History of Joe Gibbs Racing in Timeline

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is a successful American stock car racing organization established in 1992 by former NFL coach Joe Gibbs and his son, J.D. Gibbs. Based in Huntersville, North Carolina, JGR has achieved significant success in NASCAR, claiming five Cup Series championships, four Xfinity Series championships and one ARCA Series championship, solidifying its place as a prominent team in motorsports.

1991: Team Foundation

In 1991, Joe Gibbs founded Joe Gibbs Racing after exploring opportunities with Don Meredith, who serves as the team's Executive Vice President.

1997: J. D. Gibbs Named Team President

In 1997, Joe Gibbs' son, J. D. Gibbs, was appointed as the team president of Joe Gibbs Racing, taking on a leadership role within the organization.

1998: Facility Construction

In 1998, Joe Gibbs Racing began constructing its facility in Huntersville, North Carolina, consolidating its operations.

1999: Expansion to Two-Car Operation

In 1999, Joe Gibbs Racing expanded to a two-car operation with Tony Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot-sponsored car.

1999: Jason Leffler's First Race

In 1999, Joe Gibbs Racing fielded the No. 18 car for Jason Leffler for one race. Leffler finish 5th at Atlanta.

2000: Leffler's Return at Charlotte

In 2000, Jason Leffler returned at Charlotte, started 2nd and led one lap, but crashed with 55 of 67 laps completed.

2000: Craftsman Truck Series Debut

In 2000, Joe Gibbs Racing fielded trucks numbered 20 and 48 in the Craftsman Truck Series for his sons Coy and J. D. Gibbs. Coy ran 12 races this year.

2001: Full Season for Coy Gibbs

In 2001, Coy Gibbs ran the full season in the Craftsman Truck Series, achieving 21 top 10s and finishing 10th in points.

2002: Full Season for Coy Gibbs

In 2002, Coy Gibbs completed his second full season in the Craftsman Truck Series, finishing with 21 top 10s and a 10th-place points finish.

2004: Truck Series Drivers with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports

From 2004, JGR drivers participated in the Truck Series through Chevrolet-affiliated Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with drivers including Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, J. J. Yeley, Jason Leffler, and Aric Almirola in select races.

2004: ARCA Racing Series Partnership with Shaver Motorsports

From 2004, Joe Gibbs Racing partnered with Shaver Motorsports to field the No. 2 car for development drivers in the ARCA Racing Series. Denny Hamlin finished third in the season finale at Talladega.

2004: Diversity Program Creation

In 2004, Joe Gibbs Racing teamed up with former NFL player Reggie White to establish a diversity program, which eventually formed the basis for NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program.

2005: ARCA Racing Series Partnership with Shaver Motorsports

In 2005, J. J. Yeley ran the season opener at Daytona and Aric Almirola ran the finale at Talladega, as part of his development deal with JGR, with Joe Gibbs Racing partnering with Shaver Motorsports to field the No. 2 car for development drivers in the ARCA Racing Series.

2005: Addition of No. 11 Car

In 2005, Joe Gibbs Racing added the No. 11 FedEx-sponsored car, driven by Denny Hamlin and owned by Coy Gibbs.

2006: Spears Motorsports Partnership

In 2006, JGR contracted Spears Motorsports to field Aric Almirola in their 75 truck for his rookie Truck season. Almirola had three top 10s, and finishing 18th in points.

September 2007: Switch to Toyota Announced

In September 2007, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that they would switch to Toyota after their contract with General Motors ended at the end of the season, citing better resources and options from Toyota. The team had won three Cup championships and over 70 NASCAR races with Chevrolet and Pontiac.

January 5, 2008: Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team Racing Debut

On January 5, 2008, the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team made its racing debut in the first round of the 2008 Supercross Series in Anaheim, CA with riders Josh Hansen and Josh Summey.

August 16, 2008: NASCAR Penalties for Throttle Manipulation

After the August 16, 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR found that the throttle pedal on two Joe Gibbs Racing cars had been manipulated using magnets. Seven crew members were suspended indefinitely, and two drivers and the team were penalized 150 points apiece.

2008: JGRMX Team Formation

In 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing expanded into motorcycle racing, forming the JGRMX team to compete in the AMA motocross and Supercross championships. The team is managed by Gibbs' son, Coy Gibbs.

2008: Switch to Toyota

In 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing switched from General Motors to Toyota, marking a significant change in the team's manufacturer partnership.

2010: Partnership with Kyle Busch Motorsports

From 2010, JGR drivers competed in the Truck Series through Kyle Busch Motorsports, owned by Kyle Busch. KBM used JGR-built engines.

2010: Michigan Entry and Withdrawal

In 2010, Joe Gibbs Racing entered the No. 18 at Michigan for Max Gresham which was also entered again as Brennan Poole. The team would later withdraw their entry from the race entirely due to Gresham having a contractual obligation for another team.

