Bad News; Joe Gibbs Racing As Truex Jr And Gibbs Relegated……
The decision to reposition Truex Jr. and Gibbs—both representing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)—comes after precautionary modifications to their engines’ plug wires. Detected by Toyota Racing Development crewmen, these pre-race adjustments aimed to prevent potential issues.
Both drivers’ cars, Truex’s No. 19 Toyota and Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota, underwent similar modifications that had previously impacted the engine of another Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, resulting in his last-place qualifying result.
In terms of qualifying performance, Gibbs had initially secured the highest position among Toyota drivers, landing 20th after the single-lap time trials on Saturday. However, with the mandatory engine plug wire changes, both he and Truex will now start the Quaker State 400 from the rear, facing an arduous task to move up the ranks.
