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“What Is Going on!” – Erik Jones Calls Out Joe Gibbs for Removing His Driver, Forcing Fans to Speculate on JGR’s Curious Ploy

Published 10/19/2023, 5:13 PM EDT

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When Kyle Busch left Joe Gibbs Racing last year, fans were left speculating on who was the one who initiated the process. Was it Joe Gibbs, Mars Inc., or Kyle Busch himself, asked everyone. Needless to say, over the last three decades of its operation in the world of NASCAR, Joe Gibbs Racing has never been too far from controversies. And now, days before NASCAR approaches the Round of 8 race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, things seem to be in control for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series.

However, in the Xfinity Series, JGR has recently renamed its entry for the #18 Toyota Supra in the Contender Boats 250. And that has sent a tremor across the community. So much so that a Legacy Motor Club driver found himself wondering why Coach Gibbs was resorting to such fickle-minded tactics.

Joe Gibbs Racing ousts NASCAR driver from a well-deserved ride

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At the beginning of this year, Joe Gibbs Racing had signed Myatt Snider for a 6-race deal to drive their #19 Toyota in Daytona, Portland, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Martinsville, and the season finale at the Phoenix Raceway. Needless to say, the 28-year-old speedster felt elated.

In a tweet at the beginning of the season, he wrote, “So excited to be back @JoeGibbsRacing. And I get to run some of my favorite tracks all with @TreeTopInc on the car 🤙🏼 ’23 is shaping up to be a great year!”

However, recently when Joe Gibbs Racing revealed that Joe Graf Jr would be driving the #19 Toyota at the Homestead-Miami Speedway next week, fans were taken aback. Snider has three full seasons worth of experience in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since he debuted in 2020.

Moreover, Snider got his first Xfinity race victory at Homestead-Miami back in 2021 with Richard Childress Racing. Whereas, Joe Graf Jr has not won even once at the 1.5-mile track. So why did Joe Gibbs choose Joe Graf over Myatt Snider?

Watch this story: How Will Joe Gibbs’ Decision to Sell His NASCAR Team Affect JGR?

Even Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones wasn’t sure why. And the fans joined in to hint at why Joe Graf Jr got the chance and not Myatt Snider.

While Erik Jones remained clueless, fans pulled no punches stating the obvious reason

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When Erik Jones read a recent tweet by NASCAR journalist Austin Konenski that said, “Joe Graf Jr. will drive the No. 19 car for Joe Gibbs Racing in this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Myatt Snider was previously listed in the No. 19 entry…Graf was not scheduled for Homestead in his initial schedule release,” he couldn’t fathom why Joe Gibbs would prefer Graf over Snider. At a loss for words, Jones commented, “Wonder what is going on!”

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A fan dropped an emoji of Vince McMahon counting cash. (Guess what that means?) Someone wrote, “Graf bringing big bucks.” However, there were people who felt like Graf was a better option than Trevor Bayne or Snider. On that note, a user wrote, “Better than Bayne and Snyder”
Someone joined in saying, “Myatt Snider is incorrect, but Joe Graf Jr. is correct”

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Can you think of a reason why Joe Gibbs would oust a driver who has an Xfinity win at Homestead-Miami Speedway for someone who has no wins in his all-time career?

“Zero Sponsorship”- Denny Hamlin Lifts the Curtain on Kyle Busch’s JGR Fallout

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Written by:

Soumyadeep Saha

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Soumyadeep Saha is a NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports. Holding a Master's degree in English literature from a top-tier university, he has always had a great affinity for writing. In the past couple of years, he has channeled his love and commitment for stock cars into building a career path in the arena of Motorsports Journalism.
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Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal