Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is currently one of the biggest fishes in the NASCAR pond. The team has accumulated seven driver’s championships and over 300 wins across all major series since 1992. While its 200+ victories in the Cup Series have come from eleven different drivers, three amongst them – Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Tony Stewart – stand apart with a clear distinction.
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Stewart is the organization’s third most prolific driver. 33 of his 49 career victories came for Coach Gibbs and he also won two Cup Series championships driving for him. He left the outfit to join and build Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. Though he has retired from the top tier now, he continues to be a strong presence in the motorsports world through his participation in other racing disciplines.
The second-most impactful driver for JGR is Denny Hamlin. With all his 51 wins coming for the team, he has been one of the most loyal drivers that NASCAR has seen. Having remained in JGR colors since 2004, he has proven his longevity in the highest standards of the game despite not having won a championship yet.
Hamlin has won three Daytona 500s, three Southern 500s, and many such acclaimed races driving the #11 Toyota. He was named one of NASCAR’s Greatest 75 Drivers in 2023 and is currently in his 18th full-time season with the team. He is also the co-owner of 23XI Racing, a key competitor in the Cup Series.
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing’s best-performing driver, who didn’t get a contract extension
Kyle Busch leads the line for Coach Gibbs with 56 victories in the 15 seasons that he spent with the team. He also won two championships driving in its colors and has given it many honorable victories including the 2008 Southern 500, and the 2018 Coca-Cola 600. Despite his many accomplishments, he couldn’t get his contract with the team extended after 2022 and joined Richard Childress Racing (RCR) as a result.
The primary reason for his contract going unextended was the departure of his sponsors Mars Inc. and M&M. He revealed to veteran reporter Jordan Bianchi earlier this year that the team had wanted him to race in an unsponsored car and that he departed because he didn’t think that it was a fair proposal.
After a successful season with RCR, Busch holds the distinction of having won races for the Big Three in NASCAR: Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, and Richard Childress. He currently pilots the #8 Chevrolet Camaro at Childress’s camp.
