Jason Leffler was 12th last week at Martinsville. Credit: Autostock

Gibbs: No plans to swap Leffler for Burton

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs on Sunday denied published reports that Jason Leffler is on the way out of the No. 11 Chevrolet and Ward Burton is on the way in.

Leffler, driving the high-profile No. 11 Chevrolet, has started slowly, scoring no top-10 finishes in six starts.

The team has been burned by bad luck all season. Leffler was caught up in a wreck in the season-opening Daytona 500, then an engine let go the next week at Fontana, putting Leffler 37th in the standings.

Gibbs called Leffler on Saturday night at Texas to give a vote of confidence.

"I called Jason and kind of laughed," Gibbs said. "We have a multi-year deal with Jason and with FedEx, so there is no truth to that.

"I said, 'You don't have to worry about that,' and he said, 'I know.'"

Joe Gibbs Racing has never released a driver on the Nextel Cup Series level in its history, and Gibbs said that Leffler has a three-year deal to drive the car.

"We like long-term relationships with sponsors and team drivers," Gibbs said. "He's has been great, everything off the track. We have got to finish first and show improvement, which we have been doing.

"Anytime you bring a new group together, that is the hardest thing, getting people to know each other."

Leffler finished a season-high 12th last weekend at Martinsville.

A source close to Burton also denied the rumor.