the standings for the majority of the season. When the 10-race Playoff stretch started, however, Busch struggled with on-track consistency and only notched four top-10 results before concluding the season in 10th place in the final standings.

    Following the 2009 season, where Busch won four races and finished in 13th place in the final standings after missing the Playoffs, JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 600 Cup starts. Busch and the No. 18 team went on to win a total of seven races from 2010 to 2011. At Texas Motor Speedway in November, Michael McDowell drove JGR’s No. 18 M&M’s Toyota after Busch was not allowed to compete in the Cup and Xfinity events at Texas throughout the weekend due to intentionally wrecking Ron Hornaday Jr. in the Truck Series race at the track on Friday night. 

    After the 2012 season, where Busch won only once throughout the season and missed the Playoffs while JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 700 Cup starts, Busch and the No. 18 team rallied in 2013 by winning four races before finishing in fourth place in the final standings. The fourth-place result in the 2013 standings marked the highest result for JGR’s No. 18 car in the standings since winning the 2000 championship. Busch and the No. 18 team went on to win only once and finish in 10th place in the 2014 final standings.

    JGR’s No. 18 Toyota team started the 2015 season on a rocky note when Kyle Busch suffered a massive compound fracture on his right leg and fractured his left foot following a harrowing multi-car wreck in the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February. The injuries prevented Busch from competing in the early portions of the season. As a result, the No. 18 car was piloted by two-time Truck Series champion Matt Crafton, two-time Cup winner David Ragan and four-time Truck winner Erik Jones through the first 11 races of the season. Following the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in May, Busch made his return to racing the following week at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the All-Star Race. After finishing in sixth place in the All-Star Race, Busch finished in 11th place the following race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Ironically, Busch’s first points race of the 2015 season at Charlotte occurred as JGR’s No. 18 car made its 800th Cup start.

    Though Busch completed his first points race of the 2015 Cup season at Charlotte, he needed a win and enough consistent runs to make the top-30 cutoff mark in the standings by September and when the regular-season stretch concluded before the 16-car Playoff field would be determined. Busch and the No. 18 team achieved their first goal of winning at Sonoma Raceway in June. After finishing 17th at Daytona the following event, Busch and the No. 18 team went on a three-race winning span. The four victories along with five additional top-10 results throughout the summer were more than for Busch and the No. 18 team to remain inside the top-30 mark in the standings and make the Playoffs.

    Following a consistent run in the Playoffs, Busch and JGR’s No. 18 team were one of four driver/team pairings to make it all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November and with an opportunity to win the 2015 Cup championship. During the finale, Busch led 41 laps and pulled away in a late shootout to win the finale and his first title in NASCAR’s premier series. With Busch becoming the first competitor since Richard Petty to win a Cup title despite not competing the entire season and recording the first Cup title for Toyota, JGR achieved its fourth Cup championship overall and its first since the 2005 season with Tony Stewart.

    From 2016 to 2018, Busch and the No. 18 team achieved 17 wins. 53 top-five results and 75 top-10 results. In addition, Busch made the Championship Round in all three seasons, with a best result of second place in 2017 and finishing no lower than fourth place. Following the 2018 season, Busch surpassed 900 Cup career starts. He had also achieved a victory across every active track.

    In 2019, Busch and the No. 18 team achieved five victories, 17 top-five results and 27 top-10 results throughout the 36-race schedule. By winning the season finale at Homestead in November as a title contender, Busch achieved his second Cup championship and he became the 16th competitor to win multiple titles in NASCAR’s premier series. In addition, Joe Gibbs Racing achieved its fifth Cup title, third with the No. 18 car.

    This season, through 31 races, Busch and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota have recorded 12 top-five results and 17 top-10 results, though the driver and the team remain winless. Currently, Busch is in ninth place in the Playoff standings and is 21 points below the top-eight cutline to advance to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs.

    Catch Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 milestone start in the Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday, October 11, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. 

  • Suarez to reach 250 starts across NASCAR at the Roval

    Suarez to reach 250 starts across NASCAR at the Roval

    A significant milestone is in the making for Daniel Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and driver of the No. 96 Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Cup Series event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for the Bank of America Roval 400, Suarez will reach 250 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Suarez’s racing career started with karts, where he won two national karting championships in 2004 and 2008. He went on to compete and win races in mini-stock cars, a support series of the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series in 2008. Suarez’s early racing success led him to compete in the NASCAR Mexico Series in 2010, where he claimed the series Rookie-of-the-Year title and went on to achieve an abundant of on-track success and wins in the series along with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East through 2013 while alternating between racing in Mexico and the United States of America.

    Following the 2013 season, Suarez achieved a total of five victories in the NASCAR Mexico Series with a best result of second place in 2012. He had also completed his first full-time season in the K&N Pro Series East with Rev Racing, where he achieved his first win at Ohio’s Columbus Motor Speedway before he concluded the season in third place in the final standings and all while being a NASCAR Drive for Diversity and Next member.

    Suarez started the 2014 racing season by winning the first two K&N Pro Series East races of the season, the first at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway before backing it with a win at the UNOH Battle at the Beach around Daytona International Speedway’s mini oval backstretch course. He went on to record a total of four top-five results and seven top-10 results in 13 starts in the East Series. He also made his ARCA Racing Series at Kentucky Speedway with Venturini Motorsports in September, where he started third and finished fifth.

