Over the years, Joe Gibbs Racing has established itself as a heavyweight in NASCAR. Be it the Cup or the Xfinity Series, the team has taken numerous victories and won several championships. Of course, drivers are the most crucial pieces of the puzzle, but crew chiefs are just as paramount, if not more, at times. As far as crew chiefs go, Joe Gibbs has quite a few big names in the garage. But, unfortunately for the legendary team owner, one of his most valued and important crew chiefs will be hanging up his headset by the end of the 2023 NASCAR season.

The 2023 NASCAR season can be seen as a success for Joe Gibbs. He already has one of his drivers in the Cup Series finale at Phoenix, and it is likely that he will get a second one in as well. In the Xfinity Series, JGR has two drivers in the round of 8, and the team will be hoping that both can make it to the championship race.

Is this the end of an era for Joe Gibbs Racing?

Despite all the success, the end of the season may be bittersweet for some JGR employees. For almost two decades, the team had one of the best crew chiefs in the business calling the shots. Jason Ratcliff’s long and illustrious career has seen him win the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series with Kyle Busch.

Apart from Rowdy, the JGR legend has been the crew chief for a number of prominent Cup Series drivers. These include JJ Yeley, Aric Almirola, and Denny Hamlin, to name a few. The 55-year-old will make his 800th appearance as a crew chief in a race. Sadly, the 801st appearance will be his last.

Ratcliff is currently the crew chief for JGR’s #19 in the Xfinity Series, which has been driven by a lot of drivers this year. In a recent interview on SiriusXM, Ratcliff confirmed his retirement plans at the end of the 2023 Xfinity Series season. “That’s it, yeah, Phoenix is gonna be it. It’s my last season as a crew chief and you know, I enjoy the competition so much so hopefully I can stay involved somehow…but it’s gonna be nice not to have to pack a bag each week and get on an airplane,” he said.

“I think I’ll come to the race track a handful of times just to keep that going and it’s such a great experience but yeah, it’s time for me to not travel every week and so, had to stop crew chiefing,” the 55-year-old added.

His career may not be much in the public eye as he is not a driver, but that does not make it any less special. Jason Ratcliff’s numbers at JGR are incredible, and they prove just how good a crew chief he is. The team is losing one of their greatest assets, which will be difficult to replace.

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Legendary crew chiefs’ numbers speak for themselves

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Jason Ratcliff’s career in NASCAR as a crew chief spans almost 25 years. Since 2005, he has been with Joe Gibbs Racing, working both in the Xfinity and the Cup Series. The 55-year-old has a 46% top-10 rate in the Cup and a 53% top-10 rate in the Xfinity Series. In the Cup Series, Ratcliff has amassed 15 wins.

The 55-year-old is also perhaps the most successful Xfinity Series crew chief of all time. With 57 wins in the competition, he has led his driver to the checkered flag more than anyone in history. Working for the 19 car this year, he has won three races with three different drivers: Ryan Truex, Ty Gibbs, and Denny Hamlin.

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Retirements are always tough on the team when you’re one of the greatest. As far as crew chiefs go, Jason Ratcliff is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time. We wish him a happy retirement and all the very best for his future endeavors.