The Reason Behind Joe Gibbs Having Aric Almirola and John Hunter Nemechek Amongst a Wide Portfolio of Drivers in the Xfinity Series

Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed its Xfinity Series lineup on Wednesday. With four cars lined up for the 2024 season, JGR certainly looks strong with their setup. While they have a blend of youth and experience, the addition of Aric Almirola and John Hunter Nemechek only makes the team more formidable.

For a long time, JGR tried to keep its roster under the sheets for next year. While many rumors circulated, the NASCAR giants finally ended up with eight drivers for the upcoming campaign in the Xfinity Series.

JGR aims to go full throttle on all fronts in the 2024 Xfinity Series season

It is no secret how Joe Gibbs and his team continue facing constant changes. For the 2023 season, JGR needed to replace both Ty Gibbs and Brandon Jones, their two full-time drivers in the Xfinity Series. Unfortunately, they faced a similar problem for the second consecutive year as they lost two full-time drivers, John Hunter Nemechek and Sammy Smith.

Despite facing the same issue for the second time running, Joe Gibbs Racing came out strongly. Signing Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith has helped their cause immensely. Both Creed and Smith have been doing well and could develop immensely well with the setup at JGR.

While Creed will drive the #18 Toyota, Smith will lead the #81 team. As far as the #19 car is concerned, Ryan Truex, Joe Graf Jr, Taylor Gray, and William Sawalich will all share their driving duties. With #19 being the fourth team, it surely looks like it attracted a significant amount of funding for JGR to go ahead with four cars.

However, the tricky part was with the #20 Toyota. As revealed by JGR’s social media handle, both Aric Almirola and John Hunter Nemechek will split the duties of the #20 car. With Nemechek joining Legacy Motor Club in the Cup Series, he will run a 10-race schedule in the Xfinity Series.

For the remaining races, onus to get Coach Gibbs the owner’s championship will be on Aric Almirola. After he decided to leave Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023, Almirola’s future looked unclear as he edged closer to retirement. However, the 39-year-old has made a statement by signing for JGR in the Xfinity Series, indicating that a lot of racing is left in him yet.

With Almirola and Nemechek both well experienced in their own ways, it surely gives the #20 car a massive chance to win the owner’s championship. Most certainly, Joe Gibbs signed them for this very reason. However, it remains interesting to see how both drivers go about their business in the 2024 campaign. With the hunger Almirola still has, he will likely be able to make a difference.

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Joe Gibbs played a massive role in bringing back Aric Almirola at JGR for the 2024 season

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The association between Aric Almirola and Joe Gibbs Racing goes back almost two decades. It was in 2007 that he registered his first victory in the competition while racing for Joe Gibbs. Now that he’s back, he would certainly love to increase his tally. After all, the team owner made personal efforts to lure Almirola to drive for him.

As reported by NASCAR.com, Joe Gibbs called up the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver to tempt him back to JGR. About it, Almirola said, “It was out of nowhere. I got a call from Coach [Joe Gibbs] in early September, and he said, ‘Hey, I heard you’re going to retire,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir, I am.’ He said, ‘Well, if you are, I’d like for you to come back to Joe Gibbs Racing and retire from here.’”

Almirola was flattered by the opportunity. He said, “I was humbled, shocked, and I was excited. I wanted to stay involved in the sport and contribute somehow, someway. I just didn’t want to do it seven days a week for however long the Cup schedule is.”

It is truly amazing how persuasive and influential Joe Gibbs can be. While he played his part in bringing Almirola, hopefully, the experienced driver can repay him with an owner’s championship in the 2024 season.

READ MORE – Aric Almirola Unfurls His “Bigger Than Just Me” Plans for His Second Chapter in NASCAR