JR Motorsports will have a new lineup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after Noah Gragson departed the organization to drive the No. 42 car for Petty GMS Motorsports and Jimmie Johnson in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Brandon Jones will leave the No. 19 car for Joe Gibbs Racing and replace Gragson, with Menards, in the No. 9 car. The rest of the lineup will remain the same with Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, and Josh Berry in their respective cars.
However, while most of the lineup will remain the same for the 2023 season, JR Motorsports has made sweeping changes to its crew chief lineup that will see new partnerships across the board.
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JR Motorsports significantly shuffles up its crew chief lineup for the 2023 season
JR Motorsports has made significant changes to its crew chief lineup as the 2023 season awaits in Daytona, Florida. Let’s dive into the changes that were announced on November 17, 2022.
First off, Mardy Lindley will be the crew chief for Mayer in the No. 1 car. Lindley has been with Kyle Busch Motorsports but left the team as it made the transition to Chevrolet. It appears that Lindley found a better opportunity for himself and his family.
Mayer’s old crew chief, Taylor Moyer, will join Berry’s No. 8 team as they look to break through for their first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Berry made the Championship 4 in 2022 but failed to win the event.
Next, Jim Pohlman will be the crew chief for Allgaier in the No. 7 car. Pohlman was previously with Richard Childress Racing but reunites with the driver that won the 2008 ARCA Menards Series championship.
As for Allgaier’s former crew chief, Jason Burdett will move to the No. 9 team as Jones comes from Joe Gibbs Racing. This is due to Luke Lambert leaving with Gragson to join the No. 42 Cup team at Petty GMS Motorsports
Berry’s former crew chief, Mike Baumgarner, was promoted to JR Motorsports’ director of competition and will no longer be a crew chief with the organization.
While the drivers for the team are mostly staying the same, there will be new voices in each of their helmets as the Xfinity Series prepares for its opening race of the 2023 season at Daytona International Speedway.