Joe Gibbs Racing might lose the iconic No:18 Charter after the announcement of the new NASCAR cup drivers’ line-up that includes Ty Gibbs  

Joe Gibbs Racing might lose the iconic No:18 Charter after the announcement of the new NASCAR cup drivers’ line-up that includes Ty Gibbs  

Kyle Busch's No:18 Toyota Camry (Images via IMAGO/ USA Today Network)

The No:18 Car legacy in the NASCAR cup series is the history of Joe Gibbs Racing. The charter is a synonym for JGR’s success in the premier stock car racing division. The No:18 team has brought in three drivers’ championships for JGR. They are the only team to win the championship in a Toyota since the Japanese car manufacturing giant made its cup debut with JGR in 2007.

Dale Jarrett debuted the No:18 car for JGR in the 1992 Daytona 500 and Bobby Labonte’s 2000 Winston cup championship fueled the team’s journey to iconic status.  Kyle Busch took over the No:18 ride in 2007 the same year JGR switched to TRD.  He went on to win two impressive championships in 2015 and 2019.

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Joe Gibbs has decided to promote his Grandson Ty Gibbs to full-time cup duty in 2022. He replaced veteran Kyle Busch who signed a deal with RCR last September. The Xfinity series champion will drive the No:54 car in 2023. Cup teams are allowed to hold a maximum of four charters to themselves and the No:18 is now open for taking.

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Though JGR has no rights over the charter it is reported that NASCAR will not be allocating the number to any other team in 2023. The 30-year legacy of JGR deserves at least this favor from the organization. JGR in their statement confirmed that they do have plans for the No:18 car in the future.

Also read: Richard Petty’s iconic Plymouth Fury from the 1960 cup season was up for sale on eBay for over $1 Million

Multiple NASCAR teams are holding up certain charts to their name

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Hendrick Motorsports No:5 and No:9 cars (Images via Imago/ USA Today Network)

A NASCAR cup series race will only feature a maximum of 40 cars. So, teams have about 110 different numbers to choose from if they wanted to make an entry. For the traditional giants of sports, certain numbers are iconic and part of their brand. Sometimes they will agree with to hold on to those numbers even if they are not using them.

Richard Childress Racing paid NASCAR a certain sum of money from 2001 to 2014 to keep the right of the No:3 charter, which is currently run by Austin Dillon. Hendrick Motorsports still holds the rights for the No:25 charter. They also held on to the No:5 for several years before Kyle Larson was given the ride.

Also read: Ty Gibbs replaces Kyle Busch as the fourth driver for Joe Gibbs Racing 2023 cup campaign

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