Fantasy NASCAR Racing

Denny Hamlin raced five times and Erik Jones ran eight times. Jones added the only other win this season as he won at Chicago. For the season the drivers collected seven wins; while having 17 Top 5 and 23 Top 10's.  2016 saw a variety of drivers work with Gayle.  A total of nine different drivers would wheel the #18 car with Kyle Busch at the controls for 17 races; and Matt Tifft ran seven events.  Busch would again win at Indianapolis.  The other drivers only ran one or two events.  Busch had a phenomenal season as he would park his car in victory lane ten times in his 17 starts. Denny Hamlin and Sam Hornish would also add one win each.  They produced 19 top five and 23 top ten finishes. In 2017 Erik Jones moved up to the Cup series full time; and he was paired with Gayle.  The rookie didn't get a win but did almost claim a win when he finished second at Bristol.  2018 was a break through year for Gayle and his driver Erik Jones.  In July at Daytona, Jones was able to pull off the first Cup win for both of them. Jones only led one lap as he passed Martin Truex in the second over time.  The race was a crash filled affair that saw 20 cars crash out.  Jones also finished second at Indianapolis and had a total of nine Top 5 finishes.  They had 18 Top 10 finishes, but after two bad finishes in the first round of the Chase Jones was eliminated.  He ended up 15th in the points.  Chris Gabehart will be Erik Jones crew chief in the Cup Series in 2019.  They kicked off the season with a third place finish in the Daytona 500 followed by a seventh at Atlanta.  After that things went sideways as they only combined to post six Top 10 finishes over the next 16 races.  Things turned around at the mid-way point of the season and Gayle led Jones to four Top 5 finishes and a win over the next seven race span.  He would win at the tough old track of Darlington claiming the Southern 500 crown.  The win locked Jones into the Chase but in the first round he was found to be illegal in post race inspection and was disqualified and received one point.  This derailed any chance he had of advancing further in the playoffs.  He eventually ended the season 16th in points.  Gayle was back with Jones for 2020.  Gayle and Jones did not have a successful season in at all.  After getting a win in both 2018 and 2019; this w as expected to be Jones break out season.  He only crashed out of three races, but hardly ever seemed to be running at the front with a shot to win.  He only had one second place finish and three third place finishes on the season.  They only had eight Top 5 and 12 Top 10 finishes.  Their poor performance didn't slip by owner Joe Gibbs either.  Mid-season it was announced that Jones would be released at the end of the season, and Christopher Bell would be brought in to drive the #20. Gayle was also moved off of the #20 car.  Gayle ended up as the crew chief in the Xfinity Series in 2021.  He led the efforts of the JGR “All Star” car.  It was driven by several different drivers.  He won with young Ty Gibbs on the Daytona Road Course in just the second race of the year.  Kyle Busch made four starts in the car; and parked it in victory lane all four times.  John Hunter Nemechek and Christopher Bell would also win in the car.  In all, Gibbs won four times and the car posted ten wins.  In 2022 Ty Gibbs graduated from running part time in the Xfinity series, to racing full time there.  Chris Gayle was paired with him to usher him along. Gibbs posted some great finishes; but also ruffled more than a few feathers along the way.  The first eight races he finished no worse than eighth; and added wins at Las Vegas, Atlanta and Richmond.  After a crash at Talladega; he was on another strong run again with a second at Pocono and a win at Michigan.  When the Chase started he got the reputation of being the "poor little rich kid, who only had a ride because of who his grand father was".  His actions seemed to prove this at the race before the Championship race.  His team mate Brandon Jones had won at Martinsville in the Spring; and had to have a win to join Gibbs and advance to the Championship four.  Late in the race Jones worked Gibbs over and over; and with just a couple laps to go was able to get under Gibbs when he pushed high and opened the inside lane.  As they took the white flag, instead of slowing and trying to make a clean pass on Jones; Gibbs just drove 'through' him and punted him into the wall.  Gibbs went on to take the win and when he climbed from his car, he was greeted to an overwhelming chorus of boos from the knowledgeable Martinsville fans.  Gibbs actions made several groups upset.  First there was the Brandon Jones fans.  Next, his own team mates were upset because instead of two JGR cars in the finals, there would only be one.  And Toyota was upset because they would only have one car running for the championship instead of two.  But in the end, when the Xfinity Series traveled to Phoenix, no one could touch Ty Gibbs as he led the most laps and got the win . On a sad note; the Gibbs family returned home that night; and Ty's dad, Coy Gibbs died in his sleep.  Also in 2022, Gibbs got some seat time in the Cup Series.  Kurt Busch, driver for the 23XI team got a concussion at Pocono and Gibbs was called on to drive the Cup cars on that team.  For info on that look under driver Ty Gibbs or his crew Chief for those races Billy Scott.  For 2023, Gibbs will drive full time in the Cup Series as Gayle will be called upon to move up with him.  After winning a bunch of races in the Xfinity series in 2022, the competition at the Cup level proved to be tough sledding.  Their first top five came in race #21 at Pocono when they finished fifth.  They added another fifth place finish at Watkins Glen, and yet another at Bristol.  Their best run of the season came at Charlotte on the Roval when they were fourth.  For the season they combined for four top five and ten top ten finishes.  They will be back together in 2024.  At this time in his young career, Gayle has two Cup wins, among them the Southern 500.  His drivers now has 37 Xfinity wins.