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Kyle Busch Laments the Attention Given Young Drivers, but Looks Forward to Being a Mentor

CHARLOTTE, NC – Kyle Busch has always spoken his mind, and nothing was different at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour on Tuesday. He is bothered by the so-called youth movement and the attention it keeps getting in the media and the promotion it gets from the sanctioning body.

“It is bothersome, Busch responded. “We’ve paid our dues, and our sponsors have and everything else, and all you’re doing is advertising all these younger guys for fans to figure out and pick up on and choose as their favorite driver. I think it’s stupid. But I don’t know, I’m not the marketing genius that’s behind this deal.

“You know, I just do what I can do, and my part of it is what my part is. I guess one thing that can be said is probably the younger guys are bullied into doing more things than the older guys are because we say no a lot more because we’ve been there, done that and have families, things like that, and want to spend as much time as we can at home. You know, maybe that’s some of it. But you know, it’s ‑‑ some of these marketing campaigns and things like that, pushing these younger drivers, is I wouldn’t say all that fair.”

Will the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas be as good as last year? Busch responded in the affirmative.

“I don’t think we would be any worse. I would like to think we’d be better,” Busch said. “We kind of started out the season a little bit on the slower side, if you will, last year with our new car. We were kind of behind the 8‑ball a little bit maybe, and as the season kind of progressed, we learned what things our car liked and what we needed to do in order to make ourselves better and more competitive, and we were able to do those things and got it to where we were pretty fast there obviously and peaked later in the season. Hopefully, we can start out our year this year a little stronger than we did last year.”

“I definitely feel as though we matched them ( Furniture Row Racing and Martin Truex, Jr.’s No. 78) at Homestead. You know, I’d say that we were actually a little bit better than they were at Homestead, and that’s what makes Homestead so painful is you can be a guy who wins 35 races out of the year, and then that 36th race you can finish second and lose the championship. We thought we had the opportunity to put the 78 bunch in that situation but just wasn’t quite able to pull it all off there at the end of the Homestead race. You know, that was kind of painful for us. Feels like a letdown and having the opportunity to be able to win that race, we were right there, we were real close, but wasn’t able to get it done. Other racetracks, you know, they kind of ‑‑ I feel like they’ve even gotten better at some of their weaker tracks, like Martinsville, for instance, they had a shot to win at Martinsville. They weren’t quite as good as us, but they were right there all day. Loudon, now they’re really good at. Phoenix they’re pretty good at. They outran us at Phoenix. Anywhere you look, they’re obviously really good.”

Now that Busch is the longest serving driver at JGR, he looks at the opportunity of being the mentor to younger drivers.

“Yeah, obviously it’s a unique opportunity for me being one of the elder statesmen, if you will, of the sport, let alone Joe Gibbs Racing, and being able to kind of lead our younger guys, if you will, Erik and Daniel,” said Busch. “Those guys have come through Kyle Busch Motorsports, so it’s been fun to watch them progress through the years with the Truck Series, the XFINITY Series, and now being into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. I’m looking forward to working with them and continuing to see their progress, but also hopefully being able to continue to be one of the leadership guys at our team and being able to race on for championships for years to come.”

January 25, 2018
The Players – The Best Teams’ 2018 Lineup in NASCAR Cup

It’s only a short time until the annual Media Tour at the Hall of Fame in Charlotte. We will learn a lot there, but a couple things are obvious. There will be 24 major teams running next year (10 Fords, nine Chevrolets, and five Toyotas). Each camp has stars in their lineup, but Toyota’s dominance of the 2017 season (with only six competitive cars) is favored. Let’s look at each team’s lineup.

Chevrolet has the four Hendrick Motorsports cars. HMS fell on hard times last year despite their dominance for several years. Jimmie Johnson will be back in the Lowe’s Camaro. You read that right. The older SS they have fun the last few years is no longer being manufactured, so a change had to be made. Besides, finding a dealer with a Chevy SS was about as hard as finding a needle in a haystack anyway. After Johnson, the rest of the team will be made up of a group of youngsters. Chase Elliott is back, this time taking his father’s No. 9, William Byron, in the 24, and Alex Bowman in the 88. Of this team, only Johnson has ever won a Cup race. You might call this a rebuilding year for HMS.

Richard Childress Racing will field the 31 for Ryan Newman, the 3 for Austin Dillon, and the 27, with the driver rumored to be Brennan Poole, but nothing has been announced. Both Newman and Dillon won races last year.

