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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.

  • Ty Dillon joins Gaunt Brothers Racing for Daytona 500 attempt

    Ty Dillon joins Gaunt Brothers Racing for Daytona 500 attempt

    Gaunt Brothers Racing announced that Ty Dillon will be driving the No. 96 Toyota Camry as he attempts to qualify for the 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 14.

    Dillon, a former champion in the ARCA Racing Series, will be receiving sponsorship support from Bass Pro Shops and Black Rifle Coffee Company as he attempts to make his seventh start in the Daytona 500 and his first NASCAR Cup Series start in a Toyota, with GBR entering Daytona without a charter nor a guaranteed spot for the 500.

    “Gaunt Brothers Racing has given me a great opportunity to compete in the Daytona 500 and I couldn’t be happier,” Dillon said. “I love superspeedway races and the Daytona 500 is the biggest of them all. Toyota has certainly proven itself in our sport and in the Daytona 500. I’m looking forward to racing with them and reuniting with Bass Pro Shops and Black Rifle Coffee Company.”

    In addition, Dillon will be competing in a new Toyota Camry from GBR and with a Toyota Racing Development-powered engine.

    “The best way to get a good start to your season is to have a good finish in the Daytona 500,” Marty Gaunt, President of Gaunt Brothers Racing, said. “We’ve got a talented driver in Ty Dillon with a strong TRD engine plugged into the best equipment available. Together with Toyota, Bass Pro Shops and Black Rifle Coffee Company, we’re ready to compete and surprise some people.”

    Dillon is coming off his fourth full-time season in the Cup circuit, where he claimed a stage victory, a career-best third-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October, two top-10 results and a 26th-place result in the 2020 standings in the No. 13 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Germain Racing. With Germain Racing ceasing operations due to sponsor GEICO not renewing with the organization, Dillon was originally left without a full-time ride heading into the 2021 NASCAR season until joining forces with GBR.

    Through 2020, Dillon has made 365 starts between NASCAR’s top three national touring series (Cup, Xfinity and Truck). Having won three Truck career races and one Xfinity race, Dillon is still pursuing his first victory in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Gaunt Brothers Racing is coming off its first full-time season in the Cup Series with Daniel Suarez behind the wheel of the No. 96 Toyota. The driver and team failed to qualify for the 2020 Daytona 500, but went on to achieve three top-20 results and a 31st-place in the final standings. Suarez is set to drive for the newly formed Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021.

    Through 2020, GBR has made 73 starts in the Cup Series, including three in the Daytona 500. Like Dillon, the team is pursuing its first Cup victory.

    Schedules for Dillon and GBR for the remainder of the 2021 season remain to be announced.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Adam Stevens to reach 200 Cup starts as crew chief at Dover

    Adam Stevens to reach 200 Cup starts as crew chief at Dover

    A significant milestone is in the making for Adam Stevens, crew chief for Kyle Busch and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry team in the NASCAR Cup Series. By the time the Cup Series completes its upcoming doubleheader races at Dover International Speedway on August 22 and 23, Stevens will reach 200 starts as a Cup crew chief.

    A native of Portsmouth, Ohio, who raced in late models throughout high school and college, and whose father raced dune buggies and dirt late model cars, Stevens’ career in working with racing cars started off as a designer for Petty Enterprises after graduating from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. After working for Petty Enterprises for three seasons, he joined Joe Gibbs Racing and worked as a race engineer for Tony Stewart, crew chief Greg Zipadelli and the No. 20 Home Depot team. Stevens worked with Stewart from 2005 to 2008, winning the 2005 Cup title with Stewart, and continued working with JGR’s No. 20 Toyota team as a team engineer from 2009 and 2010 with Joey Logano.

    In 2011, Joe Gibbs Racing fielded three cars for the Xfinity Series season and Stevens was named crew chief for the team’s No. 20 Toyota Camry team driven by a number of competitors, including Logano, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Truex. In April, Stevens achieved his first NASCAR win as a crew chief when Hamlin won at Richmond. From 2011 to 2014, Stevens won 31 NASCAR Xfinity Series career races as a crew chief with drivers Hamlin, Logano, Kyle Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. between the Nos. 18, 20 and 54 operations. During his four-year span as an Xfinity crew chief, Adams worked with 12 competitors.

