NASCAR: Should JGR and 23XI consider Truck teams?

Toyota will need new options for driver development in the NASCAR Truck Series next season, and its NASCAR Cup Series teams could provide the solution.

It was an eventful weekend for Toyota at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the automaker clinched its 13th NASCAR Truck Series manufacturer championship while sending drivers Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes, and Chandler Smith to the Championship 4.

But at the same time, one of the manufacturer’s top drivers this season, John Hunter Nemechek, was eliminated from Truck Series title contention before filling in for a suspended Bubba Wallace at 23XI Racing in the Cup Series race.

That wild weekend continued a rollercoaster past couple of months for Toyota. The company was dealt a significant blow to its driver development program when Kyle Busch signed with Richard Childress Racing (RCR), prompting his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) team to switch to Chevrolet.

Current KBM drivers Nemechek and Corey Heim will remain with Toyota, therefore needing to find new rides.

Busch has been the face of Toyota’s driver development for many years. His KBM team has provided competitive rides for young talent while giving them the opportunity to race against Busch himself in select events.

KBM has acted as a feeder system for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), giving drivers such as Christopher Bell and Erik Jones their first opportunities in NASCAR’s national touring series before getting their chance at promotion within Toyota’s racing program.

Busch has also been featured with young talent in TV commercials for Toyota in recent years, where he has passed the keys to a Toyota Supra after doing doughnuts at the start-finish line and where he has caught drivers trying to break into a secured garage housing a Toyota NASCAR truck.

Without Busch, Toyota loses a proven feeder system and a driver whose ability to win at every level could appeal to young drivers deciding on the next step in their racing careers.

In the weeks after Busch’s announcement, Toyota lost two more drivers, with Brandon Jones moving from JGR to JR Motorsports and Smith moving from KBM to Kaulig Racing for the 2023 Xfinity Series season. Even if unrelated, those were still two additional blows.

KBM wasn’t the only competitive team fielding Toyotas in the Truck Series this season, with ThorSport Racing, Hattori Racing Enterprises, and Halmar Friesen Racing also helping the company win its 13th manufacturer title in 19 seasons of the Toyota Tundra being run in the series.

But those teams are still different from KBM. They feature a mix of veterans and younger drivers, but they don’t tend to have drivers rising through the ranks as quickly as KBM does. While these teams would still provide significant numbers for Toyota next season, KBM’s switch feels like more than just three rides leaving the brand.

Toyota will also be looking for additional seats for Nemechek and Heim, which may not be available with other Toyota teams if drivers such as Rhodes, Majeski, and Christian Eckes return to their current rides.

With Toyota looking for seats and Joe Gibbs Racing looking for a new link in its feeder system, the best solution may be Truck Series expansion for either JGR or its ally, 23XI Racing.

While it would come at an additional cost for these Cup Series teams, expansion to the Truck Series is a realistic option for both sides, as building a competitive operation in a short period of time would be cheaper than it was for the teams to build their current programs and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) could offer additional resources along the way.

Making such an investment now would be worth it in the long run, re-establishing their strong feeder system before losing any more drivers to rival manufacturers.

Toyota has a wealth of drivers in lower ranks, including ARCA and USAC, so there would still be options to fill a new team in the coming years, even if someone such as Nemechek were to move up to JGR’s Xfinity Series program.

JGR and 23XI Racing can also use their Cup Series drivers to help fill the role that Busch leaves behind. Denny Hamlin could run select races in the Xfinity Series and Truck Series to help sell sponsorship and provide the presence of a successful Cup Series racer once again.

Tyler Reddick would also be a good driver to have make select starts as a two-time Xfinity Series champion and as a recent example of a driver switching to Toyota. He is set to join 23XI Racing next season after a breakout year with RCR and Chevrolet.

JGR or 23XI Racing expanding to the Truck Series, along with appearances by Hamlin and Reddick, would give Toyota more credibility in the Truck Series and perhaps make the company more appealing to drivers who would otherwise choose a proven KBM team over a Toyota ride.

Toyota is in the midst of a driver development crisis following the domino effect of Busch’s Cup Series move, and JGR or 23XI Racing should consider coming to the rescue.