JGR entering some of NASCAR’s biggest names in Xfinity races with ‘all-star’ car

In November, Joe Gibbs Racing announced it was bringing back its No. 54 Toyota Supra to the Xfinity Series, along with news of crew chief shakeups across its NASCAR teams. The organization teased the driver lineup for the No. 54 as “a team of all-star caliber drivers.”

Clarity around those driver names and schedules came today. The team confirmed that full-time JGR Cup drivers Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. will each enter at least one race for the team; Busch will enter five. Former Germain Racing driver Ty Dillon and 18-year-old ARCA driver Ty Gibbs, who is the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, will also compete in select Xfinity events.

Busch, a two-time Cup champion and 97-time Xfinity race winner, is scheduled to compete in the series at Atlanta (March 20), Circuit of the Americas (May 22), Texas (June 12), Nashville (June 19) and Road America (July 3).

Dillon will start the Xfinity season for Gibbs at Daytona. He is also scheduled to drive the No. 54 in Xfinity races at Miami (Feb. 27), Las Vegas (March 6) and Talladega (April 24). Dillon will attempt to enter the Daytona 500 this year with Gaunt Brothers Racing, a non-chartered Toyota team, as he continues to put together a 2021 racing schedule.

“I am so thankful and excited for the opportunity to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota,” Dillon said in a statement. “They have been on top of the sport for a long time and this is a great opportunity for me to go prove that I am a winner and show what I know I can do in a race car.”

Truex and Hamlin are each scheduled for one race in the No. 54 so far; Truex will drive the car at Atlanta (July 10) and Hamlin will drive it at Darlington (Sept. 4).

The team announced Tuesday that Ty Gibbs will make his Xfinity debut in the car this season, starting with the road course race at Daytona (Feb. 20), while continuing to run in the ARCA Menards Series. Gibbs’ full Xfinity schedule has not been announced, but the team said plans would qualify Gibbs to contend for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.

Chris Gayle was previously announced as the No. 54 crew chief. The team said in Wednesday’s announcement that sponsorship and the rest of the No. 54 race schedule will be announced at a later date.