    In 2015, JGR underwent major changes to its driver-crew chief pairing for its Cup and Xfinity Series program. As part of the changes, Stevens graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series and was named crew chief for Kyle Busch and the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry team. A day prior to the 2015 Daytona 500, however, Busch suffered a massive compound fracture in his lower right leg, a small fracture in his left foot and a sprained left finger after being involved in a multi-car wreck in the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway, where he made head-on contact into a concrete barrier installed with no SAFER barriers. As a result, with Busch out of the early portions of the season due to his injuries, Stevens worked with Matt Crafton, David Ragan and Erik Jones for the first 11 races of the season. In May, Busch was medically cleared to return behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota and was also granted an injury waiver to make the Playoffs if he won and gained enough points to remain within the top-30 mark by Richmond in September. Following his first four Cup races with Busch, Stevens achieved his first Cup victory as a crew chief when Busch won at Sonoma Raceway the following race.

    Following the win at Sonoma, Busch and Adams stormed out of the gate as they won three consecutive races over the summer (Kentucky Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway). With five additional top-10 results to go along with four regular-season victories, Busch was able to earn enough points to make the Playoffs. Throughout the Playoffs, Busch was consistent and was able to earn a spot in the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the finale, Busch took the lead on a late restart and was able to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series championship after winning the finale. The championship was not only the first for Busch, but it was also the fourth for Joe Gibbs Racing, the first for Toyota and the first for Adam Stevens in his rookie season as a Cup crew chief.

    For the first 11 races of the 2016 Cup season, Busch and Adams won three races (Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway) and achieved nine top-five results. Following Busch’s victory at Kansas in May, however, the No. 18 team was issued a P3-level penalty as a result of an infraction with the No. 18 Toyota’s lug nuts discovered during post-race inspection. As a result, Stevens was fined $20,000 and suspended for one race along with front tire changer Josh Leslie while veteran Todd Berrier filled in as an interim crew chief. When Adams returned atop the pit box at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 in May, he and Busch achieved seven top-10 results and won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the second year in a row as they both qualified for the Playoffs. Throughout the Playoffs, Busch was consistent as he earned eight top-10 results and made the Championship Round at Homestead with an opportunity to defend the title from the previous season. During the finale, however, Busch and Adams concluded the season in third place in the final standings after Busch finished in sixth place, five spots behind race winner and the champion Jimmie Johnson.

    In 2017, Adams was atop the No. 18 pit box for 32 of the season’s 36-race schedule. In May, Adams and Busch captured the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and in Busch’s 12th attempt to win NASCAR’s annual event. In June, following the 12th race of the season at Dover, Stevens was suspended for the upcoming four races due to a safety violation, where a left-rear tire came off of Busch’s car and rolled on the track as Busch was exiting his pit stall and heading back on the track under cautious pace. This was a result of Busch’s car being dropped off the jack with no lug nuts being safely secured on the left-rear tire. Engineers Ben Beshore and Jacob Canter served as interim crew chiefs before Stevens returned atop the pit box at Kentucky Speedway in July. Three races later, Stevens and Kyle Busch achieved their first victory of the season at Pocono Raceway. The combo would win four more races, make the Playoffs and make it all the way through to the Championship Round at Homestead, where they settled in the runner-up spot behind Martin Truex Jr., crew chief Cole Pearn and Furniture Row Racing. By the time the 2017 concluded, Stevens surpassed 100 races as a Cup crew chief.

    From 2018 to 2019, Stevens was atop the No. 18 pit box for the entire 36-race schedule. With Kyle Busch remaining as driver of the No. 18 Toyota, the combo achieved 13 wins, five poles, 39 top-five results, 56 top-10 results and back-to-back regular-season titles. In addition, Busch and Stevens claimed their second Cup championship in 2019 after winning the finale at Homestead and capping off a dominating season for Joe Gibbs Racing, which achieved its fifth Cup career title after winning 19 races throughout the 2019 season. By then, Adams also achieved his 27th Cup career win as a crew chief.

    This season, through the first 23 Cup races of this season and in his sixth season as a Cup crew chief, Adams and Busch have earned one stage win, 10 top-five results, 12 top-10 results, 211 laps led and an average result of 15.1. With Busch still pursuing his first Cup victory of the season, they are in 10th place in the regular-season standings and are 100 points above the top-16 cutline to make this year’s Playoffs with three regular-season races remaining.

