NASCAR: 5 possible replacements for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2022
By Asher Fair
Possible Joe Gibbs Racing drivers for 2022: No. 5 – Veterans
By no means are Martin Truex Jr. or Denny Hamlin going to step up and do what Kyle Busch has done for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series over the last few years, but there is no reason to believe that they won’t be behind the wheel of the “star car” for the team in 2022.
The 2021 season saw Truex compete at NASCAR’s second highest level for the first time since 2010 when he competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway; in fact, he also competed in his first Truck Series race since 2006 in the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Despite having not competed in the Xfinity Series in more than a decade, he finished in second place. Will he return in an attempt to secure his first win since he won at Talladega Superspeedway in 2006?
As for Hamlin, he has quietly competed in the Xfinity Series for 18 straight years, though he hasn’t competed in more than one race since 2017. Notably, he still managed to extend his streak in 2021 at Darlington Raceway despite the fact that he took on a new role as a Cup Series team owner with 23XI Racing.
At the very least, expect him to drive at Darlington Raceway once again, the lone track where he has competed since the 2018 season. Will he earn his first win since he won at the track Too Tough To Tame in 2017?
Next. Top 25 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark
With Gibbs believed to be on his way to full-time competition and Busch no longer running his five races, which drivers will drive the Joe Gibbs Racing “star car” throughout the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season? Will Bubba Wallace, John Hunter Nemechek, Chandler Smith and Christopher Bell be among them? Will we see Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin more often than usual?