MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Luke Lambert will serve as crew chief for Noah Gragson and the JR Motorsports’ No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season.
Lambert, 39, takes over JRM’s highest-finishing team last season, as Gragson finished third in the Xfinity Series standings.
Lambert comes to JRM after spending eight seasons in the Cup Series, including the past two seasons with RFK Racing and drivers Chris Buescher and Ryan Newman.
The North Carolina native has been a top-flight Xfinity crew chief as well, leading former JRM driver Elliott Sadler to a runner-up finish in 2012 while at Richard Childress Racing.
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity with JR Motorsports,” Lambert said. “I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of really good opportunities and experiences in the sport, and looking at JR Motorsports and what I think we are capable of accomplishing, it felt like a really good fit. That’s what was exciting for me, because I feel like we have the opportunity to be really competitive and make a run at the NASCAR Xfinity Series title. That’s what I wanted to be part of here.”
While Lambert and Gragson are in the early part of building a relationship, the new crew chief sees potential in the 23-year-old who capped the last season with three wins, 13 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes.
“I can’t wait to start working with Luke and to see what his experience and knowledge can bring to this No. 9 team,” said Gragson. “After how close we came to winning the championship last season, there’s a ton of momentum on this No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team, and I think Luke will bring a fresh perspective to what we already have at JR Motorsports.”
Lambert graduated from North Carolina State University’s Wolfpack Motorsports program and joined RCR as an engineer in 2005.
In 2011, Lambert took over as crew chief for Jeff Burton in the Cup Series, leading the team to two top-five and five top-10 finishes in 17 races, including a runner-up result at Talladega Superspeedway.
As a Cup Series crew chief, Lambert has one victory in 2017 at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway with Newman, plus 26 top-five and 86 top-10 finishes.
In 2012, Lambert led RCR’s No. 2 Xfinity team with Sadler, earning four victories, 15 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes on the way to a second-place finish in the series standings.
The announcement sets JRM’s driver and crew chief lineup for the new year.
Jason Burdett will return to the No. 7 Chevrolet with driver Justin Allgaier for a seventh season, while Mike Bumgarner will have Josh Berry for the full season in the No. 8 Chevrolet. Taylor Moyer will pair with Sam Mayer in the No. 1 Camaro full-time.