Joe Graf Jr. adds Joe Gibbs Racing to 2023 Xfinity Series schedule
Joe Graf Jr. has become the latest addition to Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver lineup for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Graf, 24, of Mahwah, New Jersey, will drive JGR’s No. 19 “all-star” Toyota Supra for five Xfinity events this coming season, starting at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 25. He will then drive 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 Kansas Speedway on September 9. CoverSeal® and G-Coin® will support Graf’s efforts at JGR.
The news comes after Graf Jr. will also drive for RSS Racing for 28 Xfinity events this season, which will begin 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 racing in all but five of the 33 races on the Xfinity schedule between SS-Green Light Racing, RSS Racing and BJ McLeod Motorsports.
“Racing five races with JGR is a fantastic opportunity for me and for my marketing partners,” said Graf Jr. “I think I can learn a lot from JGR and showcase my skills that I’ve developed in the series over the of the past three years. 2023 is shaping up to be a great year and I’m excited to start with Group No. 19.”
Graf Jr. made his first appearance in the Xfinity Series at Richmond Raceway in June 2019, where he drove the #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 finishes and 23 top-20 finishes in 93 career starts. His best result to date is an eighth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2022.
Prior to the Xfinity Series, Graf Jr. competed in two seasons of the ARCA Menards Series in 2018 and 2019. He earned his first career victory at Berlin Raceway in August 2018.
“Joe [Graf Jr.] is driven to achieve success, which is what we look for in all of our drivers,” added Steve DeSouza, Executive Vice President of NXS and Development. “We anticipate a strong season from the No.19 team and the addition of Joe to the driver line-up will help this team be competitive for the Owners’ Championship this season.”
With the addition of Graf Jr. to JGR, he becomes the second scheduled competitor to pilot the #19 entry which will be helmed by veteran crew chief Jason Ratcliff. Ryan Truex is due to drive the car in a total of six events, although his schedule has not been determined. The rest of the drivers and schedules for the No. 19 team are yet to be determined.
With its schedule set, the 2023 season of Graf Jr.’s Xfinity Series will kick off 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 Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.