Plagued by a string of blown engines, Joe Gibbs Racing is merging its engine program with Toyota Racing Development.
JGR President J.D. Gibbs said in a conference call Thursday that TRD had already helped in several areas but acknowledged there were areas where ''we're struggling.''
''We're kind of a the point now where I think we can combine a lot of the best attributes that JGR has, the best attributes TRD has, and really have a better package going forward,'' Gibbs said.
Gibbs said the alliance probably won't help much this year and is more focused on 2012 and beyond.
''This is still a work in progress,'' said Lee White, president and general manager of TRD.
JGR, which has had 11 engine failures in practices and races this year, has built its own engines out of its shop in Huntersville, N.C., since joining NASCAR's top series in 1993.
All three JGR Sprint Cup teams have had engine problems that began with the season-opening Daytona 500.
Denny Hamlin missed a shift that blew the first engine of the year. But Joey Logano's engine failed at Phoenix, Kyle Busch's blew at Las Vegas, Logano ran most of Bristol short on power, and Hamlin's engine failed 105 laps into the spring race at California.
Gibbs says he's hopeful that switching most of the engine work to TRD's Costa Mesa, Calif., facility will help the team achieve greater durability under the hood. TRD already supplies engines for Michael Waltrip Racing.
JGR also said it was looking to add engine customers from NASCAR's Nationwide and Trucks series and was optimistic the company would not lose anyone in its engine shop.
TRD also is staring at a reduced workload. It has built engines for Red Bull, which announced in June that it will leave NASCAR at the end of the season.
The Sprint Cup and Nationwide series head to the road course at Watkins Glen on Friday.
