Jeffrey Earnhardt to drive No. 81 Toyota in both series
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Feb. 14, 2019) — Xtreme Concepts Inc., a worldwide leader in turnkey security solutions, is augmenting its existing sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) by forming an alliance with the team that will see Xtreme Concepts Racing (XCI Racing) field its own racecars in two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races and five NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2019.
Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive XCI Racing’s No. 81 Toyota in both series, with the team’s debut coming March 30 in the Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The event will serve as a precursor to XCI Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series debut when it unloads for the April 28 race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
XCI Racing will return to the Xfinity Series June 29 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, July 5 at Daytona International Speedway, Aug. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Aug. 31 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. XCI Racing will finish its maiden season Oct. 13 in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega.
“We are taking a very deliberate and methodical approach to becoming a NASCAR team,” said Landon Ash, founder of Birmingham, Alabama-based Xtreme Concepts and owner of XCI Racing.
“Having a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing makes the learning curve a little less steep and allows us to field competitive racecars right out of the gate.
“Our ultimate goal is to become a fulltime team in the NASCAR Cup Series. We’ll take what we learn this season and apply it to next season. We plan to grow incrementally, and our alliance with JGR will be a key component of that growth.
“As we build the competition side of our race team, we’re also building a strong marketing platform for our brands, most notably iK9, a comprehensive canine solutions provider for detection and service dogs. iK9 will be the lead brand on the No. 81 Toyota in both series. Jeffrey Earnhardt has been an excellent representative for Xtreme Concepts and iK9, and through this endeavor with Joe Gibbs Racing, we plan to grow together.”
JGR is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Cup Series teams, three Xfinity Series teams and a driver development program. Its depth of resources will allow XCI Racing to run competitively and build for the future.
“JGR prides itself on delivering performance, not just for us, but for our partners,” said Coy Gibbs, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, JGR. “Having a new team in XCI Racing is great for our sport, and all of us at JGR are committed to ensuring its success.”