Chip Ganassi Racing will feature Kyle Larson in the 42, coming off an excellent season. Jamie McMurray will be back in the No. 1 Chevrolet.

Ford will field one more competitive car in 2018. Team Penske has expanded to three cars with Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 and Joey Logano in the No.22 Fords. Ryan Blaney, who earned his first victory in 2017 with the Wood Brothers will pilot the No. 12 Ford. The team’s alliance with the Wood Brothers continues with Paul Menard taking over the driving chores. Penske bought a charter for the No. 12 from Roush Fenway Racing, meaning the No. 16 is not coming back. The Charter was leased to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team last year.

Roush Fenway will see their improved team have the same driver lineup. Trevor Bayne in the No. 6 and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the No. 17. Stenhouse won two restrictor plate races in 2017 and Bayne won the Daytona 500 in 2011.

Stewart-Haas Racing will see it’s lineup jumbled somewhat. The Ford team will have Aric Almirola move over from the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 and drive the No. 10, formerly driven by Danica Patrick. Otherwise, things stay the same with 2017 Final Four driver Kevin Harvick in the No.4, Clint Bowyer in the 14, and Kurt Busch in the 41.

Toyota saw its field go down a car this year. The Joe Gibbs Racing stable will have the 11 with Denny Hamlin, the 19 with Daniel Suarez, the 18 with Kyle Busch, and Erik Jones, who raced for Furniture Row Racing in 2017 in the No. 20. Much like Team Penske does with the Wood Brothers, Furniture Row and 2017 champ Martin Truex, Jr. will field the 78 Toyota. Furniture Row did not have sponsorship for the No. 77 car, so Toyota’s stable goes from six to five for 2018

These are the teams that I predict will land in victory lane in 2018. Oh, we may get a surprise winner, but these 24 teams will battle race in and race out for the checkers. We will know more in a couple of weeks when the teams meet with the media in Charlotte, but this how I see it now. A big hole was left in the sport with the retirements of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Danica Patrick and Matt Kenseth at the end of the year. How many will stay away from the sport because these drivers are not in the lineup? Time will tell.

January 11, 2018
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex led the final 51 laps at Homestead and held off Kyle Busch to capture the win at Homestead and his first Monster Energy Cup championship.

“No offense to Joey Gase,” Truex said, “but nice guys don’t finish last, they finish first. I am a nice guy, and as champion, I reserve the right to be called ‘Mister Nice Guy.’”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Homestead to Martin Truex Jr., who got the jump on a lap 34 restart and kept Busch at bay for the remainder of the race.

“That race was for all the marbles,” Busch said. “First of all, I wanted to win this race for myself, but I also wanted to win it for my brother Kurt, so I could give him some marbles because he lacks ‘all his marbles.’”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth at Homestead as Martin Truex, Jr. won the race to capture the Monster Energy Cup championship.

“Lost in the shuffle of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement was Danica Patrick’s retirement,” Harvick said. “The only way Danica will be ‘Miss-ed’ is if Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. doesn’t marry her.”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh at Homestead, falling short in his bid to win his second Cup championship.

“I guess I predicted a Toyota championship,” Keselowski said. “I guess at the time I was trying to give ‘constructive criticism,’ but it turned into ‘constructors criticism.’”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fifth at Homestead, posting his 21st top 10 of the season.

“I’m looking forward to a long offseason,” Elliott said. “I didn’t take long to erase Denny Hamlin from championship contention; it will take much longer to erase him from my memory.”

6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started on the pole at Homestead and finished ninth.

“Martin Truex Jr. has a rare quality among NASCAR champions,” Hamlin said. “He has absolutely no enemies. So, I can say for sure he’s friends with Chase Elliott.”

7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished a disappointing 29th at Homestead and ended the year ninth in the Monster Energy points standings.

“Homestead was my final race with Wood Brothers Racing,” Blaney said. “I’m moving on to Penske Racing in 2018. This bodes well for my bank account, but not for my love life, because my days with Wood are over.”

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished eighth in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

“I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in retirement,” Kenseth said. “I am sure it won’t be anything with Carl Edwards.”

9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 27th at Homestead and completes the season 10th in the points standings.

“With no chance to win the Cup,” Johnson said, “my mind was elsewhere for the duration of the entire race. I guess I was thinking of my seven Cup championships. When you’re Jimmie Johnson, reminiscing is an all day job.”

