For more than a decade, Driven Racing Oil has been a respected leader in lubricant technology. In “The History of Driven Racing Oil” video, Lake Speed, Jr., General Manager and Certified Lubrication Specialist at Driven, uncovers the company’s roots at Joe Gibbs Racing and traces the events that led to Driven’s current standing as a major player in the industry.
1999 – Mark Cronquist and the Joe Gibbs Racing engine department continue to experience flat-tappet camshaft failures on the dyno and at the racetrack. Research begins to find the contributing causes. Use of API rated engine oil is found to be a contributing cause. Development contract is signed and R&D begins on Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil. In 1999, over $500,000 worth of engines are used testing and evaluating prototype versions of the BR break-in oil and XP1 racing oil.
2000 – Use of the Joe Gibbs Driven BR Break-In oil reduces camshaft failures from 1 in 10 to 1 in 40. Bobby Labonte wins the 2000 Nascar season championship driving for Joe Gibbs Racing on the strength of no engine failures. The 2000 season marked the first full year that Joe Gibbs Racing used Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil.
2001 – Tony Stewart scores 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins and finishes 2nd in the series point standings. Bobby Labonte scores 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup series wins.
2002 – Tony Stewart wins the 2002 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship by scoring 3 wins. Bobby Labonte won the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.
2003 - Bobby Labonte scored 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup wins and Tony Stewart scored 2 wins. R&D work began on the current formulation of XP1.
2004 – Using the current formulation of XP1, Joe Gibbs Racing completes the 2004 season without a single engine failure. Tony Stewart won 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races – Chicagoland Speedway and Watkins Glen International. Joe Gibbs Racing begins test-marketing of Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil. A select number of engine builders are supplied with Home Depot paint buckets filled with XP1 and BR. These independent tests confirm the performance of Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, so Joe Gibbs Racing launches Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. XP1 and BR are the only products offered.
2005 – CV Products in Thomasville, NC becomes the first distributor for Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil. Tony Stewart wins the Brickyard 400 and four more NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on his way to winning the 2005 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Joe Gibbs Driven began testing XP2 restrictor plate engine oil as well as 75W-110 synthetic gear oil in the summer of 2005. Both products see use during the critical “Chase for the Championship” stretch run. R&D work on XP0 and XP3 begin.
2006 – Joe Gibbs Driven XP0, XP2, XP3, XP4 and 75W110 Synthetic Gear Oil are launched for the 2006 season. R&D work begins on Super Speedway Gear Oil, Qualifying Gear Oil, MTF Manual Transmission Fluid, PSF Power Steering Fluid, XP5 and XP6. Tony Stewart wins 5 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Rookie Denny Hamlin wins the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award by winning two races.
2007 – XP5, XP6, Super Speedway Gear Oil, Qualifying Gear Oil, MTF and PSF are launched for the 2007 season. Development of Next Generation Racing Oils begins. Tony Stewart wins 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and Denny Hamlin wins 1 race. Joe Gibbs Driven Hot Rod Oil is launched at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando, Florida.