    Catch Adams’ milestone start in the second Dover International Speedway race of a doubleheader weekend on August 23 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Bell to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2021 Cup season

    Bell to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2021 Cup season

    Christopher Bell has a place to call home for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. That place is Joe Gibbs Racing after the organization named Bell as driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry and as part of the team’s four-car stable alongside Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

    Bell, a native from Norman, Oklahoma, is currently competing in his first full-time season in the Cup Series as a rookie candidate and in the No. 95 Toyota Camry for Leavine Family Racing. Bell’s move to JGR comes four days after Erik Jones, who is currently in his third season driving the No. 20 Toyota, announced that he will not be returning to the organization for next season. The move also came six days after Bob Leavine, owner of Leavine Family Racing, announced that he has sold his team and that the organization will be ceasing all operations following the 2020 Cup season.

    The move to Joe Gibbs Racing is also a reunion for Bell, who first drove for the team as a part-time competitor in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season before racing full time in 2018. From 2017 to 2019, Bell won 16 Xfinity races and made it all the way to the Championship Round in 2018 and 2019, with a best points result of third place in 2019. In addition, Bell will become the fifth competitor to pilot the iconic No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing since its inception in 1999.

    “I’m so appreciative of the opportunity I have this year with LFR and I want to finish this season strong for Bob [Leavine] and everyone there,” Bell said. “At the same time, I’m extremely excited to return to Joe Gibbs Racing starting in 2021. It’s an organization I’m very comfortable with and have had a lot of success with.”

    “We are excited to bring Christopher into our Cup Series program starting in 2021,” Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, added. “He obviously had tremendous success in the Xfinity Series with us and we look forward to his return to JGR.”

    Additional announcements regarding Bell’s crew chief and sponsors for next season will be announced at a later date.

    Through the first 22 races of this year’s Cup season, Bell has notched one top-five result and five top-10 results. He is ranked 19th in the regular-season standings and is 122 points below the top-16 cutline to make the 2020 Cup Playoffs with four regular-season races remaining.

    The NASCAR Cup Series will return to action on Sunday, August 16, for the inaugural race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Kyle Busch, Almirola remain in Playoff contention with top-six runs at Michigan

    Kyle Busch, Almirola remain in Playoff contention with top-six runs at Michigan

    While Kevin Harvick capped off an eventful NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader weekend at Michigan International Speedway with back-to-back victories, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola kept themselves in guaranteed spots for this year’s Playoffs after both notched top-10 results on Sunday, August 9, at the Irish Hills. To go along with their results from the first Michigan race on Saturday, August 8, and the stage points they collected during the two Michigan races, both left the Irish Hills satisfied with their runs as they continue to set their sights towards the postseason and an opportunity to win the 2020 Cup title.

    A day after having a potential shot of winning evaporated following the slightest of contact with eventual winner Harvick, Kyle Busch started Sunday’s race in 16th place and with vengeance. When the green flag waved, Busch wasted no time working his way towards the front. Following the first five laps, he had worked his way into the top 10 as he was running in seventh. Late in the first stage, the Las Vegas native made his way into the top five as he was scored in third. Ultimately, he would retain third place when the first stage concluded as he collected a chunk load of stage points towards the Playoffs. Following a stellar pit stop under the stage break, Busch emerged with the lead for the start of the second stage. At the start of the second stage, Busch, who led four laps, was quickly overtaken by Harvick for the lead. Nonetheless, Busch remained towards the front as he grabbed another third-place result in the second stage along with more stage points.

    Following a pit stop under the second stage break, Busch restarted in second place for the final stage. For the remainder of the race and under the final 65 laps, he kept his No. 18 M&M’s Fudge Brownie Toyota Camry within the top 10 and battled for a top-five spot alongside teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. When the checkered flag flew, Busch settled in fourth place, one spot higher than his fifth-place result on Saturday. Even though his winless streak of this season extended for another week and to 22 races, Busch’s 10th top-five result of this season kept the reigning Cup champion 140 points above the top-16 cutline with four regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Cup Playoffs commences.

