JGR moves benefit more than just team

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Holly Cain

Cain: Implications are positive, far-reaching across sport

The long-anticipated Joe Gibbs Racing announcement that it will add Carl Edwards as a fourth driver next year is big, if not unexpected, news in the NASCAR landscape.

But equally as significant was the accompanying news of Mexican hot shoe Daniel Suarez getting a full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series ride at JGR and that the sport is getting a pair of multibillion-dollar companies in ARRIS and TELMEX as new sponsors/partners.

What’s good for JGR is good for NASCAR.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Adding Edwards to a lineup that already includes former premier series champion Matt Kenseth and a pair of perennial contenders in Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin elevates the Joe Gibbs team in star power and can-do. There is no weak link in talent, and if the chemistry is right and the Toyotas are fast, it gives JGR a legitimate chance to breathe — heavily — down the necks of Hendrick Motorsports‘ and Stewart-Haas Racing‘s established fearsome foursomes.

A fourth car at JGR is an exponential jump in resources, and maybe that will be the difference in sealing the championship deal for the team.

There will be a lot of loud speculation and debate about Edwards’ potential contribution to JGR. Will he fit in with the other drivers? How will he adjust moving from Ford to Toyota? Will the additional team ultimately be more beneficial or extra weight to the operation?

Back in the NASCAR offices and corporate boardrooms, that same sort of excited buzz is generated by the business end of this deal.

Robert Stanzione, CEO of ARRIS Group Inc., and Carlos Slim Domit, CEO of Mexican telecommunications giant TelMex, shared the stage with Edwards, Suarez and all the JGR executives during Tuesday’s official announcement.

After giving a little background about ARRIS — a multibillion-dollar company that manufacturers equipment like modems used by cable companies to transmit high-speed data — Stanzione asked the audience of mostly press members to raise their hand if they had ever heard of ARRIS before.

"I see maybe four hands,” he said smiling with the knowledge that was about to change.

By the end of the formal presentation, it had already as news got out that ARRIS will be the primary sponsor on Edwards’ No. 19 Toyota for 17 races in 2015 and will team up with Suarez full time in the Nationwide Series and a handful of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events driving for Busch’s team.

It gives the sport diversity both in Suarez, but also in terms of a corporate partner in ARRIS committed to several platforms and Escuderia TelMex commitment to further developing Mexican drivers to compete in NASCAR.

The star power here is not just limited to Gibbs and Edwards, but includes world-renowned corporations willing to make huge financial commitments on the solid bet that it will pay off in success and notoriety.

And history shows that kind of commitment can be contagious.

"This is one of the biggest days in Joe Gibbs Racing’s history,” Gibbs said Tuesday.

And as it turns out, a big day for all of NASCAR as well.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on August 19, 2014 by RJ Kraft

Hendrick Motorsports driver earns first top-10 in last six races

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Staff Report

Owner won two titles with ‘Smoke’

Joe Gibbs, who won 33 races and two championships with Tony Stewart from 1999-2008, said Tuesday from his team’s headquarters in Huntersville, North Carolina, that the time hasn’t yet been right for him to reach out to the racer.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

”I didn’t feel like it was the right time (to call him),” Gibbs said, according to the Associated Press. ”We all love Tony. I love what he did for us here. We all know he’s a racer’s racer, and he’s big for our sport.”

Stewart has missed the past two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races since an August 9 sprint car tragedy in which fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr. died. Several drivers at Michigan last week said they had reached out to Stewart to offer support, and had not yet heard back.

All those drivers also reiterated that racing sprint cars was a passion for Stewart, something Gibbs picked up early in their relationship.

”I had to spend 30 minutes listening to him how he won a dirt late model race," Gibbs said. "He was so excited. I came to the conclusion that was him — for him to be happy and doing the things that he wanted to do, he was going to be racing.

”Tony’s got great courage. He’s smart. He loves this sport. He’s totally focused on it. He doesn’t have distractions. He’s very important to our sport. This is a horrible thing to have happen for the Ward family, for him.”

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Staff Report

Social mosaic encapsulates reaction from NASCAR Nation

Carl Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing officially announced on Thursday that Edwards would join the JGR organization next season.

Check out the social mosaic below for unique images, and join in the conversation yourself.

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Staff Report

Learn more about the impact across four NASCAR racing series

On Tuesday, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Carl Edwards and Daniel Suarez would join the organization in 2015 to compete full time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series, respectively.

