Race Weekend Central

Noah Gragson Moves to JR Motorsports, XFINITY for 2019

JR Motorsports announced today (Sept. 25) that Noah Gragson will pilot the No. 1 Chevrolet full time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for 2019 and beyond.

Gragson, a 20-year-old Nevada native, has signed a multi-year deal and will compete for the 2019 XFINITY Series championship next year.

He will replace the departing Elliott Sadler, who announced his retirement from full-time competition earlier this season.

Gragson has competed full time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the last two seasons for Kyle Busch Motorsports. In 42 starts, Gragson has collected two wins, 10 top fives and eight poles in the series and currently sits fourth in the Truck Series playoff standings.

This year, Gragson made his debut in the NASCAR XFINTY Series, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. In his three XFINITY starts, Gragson has two top fives, including a second-place finish at Richmond Raceway.

“Noah’s proven himself quite a competitor over the last two seasons in the Truck Series,” Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JR Motorsports, said in a team release. “He’s also impressed during a handful of races in the XFINITY Series, and a lot of folks have taken notice.

“Having the opportunity to drive for JRM and the No. 1 team next year is a dream come true,” Gragson said. “I’d like to personally thank Dale [Earnhardt] Jr., Kelley, Chevrolet and everyone at JRM for allowing me to compete for a championship in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

“It will be an honor to follow in Elliott Sadler’s footsteps, and I’m thrilled to be joining such a successful race team. Elliott and Dale Jr. have done so much for the sport over the years, and I hope I can do my part to help take it to the next level. Overall, I’m excited, humbled and extremely appreciative for everyone helping this dream come to fruition.”

Sponsorship details for Gragson’s effort will be announced at a later date. A replacement for Gragson on KBM’s truck team has not been announced.

About the author

Never at a loss for words, Zach Gillispie is a young, talented marketing professional from North Carolina who talks and writes on the side about his first love: racing! Since joining Frontstretch in 2018, Zach has served in numerous roles where he currently pens the NASCAR 101 column, a weekly piece delving into the basic nuts and bolts of the sport. Additionally, his unabashedly bold takes meshed with that trademarked dry wit of his have made Zach a fan favorite on the weekly Friday Faceoff panel. In his free time, he can be found in the great outdoors, actively involved in his church, cheering on his beloved Atlanta Braves or ruthlessly pestering his colleagues with completely useless statistics about Delma Cowart.

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