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Prominent NASCAR team Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) underwent significant internal changes during the offseason following a strong 2024 campaign. Recently, former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick shared his candid thoughts on JGR’s restructuring and the expectations surrounding the team heading into the 2025 season.
Joe Gibbs Racing saw major changes ahead of 2025, starting with a former Stewart-Haas Racing driver replacing Martin Truex Jr. in the #19 Toyota. Additionally, Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, was promoted to competition director, with Chris Gayle—Ty Gibbs’ 2022 Xfinity title-winning crew chief—stepping in as Hamlin’s new crew chief.
In the latest episode of the Happy Hour podcast, co-hosted by Kevin Harvick, who is worth $110 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth), the NASCAR veteran expressed that Joe Gibbs Racing is under 'a lot of pressure.' Moreover, the 49-year-old California native also outlined his expectations from JGR in the 2025 season.
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"Internally, I think they've made their organization stronger but now you're going to have to make it function at the racetrack with the driver and the crew chief. 8-10 weeks into the season is really when you're going to see that take effect but I believe they all have a lot of pressure on them. The expectation is to win at Gibbs," Harvick said [27:32]
"None of them did (well) in the second half of the year (2024) so now you've got all these changes but you will have a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of time, effort because nobody there wants it to fail. So they could come out on fire[...] They're going to be very motivated though. Every person in a new position is going to be very motivated" he added [27:56]
Founded in 1992 by Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has established itself as one of NASCAR’s most successful teams. Competing in both the Cup and Xfinity Series, JGR boasts 428 race wins and 10 championships—five in the Cup Series, four in Xfinity, and one in the ARCA Menards Series—solidifying its dominance in the sport.
Can the North Carolina-based outfit come back stronger this season? Let us know in the comments.
"I certainly was shocked": JGR river Denny Hamlin comments on Gabehart's departure from the #11 team
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Toyota for JGR, remains one of NASCAR’s most successful active drivers, trailing only Kyle Busch in career Cup Series wins despite never securing a championship. Former crew chief Chris Gabehart personally informed Hamlin of his promotion to JGR’s Competition Director, overseeing all team Toyotas rather than just Hamlin’s.
Reacting to the news, the three-time Daytona 500 winner shared his thoughts via a November 22 interview with Bob Pockrass.
"I certainly was shocked by it[...]They've got to do what's best for the company. I think that they're looking for an improvement on performance on the 54. And they're looking for an overall performance for all the teams. Because, you know, we certainly hadn't won the amount of races as an organization. It's what we should have."
Meanwhile, Cup Series action awaits just around the corner as we head into the pre-season Clash this Sunday. Catch the action live on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM at 8:00 PM ET.
