Joe Gibbs Racing has a new era ahead of it as it will feature plenty of new drivers in its Xfinity Series program in 2024 with the addition of Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith.
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Creed comes to JGR after a tumultuous season at Richard Childress Racing. Smith moves over to JGR from a rookie campaign run with Kaulig Racing.
The team will run two additional cars with several different drivers slated to make starts. One such driver is Aric Almirola, who is stepping away from full-time Cup racing to be a mentor to the youthful talent at Gibbs. Almirola is a big addition to JGR, as it looks to build up their future stars.
The team shared the news via a post on X welcoming the new additions to the organization.
A new era.
Our 2024 Xfinity team will field four Toyota GR Supras – two with full-time drivers and two with a rotating schedule of part-time drivers.
The lineup will be headlined by Sheldon Creed driving the No. 18 GR Supra and Chandler Smith piloting the No. 81 GR Supra.… pic.twitter.com/CRfzefPC9Q
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) December 13, 2023
"A new era," JGR's post said. "Our 2024 Xfinity team will field our Toyota GR Supras - two with full-time drivers and two with a rotating schedule of part-time drivers. The line-up will be headlined by Sheldon Creed driving the No. 18 GR Supra and Chandler Smith piloting the No. 81 GR Supra. Aric Almirola and John Hunter Nemechek will split driving duties of the team's No. 20 entry while the No. 19 GR Supra will be driven by Ryan Truex, William Sawalich, Joe Graf Jr., and Taylor Gray."
The new line-up should give JGR ample opportunities to get to victory lane next season and for years to come.
While Nemechek might be making the jump to the Cup Series with Legacy Motor Club, JGR clearly still values having him in its Xfinity Series team.
Creed had plenty of drama with his now ex-teammate at Richard Childress Racing, Austin Hill. Perhaps he and Smith will fare better as teammates. It will be interesting to see what happens between Creed and Hill at rival teams. Will their feud continue into 2024?
One thing is for sure, Creed and Smith have put themselves in a great spot to compete for victories and the Xfinity Series Championship in 2024.