10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 13th in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

“Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrated his final race by sharing beers with his pit crew,” McMurray said. “As if NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver needed another reason for people to ‘say cheers.’”

November 20, 2017
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex started on the pole and won at Kansas, posting his series-best seventh victory of the season.

“The phrase heard most often in NASCAR this year is ‘Truex wins,’” Truex said. “I’m just hoping to add ‘it all’ to the end of it.”

2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led 18 laps and finished 13th at Kansas, and is on to the third round of the Chase For The Cup.

“There’s three Toyota’s in the field of eight as we head to Martinsville,” Keselowski said. “I’ll be the first to say I’m at a disadvantage, but I’ve got a ‘Deuce’ up my sleeve because I won there in April.”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch led a race-high 112 laps, won Stage 1, and finished 10th in the Hollywood Casino 400, easily qualifying for the third round of the Chase.

“I wore a special glow in the dark ‘Frankenstein’ helmet at Kansas,” Busch said. “Frankenstein and I share a couple of traits—1) our complexion, and 2) we both have a lead foot.”

4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stage 2 at Kansas and finished fifth, posting his 14th top five of the season.

“Martin Truex Jr. has dominated on 1-½-mile tracks,” Hamlin said, “and Kansas Speedway was one of those. But Martinsville is a ½-mile track, and it’s my home track, as well as my favorite track. So, I just want to remind Martin, ‘We’re not in Kansas anymore.’”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott is on to the next round of the Chase after a fourth at Kansas, posting the top Chevrolet finish.

“Martinsville is where they separate the men from the boys,” Elliott said. “Men can digest a Martinsville hot dog; boys can not.”

6. Kevin Harvick: Needing a solid finish to advance to the third round, Harvick started second at Kansas and finished eighth.

“Martinsville is NASCAR’s shortest track,” Harvick said, “so cars will be packed tightly. That means a lot of contact, which means tempers could flare, and the next thing you know, punches are flying. How do I now? Because I’m knowledgeable on pushing other drivers, either over the edge or into an awaiting melee.”

7. Kyle Larson: Larson suffered a blown engine on Lap 73 and finished 39th at Kansas, ending his chances of advancing to the third round of the Chase.

“First I lose my Target,” Larson said, “now I’ve lost my goal.”

8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney failed post-qualifying inspection and started last, but scrambled to finish a strong third at Kansas, which advanced him to the next round of the Chase For The Cup.

“Failing inspection at the Hollywood Casino 400 is like getting busted by the ‘pit’ boss,” Blaney said. “As the number of failed inspections in NASCAR shows, ‘rolling the dice’ is very common.

9. Jimmie Johnson: In danger of being eliminated from the Chase, Johnson advanced with an 11th at Kansas.

“What is a playoff field without Jimmie Johnson?” Johnson said. “For one thing, it’s good news for fans of Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. And without me, the only ‘J.J.’ in the field would be the one on Kevin Harvick’s hood.”

10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 37th at Kansas, his hopes of advancing ended by a penalty for having too many crew members over the wall

“The key word there is ‘over,’” Kenseth said. “And I didn’t even know that was a penalty. So I’m confused. And I’m not the only one confused. NASCAR chairman Brian France heard about an ‘over the wall’ penalty and was stunned to learn my pit crewmen were not Mexican.”

October 23, 2017
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex crashed out at Talladega with 17 laps to go when he made contact with David Ragan, setting a chain reaction crash that victimized Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch.

“My win at Charlotte already puts me into the next round of the Chase,” Truex said. “There’s no pressure. So, at Kansas, you can expect my car to be all over the track because I’ll be the one running ‘loose.’”

2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski passed Ryan Newman on the final lap at Talladega to win the Alabama 500 and secure his spot in the Round Of 8 of the Chase For The Cup.

“It was a wild day at Talladega,” Keselowski said, “and I’m in a state of shock. Frankly, I’m stunned, that a Ford could win in a race with Toyotas in the field. And that, my friends, is the sound of ‘sandbagging.’”

3. Kyle Larson: Larson survived a wreck-filled day at Talladega to post a 13th-place finish and solidify his odds of advancing to the next round of the Chase.

“There were three red flags on Sunday,” Larson said. “It felt an awful lot like my car was being inspected.”

