Joe Gibbs Racing Adds Joe Graf Jr. to NASCAR Xfinity Series Program in 2023

Mark Joe Graf Jr. down as a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Xfinity Series ranks for the 2023 season, as the 24-year-old has rounded out his schedule with a five-race stint in the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Joe Gibbs Racing, one of the juggernaut teams in the world of NASCAR, made the announcement of Graf's addition to their NASCAR Xfinity Series program in the form of a press release on Wednesday.

“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 in the team's press release. “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.”

CoverSeal and G-Coin, both longtime partners of Graf, will return as sponsors for Graf's effort at JGR in 2023.

The New Jersey native will kick off his JGR schedule with back-to-back races at Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- the second and third races of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

Graf will return to the JGR entry at Richmond Raceway in April and will conclude his five-race schedule in the No. 19 entry at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July and Kansas Speedway in September.

The racer, who is entering his fourth season in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, believes this opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing is coming at the perfect time for him, personally, as he has learned a lot of lessons over his first three races in the series.

“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 the 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.”

In addition to his five starts with Joe Gibbs Racing, Graf announced on January 27th that he will contest the 28 remaining races of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with RSS Racing, which will keep Graf eligible to chase the championship in the series in 2023.

Photo Credit: Jonathan McCoy / TobyChristie.com