Noah Gragson will have a new crew chief in Luke Lambert in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022, JR Motorsports announced Jan. 4.
Lambert replaces Dave Elenz, who announced last year that he was moving to Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Lambert joins Gragson and the No. 9 from RFK Racing.
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity with JR Motorsports,” Lambert said in a team release. “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.”
Added Gragson, “I can’t wait to start working with Luke and to see what his experience and knowledge can bring to this No. 9 team. 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.”
Gragson is coming off a 2021 that saw him score three wins, 13 top fives and 20 top 10s en route to a third-place finish in points.
Rutherford is the managing editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2015 after serving on the editing staff for two years. At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.