Jeffrey Earnhardt Joins JGR for Limited 2019 Xfinity Schedule

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer

Two historic names in the world of motorsports will come together in 2019 as Jeffrey Earnhardt will compete for Joe Gibbs Racing. Earnhardt will drive for JGR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series team in nine races.

Earnhardt’s debut race with JGR will be in the 2019 season opener at Daytona International Speedway. He will drive the new No. 18 Xtreme Concepts Inc. Toyota Supra in the 300-Mile event. Further schedule details will be announced at a later date.

Earnhardt has competed in 151 NASCAR National Series events in his career. Only once in that time frame has he been in equipment comparable to JGR. In 2013 at Richmond Raceway, Earnhardt finished 17^thdriving for his uncle, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s JR Motorsports. He also has just one top-10 finish in those 151 starts, a seventh-place finish at Daytona in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2011.

“I’ve worked incredibly hard for this opportunity and I’ve got to thank Xtreme Concepts for making it happen,” said Earnhardt, the grandson of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt. “You see the level of expertise Joe Gibbs Racing has and the caliber of equipment they bring to the racetrack every week. As a driver, it’s exactly where you want to be. It’s the best opportunity I’ve had in my career and I plan to make the most of it.”

Since the organization’s first Xfinity Series start in 1997, JGR has earned 151 victories in 1,535 starts. The team also has 522 top-five and 857 top-10 finishes, along with 156 pole positions. JGR has earned four Owner’s Championships in the Xfinity Series, most recently in 2016 with Daniel Suarez’s No. 19 team.

“From the time we first came to NASCAR in 1992, we’ve always put forth maximum effort to have the best possible results on the racetrack,” said Coy Gibbs, Vice Chairman and COO, JGR. “Our Xfinity Series program is the perfect example of what happens when preparation meets execution.

“We’ve had both up-and-coming and veteran drivers achieve success in our racecars, and that success has translated to the partners they’ve represented. We think Jeffrey Earnhardt has the talent to win races and deliver strong results for Xtreme Concepts.”

Now Earnhardt will have a similar opportunity that has seen Ryan Preece and Ross Chastain earn themselves full-time rides in competitive equipment.