ARRIS Group, Inc. will sponsor Edwards in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with JGR expanding its operations to include a fourth team. ARRIS also will support Suarez in a multi-year program, starting in 2015 in the Nationwide Series, as well as a partial schedule in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

JGR also launched a diversity initiative with Escuderia TELMEX and support from ARRIS to provide developmental opportunities to deserving Mexican and Latin American candidates in the NASCAR Toyota Series in Mexico and other racing series under the JGR umbrella.

Learn more about the drivers, what they will drive and the people and sponsors behind the new partnership with JGR.

Who is Carl Edwards?
A Missouri native, Edwards is currently eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings with two wins, five top-five and nine top-10 finishes this season. Over the course of his 11-year career, he has won 23 races with 106 top-five and 182 top-10 finishes. In addition to his 23 Sprint Cup Series wins, Edwards has compiled 38 wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and won the championship in 2007. His highest finish in the Sprint Cup Series season was in 2011 when he was runner-up to Tony Stewart based on a tiebreaker.

What number will Carl Edwards drive?
No. 19 Toyota Camry, sponsored for 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races by ARRIS Group, Inc.

What about the remaining 19 races?
Joe Gibbs said, "That announcement will be coming out a little bit later. We’ll be announcing some things to fill out the car, but most of that is already done."

What is ARRIS Group, Inc?
ARRIS is a global innovator in IP, video and broadband technology. The company has notched several technology firsts: wireless broadband gateway; set-top with HD and DVR; headless, whole-home video gateway; wide scale CMTS deployment; MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 digital ad insertion. It has been recognized with 15 Technical Emmy Awards.

Who is Daniel Suarez?
Suarez is currently competing full time for Escuderia TELMEX in the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series, where he leads that series, and competes in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Rev Racing Team in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He has four wins and six top-five finishes in 10 starts in the NASCAR Toyota Series and has added two wins, four top-five and seven top-10 finishes this season in 12 K&N Pro Series starts. Suarez made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut with JGR earlier this season at Richmond International Raceway with a 19th-place finish, and he was a member of the inaugural NASCAR Next class.

What number will Daniel Suarez drive?
No. 18 Toyota Camry.

How does the Suarez announcement impact the other JGR Nationwide Series teams?
"Right now a lot of that is still in the process of being worked out and worked through," Joe Gibbs said. "We’re working hard on it, and we love that series. We run as many as four cars. That’s a possibility for us. We’re working through all those things right now."

What is Escuderia TELMEX?
Per the escuderiatelmex.com: From its beginning in 2002 Escuderia Telmex has characterized itself by having the best Mexican drivers racing in every track taking Mexico’s and Telmex’s name always on the top. Those drivers include NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver and former NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series champion German Quiroga, NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series drivers Daniel Suarez and Jose Luis Ramirez and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship driver Memo Rojas.

What is TELMEX?
TELMEX is the leading telecommunications company in Mexico. Founded in 1947, its chairman, Carlos Slim, was ranked by Forbes magazine as the richest man in the world from 2010-2013. His son, Carlos Slim Domit is the chairman of the board for Grupo Carso and co-founder of Escuderia TELMEX along with Jimmy Morales. Carlos Slim Domit said sponsorship of JGR would be in addition to the TELMEX sponsorship of its TUDOR United SportsCar Championship entry with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Zack Albert

Crew chief change off to promising start for No. 98 team

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule is in the midst of its now-annual tight turnaround in August, with just four days separating last Saturday afternoon’s event at Michigan from Wednesday night’s tilt at Bristol Motor Speedway.

It’s a quick turn that newly minted points leader Johnny Sauter — and the series’ most recent winner — doesn’t mind making.

Sauter and the rest of the truck series regulars will make their traditional midweek stop at the Thunder Valley bullring for Wednesday’s UNOH 200 (8:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1). With 10 races left in the season, Bristol kicks off what Sauter hopes is a favorable stretch in his bid for a breakthrough truck title as the schedule turns toward fall.

"I can’t think of a better place to go than Bristol and to be only three, four days away from that is pretty awesome," Sauter said Saturday after notching his first win of the season at Michigan International Speedway. "When I look down the rest of the schedule, I see Vegas, Talladega, Martinsville, Texas, Homestead — all places that I’ve won at in the past. … Having said all that, Bristol’s the next one on the list."

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"I keep telling everyone around me, they’re like, ‘Championship, championship,’ and I said, ‘Well, I’m doing it one week at a time.’ If you run well and stay out of trouble, you’re going to ultimately, hopefully have a shot at the championship. So right now, next thing on my list is Bristol."

