JGR Tag

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. –With eight victories heading into Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Busch was having a career year, tying a personal-best mark with victories and setting career-highs in top-fives (21) and top-10s (27). However, Busch’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota lacked rear grip throughout the race and struggled on pit road. It was an atypical performance from one of the strongest teams of the season when it counted the most. “We just didn’t have the rear grip thatRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The clear favorite heading into the championship race on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway was Christopher Bell. The Norman, Oklahoma native had a stellar rookie campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, winning seven times to break the rookie record for wins in a season (previously five, set by Greg Biffle – 2001, Kyle Busch – 2004 and Carl Edwards – 2005). Bell qualified second in the No. 20 GameStop Transformers Toyota and was scored in the sixth position at the end of StageRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer NEWTON, Iowa — Sunday didn’t get off to the start that Christopher Bell would have hoped, as his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota didn’t make it through pre-qualifying inspection in time to make a lap in the first round of knockout qualifying at Iowa Speedway. As a result, Bell started the NASCAR XFINITY Series Iowa 250 from the 39th position. It was only a matter of time before Bell would become a factor in the race, cracking the top-10 by Lap 28 and running sixth byRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer NEWTON, Iowa — The NASCAR XFINITY Series at Iowa Speedway typically produces great racing and more often than not good story lines of drivers making their series debuts. With the standalone weekend, NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series regulars typically don’t make the trip to Iowa. Riley Herbst got the opportunity to pilot the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and the Las Vegas, Nevada native took full advantage. Making the final round of knockout qualifying for Sunday’s Iowa 250, Herbst rolled off from the ninth positionRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer SPARTA, Ky. – Matt Tifft was originally scheduled to compete in over thirty races this season between the NASCAR Camping World Truck and XFINITY Series and the ARCA Racing Series. That planned changed in June when the 20-year-old driver went in for an MRI as a result of a back condition. Doctors discovered a low-grade glioma in his brain that would require surgery and keep Tifft out of competition as he recovered. After almost three months of rehabilitation, Tifft returned to competition last weekend atRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor FORT WORTH, Texas – Shortly before today’s ongoing AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials confiscated the front splitters from the No. 11, No. 18 and No. 19 of Joe Gibb’s Racing machines. It is believed that the crews altered the splitters by using bondo to create aerodynamic ‘concaves’ in them to create a small but meaningful aerodynamic advantage. The confiscated pieces will be taken to NASCAR’S R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina for further examination. It will then be decided if the teamsRead More