Skip to main content
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Charlotte, NC|Independent Local News
The Charlotte Mercury

Always Last... To Breaking News!

Sections
Organization

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, won the year's final $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus with a fourth at Texas on May 2, his first career D4C payout.

Two DNFs apiece for Sawalich and Gray earlier in the season 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 — Nashville, May 31, 2026 (Cracker Barrel 400)

JGR swept the Cup podium at Nashville Superspeedway, with Denny Hamlin beating his own teammates to the line for career win No. 62. The result underlined the organization's depth across its Toyota lineup heading into the summer. Read the recap.

Prior 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. Read the recap.

Coverage (10 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.

Hamlin Charges From the Back to Win at Michigan, Honor an Old Friend

John Speedway·

Denny Hamlin drove from the rear of the field to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan for the second straight week, his 63rd career Cup win tying the late Kyle Busch for ninth all-time. He honored Busch with an 18-8 tribute flag, and with points leader Tyler Reddick wrecked out for his first DNF, cut the title gap to 51.

Hamlin Grabs Pocono Pole

John Speedway·

Denny Hamlin was the last man out at Pocono and grabbed the Busch Light Pole by fifty-seven thousandths of a second, his fourth of the season. The bigger story is the streak: two straight wins, his best track in front of him, and a shot at the first three-race run of his career on Sunday.

Hamlin Wins Third Straight at Pocono, Cutting Reddick's Lead to 19 Points

Jack Beckett·

Denny Hamlin held off Tyler Reddick by 1.678 seconds at Pocono on Sunday for his third straight NASCAR Cup win, a record eighth at the track. The streak cut Reddick's once-100-point lead to 19, turning the championship into a contest with 10 races left to set the Chase field.

Related