The addition of Carl Edwards and an expanded operation has everyone within Joe Gibbs Racing optimistic about season ahead.
The biggest free agent signing this past offseason is excited about what lays ahead. Team owner Joe Gibbs is excited about the promise of winning the organization's first championship in 10 years. And Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin are excited about the potential of an expanded Joe Gibbs Racing and rebounding from what, at times, was a frustrating 2014 season. Overall, there's a lot of excitement bubbling over from all involved.
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Key players: Joe Gibbs, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin,
Changes: No team has undergone more change this offseason than JRG, which lured Edwards away from Roush Fenway Racing and expanded to four full-time cars. Edwards' addition necessitated the hiring of 100 new employees and served as a catalyst to shuffle its driver-crew chief around. Edwards will be paired with Darian Grubb, Hamlin's old crew chief; Hamlin gets Dave Rogers, who's led Busch's team since 2009; with Adam Stevens being promoted from the Xfinity Series to fill Rogers' spot. Only Kenseth and crew chief Jason Ratcliff remain as is.
Key takeaways: After a down season which saw Kenseth, Busch and Hamlin combine to win just twice, Gibbs is effusive that a deepened JGR roster can bounce back in a big way. And the three-time Super Bowl winning coach may have a point. Any of the four JGR drivers could realistically be viewed as championship contenders, especially if an improved Toyota engine can provide additional horsepower.
In their words: "I know our Cup program, we are going to go out there thinking we have a chance every single week." -- Gibbs on his expectations for the coming season.
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