Time and again, some of the top drivers have been associated with Joe Gibbs Racing. The empire that Joe Gibbs has built has been nothing but an attractive fortress for passionate racers to join. In one such act, an ongoing rumor has offended the NASCAR fandom, and rightly so.

To date, Joe Gibbs remains one of the masterminds in the NASCAR Cup Series with his insightful and tactful approach. With such an intent, he has targeted one of Kaulig Racing’s drivers as he aims to bolster his squad for the next season.

Joe Gibbs has a shrewd plan in place that might upset Kaulig Racing’s future

It is not often that Kaulig Racing makes it to the news after a race, especially when it comes to the Cup Series. It only got better for them when AJ Allmendinger registered a playoff win on Sunday at the Charlotte Roval. On a track where he has won four wins in four starts in the Xfinity Series, Allmendinger led 46 laps on the weekend.

While he did wonderfully well to hold off Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, and William Byron, he registered his third career win. Not only that, it was the first time that a Kaulig Racing driver led the most laps in a Cup Series race. With such an amazing achievement, the camp would have been rejoicing until a hurtful rumor came to light.

As per Sportsnaut.com, Chandler Smith is linked with a move to Joe Gibbs Racing next year. While Smith has made select starts in the Cup Series for Kaulig Racing, it is indeed a big blow to the team if true. Having said that, Joe Gibbs would be delighted to have the 21-year-old who has been quite impressive in his debut Xfinity season.

With Smith signing a three-year deal before the ongoing season, it would require a buyout from JGR’s end. While the President of Kaulig Racing, Chris Rice expected Smith to stay for the second year, it looks unlikely. When asked about the driver’s stance on a buyout, Rice responded on Sunday by saying, “Ask his agent”.

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Clearly, the rumor has been upsetting especially when things are expected to work better in the second year. In fact, the news has left the NASCAR fans quite disheartened.

NASCAR fanbase unhappy with Joe Gibbs’s move to hijack Kaulig Racing driver

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It is no secret that plenty of effort goes behind the development of a racer. While teams like Kaulig Racing invest massively to bring in young drivers, it is only after a considerable amount of time that they reap the fruits of it. Naturally, Joe Gibbs’s intent to sign Chandler Smith for the next season spoils Kaulig Racing’s plan for the future.

Without a doubt, joining Joe Gibbs and his team would be an upgrade for Smith. However, his departure would leave Kaulig Racing in a very difficult situation. Imagining this scenario left plenty of fans disheartened on social media.

“That would s**k.”
“Man I hope not. I like seeing him in a Chevy. I’ve become fond of him over the course of the season. Would s**k to see him go back over there.”
“So Kaulig is gonna lose Chandler Smith, relegate AJ to Xfinity, and have a Cup lineup of Hemric and possibly Ty Dillon? Yuck.”
Along with being upset, some fans painted a few hypothetical scenarios. “Is it possible that Kaulig sells a Charter, and only races 1 full time Cup car?”
“I got a feeling that Noah not going to kaulig but maybe am wrong I wish I would be right”

It would indeed be heartbreaking for Kaulig Racing should they lose Smith to Joe Gibbs. Having said that, how strong does that make the Joe Gibbs Racing team for 2024? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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