McGruff The Crime Dog Riding with Joey Gase at Daytona

McGruff the Crime Dog will rekindle its relationship with Joey Gase and Emerling-Gase Motorsports for 2023, supporting the #53 Ford Mustang, driven by Gase, in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. CP: CNPC | Facebook

After a successful partnership at last summer’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Daytona International Speedway, McGruff the Crime Dog is ready to take another ride with Joey Gase and Emerling-Gase Motorsports.

Announced by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) via Facebook on Wednesday, Gase will drive the No. 53 Go For Real/McGruff the Crime Dog Ford Mustang in the season-opening event at the 2.5 superspeedway miles.

Last season, Gase competed in a total of 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series events — ten for Emerling-Gase Motorsports and one for BJ McLeod Motorsports — earning a pair of season-high 16th-place results at Talladega ( spring) and Daytona (Summer).

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native has partnered with NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner Patrick Emerling to form Emerling-Gase Motorsports in 2022 and field a full-time entry in the No. 35 NASCAR Xfinity Series .

In the team’s first season, eight different drivers took the wheel of an Emerling-Gase Motorsports car – which qualified for every event in 2022 – Parker Kligerman finished 12th at Circuit of The Americas.

This season, Emerling-Gase Motorsports chose to field a pair of full-time entries in the second-tier series, fielding No. 35 and No. 53 full-time. While Gase has been confirmed to pilot #53 at Daytona, the driver for #35 has yet to be announced.

Brad Perez and CJ McLaughlin have also been confirmed to join the organization’s driver lineup this season. Perez will compete in at least four NASCAR Xfinity Series events, starting with COTA, while McLaughlin tells TobyChristie.com he plans to do up to 18 events with the team.

Additional announcements regarding the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series driver lineup for Emerling-Gase Motorsports are expected.

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