4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished sixth in the Alabama 500, posting the best finish by a Toyota driver. He is fifth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“I’m in good position to advance to the next round of the Chase,” Hamlin said. “Barring a disaster, or as we saw at Talladega, disasters, I should move on to the third round. Hopefully, the 40 professional drivers in the field at Kansas will show professionalism.”

5. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 27th after his No. 18 Toyota was collected in a lap 171 crash triggered by contact between Martin Truex Jr. and David Ragan.

“If the field of 8 was set now,” Busch said, “I’d be out, and Truex would have eliminated his biggest competitor in the championship. I’m not saying Truex’s wreck was intentional; I’m just saying he was driving ‘with a purpose.’”

6. Chase Elliott: Elliott started second at Talladega and finished 16th, six laps behind the leaders.

“Like many drivers,” Elliott said, “I was an innocent victim of someone else’s recklessness. Fortunately, there’s a 20-point cushion between me in sixth and Kyle Busch in ninth. Of course, it’s no fun hitting a wall at such speeds, but I couldn’t ask for a ‘SAFER barrier.’”

7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s No. 4 Ford survived involvement in two big crashes to post a 20th at Talladega.

“Only 14 cars finished the race,” Harvick said. “It takes NASCAR three races to pare the field down to 12 drivers. Talladega can do it in a single race.”

8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won the second stage and finished 18th at Talladega.

“That stage win is worth a point in the standings,” Blaney said. “And every single point is vitally important in the NASCAR playoffs. And what better place to reiterate the importance of a ‘Big One’ than Talladega?”

9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 24th at Talladega.

“We were penalized for working on the car during a red flag,” Johnson said. “Usually, when NASCAR tells Chad Knaus to stop altering the car, it’s after the work is already done.”

10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 14th in the Alabama 500, and is 10th in the points standings.

“I joked that my 2018 driving plans may involve a school bus,” Kenseth said. “The last time I took someone to school, it was Joey Logano in Martinsville.”

October 16, 2017
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 2 at Richmond was on his way to his fifth win of the year before a late caution flipped his fate. Kyle Larson beat Truex out of the pits and pulled away on the restart, while Truex tangled with Denny Hamlin and crashed. Truex finished 20th.

“Of course I’m disappointed,” Truex said, “but I’ll have a twenty-point lead over Kyle Larson once the Chase starts at Chicagoland. So I like where I’m sitting, mostly because of the ‘cushion’ I’m sitting on.”

2. Kyle Larson: Larson beat Martin Truex Jr. out of the pits on the final caution and jumped ahead on the restart, easily claiming the Federated Auto Parts 400, his fourth win of the season.

“I’d like to thank my pit crew for their fast work,” Larson said. “But mostly I’d like to thank Derrick Cope for causing that final caution. I should invite him to Victory Lane, but I doubt he remembers how to get there.”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch took the first stage at Richmond and came home with a ninth-place finish.

“Denny Hamlin got busted for using illegal suspensions at Darlington,” Busch said. “Not just his Monster Energy Cup car, but his XFINITY Series car as well. Denny was stunned, but he had no choice but to ‘absorb the shock’ of the ramifications.”

4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth at Richmond as the regular season came to a close.

“I had my win at Darlington encumbered because of illegal suspension,” Hamlin said. “That means I get to keep the trophy, but I’m stripped of the bonus points. Plus, I have to drive with a vanity license plate that reads ‘NCUMBRD.’”

5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 15th at Richmond, and will start the Chase For The Cup in sixth, 38 points behind Martin Truex Jr.

“Hey,” Harvick said, “what’s with an ambulance on the track at Richmond? I know NASCAR ratings are hurting, but is this their way of ‘reviving’ the sport?”

6. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished eighth at Richmond, posting his seventh top 10 of the year.

“I’ll start the Chase For The Cup in fifth,” Johnson said. “I’m not feeling any pressure. I’ve won seven Cup championships, so I don’t plan on changing anything about my preparation, except maybe adding a cheat sheet inside the cockpit that explains how to advance in the Chase.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led nine laps and finished 11th at Richmond.

“There really should be two Penske Racing drivers in the Chase For The Cup,” Keselowski said. “But, upon further inspection, I realize that Joey Logano won’t be part of the Chase.”

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth ran into the back of Clint Bowyer with 143 laps remaining after an ambulance inexplicably blocked the entrance to pit road. Kenseth eventually finished 38th but still qualified for the Chase.

