Joe Gibbs: 'We had to make a decision'

Team owner Joe Gibbs discusses the circumstances that led to moving Erik Jones into the No. 20 Toyota for 2018 in place of Matt Kenseth.

[jeffpecker]

don't mind me but I thought giving Matt the boot was a CRAP decision

[sarahmulkey]

Team desicion my butt it was you Gibbs im sure if all the gibbs drivers and crews would of voted matt would be driving the 20 in 2018 and have a ride!

[GeorgeOfAIITrades]

They had to move Kenseth.

Basically, Suarez got stepped up because Arris still was paying for the #19 car. You can't back out of your sponsorship deal just because the driver fell thru.

Jones already has contracts laid out with sponsors for next year. Carl was supposed to leave after this year, leaving Jones the open spot. Instead now, they have to boot Kenseth, because he's the only contract expiring, and let's face it. Kenseth is leaving the sport within the next 5 years. Kyle and Denny still have another 10+.

[stevemiller]

had to make a team decision...

chose wrong.

[motorsportinsider]

For those of you wondering, this wasn’t about the driver. It was about sponsorship. If Matt and Erik had the same amount of sponsorship, then Matt clearly would have stayed. He has more talent, even though he is in a bit of a slump this year. If Dollar General stayed in NASCAR with Matt full time, they would have kept Matt. Don’t blame Coach, guys. Blame Dollar General.

[floridafarmer]

Jones will be a great driver someday. But Jones for Kenseth? Are you crazy? Kenseth is the driver of now. This is just as crazy as 5 hour energy leaving Bowyer for a rookie driver. Just stupid.

[JackLikesTrackhouse]

I feel like in the next 7 ish years the lineup will be
Joe Gibbs Racing
11:Christopher Bell
19:Daniel Suarez
20:Erik Jones
54:Noah Gragson
Kyle Busch Motorsports
18:Kyle Busch
51:An up and comer, someone who is currently around 13-15

[dougbowers]

it's like going to church, which church, which pastor, which bible? who knows what to believe anymore.

[Nascarman]

JGR didn't expect this to happen? When you sign on more young drivers to your teams in the lower series than you have rides available in the cup series, you're going to have to give some of the veterans the boot on the cup team in order to make room. JGR was amazing before they decided to go all out and bring a ton of young drivers on to their development team with clearly not enough spots to fill in the cup series. It was a real shame to see Carl and Matt be peer pressured out because of Suarez and Jones but I have a feeling that JGR will feel some bad back splash from their decision. If JGR keep doing what they are doing, their team is going to suffer for a little due to quality leadership from experienced drivers. Busch is too prideful in his own success to care about giving younger drivers the chance to succeed. Also, don't be surprised if Hamlin gets the boot when Bell or some other JGR kid is ready to come to the cup series. I'm sure it was a great idea on the drawing board but it is now showing a bad result.

[mrepicchickenman]

Carl didn't want to retire, Daniel Suarez dad owns Arris and extremely rich in Mexico and close ties to someone really rich who bought out Carls contract and put him in a 1 year no racing at all deal.

[cobraguy]

So he loses a driver, and that makes him decide to lose another?
Toiletta.
Who cares.

[larsonfan]

by The Way Carl Edwards Didn't Say The (R-Word = Retirement) So His Words We're I'm Just Stepping Away From The Sport

[nascarpro]

Eso es una mala parte el no mira toda las victoria que le dio matt kenseth esto último 4 años y lo va a sacar del equipo que molo es ese biejo

[DrewPalmquist]

Matt Kenneth lost his job after wrecking joey a few year ago, Dollar General dropped him after this, so Matt lost his job at the end of his contract,