Toyota R&D President Bluntly Lays Out Expectations for Joe Gibbs & Co for 2024

Joe Gibbs Racing is a team that is under a fair bit of pressure in 2024. It has been almost half a decade since its last Cup Series title. Naturally, manufacturer Toyota is getting a little impatient because they want results. Recently Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson spoke to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Over here, he highlighted the manufacturer’s objectives for the upcoming Cup Series campaign.

Truthfully, Toyota is a lot younger than the likes of Ford and Chevrolet. The same also goes for Joe Gibbs Racing, which was founded in 1991 and made its Cup Series debut in the following year. Toyota only joined the NASCAR bandwagon in 2007 and linked up with JGR a year later. Since then, the partnership has clinched two Cup Series titles, courtesy Kyle Busch in 2015 and in 2018. Jow Gibbs Racing does have three more titles under their belt, thanks to Bobby Labonte in 2000 and Tony Stewart in 2002 and 2005, but those were for Chevrolet.

Toyota will likely not tolerate any more failure from Joe Gibbs Racing

Wilson told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “Four cars in the playoffs, two cars all the way to Phoenix. Anything less will be disappointing. We have a lot of confidence that Ty Gibbs is coming into his own. He demonstrated that last year. We think he’s going to win this year. Denny’s going on his 18th season, I believe. Probably the biggest disappointment last year. When you look at the playoffs, it was Denny not being able to race in Phoenix. With as good of a year as he had. Denny has proven to all of us, that being a team owner wasn’t going to take away his talent and capability behind the wheel. I think he’s done some things in the off season to help stabilise him in many respects. Think that’s only going to make him that much more of a danger.”

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Last year, Joe Gibbs Racing lost a talisman, in the form of Kyle Busch, who went to Richard Childress Racing. Ty Gibbs was his spiritual successor, though he was driving the #54 car, while the iconic #18 car was retired. Sure, the team had Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr and Christopher Bell pick up the slack. However, Gibbs needed some time to find his feet. Now that he has completed one full year, Ty Gibbs would be relatively experienced and be able to challenge for wins.

Frankly, Toyota need the team to fire on all cylinders. This was why David Wilson insisted that the target is for all four JGR drivers to reach the Playoffs. From there, he would dearly love to see at least two in the Championship 4, preferably with one of them as champion. Of course, JGR would normally get first preference because they are the top team. However, the likes of 23XI Racing, are no slouches, and Legacy Motor Club want to kick-start a redemption arc.

Denny Hamlin will have a lot of pressure mounting on him

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2024 will mark Hamlin’s 19th full-time season in the Cup Series. Till date, he has yet to win a NASCAR Cup Series title, and not from the lack of trying. The #11 driver boasts of 51 wins, including three in the 2023 campaign. Yet, it has always been so close, yet so far for the veteran driver. If he keeps this up, he could give Mark Martin a run for his money for the title of greatest to never win a NASCAR Cup title.

This year presents another chance for Hamlin, and he should grab this opportunity with both hands. When Hamlin and Michael Jordan launched 23XI Racing, Toyota were worried about Hamlin’s priorities. Fortunately, he has since proven that even though he is a team owner, he is just as committed to his race craft.

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