    “At the end of the day, we slowed down a little bit on the long runs,” Kyle Busch said on NBCSN. “That’s just what we had. We got about all we could get out of the day. I felt like [Harvick] was the best car, [Brad Keselowski] was second best, [Hamlin] at the end showed up and was pretty fast, but [Truex] and myself were really even. That’s about all we had. Great day again for the M&M’s Fudge Brownie Camry. We come to Michigan not normally looking for top-five days, but this has been two good days. Hopefully, we can keep some momentum rolling and get ready to go next week [at Daytona], turn right and turn left. Yesterday and today, the car drove great. Best driving car I’ve had here at Michigan…We stayed consistent with many of the things that we were doing from yesterday just to have a good solid effort of it today and not screw anything up.”

    Compared to Busch, Aric Almirola had an up-and-down weekend at Michigan that ended up on a positive note. A day after finishing 16th, Almirola, who was scheduled to start in fifth place, dropped to the rear of the field in a backup car. Throughout the first stage and the first 40 laps, he methodically carved his way through the field and was scored in 19th. Starting 16th in the second stage, he cracked the top 10 throughout the run under green. By the time the second stage concluded, he finished eighth and collected a handful of stage points.

    Starting 11th in the final stage, Almirola flexed his muscles as he made his way into the top five. Under 50 laps remaining, however, Almirola and his No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang emerged with the lead under caution through miscommunication when he had meant to pit with the leaders. For the ensuing restart, he led nine laps before he was overtaken by Harvick. While the run progressed, Almirola remained well inside the top 10, but needed a caution to complete the race with a shot of winning. A caution for debris under 20 laps remaining saved Almirola from pitting under green and falling a lap behind. When he pitted, however, he fell back near the top 20 while most of the leaders elected to remain on track. For the remainder of the race, Almirola benefited from the four fresh tires and fuel to charge his way back to the top 10. He had a shot in overtaking Joey Logano for fifth place in the final laps, but he was unable to navigate his way around Logano as he crossed the finish line in sixth place. Almirola’s 13th top-10 result of this season has the Floridian 158 points above the cutline and in a stable position of making his fourth postseason appearance.

    “We overcame a lot today,” Almirola said on NBCSN. “We had to start in the back with a backup car, drove literally from 32nd all the way up to sixth and then, had that miscue on pit road about what we were doing for pitting. Led some laps there, which was nice but I knew that we were in trouble ’cause everybody else could make it on fuel and we couldn’t. So, we pitted, got four tires on [the car] and drove from 22nd back up to sixth again in about 12 laps. Really proud of [crew chief Mike] Buga [Bugarewicz] and all the guys on this team. Yesterday was not a very good day. It was a learning experience and a character-building experience. We learned so much from that and [prepared a] completely different racecar and a different mentality for today, back to what we’ve been running the last couple of months and we’ve had a lot more success on this. Excited to go these next few weeks and get ready for the Playoffs. I don’t know what to expect for next weekend at the Daytona road course but nonetheless, we’ve got a great car, great team and we’re excited about the Playoffs when they come.”

    Almirola and Busch, along with their fellow Cup competitors, will return on Sunday, August 16, for the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona International Speedway road course layout, which will occur at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Byron to surpass 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    Byron to surpass 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    In the midst of his battle for a postseason berth this season, William Byron is also set to achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. By competing in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, Byron will reach and surpass 150 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a student at Liberty University, Byron’s debut within NASCAR’s three major division series came in November 2015 at Phoenix Raceway and in the No. 9 Liberty University Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series. By then, he had achieved the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series (ARCA) East championship and was named as a full-time driver for KBM for the 2016 Truck Series season. Byron’s Truck debut at Phoenix in 2015 was cut short six laps into the event following a multi-truck wreck.

