Joe Graf Jr. became the latest addition to Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver lineup for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
The 24-year-old Graf from Mahwah, New Jersey, will be piloting JGR’s No. 19 “all-star” Toyota Supra entry for five Xfinity events this upcoming season, beginning at Auto Club Speedway on February 25. He will then pilot the No. 19 entry at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 4, Richmond Raceway on April 1, New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15 and at Kansas Speedway on September 9. CoverSeal® and G-Coin® will be supporting Graf’s efforts at JGR.
The news comes after Graf Jr. will also be driving for RSS Racing for 28 Xfinity events this season, which will commence at Daytona International Speedway in February and make him a full-time competitor in the series. It also comes after the New Jersey native spent the previous season competing in all but five of 33-race Xfinity schedule between SS-Green Light Racing, RSS Racing and BJ McLeod Motorsports.
“Running five races with JGR is a fantastic opportunity for myself and for my marketing partners,” Graf Jr. said. “I think I can learn a lot from JGR and showcase my skills I’ve been growing in the series in the past three years. 2023 is shaping up to be a great year and I’m pumped to get started with the No. 19 group.”
Graf Jr. made his inaugural presence in the Xfinity Series at Richmond Raceway in June 2019, where he piloted the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing as a development driver and finished 19th after starting 21st. Since then, he has recorded a total of two top-10 results and 23 top-20 results in 93 career starts. His highest-finishing result to date is an eighth-place run at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2022.
Prior to the Xfinity Series, Graf Jr. competed in two ARCA Menards Series season in 2018 and 2019. He claimed his first career victory at Berlin Raceway in August 2018.
“Joe [Graf Jr.] is committed to success, which is something we are looking for in all of our drivers,” Steve DeSouza, Executive Vice President of NXS and Development, added. “We are anticipating a solid season from the No. 19 team and Joe’s addition to the driver lineup will help that team be competitive for the owner’s championship this season.”
With Graf Jr.’s addition to JGR, he becomes the second competitor scheduled to pilot the No. 19 entry that will be led by veteran crew chief Jason Ratcliff. Ryan Truex is scheduled to pilot the car in a total of six events, though his schedule has not been determined. The remainder of the No. 19 team’s drivers and schedules have yet to be determined.
With his schedule set, Graf Jr.’s 2023 Xfinity Series season will commence at Daytona International Speedway on February 18 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1. His part-time tenure at Joe Gibbs Racing will then begin at Auto Club Speedway on February 25 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.
