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Saturday, June 6, 2026
Charlotte, NC|Independent Local News
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Joe Gibbs Racing

NASCAR Cup Team

Joe Gibbs Racing — Team Profile

Series: O'Reilly Auto Parts Series | Manufacturer: Toyota Base: Huntersville, North Carolina | Organization Tier: Elite

2026 O'Reilly Program

Joe Gibbs Racing fields four full-time O'Reilly cars in 2026 — the deepest program in the series by car count. The lineup spans three generations: a proven veteran in Brandon Jones, a recent race winner in William Sawalich, a speed-rich development driver in Taylor Gray, and an 18-year-old prospect in Brent Crews. No other organization in the series can claim that breadth of internal comparison.

Car Driver Crew Chief
No. 18 William Sawalich Jeff Meendering
No. 19 Brent Crews Seth Chavka
No. 20 Brandon Jones Sam McAulay
No. 54 Taylor Gray Jason Ratcliff

The Organization

Joe Gibbs Racing was founded in 1991 by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs and is based in Huntersville, North Carolina. JGR is NASCAR's premier Toyota organization, fielding four cars at the Cup level while running parallel O'Reilly and Truck programs. The O'Reilly operation has produced multiple series champions and consistently ranks among the top development pipelines in the sport.

2026 Story

The JGR O'Reilly story in 2026 is an internal hierarchy: four cars with four different purposes, all working toward the organization's annual championship calculus. Jones provides the veteran stability and Dash 4 Cash eligibility the team wants. Sawalich won at Rockingham — his first national-series victory at 19 years old. Gray broke through at the Kansas Lottery 300 on April 18 for his first O'Reilly Series win, with crew chief Jason Ratcliff's short-pit call setting up the result. Crews, who turned 18 on March 30 and lifted his age-based eligibility restrictions, has run a four-race top-five streak through Texas — including a fourth at Texas on May 2 that delivered the year's final $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus, his first career D4C payout.

Two DNFs apiece for Sawalich and Gray through eight races are the primary obstacle between JGR and a deeper points grip. Clean races from both cars would push the organization's cumulative standings presence significantly higher.

Key Connections


Recent Race — Dover All-Star Race, May 17, 2026

JGR went 1-2 in the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin (No. 11) won from the pole; teammate Chase Briscoe (No. 19) finished second by .887 sec. Hamlin's second All-Star victory makes him the third driver in NASCAR history to win the All-Star Race at multiple tracks. Erik Jones (No. 43 Legacy Motor Club, JGR alliance) finished third. "I think we've shown all year. We don't necessarily have as many wins as we could have — there's been two, maybe three we left on the table." — Chris Gayle, No. 11 crew chief. Read the recap.

Coverage (7 articles)

He Won at Hickory First. Now William Sawalich Has Won at The Rock.

John Speedway·

William Sawalich won his first O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday, becoming the youngest winner in track history in his 42nd career start. The nineteen-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver charged from 14th to lead 80 laps, outlasting Corey Day's dominant early effort that faded on tire wear.

Hamlin Wins the Million From the Pole at Dover. The Million Goes to Mama.

John Speedway·

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR All-Star Race from the pole at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, beat his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in a side-by-side fight to the line, and became the third driver in the sport's history to win the All-Star at multiple tracks. Asked what he'd do with the $1 million check, he said he'd give it to his mother — a line that landed harder given his father's death in a December fire. The Cup field heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway next for the Coca-Cola 600.

Charlotte's Team Is Running Away With It

John Speedway·

23XI Racing — built in Huntersville by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin — has four wins in seven races to start the 2026 Cup Series season. Tyler Reddick leads the standings by 82 points. Charlotte's newest racing team is beating the corridor's decades-old dynasties.

Denny Hamlin Beat His Own Teammates to the Line at Nashville for Win No. 62

Jack Beckett·

Denny Hamlin won the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville by 0.115 seconds — and the two cars he beat were his own Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, in a three-wide sweep to the line. Points leader Tyler Reddick crashed across the finish and still leads by 97.

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