John Hunter Nemechek teams up with Joe Gibbs Racing for 2023 Xfinity Series ride

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    Joe Gibbs Racing announced on Thursday (12/08/2022) that John Hunter Nemechek will join the team to run the full NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule and compete for a championship in 2023. Nemechek will be climbing behind the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota GR Supra which makes its return to JGR and NASCAR Xfinity Series competition after a one-year hiatus.

The Toyota development driver has more than 250 starts in NASCAR’s national touring series displaying talent at all three levels. His resume includes 13 NASCAR Truck Series wins, two NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, and a full season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Nemechek is no stranger to the Joe Gibbs Raing camp as he won at Texas Motor Speedway with the team in 2021 and ran three races behind the wheel of the No. 18 in 2022 with a best finish of second at Richmond.

The 25-year-old ran full time in the NASCAR Truck Series in 2022 winning two races and seven pole awards making it to the "Round of 8" in the NASCAR Playoffs. Nemechek was the 2021 NASCAR Truck Series Regular-season Champion.

“I’m appreciative of the opportunity to get back to competing full time in the Xfinity Series,” said Nemechek. “JGR is a group that I know I can win with after getting that win at Texas in 2021. I’m excited to get to work on the 2023 season so we can go out and win some races and compete for a championship.”

Mobil 1 will be the primary sponsor for the year on the No. 20. Nemechek will also be backed by his long-standing partners Berry’s Bullets, Pye Barker Fire and Safety, Romco Equipment and his Grocery Store Brands throughout the 2023 season.

“John Hunter has shown the dedication it takes to be a successful racecar driver,” said Steve DeSouza, Executive Vice President, Xfinity Series and Driver Development. “He has experience at all levels of NASCAR that will be valuable to the team in 2023. We are excited to add him to our driver lineup for the year and look forward to the success the No. 20 team will see.”

Ben Beshore, now former crew chief for Kyle Busch in 2021 and 2022, will sit atop the pit box for the No. 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series team in 2023.

Sponsorship for Grala has not been confirmed, but we do know that the SHR ride will be officially backed by Toyota, so some funding throughout the year may come from TRD.

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