    Byron started the 2016 campaign with a 13th-place result at Daytona, which was followed by a 32nd-place result at Atlanta due to an engine failure and a third-place result at Martinsville Speedway. At Kansas Speedway in May, Byron benefitted from an accident on the final lap and final corner involving leaders Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes to achieve his first Truck Series career win in his fifth series start. Following his first victory, Byron’s season skyrocketed with sensational results that included wins at Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Pocono Raceway and at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. By then, he was a member in the postseason and deemed a title favorite. Everything, however, came to a crushing defeat at Phoenix in November when Byron’s engine blew up and the mechanical issue prevented the Charlotte native and his No. 9 Toyota team from transferring to the Championship Round with an opportunity of winning the title. Despite the misfortune, he rebounded by winning the finale at Homestead and concluding the season in fifth in the final standings. Overall, Byron concluded the season with seven victories (the most among a Truck rookie candidate), three poles, 11 top-five results, 16 top-10 results, 727 laps led and an average result of 9.2. In addition, he was named the 2016 Truck Rookie of the Year as he also recorded the owners’ title for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

    In August 2016, Byron signed a multi-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports that included an opportunity for him to race in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports. Driving the No. 9 Liberty University/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro led by crew chief Dave Elenz, Byron commenced his rookie Xfinity season with a ninth-place result at Daytona. Twelve races into the season, he finished in the top 10 six times. At Michigan in June, Byron was edged by Denny Hamlin by 0.012 seconds. The following race at Iowa Speedway, Byron was not to be denied as he scored his first Xfinity triumph. He responded again the following race by achieving his second series career victory at Daytona International Speedway. Three races later, Byron recorded another win of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following an intense battle with Paul Menard. Through 31 of 33 Xfinity races, Byron recorded three victories, two poles, 10 top-five results and 20 top-10 results as he was also a member of the Playoffs. At Phoenix in November, Byron benefitted from a late two-tire pit stop to win and clinch his spot to the Championship Round at Homestead. During the finale at Homestead, Byron made a late pass on teammate and championship rival Elliott Sadler to finish in third place and achieve his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship over Sadler, teammate Justin Allgaier and Daniel Hemric. In addition to achieving his first NASCAR Xfinity title and becoming the second rookie candidate to win the series title, Byron recorded the second championship for JR Motorsports.

    The 2018 season provided a new start of Byron’s racing career as he graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series to pilot the iconic No. 24 AXALTA/Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 led by crew chief Darian Grubb. Byron started his rookie Cup season on a down note, finishing 23rd in the Daytona 500 and achieving one top-10 result through the first 18 races of the season. The end of July and beginning of August provided Byron’s highest moments of the season as he achieved back-to-back top-10 results at Pocono Raceway and at Watkins Glen International. Overall, Byron wrapped up his rookie Cup season with four top-10 results, 61 laps led and an average result of 22.1. He was also able to wrap up the 2018 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title over Bubba Wallace.

    In 2019, Byron was paired with seven-time championship-winning crew chief Chad Knaus, who was formerly with seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson. The Charlotte native started a new season of racing on a high note by winning his first Cup career pole position for the 61st running of the Daytona 500. With his accomplishment, Byron became the third competitor to win the pole for the 500 driving the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He led 44 laps throughout the 500 and was in position of posting a strong result until a late wreck left him in 21st place in the final running order. Byron’s highest result for the following five races was 15th at Auto Club Speedway in March. At Texas, where he made his 100th across NASCAR’s three major division series, Byron recorded his first top-10 result of the season (sixth). For the remaining 20 regular-season races, Byron achieved three top-five results, eight top-10 results and three additional poles as he made his first appearance as a Cup postseason contender. He went on to achieve four more top-10 results and another pole before concluding the season in a career-best 11th place in the standings. Though he did not win a race, Byron notched career-high stats that included five top-five results, 13 top-10 results, five poles, 233 laps led and a best average result of 14.9. His other highlight to the season was winning the first stage of the All-Star Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May in a photo finish over Bubba Wallace, a win that transferred Byron and the No. 24 team to the All-Star Race. He finished ninth in the main event.

    This season, Byron started off with early momentum by winning the second Duel qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway and to line up in fourth place for the Daytona 500. He, however, finished last of the 40-car field following a wreck past the one-quarter mark of the race. Through the first 20 races of this season, he has achieved six top-10 results and an average result of 17.6. He is 15 points above the top-16 cutline with six regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Cup Playoffs field is determined.

    In his 149 previous starts across NASCAR’s three major division series, Byron has achieved 11 wins, 10 poles, 28 top-five results, 61 top-10 results and over 1,300 laps led.

    Catch Byron’s milestone start at Michigan on August 8 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.