“Kudos to that ambulance driver,” Kenseth said, “for arriving before the accident even happened.”

9. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 14th and qualified for the Chase For The Cup, where he will start 16th, 50 points behind Martin Truex Jr.

“I’m a serious long shot to win the Monster Energy Cup championship,” McMurray said. “A 100 to 1 long shot to be exact. That means you can bet $1 on me, and if I win, you would win $100. A safer bet, however, would be to take that $1 and spend it on an item from McDonald’s Dollar Menu. Consider my sponsor obligations fulfilled.”

10. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 10th at Richmond, posting his 14th top 10 of the season.

“The race in Richmond was called the ‘Federated Auto Parts 400,’” Elliott said. “Let’s just be glad it wasn’t called the ‘Con-Federated Auto Parts 400.”

September 11, 2017
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex and Kyle Busch wrecked as they battled for the lead on a restart with 50 laps remaining at Indianapolis. Both cars were unable to continue, and Truex’s No. 78 became engulfed in flames. Truex finished 33rd.

“Oddly enough,” Truex said, “Kyle was ‘on fire’ before that. He won the first two stages and was well on his way to winning the race.

“The wreck was my fault; I won’t lie and say it wasn’t. And given my penchant for collecting extra points for stage wins and whatnot, I have to ask, do I get bonus points for honesty?”

2. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 28th at Indianapolis after a late crash that sent the No. 42 Target Chevrolet into the wall and into flames.

“Thankfully,” Larson said, “I was able to escape the flames. In most cases, I only get burned by NASCAR inspectors.

“The race was quite boring until about 20 laps remaining. Much like my cars, the Brickyard 400 is famous for its lack of ‘passing.’”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the front row alongside pole sitter Kyle Busch and finished sixth, posting his 13th top 10 of the year.

“My spotter had his credential revoked after he tossed a sandwich and it fell off the top of Indy’s Pagoda,” Harvick said. “Joey Logano’s family had quite a scare when reports stated ‘Sliced Bread Thrown From Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pagoda.”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch’s quest for a third-straight Brickyard 400 victory ended when he crashed with Martin Truex Jr. on a restart with 50 laps to go.

“Before that fateful restart,” Busch said, “Truex and I played a game of ‘Deal Or No Deal.’ However, instead of finding out what was behind the door, we both found out what was behind the wall.”

5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started at the rear of the field after a transmission change and was battling for the lead late when he crashed as his engine smoked after the restart following the races 11th caution. Johnson finished 27th.

“I went three-wide with Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski late in the race at Indianapolis,” Johnson said. “It was basically a game of chicken. I guess I lost, but that’s okay because my seven Cup titles make this chicken the most likely to get ‘roasted’ at the NASCAR awards banquet.”

6. Brad Keselowski: Kasey Kahne beat Keselowski into Turn 1 on the final restart and won the Brickyard 400 under caution. Keselowski finished second.

“When all was said and done,” Keselowski said, “most drivers had spent over six hours in their cars. That’s way longer than most fans spent in their seats.”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 17th at Indianapolis, one lap down to the leaders.

“My Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch said he had a ride lined up for the Indianapolis 500 back on Memorial Day weekend,” Hamlin said. “But Joe Gibbs refused to let Kyle run. I think if you asked Joe, he would tell you that Kyle may be a gigantic ass, but he’s an even more gigantic asset.”

8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray came home 15th in the hot and grueling Brickyard 400.

“The race was a marathon,” McMurray said. “By that, I mean the final 26 miles lasted over two hours.”

9. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 39th in the Brantley Gilbert Big Machine 400 at Indianapolis after blowing an engine just 18 laps into the race.

“Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be joining the NBC booth next year as a race analyst,” Elliott said. “To the legions of Earnhardt Jr. fans out there, NBC will heretofore be known as ‘Junior Station.’”

10. Kasey Kahne: Kahne outlasted the weather, late crashes, and several restarts to win the Brickyard 400, ending a 102-race winless streak.

“After a long hot day at Indianapolis,” Kahne said, “I stole a win and got to kiss the bricks. You could say I made out like a bandit.”

July 24, 2017
Erik Jones to Drive the No. 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing Starting in 2018

Huntersville, NC (July 11, 2017) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that driver Erik Jones will drive the No. 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camry for the organization beginning in 2018.

