Brandon Jones will join JR Motorsports for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.
Brandon Jones will rejoin Chevrolet with JR Motorsports for the 2023 Xfinity Series season, bringing him back to the brand with which he started his NASCAR career.
JR Motorsports had to recruit a replacement driver for their No. 9 NXS entry as Noah Gragson will be switching to the Cup Series and take over the No. 42 Petty GMS Chevrolet in 2023.
The team officially announced Brandon Jones as Gragson’s replacement on Wednesday.
“Brandon’s been a tough competitor over the years, and he’s a talented addition to JR Motorsports,” said JRM co-owner and general manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller.
“He’s a series veteran that brings a lot of experience, and we’re going to see big things from Brandon and the #9 team in 2023.”
Jones’s dad, JR Jones who is the CEO of Rheem, sponsored the Chevrolet squad in the early 2010s, enabling him to start competing for the brand in NASCAR’s regional divisions.
Brandon Jones spent three years with Richard Childress Racing from 2015 to 2017 before joining Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota in 2018. He has five victories with JGR, has qualified for the playoffs each year, and is now ninth in points after winning at Martinsville.
Additionally, he competed in 2022 for JGR’s ARCA Menards Series program, winning three of his four appearances at Charlotte, Iowa, and Watkins Glen. Pocono was the one exception.
“To watch how competitive JRM has been over the years is really impressive,” said Jones in a release from the team.
“They’re a threat to win every week, and one of the premier teams in our series. I’m so thankful to Dale (Earnhardt Jr.), Kelley and Mr. Hendrick for allowing me to be part of it.”
“Reuniting with Chevrolet again is awesome, too. They were a big part of my career early on, and I’m looking forward to building on those relationships and driving a Camaro in 2023.”
After 2022, JGR has experienced a string of departures, most notably Kyle Busch’s announcement that he will join RCR at Chevrolet. Jones’ departure is part of this trend.
Funny enough, the only difference between Jones and Busch’s new numbers and their JGR counterparts is the removal of the ‘1’ digit.