2012: Engine Program Merger

In 2012, Joe Gibbs Racing shuttered its in-house Sprint Cup Series engine program, merging with California-based Toyota Racing Development.

March 25, 2015: J. D. Gibbs Begins Treatment

On March 25, 2015, it was reported that J. D. Gibbs had begun treatment for symptoms affecting brain function, including speech and processing difficulties.

2015: Addition of No. 19 Car

For the 2015 season, Joe Gibbs Racing added the No. 19 car driven by Carl Edwards, who had previously been with Roush Racing.

2015: First Premier Series Championship with Toyota

In 2015, Kyle Busch secured Toyota's first Premier series championship with his victory while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

December 15, 2016: Full-Time Car for Riley Herbst Announcement

On December 15, 2016, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that they would field a car for Riley Herbst full-time in the 2017 season.

2017: Matt Tifft Runs Season Opener

In 2017, Matt Tifft ran the season opener at Daytona due to Riley Herbst not being eligible to compete in the race.

October 2018: Peick's Injury at Paris Supercross

In October 2018, Weston Peick suffered serious facial injuries in a crash at the Paris Supercross while riding for JGRMX/Autotrader/Yoshimura Suzuki.

2018: Closure of Furniture Row Racing

In 2018, Furniture Row Racing closed, sparking controversy regarding the closure of smaller teams who formed a technical alliance with JGR and TRD.

2018: End of Technical Alliance with Furniture Row Racing

In 2018, Joe Gibbs Racing's technical alliance with Furniture Row Racing, a single-car team based in Denver, Colorado, concluded after the season, due to Furniture Row Racing closing.

2018: Herbst Full-Time Season

In 2018, Riley Herbst returned for another full-time season with Joe Gibbs Racing.

January 11, 2019: J. D. Gibbs Dies

On January 11, 2019, J. D. Gibbs passed away due to complications from a degenerative neurological disease.

January 25, 2019: Memorial Service for J. D. Gibbs

On January 25, 2019, a memorial service was held to honor the life of J. D. Gibbs.

2019: J. D. Gibbs Death

In 2019, J. D. Gibbs, son of Joe Gibbs, passed away. He had been running Joe Gibbs Racing with his father.

2019: Herbst and Gibbs Share No. 18 Car

In 2019, Riley Herbst drove the No. 18 car for eight races, while Ty Gibbs drove for 11 races, winning at Gateway and Salem, Todd Gilliland drove one race at Pocono.

2020: Closure of Leavine Family Racing

In 2020, Leavine Family Racing closed, adding to controversy regarding smaller teams closing after forming a technical alliance with JGR and TRD.

2020: Gibbs and Herbst Share No. 18 Car

In 2020, Ty Gibbs ran 16 races, winning six times, while Riley Herbst ran the other four races. Gibbs finished fifth in the driver's standings and also raced in the ARCA East series, winning at Toledo and finishing second in the standings.

2021: Technical Alliance with 23XI Racing

In 2021, Joe Gibbs Racing formed a technical alliance with 23XI Racing, expanding its collaborative efforts in the sport.

2021: Smith Wins East Championship

In 2021, Sammy Smith ran the No. 18 and 81 cars and would win the East Championship with those cars.

2021: Gibbs' ARCA Domination and Championship

In 2021, Ty Gibbs ran full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, winning 10 of the 20 races and finishing in the top three 17 times, securing the series championship. He also won standalone ARCA West and East events at Phoenix and Dover, respectively.

2021: ARCA Menards Series Championship

In 2021, Ty Gibbs won the ARCA Menards Series championship while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

2022: No. 18 Fielded by Kyle Busch Motorsports

For 2022, the No. 18 car was fielded by Kyle Busch Motorsports, marking a shift in team operations.

2022: Partnership with Kyle Busch Motorsports Ended

In 2022, the partnership between Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports ended after Kyle Busch left the organization, concluding a period where KBM used JGR-built engines.

June 2023: Sale of Minority Stakes to HBSE and Arctos Partners

In June 2023, Joe Gibbs Racing sold minority stakes to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Arctos Partners. Joe Gibbs became a limited partner of HBSE as part of the transaction.

2023: Sawalich Clinches ARCA Menards Series East Championship

Following the 2023 Bristol race, William Sawalich clinched the 2023 ARCA Menards Series East championship with Joe Gibbs Racing.

2023: Minority Stakes Sold

In 2023, Joe Gibbs Racing sold minority stakes to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Arctos Partners, marking a significant investment in the team.

2023: Sawalich's win at Phoenix

In 2023, Sawalich had two top-five finished before he would pick up a win at Phoenix.

2023: No. 18 Returns to JGR

In 2023, the No. 18 car returned to Joe Gibbs Racing, with Connor Mosack driving six races and William Sawalich driving 13 races.

2024: Sawalich and Gray Share No. 18 Car

During the 2024 season, the No. 18 car was shared between William Sawalich and Tanner Gray. Sawalich achieved three wins and seven top-three finishes.