Matt Kenseth, who currently pilots the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR, will not return to the organization following the 2017 season.

“Matt (Kenseth) has been a tremendous asset to our organization over the past five seasons both on and off the track,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He’s been a great teammate and a great ambassador for our sponsors. We have a great deal of respect for him and we are working hard to get the 20 team into the playoffs to make a run for the championship. We have a great deal of confidence in his abilities to do just that.

“At the same time it’s exciting to have Erik back to run fulltime with us starting next season. When a number of circumstances made it clear over the past few weeks that a second year for the 77 car was probably not viable at this time for Erik, we all agreed that we wanted to keep him in the Toyota racing family and felt it was the right time to make this transition. He is an exciting driver that has already proven to have the ability to compete at the highest level of our sport. He is also shown to be a great representative to our partners and we believe he is at the beginning of a long and successful career.”

Currently competing full time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Furniture Row Racing, Jones sits 14th in the point standings and leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings. Jones made his Cup Series debut in 2015 filling in for the injured Kyle Busch at Kansas Speedway where he led one lap before a mid-race accident derailed a strong finish in his first-career start. With 21 Cup Series career starts, Jones has led 32 laps and earned one top-five finish and five top-ten finishes.

In addition to his strong start in the Cup Series, Jones has made a name for himself with the success he has notched in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS). Making his NCWTS debut in 2013 at Martinsville Speedway, Jones wasted no time finding his way to Victory Lane, earning his first-career victory at Phoenix International Raceway in just his fifth series start. Following his solid start in the Truck Series, Jones competed full-time in the series in 2015. With three wins, 11 top-five finishes, 20 top-10 finishes, five poles and 925 laps led, Jones finished the 2015 season as the Sunoco Rookie of the Year and the Youngest Truck Series Champion in History at the age of 19 years, 5 months and 21 days. Making the step up to the XFINITY Series, Jones made his series debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2014 and earned his first series win in 2015 at Texas Motor Speedway in just his eighth series start. Joining the XFINTY Series full-time in 2016, Jones earned the Rookie of the Year title and made it to the final round of the Championship battle at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but came up short finishing fourth in the series standings with four wins, 15 top-five finishes, 20 top-10 finishes, nine poles and 627 laps led. Jones also holds the title as the youngest driver to complete triple duty, a feat he completed in November 2015 at Texas Motor Speedway where he won the NCWTS race, finished fourth in the XFINITY Series race and 12th in the Cup Series race.

“This is a really exciting time in my career for me to make the move back to Joe Gibbs Racing full time in the Cup Series and continue to have the success I’ve had with them over the last few years. I will always be grateful for the opportunity given to me by Barney Visser and everyone at Furniture Row Racing this year for my first full year in the Cup Series. I’ve learned a lot this year and I’ve had a great group of guys around me each week to lean on as I figured out my rookie season and how to make my way in the Cup Series. The 77 team, from myself, crew chief Chris Gayle and every crew member, we’ve come a long way since February and we still have a lot to accomplish this season. We’ve hit our stride the last few weeks with strong finishes and while it’s nice to have my plans for 2018 announced, I’m focused on continuing to improve and get this team a win before the season ends.”

July 11, 2017
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson crashed on Lap 193 in the Coke Zero 400 when he slipped in front of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and the impact briefly sent Larson airborne. Larson finished 20th.

“That’s not the only thing that went airborne,” Larson said. “My testicles went skyward as well. Talk about an ‘aero package.’”

2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex’s day at Daytona ended on Lap 71 after he was collected in an accident triggered by Kyle Busch’s spin. Truex finished 34th.

“I was just a victim of circumstances,” Truex said. “And those circumstances involved Kyle Busch spinning out of control. But it could have been worse. The only thing worse that Busch physically spinning out of control is Busch mentally spinning out of control. That happens a lot more.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s Daytona race ended on Lap 106 when he blew a right rear tire and slid into traffic, damaging the No. 4 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet. Harvick finished 33rd.

“When you blow a tire at nearly 200 miles per hour,” Harvick said, “there’s not much you can do. You’re basically at the mercy of a car you have no control over. It’s kind of like what driving for Richard Childress Racing must be like today.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 12th at Daytona and now holds seventh place in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“I wore a helmet sporting the likenesses of Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison,” Johnson said. “They have 84 career Cup wins, and I’m only one win away from joining that group. It’s awesome to be mentioned amongst those two NASCAR legends, but I haven’t let it go to my head…until now, that is.”

5. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 20th at Daytona.

“Daniel Suarez really came through on an otherwise tough day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Busch said. “The rookie finished 17th. Daniel is from Mexico, and his presence in the sport has really opened a new demographic for NASCAR. That’s gonna take your typical NASCAR fan some getting used to. To them, the ‘Hispanic Market’ is a specialized convenience store.”

6. Brad Keselowski: After spinning on a Lap 106 accident, Keselowski hit the wall on lap 118, ending the day for Penske Racing after teammate Joey Logano crashed out on Lap 71.

“Congratulations to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.,” Keselowski said. “That’s his second restrictor-plate race win this season after winning at Daytona. He got a kiss from his girlfriend Danica Patrick in Victory Lane after the race. Danica absolutely loves it when her boyfriend wins, because it gives her a reason to be in Victory Lane.”

7. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 22nd in the Coke Zero 400, battling back after a lengthy slide through the grass after contact with Trevor Bayne on Lap 98.

“If you were listening to my radio feed,” Elliott said, “you probably heard me curse when I spun. And if you’re listening to my radio feed, you probably know I just signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. Together, those two facts mean I’m ‘filthy rich.’”

8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray survived a chaotic Coke Zero 400 with a 14th at Daytona. He is eighth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 163 out of first.

“There were a number of wrecks that could be classified as the ‘Big One,’” McMurray said. “But let’s not kid ourselves. The real ‘Big One‘ is McDonald’s Dollar Menu. With food that cheap, you really don’t need to restrict anything on your plate.”

9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse passed David Ragan with two laps to go and held on to win the Coke Zero 400. It was Stenhouse’s second win this season.

“I was lucky to even be in the race at that point,” Stenhouse said. “Kyle Larson wrecked in front of me on Lap 193, but I didn’t hit him because his car went airborne and sailed over me. I guess that gives new meaning to ‘piloting’ a race car.”

10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer took the runner-up spot in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, posting his fourth top five of the year.

“Richard Petty turned 80 on July 2nd,” Bowyer said. “Personally, I admire Richard. He drove in an era when drivers were defined by toughness, guts, and a willingness to scrap for every inch. In those days, you had the ‘King;’ these days, Danica Patrick is certainly not the only driver classified as a ‘princess.’”

July 3, 2017
Mixed Bag Day for Gibbs at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. — Joe Gibbs Racing experienced a mixed bag of results in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Matt Kenseth kicked off the race weekend by taking pole position. He lead from the start to the 164th circuit, winning the first stage, before losing the lead to Brad Keselowski and finishing runner-up in the second stage.

With 38 laps to go, however, he and Chase Elliott made contact in Turn 1, leading to his right-rear tire going flat.

He came home 23rd.

Kyle Busch ran a more “under the radar” race until the final stage. He made his way towards the lead for a lap and hung around the top-five, but was busted for a commitment line violation under the final caution of the race.

He finished 16th.

Daniel Suarez, who started 11th and rallied from a three-lap deficit to finish 12th, described his race as “okay.”

“The first half of the race it was very tough,” Suarez said. “In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, it’s just so difficult. You get behind one or two adjustments and then you get a lap down or two laps down and it’s very difficult to recover that. Luckily we got a lot of cautions right there at the end and I was able to overcome those laps down that I was down. Very proud of the team. They never give up. They were working hard on the race to try to make it better. I just feel like we have to work hard in the first third – first half – of the race to try to stay with the rest of the guys.”

Denny Hamlin was the highlight of the mixed bag.

He put himself in position with finishes of fifth in the first stage and fourth in the second. He first took the lead briefly under the second stage caution break, but lost it to Keselowski on lap 228. He regained it under the fifth caution with 150 to go, thanks to exiting pit road first, and held it until he was edged out at the line by Keselowski with 113 to go.

Hamlin took the lead for the final time under the seventh caution and was passed by Keselowski on the restart with 39 to go.

He brought his car home to a third-place finish.

“We were competitive and our car drove really good,” Hamlin said. “We were just missing some of the speed from the 2 (Brad Keselowski) and the 22 (Joey Logano) – they run a little more sideways than what we run and just they have more grip. I think we optimized our day for the most part and that’s about as good as we could do.”

May 1, 2017