Joe Gibbs Racing enters Daytona International Speedway with a remarkable legacy and high aspirations, aiming to extend its record of success in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race. This Joe Gibbs Racing Daytona NASCAR preview highlights the team‘s impressive track history, driver performance, and the stories behind their quest for another victory at one of racing’s most iconic venues.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Triumphs at Daytona
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), a dominant force in the NASCAR Cup Series, has achieved eight victories at Daytona International Speedway across 183 starts. The team has consistently performed at the “World Center of Racing,” collecting 41 top-five finishes, 56 top-10s, five pole awards, and an impressive tally of 2,156 laps led. Renowned drivers including Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Dale Jarrett, Erik Jones, and Tony Stewart have all propelled JGR into Daytona’s victory lane, underlining the organization’s reputation for excellence at this high-speed superspeedway.
Statistical Standouts and Season Performance
This season, Joe Gibbs Racing drivers are once again demonstrating relentless competitiveness. Through 25 races, the statistics show that JGR holds three of the top four average finishes among full-time Cup competitors. Christopher Bell ranks second with a 12.5 average, closely followed by Chase Briscoe at 13.3 and Denny Hamlin at 13.4. These consistent numbers speak to the team’s ability to adapt and perform under pressure, setting the stage for another potential breakthrough at Daytona.
Honoring Heroes: The Christine Edwards Tribute
During the Daytona weekend, a touching tribute will take place as all four JGR cars display the name Christine Edwards above their driver windows. This gesture is part of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s “Honor A Cancer Hero” initiative. Christine, currently battling lung cancer, is the mother of Derrell Edwards—who serves as the jack man for Christopher Bell’s No. 20 team. Derrell secured this honor by winning a charity auction, ensuring his mother’s courage is recognized by the entire Joe Gibbs Racing Cup Series contingent during one of the sport’s most prestigious events.
Denny Hamlin: Three-Time Daytona 500 Victor Eyes Another Win
Denny Hamlin, piloting the No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE, is a formidable contender and three-time Daytona 500 winner, all secured while representing Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin leads active drivers with 11 top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, and 682 laps led at Daytona. Earlier this year, he was in a fierce battle for the win on the final lap, only to be shuffled back after being caught in a late-race multi-car crash.
At Richmond Raceway last weekend, Hamlin started fourth and finished the opening stage in third. Despite a speeding penalty forcing him to the rear early in stage two and being involved in another incident on lap 198, Hamlin showed resilience and fought back to finish tenth—his thirteenth top-10 of the season. Now, with just the regular-season finale remaining, Hamlin sits third in overall points. He has amassed four wins (a series best), 24 playoff points, and is tied for the lead in top-five finishes, narrowly trailing Chase Elliott in second by five points and leading teammate Christopher Bell by 18.
Spotlight on Sponsorship: King’s Hawaiian Celebrates a Milestone
This Saturday night at Daytona, Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota will feature the King’s Hawaiian livery. The partnership is particularly notable as King’s Hawaiian prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025. Founded in 1950 by Robert Taira in Hilo, Hawaii, this family-owned business is now best known for its Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, Slider Buns, and Hamburger Buns, along with new offerings like Pretzel Bites. Their commitment to quality and joy in food mirrors the team’s drive for excellence on the racetrack.
Chase Briscoe: Consistency and Momentum Ahead of Daytona
Chase Briscoe, behind the wheel of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, is quickly solidifying his reputation as a threat at superspeedways. Briscoe has earned two top-five and three top-10 finishes in nine Daytona Cup starts. Notably, he began the 2025 season with a pole position and a fourth-place finish in the Daytona 500. His track record also includes multiple top-five performances in both the Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series at Daytona.
Last week at Richmond, Briscoe clawed back from a 19th starting spot to collect a 13th-place finish, despite suffering damage in a multi-car incident on lap 198. Impressively, this season has been a career-defining one for Briscoe—he boasts 10 top-five results (third most), 12 top-10s, and a series-leading six pole awards, with an average starting spot of 10.4 and an average finish ranking third among full-time drivers.
James Small, transitioning into his sixth year as a Cup crew chief, has brought his expertise to Briscoe’s No. 19 team, following a successful tenure with Martin Truex Jr. that included eight wins, 46 top-fives, and a near-championship run in 2021. Small and Briscoe have already celebrated a major victory together at Pocono Raceway earlier in the season.
Bass Pro Shops, the team’s primary sponsor, carries its own reputation as a leader in conservation and outdoor retail. Their commitment to wildlife protection and outdoor education honors the vision of founder Johnny Morris and has earned recognition from Newsweek as
America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear
—Bass Pro Shops, via Newsweek. The synergy between Briscoe’s performance and Bass Pro Shops’ values is clear as the team readies for Daytona’s unpredictable challenges.
Christopher Bell: Positioning for a Late-Season Surge
Christopher Bell drives the No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE and has placed third in three of his last five Cup starts at Daytona. Bell has 11 Cup races under his belt at the superspeedway, complemented by strong <a href="https://slicksandsticks.com/category/news/xfinity-series/”>Xfinity Series stats: two top-five and four top-10 finishes at Daytona in that category.
Throughout this season, Bell has scored three Cup race victories, collected nine top-five and 14 top-10 results, and added a memorable win at the NASCAR All-Star Race in May. Heading into the season finale, he sits sixth in the driver standings—just 23 points behind second place. At Richmond, Bell ran competitively after an eighth-place qualifying effort, recovering from a costly pit stop and a commitment line infraction to finish 21st.
This weekend, Rheem will host over 250 guests at Daytona, including executives and partners from Rheem Operations, the Rheem Marketing team, and customers from various regions and industries, underscoring the brand’s engagement with NASCAR’s passionate fan base.
Ty Gibbs: Rising Star Aiming for Daytona Breakthrough
Ty Gibbs, in the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, continues to gain experience at Daytona’s challenging stage. In six Cup starts at the track, he recorded a best finish of fifth just last August. Gibbs’ Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series performances include a fourth and seventh at Daytona, plus a memorable debut win on the Daytona Road Course in February 2021 after leading 14 of 56 laps.
During last week’s Richmond race, Gibbs started 23rd and finished 18th, continuing his adaptation to Cup Series competition. Ty Gibbs is teamed with Tyler Allen, a Cup Series rookie crew chief who achieved notable success in the Xfinity Series last season by guiding JGR’s No. 20 team to eight wins and a runner-up owner’s championship finish. Allen also orchestrated Ryan Truex’s Xfinity Series win at Daytona last August, highlighting his rapid rise among crew chiefs.
Looking Ahead: The Stakes at Daytona and Beyond
As the regular season concludes at Daytona International Speedway, the pressure intensifies for Joe Gibbs Racing’s four-car squad. Each driver enters with momentum, strong season performances, and a drive to deliver in the sport’s ultimate wild-card event. Daytona’s unpredictable nature, history of close finishes, and the looming playoff cutoff ensure that every point matters, particularly for contenders like Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, and Ty Gibbs.
With sponsors like Bass Pro Shops, King’s Hawaiian, Rheem, and Monster Energy rallying behind their efforts, and the heartwarming tribute to Christine Edwards inspiring the garage, JGR is poised to make headlines. The Daytona round delivers not only vital championship implications but also the potential for emotional stories and new heroes to emerge, as Joe Gibbs Racing sets its sights on another landmark win at one of motorsport’s greatest stages.
