page_title: Joe Gibbs Racing
section_title: Car No. 18 history
hierarchical_section_title: Joe Gibbs Racing / Xfinity Series / Car No. 18 history
caption_attribution_description: Michael McDowell NASCAR Nationwide Series car at Road America at the 2012 Sargento 200. This file was uploaded with Commonist.
context_page_description: Joe Gibbs Racing is an American professional stock car racing organization owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, which first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991. His son, J. D. Gibbs, ran the team with him until his death in 2019. Headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina, roughly 10 miles northwest of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the team has amassed five Cup Series championships since the year 2000.
  For the team's first sixteen seasons, JGR ran cars from General Motors. During that period, the team won their first three championships: two in Pontiac Grand Prixs and one in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Despite this, Joe Gibbs Racing announced during the 2007 season that they would be ending their arrangement with GM at the end of the year and begin running Toyotas the following season. This partnership would eventually bring Toyota their first Premier series championship when Kyle Busch won in 2015.
  In the NASCAR Cup Series, the team currently fields four full-time entries: the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Denny Hamlin, the No. 18 Camry for Kyle Busch, the No. 19 Camry for Martin Truex Jr., and the No. 20 Camry for Erik Jones.
context_section_description: Tony Stewart (1998)
  The current 18 car came under JGR control when owner Joe Gibbs purchased the No. 44 Shell Oil-sponsored Pontiac from his Cup Series driver Bobby Labonte, who had been operating the team under his control. The team made its debut under the Gibbs banner at the 1998 NAPA Auto Parts 300 with then-IndyCar driver Tony Stewart driving. Stewart he qualified 9th but finished 31st after a crash. At the next week at Rockingham Speedway, Stewart qualified on the pole, led 60 laps and finished 2nd. Stewart ran a total of 22 races that year, with five top-five finishes and winning two pole positions. Labonte ran five races that year in that car in 1998, winning the Diamond Hill Plywood 200.
  MBNA years (1999-2003)
  The team switched to No. 18 with sponsorship from MBNA for 1999. Labonte ran only one race before he suffered shoulder injuries in a qualifying crash at Darlington. Late in the year, Jason Leffler, like Stewart an accomplished open wheel racer, ran four races in the car that year, his best finish being a 20th at Memphis Motorsports Park. Leffler ran the car full-time in 2000, winning a pole at Texas Motor Speedway, and posting three top-ten finishes. After that season, he left for the Cup Series with Chip Ganassi Racing, and Jeff Purvis took his place. Purvis started off strong and was seventh in points but was released after the GNC Live Well 250 because of sponsorship issues. Mike McLaughlin replaced him, finishing seventh in points that season. Despite going winless in 2002, he moved up to fourth place in points. However, owner Joe Gibbs wanted his son Coy in a full-time ride, leaving McLaughlin without a ride. In his rookie season, Gibbs had two Top 10 finishes and finished runner-up to David Stremme for Rookie of the Year.
  J.J. Yeley (2004-2006)
  The team scaled back to a part-time schedule for 2004. In November 2003, JGR signed highly touted USAC Champion J. J. Yeley to a multi-year contract, beginning his stock car career with eight ARCA Menards Series events and 10-12 Busch Series races in the 2004 season. The Home Depot's Vigoro Lawn and Garden Products would sponsor Yeley's efforts, making their BGN debut at Las Vegas in March. In his first race, Yeley qualified a strong seventh, but finished 23rd and two laps down. Yeley would end up running 17 races, garnering four Top 10 finishes and finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year standings behind future Cup drivers Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, and Paul Menard. Bobby Labonte ran two races with a best finish of 7th, while Denny Hamlin finished a strong sixth at the fall race at Darlington. Yeley ran the car full-time in 2005, finishing in the top-ten twelve times and finishing 11th in points. Yeley continued to run full-time in 2006, finishing 5th in the points standings with three poles, nine Top 5s, 22 Top 10s, and 27 Top 15s. Yeley announced in Daytona that he would be driving in the No. 1 Miccosukee Gaming and Resorts-sponsored Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series.
  Multiple Drivers (2007)
  In January 2007, former Brewco Motorsports development driver and ARCA standout Brad Coleman signed to drive the No. 18 car for 17 of the 35 races, with Carino's Italian Grill sponsoring his efforts. Kevin Conway was signed for eight races beginning at Bristol in March with Z-Line Designs sponsoring, while Tony Stewart and development driver Aric Almirola filled out the schedule with Goody's Headache Powder and ConAgra Foods sponsorships. Almirola put the car on the pole at the season opener at Daytona, and had a best finish of 4th at Charlotte. Coleman earned his first career Busch Series pole at Talladega, and had three Top 5s and five Top 10s. Without sponsorship for a full-time ride with JGR, Coleman returned to the renamed Baker Curb Racing following the season and signed a development contract with Hall of Fame Racing.
  Cup Drivers (2008-2013)
  For 2008, the No. 18 was piloted by the team of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch with a sponsorship coming from Southern Farm Bureau, Interstate Batteries, and Z-Line Designs. Despite running a partial sch
caption: Michael McDowell at Road America in 2012.
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