HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing has set its crew chief roster next season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for drivers Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst and Harrison Burton.
Jeff Meendering will return as crew chief for Jones and the No. 19 Toyota Supra team for next season as the pair emerge as the veterans of JGR’s Xfinity Series program. In his first season with Jones, the duo scored Jones’ first Xfinity Series win on Oct. 19 at Kansas Speedway and have recorded six top-five finishes, 15 top-10 finishes while leading 104 laps.
“I’m having so much fun racing in the Xfinity Series right now and I’m really happy to have Jeff (Meendering) back next year,” said Jones. “We got our first win together this year and having Jeff and the team stay together on our No. 19 Toyota Supra allows us to build on that momentum. We are focused on finishing out this season strong and working hard to have a fast start to 2020 beginning in Daytona.”
Dave Rogers will return to crew chief duties to lead the No. 18 Toyota Supra team with rookie contender Riley Herbst. No stranger to the top of the pit box or JGR’s Xfinity Series program, Rogers has worked with many drivers over the course of his career. Rogers career numbers in the Xfinity Series are impressive and include 20 wins, 51 top-five finishes, 82 top-10 finishes, 24 pole starting positions and over 3,000 laps led in 128 starts.
“I’m really going to lean on Dave Rogers next season to learn as much as I can,” said Herbst. “He’s had so much success over the years with a number of different drivers and to have a veteran like him will really help as I continue to learn each week on the track. I’m looking forward to continuing to get to know him and build our relationship as we prepare for Daytona and the 2020 season.”
In his second season as crew chief at JGR, Ben Beshore will move to the No. 20 Toyota Supra team to lead Burton for his rookie season. Beshore moved from an engineer on JGR’s Cup program to Xfinity Series crew chief for the 2019 season and has worked with seven different drivers throughout the season, including Burton. Beshore and Burton have teamed up for eight starts during the season with one top-five finish and four top-10 finishes. With two races left in the season, Beshore and Burton will have their last showing together in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16 before shifting to the 2020 season and the No. 20 Toyota Supra team.
“I’m excited to get the 2020 season started and continue building on the relationship that I have with Ben (Beshore) and the entire group at JGR,” said Burton. “This year has really helped me and I’m ready to take the next step in my career with JGR and the No. 20 team.”
“We’ve got a great line up for our Xfinity program for 2020 with Brandon (Jones) really hitting his stride and both Riley (Herbst) and Harrison (Burton) continuing to develop and grow their careers,” said Steve DeSouza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Development for Joe Gibbs Racing. “I believe we have the right people in place with Jeff Meendering, Dave Rogers and Ben Beshore leading the 19, 18 and 20 teams. We look forward to each competing for race wins and ultimately a 2020 championship, along with Riley and Harrison contending for Rookie of the Year honors.”