Though Sauter’s season had been marked by steady performance with just two finishes outside the top 10 in the first 12 races, his ThorSport Racing team recently made a change at crew chief, bringing in Jeff Hensley and moving former crew chief Dennis Connor to teammate Jeb Burton’s crew starting at Michigan.

There was no semblance of a major slump — Sauter finished second in his last race with Connor at Pocono — but the team still sought an extra edge. The change produced immediate results in just Hensley’s eighth day on the job.

"It was just a deal where we were really running decent this year, we were consistent but we were just maybe lacking a little bit here and there," said Sauter, who extended his streak of seasons with at least one victory to six. "We hadn’t won; I think this is the latest in the season in the last four or five years that I hadn’t won a race, so it was tough. Ultimately Dennis Connor did a great job; I have all the respect in the world for Dennis. We talked already about it, and it was just a thing we thought was going to make the whole organization stronger."

Hensley, now 1-for-1 atop the pit box for Sauter’s No. 98 Toyota, agreed.

"I know. I’ve been where Johnny’s at," said Hensley, who was crew chief for Chuck Bown’s 1990 championship in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. "Sometimes you’ve got to do things that maybe shake things up a bit, and good things happen like happened today. I just feel like I’m the most fortunate person in the world right now to be a part of this."

Short tracks have long been a sweet spot for the 36-year-old Sauter, but a Bristol victory has eluded him thus far in his his truck career. He finished second at the .533-mile track in 2011 and landed a fourth-place run there last season.

Carrying a nine-point lead over ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton and the momentum from his Michigan win bode well for Sauter’s chances, but so does a fresh outlook and a fast mount.

"I think Jeff’s already got that truck pretty well ready to go," Sauter said of his Bristol ride. "It’s pretty cool to win our first race out of the gate together, and maybe we can make it two in a row."

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Zack Albert

2012 champion had a topsy-turvy day at Michigan

BROOKLYN, Mich. — The right side of Brad Keselowski’s car almost looked like a photo negative as his crew loaded it on the Team Penske hauler after 400 hard-fought miles. The No. 2 Ford started Sunday as a pearly off-white but wound up blackened after a late-race scrape with the retaining wall.

Such encounters usually don’t end well, especially at Michigan International Speedway, where speeds above 200 mph are commonplace. Against those steep odds, the Penske team patched up the black-and-blue Deuce to salvage an eighth-place finish in the Pure Michigan 400.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"Looked like from there it was going to be a disaster of a day," Keselowski said, "but everyone on the Miller Lite Ford Fusion did a heck of a job fixing it, getting us back out there, and somehow ended up eighth with a car that was disastrously torn up. That’s a heck of an effort, something to be proud of and something to take away from here."

The takeaway might be that Keselowski’s team has championship-caliber resilience to match its on-track performance in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year. The 30-year-old driver had just taken the lead in a cycle of pit stops when a tire let go in the 168th of 200 laps, sending Keselowski’s No. 2 entry up the track.

Without much time to produce a rally, the Penske bunch worked feverishly to mend the car and keep Keselowski from losing a lap. He restarted 17th as the final driver on the lead lap and surprisingly regained lost ground over the final 26 laps.

The finish came as a welcome turnaround for the team after last weekend’s 35th-place effort at Watkins Glen and a 23rd-place day at Pocono the previous week.

"The guys did a great job. Hats off to all of them because the last few weeks have been tough," said Paul Wolfe, Keselowski’s crew chief. "Just seems like we’ve had different things happening. We’ve had pretty fast cars, I feel like, but just things have happened, and when that happens, it’s like ‘here we go again.’ I felt like we needed to work hard to stay on the lead lap and the guys did a great job of that and actually got it fixed well enough where we could actually move back forward a bit and get a decent finish out of it considering how late in the race that happened. That says a lot about all these guys.

"I’ve got confidence in the guys working on the car and the driver. We’ve got a few things not going our way right now, but we’re confident that when we get to Chicago when the points matter, we’ll be where we need to be."

Keselowski possesses three regular-season wins — tied for most in the series — as the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs draw near. The performance and reliability have helped Keselowski build a case for his second championship in the last three years.

But his racing career’s bucket list also includes checking the box for a home-track victory, something that was tantalizingly close for the Rochester Hills, Michigan native over the weekend.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Nascar

Carlos Slim Domit, world-known businessman, has supported German Quiroga, Jose Luis Ramirez

MORE: Learn more about Daniel Suarez | NASCAR Home Tracks
Edwards joins JGR as fourth Cup car in ’15 | Fast facts about the deal

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Although Carl Edwards was the central figure at a Tuesday press conference announcing his 2015 move to Joe Gibbs Racing, the man sitting several seats from him on the podium carries much more clout.

Carlos Slim Domit, chairman of the Mexican conglomerate Grupo Carso, is part of one of the world’s richest families. He was at the press conference in support of Mexican driver Daniel Suarez and in partnership with Gibbs’ newest sponsor, ARRIS, which produces broadband and video technology.

Domit’s father is Carlos Slim Helu, who, at various times in recent years, has been ranked by business magazines as the world’s richest person. He owns a wide range of international companies but perhaps is best known for development of telecommunications businesses, particularly in Mexico and Latin America.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Slim has been involved in motorsports for many years and was part of the organization that worked with NASCAR to run Nationwide Series races in Mexico City from 2005 to 2008. His Escuderia Telmex group promotes Mexican drivers, and JGR said as part of Tuesday’s announcement that it will work with Telmex to develop more minority drivers.

Slim’s group has been involved with drivers German Quiroga, Jose Luis Ramirez and Memo Rojas, among others.

"To have a man with the influence and power and means that Carlos Slim has, that’s very positive for us to have him here," said NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps, who attended Tuesday’s press conference. "He and his dad are both racing fans, and both are really supportive of what we’re doing.

"They have a very tight relationship with (NASCAR chairman) Brian France, and that’s healthy for us. Having those friendships and working relationships are an important part of the success of any program we have in Mexico.

"The partnership that has been created between JGR and Carlos Slim will bear fruit for us as a sport overall."

Domit called Tuesday’s JGR announcements "one more big step in our history in motorsports."

"We started in the early ’80s in motorsports, and it’s a sport where the attachment between the sport and the sponsor is very close. The race track is an extension of our offices."

Slim’s group has been a sponsor in Chip Ganassi’s sports car operation.

Its emphasis in NASCAR circles, Domit said, is to put talented drivers like Suarez, newly named to JGR’s Nationwide driver corps, at the top levels of NASCAR racing.

"We’re a driver development group that looks for opportunities for Mexican and Latin American drivers," he said. "We’ve had really good success with the NASCAR Mexico Series and moving drivers forward. Daniel is the latest example of that.

"We want to continue working in that direction with our best drivers and teams."

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Nascar

NASCAR Next alumnus joining team in full-time Nationwide Series role

MORE: Learn more about Suarez | NASCAR Home Tracks | Facts about deal
Edwards joins JGR as fourth Cup car | Meet the man connecting Mexico to JGR

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Daniel Suarez participated in Tuesday’s wide-ranging press conference at Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters as if he was in a dreamland of sorts.

Surrounded by some of the best drivers in NASCAR and sitting alongside some of the most influential people in international motorsports, Suarez could be forgiven for being a bit shell-shocked.

A 22-year-old native of Monterrey, Mexico, with limited national series stock car racing experience but 99 starts and 11 wins across the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series, Suarez was named Tuesday as one of JGR’s full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers for 2015. He also will drive part time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

"I feel lucky to be in this position right now," Suarez said. "It’s the biggest step of my career. I can’t wait to start racing."

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Suarez started racing go-karts in Mexico at the age of 11 and showed promise early. He caught the eye of officials involved in the NASCAR Toyota Series in Mexico and moved into that series in 2011. He finished ninth in points that season in the Mexico Series and began racing part-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, earning a spot in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. He finished third in K&N points in 2013, becoming the highest-finishing international driver in series history while also scoring his first series win.

He made his Nationwide debut in April in a JGR car, finishing 19th at Richmond International Raceway, and continued success in K&N racing and the Mexico Series put him in position to go full time with JGR next year.

"We have been waiting for this opportunity for around three years," Suarez said. "Finally, we made it — and with one of the best teams in the sport. I believe with all the support from Joe Gibbs Racing, we can have fast development with myself and learn to be fast and competitive quickly."

As his career progressed in Mexico, Suarez had an opportunity to drive in formula racing in Europe.

"I had heard lots of comments from many people that NASCAR was working hard in the Hispanic market and that maybe that would be something good for me," Suarez said. "So we made the decision to go here in the States."

So he will begin next season carrying the banner of one of stock car racing’s leading teams and working with the guidance of a veteran driver corps that includes Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and now Carl Edwards.