    Two months after winning the UNOH Battle at the Beach, Suarez was selected by Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 20 Toyota Camry for the NASCAR Xfinity Series spring event at Richmond Raceway. Starting in 12th place, Suarez went on to finish in 19th place in his series debut. He made his second series start at Chicagoland Speedway in September. Driving the No. 29 ARRIS Toyota for RAB Racing, Suarez started 18th and notched a 15th-place result. He also made his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Talladega Superspeedway in October, where he started 17th and finished 15th while driving the No. 35 ARRIS Toyota Tundra for Win-Tron Racing.

    Four months after making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Richmond, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Suarez will be competing in the series on a full-time basis in 2015. Driving the No. 18 ARRIS Toyota Camry led by crew chief Eric Phillips, Suarez recorded three poles, two Dash 4 Cash bonuses, eight top-five results, 18 top-10 results and an average result of 11.7 before he finished in fifth place in the final standings. He ended up claiming the Rookie-of-the-Year title over Bubba Wallace by virtue of one additional top-10 result. As a result, Suarez became the first Mexican and second Drive for Diversity competitor to achieve a rookie title in any of NASCAR’s three major division series. He also made 13 starts in the NASCAR Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports, where he achieved seven top-five results and 10 top-10 results. He also made four starts in the ARCA Series with Venturini Motorsports, where he recorded one pole, one top-five result and two top-10 results.

    Suarez remained as a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, piloting the No. 19 ARRIS Toyota Camry, and as a part-time competitor in the NASCAR Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2016. In 13 Truck starts, Suarez achieved his first career win at Phoenix Raceway in November and he also achieved one pole, three top-five results and six top-10 results. In the Xfinity Series and paired with crew chief Scott Graves, Suarez recorded 18 top-five results and 26 top-10 results through 32 of the 33-race schedule. By then, he also achieved his first two Xfinity career wins, the first at Michigan International Speedway in June and the second at Dover International Speedway during the inaugural Xfinity Playoffs in October. With his first win at Michigan, he became the first Mexican-born competitor to win within NASCAR’s three major division series. Suarez, ultimately, entered the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November as one of four competitors contending for the championship. During the finale, Suarez led a race-high 133 of 200 laps and went on to beat Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier and teammate Erik Jones in a two-lap shootout to win the finale and the 2016 Xfinity championship. With his accomplishment, Suarez became the first foreign-born/Latin American competitor to win a championship within NASCAR’s three major division series and he recorded the second Xfinity drivers’ title for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    Following the sudden departure of Carl Edwards, Suarez was named a full-time competitor of the No. 19 ARRIS/Stanley Tools/Subway Toyota Camry for JGR for the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season, marking Suarez’s first opportunity in competing in NASCAR’s premier series. Suarez made his Daytona 500 debut in February, where he finished 29th after crashing out in the second half of the season. Three races later, he achieved his first top-10 result in the series by finishing in seventh place at Phoenix in March. He went on to achieve 11 additional top-10 results and a best result of third place at Watkins Glen International in August, where he also won a stage, for the remainder of the season. He also won the Monster Energy Open preliminary race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, where he transferred to his first All-Star Race appearance and went on to finish in 15th place of the 20-car field. When the season concluded, he finished in 20th place in the final standings and he ended up finishing in second place in the Cup Rookie-of-the-Year standings behind Erik Jones. Throughout the 2017 season, Suarez also made 14 starts in the Xfinity Series for JGR, where he achieved five top-five results and eight top-10 results. Following the 2017 season, Suarez surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    Suarez remained as driver of the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018. Throughout his sophomore season in the Cup Series, he achieved his first career pole position at Pocono Raceway in July and he went on to achieve a career-best second-place result during the main event following a late battle with teammate Kyle Busch. Another bright moment of Suarez’s 2018 Cup season occurred at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, where he won the second stage of the Monster Energy Open preliminary event, transferred to his second consecutive All-Star Race appearance and settled in second place following a late battle with Kevin Harvick. Suarez also achieved a total of 12 top-10 results and he concluded the season in 21st place in the final standings. He also made two Xfinity Series with JGR, where he finished in the top 10 in both races. Following the 2018 season, however, Suarez was released from JGR in favor of Martin Truex Jr.

    A month before the 2019 season started, Suarez was named driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/ARRIS Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series season led by Billy Scott. He started the season on a low note by racking up his third consecutive DNF in the Daytona 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. He rallied the following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway by finishing in 10th place. Four races later and following a three-race stretch of finishing no higher than 13th, he finished 10th at Martinsville before he recorded a strong third-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, Suarez achieved nine top-10 results and one pole position. His late consistent surge on the track was not enough, however, to make the 2019 Cup Playoffs after he finished in 11th place in the regular-season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and being beaten by Ryan Newman for the final spot to the Playoffs. It marked the third consecutive season where Suarez failed to make the Cup Playoff field as he has yet to do so. Nonetheless, he went on to achieve two additional top-10 results and finish the season in 17th place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 200 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series. Despite a productive junior season in the Cup circuit, Suarez was released from SHR in favor of Cole Custer.

    A month before the 2020 season started, Suarez joined forces with Gaunt Brothers Racing to drive the 96 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Cup Series season. He started this season on a low note when he crashed out in the second Duel race at Daytona International Speedway in February and failed to make the Daytona 500. His first start with GBR was at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the following week, where he finished 30th after encountering mechanical issues at the start of the race. 

    Through 30 starts this season, Suarez has finished no higher than 18th place, which occurred twice at Bristol Motor Speedway in May and at Kansas Speedway in July. His average result is 26.4 and he is ranked in 31st place in the standings. While he has yet to achieve his first Cup Series win, he is set to drive for the newly formed Trackhouse Entertainment Group and in the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in 2021.

    Catch Suarez’s milestone start in the Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday, October 11, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.