JOE GIBBS RACING TEAM TIMELINE November
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JOE GIBBS RACING TEAM TIMELINE November-‘06 Denny Hamlin is named Raybestos NASCAR Rookie of the Year Tony Stewart wins three of the ten Chase for the NEXTEL Cup races to finish the season with five wins, fifteen top- November-‘06 five and nineteen top-ten finishes. November-‘06 Denny Hamlin finishes his rookie season in third place in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings September-‘06 Denny Hamlin becomes the first rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. July-‘06 Denny Hamlin completes the season sweep at Pocono, winning from the pole again June-‘06 Denny Hamlin wins his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Pocono Raceway November-‘05 Tony Stewart clinches JGR’s third NASCAR championship in five years. November-‘05 Denny Hamlin wins the pole at Phoenix, his first career pole and the first for the #11 FedEx team. Denny Hamlin is presented as the driver for the #11 FedEx Chevrolet for the 2006 season. In his final seven races, November-‘05 Hamlin records three top-10 finishes. June-‘05 Mike Ford is named crew chief of the #11 FedEx Chevrolet. August-‘05 Tony Stewart wins with Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. October-‘04 JGR announces that FedEx will sponsor a third Cup team - the #11 FedEx Car for the 2005 Racing season. Tony Stewart qualifies for the “Chase for the Cup” playoff style championship format by finishing 19th at Richmond September-‘04 International Raceway on Sept. 11. JGR starts a new season with over 240 team members. After being away from the sport for 11 years, Joe Gibbs January-‘04 announces that he will return to coach the Washington Redskins, signing a 5-year contract. December-‘03 For the season, Joe Gibbs Racing scores four wins, 24 top-fives and 35 top-10 finishes. February-‘03 Joe Gibbs Racing makes its first start in a Chevrolet since 1996. Stewart and the #20 teams of the JGR are formally recognized as the 2002 Winston Cup champions in the December-‘02 Hammerstein Ballroom of the Manhattan Center during the annual Winston Cup awards banquet in New York City. JGR announces its Busch Series lineup for 2003 – a two-car effort with Coy Gibbs moving from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series into the team’s #18 ride and 2002 Truck Series champion Mike Bliss taking the seat in the team’s #20 machine. Jimmy Makar moves from crew chief of the #18 Cup Car to General Manager of JGR. Michael November-‘02 “Fatback” McSwain joins JGR from Robert Yates Racing as the new crew chief for the #18 car. Tony Stewart, by virtue of an 18th place finish in the season finale at Homestead, secures his first Winston Cup championship and the second for JGR. July-‘02 JGR announces that it will switch its make of cars from Pontiacs to Chevrolets. Labonte is recognized at the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Awards Banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City as the 2000 champion. Labonte received a championship size check as well from RJR for $3,106,641. For the season, Labonte finished with four wins, two poles, 19 top-fives, 24 top-10’s and winnings of $7,361,387. Stewart December-‘00 finished with six wins, two poles, 12 top-fives, 23 top-10’s and winnings of $3,640,947. Out of 34 events run in 2000, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Winston Cup teams finished with 10 wins, four poles, 31 top-five’s, 47 top-10’s and $11,002,334 in winnings. November-‘99 Stewart earns the Rookie of the Year title with three wins, two poles, 12 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Employees and other staff members move into the new Joe Gibbs Racing complex in Huntersville, NC. The structure December-‘98 is home for both the Interstate Batteries and The Home Depot Winston Cup teams. For the season, Joe Gibbs Racing scores eight wins, seven poles, 35 top-five and 47 top-10 finishes. The Home Depot announces sponsorship of Tony Stewart in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Joe Gibbs Racing’s September-‘98 second Winston Cup team will make their debut in the 1999 Daytona 500. October-‘97 J.D. Gibbs is named President of JGR. Tony Stewart officially joins Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart will compete in the NASCAR Busch Series on a limited basis later in 1997 before competing in nearly all of the series’ events in 1998. Groundbreaking is held as construction April-‘97 begins on the new Joe Gibbs Racing complex. The structure will be 120,000 square feet and sits on a 14-acre site in Huntersville, NC off of exit 23 on I-77. October-‘96 Joe Gibbs Racing announces it will be switching makes of cars for the 1997 season, from Chevrolets to Pontiacs. May-‘95 Labonte scores his first ever Winston Cup victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Joe Gibbs Racing moves into its first new home located in Twin Lakes business park just north of Charlotte, NC. November-‘94 Bobby Labonte is named to drive the Interstate Batteries car replacing Jarrett. Interstate Batteries extends its contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. This gives the organization the confidence and November-‘93 freedom to build the team’s first new shop just north of Charlotte, NC. Jarrett scores the first Winston Cup victory for Joe Gibbs Racing with an exciting win over Earnhardt. The win came exactly one year after the team made its Winston Cup debut. Jarrett turned in his best season of his young career, February-‘93 finishing a then career best fourth in the final point standings. He collected 1 win, 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes while earning over $1.2 million. February-‘92 First Winston Cup race, Daytona 500. Jarrett starts 35th and finishes 36th due to an accident after 91 laps. January-‘92 First racecars take to the track during winter testing. September-‘91 First racecars are actually built. The team had a total of 18 crew members. Team members begin reporting for work at the original home of Joe Gibbs Racing on Harris Boulevard in Charlotte, August-‘91 North Carolina. The team leased shop space and engines from Hendrick Motorsports. July-‘91 The organization hires Dale Jarrett as the driver and Jimmy Makar as crew chief. June-‘91 Joe Gibbs Racing acquires sponsorship from Interstate Batteries to run a full Winston Cup schedule in 1992. Joe Gibbs and business partner Don Meredith meet with Jimmy Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Petty, April-‘91 among others, to discuss forming a NASCAR Winston Cup team. .