HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Joe Graf Jr. will run five NASCAR Xfinity Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing aboard the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra this season.
Graf will make his JGR debut at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway on February 25. He’ll be back in the car the next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 4, and run the third race of his JGR schedule at Richmond (Va.) Raceway on April 1.
The former ARCA Menards Series winner will return to JGR at the Magic Mile of New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15 and finish up his schedule with the team in the Midwest at Kansas Speedway on September 9.
“Joe (Graf) is committed to success, which is something we are looking for in all of our drivers,” said Steve DeSouza ,Executive Vice President of NXS and Development. “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.”
The 2023 season will be Graf’s fourth season in Xfinity Series competition. Graf also announced a 28-race schedule with RSS Racing that keeps him in a Xfinity ride for the totality of the 2023 season. Graf posted a career-best finish of eighth in 2022 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April. The 24-year-old ran well in his years in the ARCA Menards Series with one win and consistent top-10 finishes.
“Running five races with JGR is a fantastic opportunity for myself and for my marketing partners,” added Graf Jr., “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.”
CoverSeal and G-Coin will continue their partnerships with Graf in his new endeavor at JGR this season.
Jason Ratcliff will be crew chief for the No. 19 team throughout the 2023 Xfinity Series owner’s championship campaign. Ryan Truex was previously announced as a driver of the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for six races. The remaining drivers and races they will compete in will be announced at a later date.