"Going to a lot of tracks that are new to me, all the very good advice I can get will help," Suarez said. "To have this kind of teammates is amazing. Also driving for Kyle Busch, I’ll get help there."

Suarez has the support of Escuderia Telmex, the Mexico City group that has worked with NASCAR for many years in driver development programs. He will drive with sponsorship from ARRIS, the broadband and video technology company that also will be Edwards’ primary sponsor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

MORE:

READ: Latest
NASCAR news

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

PLAY: NASCAR
Fantasy Live

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Nascar

Driver will run fourth car for Joe Gibbs Racing starting in 2015; Suarez becomes full-time NNS driver for organization

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Carl Edwards will join Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2015 season as the organization expands to four full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams.

The move was announced today at the company’s headquarters, where JGR currently fields Toyota entries in the Sprint Cup Series for drivers Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth.

"There are a number of factors; it’s not just one thing," Edwards said of his decision to leave Roush Fenway Racing after a 11-year run with the organization in Sprint Cup.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"There are a lot of really, really strong teams in the sport. For me, all of my successes, all those wins, my first NASCAR championship, have all come at Roush Fenway Racing. There’s nothing saying they (RFR) won’t beat me like a drum next year. You just don’t know.

"But for me it’s not a statistical analysis or one specific technical reason that I’m really excited about being a part of this team. It’s just overall it seemed like the right thing to do. … When you speak to the other drivers and you look at the statistics and look at the landscape, it’s something I was really excited about."

Edwards’ car will carry the number 19 with primary sponsorship from ARRIS, a telecommunications technology company, for 17 races. Team owner Joe Gibbs said additional sponsorship for the remaining 19 races isn’t a concern.

"We have almost all of those accounted for; that announcement will be coming a little bit later," he said.  

Edwards, 35, has 23 Sprint Cup wins in 360 career starts, all with Roush Fenway Racing. He is third on the all-time win list for the organization, trailing Mark Martin (35 wins) and Kenseth, who won 24 times while driving for RFR.

In 11 seasons, Edwards has finished in the top-five in points four times, including runner-up efforts in 2008 and ’11. The ’11 season ended with Edwards and Tony Stewart tied in points, but Stewart clinched the title based on having more race wins during the season.

A 38-race winner in Nationwide competition, Edwards won that series’ title in 2007. He also has six career Camping World Truck Series victories.

The selection of various personnel, such as a crew chief and pit crew, hasn’t begun, but team president J.D. Gibbs said the organization has plenty of talent to choose from already on staff.

"Everybody is taking a risk here," Edwards said. "From the JGR standpoint, they’re starting a fourth team, which is huge. ARRIS is jumping off into the sport in a huge way. I’m stepping away from the only place I’ve ever been. Who knows what will happen? But I truly believe that we will finish this season strong at Roush Fenway Racing; I feel like they will be better next year than they are this year, but everything I’ve seen over here says that in 2015 and beyond this place is going to be tough to beat and I’m excited to be a part of that."

Edwards is eighth in the points standings, but with two wins (at Bristol Motor Speedway and Sonoma Raceway), he has already earned one of the 16 berths for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It will mark his eighth appearance in the 10-race battle for the title.

Roush Fenway Racing officials announced their 2015 Sprint Cup driver lineup last month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That group will consist of veteran Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne.

Joe Gibbs Racing entered NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in 1992 with driver Dale Jarrett. Bobby Labonte replaced Jarrett in 1995, and in 1999 the organization expanded to two full-time teams, adding driver Tony Stewart.

A third team was added in 2004, running a partial schedule with Ricky Craven (1 start) and J.J. Yeley (2) filling the driver’s seat. The team, carrying the No. 11, ran the majority of the races in 2005 with various drivers before Hamlin was put in the car full-time in 2006.

JGR drivers have won 114 Sprint Cup races and three championships (Labonte, 2000; Stewart, ’02, ’05).

The addition of a fourth team wasn’t something the organization rushed into, Joe Gibbs said.

"We were one of the bigger teams, and it took us the longest to go to three (teams)," he said. "Because you worry about … we want our vision and everything we’ve got going with our three cars trying to win championships. …

"We were very careful with it; we felt like this was the right time. Mainly, we were able to get Carl and we were able to get ARRIS and that was the perfect fit for us. … Obviously by adding Carl and the fourth team, it brings more resources to the table.

"We’re competing against other teams out there that have four teams in their alliance, or more. It’s important for us … we need to put ourselves in the best position and we felt this was the right time with the right driver and the right sponsor."

MORE: