NASCAR

Front Row Motorsports announced its NASCAR plans on Wednesday, which included the addition of Anthony Alfredo, who ran 19 races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last season with Richard Childress Racing. Front Row Motorsports will continue to field two fulltime NASCAR Cup Series teams in 2021, Alfredo will be the driver of its No.38 Ford. The 21-year-old will replace John Hunter Nemechek who left the organization to move to Kyle Busch Motorsports. Seth Barbour will serve as his crew chief. “This is really an unbelievable moment,” said Alfredo. “When you start out racing karts as a kid, you dream of making it to the sport’s top level. I want to thank Bob Jenkins and everyone at Front Row Motorsports for making this dream a reality. “I know the challenges ahead, but I’m here to work hard and prove myself.” The team owner Bob Jenkins also commented, “We met Anthony and spent time with him when last season ended. We wanted another young driver and someone that fit well into our team. We feel that Anthony is a great match and we look forward to this season together.” Alfredo has a combined 32 starts in the Xfinity and Truck series with a career-best finish of third in the fall Xfinity race at Texas last season. He also owns one win in what is now the ARCA East Series. Michael McDowell will again drive FRM’s No. 34 Ford in the Cup Series and one of the organization’s former drivers, David Ragan, will drive a third entry – the No. 36 Ford – in the season-opening Daytona 500. FRM will again field a fulltime Truck Series entry for Todd Gilliland and this season the team will be based out of FRM’s main shop.

Legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather is reportedly close to entering the NASCAR Cup Series as a team owner after more than a year of speculation.Toward the end of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season, a rumor emerged that legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was involved the ownership of a new Cup Series team called The Money Team Racing, named after the lifestyle brand, The Money Team, which Mayweather inspired. The team’s website had provided several details about the team entering the Cup Series, but those details were later replaced by one screen that simply read “More Info Coming Soon”. The team have not posted anything on Twitter since mid-June. But now there is a The Money Team Racing logo with the words “COMING SOON” underneath. According to Sport Business Journal’s Adam Stern, The Money Team Racing are in discussions with Spire Motorsports to form a new partnership for the 2021 season, a partnership which would involve The Money Team Racing backing Spire Motorsports next year before using one of Spire Motorsports’ three charters to run a full-time entry in 2022. Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass added that The Money Team Racing had been planning to purchase charters this year but were not able to do so. Spire Motorsports, which entered the Cup Series in the 2019 season with the charter that had been used by the now defunct Furniture Row Racing team, purchased Leavine Family Racing’s charter after they folded following the 2020 season. It remains unclear from where they obtained a third charter. One of their three charters is set to be used by Justin Marks’s new team, Trackhouse Racing Team, in 2021 to field the #99 Chevrolet for Daniel Suarez. Spire Motorsports are set to run Corey LaJoie full-time behind the wheel of the #7 Chevrolet next year while running multiple drivers, one of whom being Kaulig Racing Xfinity Series driver Justin Haley, behind the wheel of the #77 Chevrolet.

Jeffrey Earnhardt is hoping to run a complete schedule in a NASCAR national series for just the second time in his career.Earnhardt, the 31-year-old grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt, will return to JD Motorsports next season and compete fulltime in the Xfinity Series, driving the team’s No. 0 Chevrolet. Earnhardt ran 29 races with the team in 2020, with a best finish of 11th at the Charlotte Roval. His season began with an agreement to run a handful of races but he eventually ran the vast majority of the season. “We got a late start and the plan was to run six to 12 races but something good was happening and by Bristol you could sense the momentum we were having” Earnhardt said. “We came home in 15th in our third race and that’s an accomplishment when just a few weeks earlier we had no plans to work together. We had great partners join us and the season had some real bright spots to build on.” Only once in his NASCAR career previously has Earnhardt been able to run a complete season, competing in every race in the 2014 Xfinity season and finished 18th in the series standings. He ran 34 of 36 Cup races during the 2017 season. In 2019, Earnhardt had the opportunity to run seven Xfinity races with Joe Gibbs Racing before sponsorship issues forced an abrupt end to the program. While there, he did earn a career-best third-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and led 29 laps in the season-opener at Daytona. Earnhardt said he knows the JDM program are “underdogs” but believes he can improve on their 2020 results. “We’re prepared for the hard work it will take to make the playoffs and with additional sponsorship I think we’ll turn some heads,” he said. “I’m really excited to return to the No. 0 and look forward to working with Johnny to give the fans a ‘blue collar’ team to cheer for.” The team said sponsorship announcements for the No. 0 team will be made at a later date as well as additional driver announcements to complete the JDM lineup.

COVID-19 restrictions robbed Johnson who is tied for the most Cup Series championships ever with seven of a boisterous appreciation, as his farewell tour was muted throughout the year by the pandemic. But that only fits with the theme for Johnson, who many around the sport believe never got the admiration he deserved. In a way, it was fitting. Inarguably one of the greatest in the history of NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson closed his full-time racing career in front of a sparse crowd. Only 11,000 people were allowed in the grandstands that generally hold 45,000 at Phoenix Raceway. “To be honest with you, I have been sad about that for Jimmie because I’ve always felt that we never really appreciated Jimmie in the moment,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “He’s a living legend doing all those things right there in front of us, and I don’t think we ever really, as an industry, appreciated how good he was, what he did. Five championships in a row is just crazy.” Johnson, 45, would never say so himself he’s far too humble, and his peers will tell you that but he deserved better. I’ve already weighed in on where the No. 48 Chevrolet driver belongs in the NASCAR GOAT debate. His stats already put him up there with 83 wins, ranking him No. 6 on NASCAR’s all-time wins list. “Jimmie Johnson is the greatest driver in my era, and my era started in 1972,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip, who’s one spot above Johnson with 84 wins.

On Monday morning, 23XI Racing announced five major sponsors as “founding partners” for its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series campaign in 2021. DoorDash, McDonald’s, Columbia Sportswear, Dr Pepper and Root Insurance will support Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 Toyota next season. 23XI Racing, co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Cup Series star Denny Hamlin, debuts at next February’s season-opening Daytona 500. “Today is a big day for us at 23XI Racing,” Hamlin said in a team release. “To be able to announce the addition of five founding partners who are willing to join us in our first year and who share in our beliefs and values is such a great feeling. We’ve certainly had to make things happen fast to build this new team, and I’m excited to welcome each one of these partners and to get to know them better. “I’m fortunate that during my time at Joe Gibbs Racing, I’ve been able to have a great mentor and see how Coach (Gibbs), as an owner, is able to service each partner. That’s new for me – learning the owner side while still on the driver side, but I’m in for the long haul and will continue this far beyond my driving years. I’m passionate about this sport and I’m excited to bring new partners to the table and bring back others who have been in our sport in the past.” DoorDash, McDonald’s, and Columbia each took turns as a primary sponsor for Wallace’s race cars during this past season at Richard Petty Motorsports. Root announced its own partnership with Wallace the company’s first national athletic sponsorship back in October. “To have great partners in DoorDash, McDonald’s, Columbia Sportswear, Dr Pepper and Root Insurance come on board and show their support of me and this team is really cool,” Wallace said in the same release. “I’m excited for what we can do on the track, but at the end of the day, these partnerships and relationships are so much more than that. “It’s about how we use our platforms to be better humans and help create a positive change. It’s about what we do Monday through Friday outside of the firesuit and that’s a really special thing for me. Knowing I have their support and this team behind me makes me really excited for this season to see what we can accomplish together.” Wallace finished a career-best 22nd in points for RPM this past season, but also became a new mainstream face of the sport for pushing NASCAR to be more inclusive amidst the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Alongside fellow NASCAR driver Ryan Newman, Wallace was recently named one of the top trending athletes in the U.S. on Google in 2020.

Stewart-Haas Racing announced Thursday that Herbst will drive its No. 98 Ford Mustang during the 2021 Xfinity Series season with primary sponsorship from Monster Energy. Herbst’s No. 98 team will be the same one that won a series-best nine races and led more than 1,000 laps with driver Chase Briscoe in 2020, including crew chief Richard Boswell. Briscoe will be a rookie in the Cup Series in 2021. “Being on a team with such a strong run of success is the kind of opportunity every driver wants,” Herbst, 21, said. “Expectations are definitely high, but the highest expectations are the ones I’ve set for myself. “I’m proud to be a part of Stewart-Haas Racing and I can’t wait to climb into that No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang next year.” Herbst has made 43 starts in the Xfinity Series all with Joe Gibbs Racing dating back to the 2018 season. He has four top-five and 21 top-10 finishes with a pair of career-best finishes of second this past season. He has made eight starts in the Truck Series and 51 in the ARCA Menards Series, where he has a pair of victories. “We built the Xfinity Series program to develop talent and ultimately win with that talent,” team co-owner Tony Stewart said. “It’s a proven path to the NASCAR Cup Series, and we feel that Riley has the ability to win and grow within our race team.”

On Thursday, Richard Childress Racing announced it would field Snider in a fulltime ride in the series next season, competing in the No. 2 Chevrolet with primary sponsorship from TaxSlayer. Snider, 25, ran a partial Xfinity schedule with RCR in 2020 and ran with remaining races on the schedule with RSS Racing. He ended the year with two top-five and six top-10 finishes and was 16th in the series standings. “I was so thankful last season to run a part-time schedule with RCR, but knowing I’m going to be racing full-time now with a chance to compete for a championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series means the world to me,” said Snider. “I can’t thank Richard Childress, everyone at RCR and ECR, my family, and TaxSlayer enough for believing in me. Between the quality of people and resources available to me at RCR and Chevrolet, I will have all the tools I need to succeed. “I had a lot of success with the No. 2 early in my racing career, so it’s really special to have the opportunity to compete with that number again, especially with all the history it has at RCR.” Snider’s two best finishes in the 2020 season came with driving for RCR; fifth at Bristol, Tenn., and fourth at Pocono. Andy Street will remain as Snider’s crew chief. The successful short track racer also has made 35 starts in the Truck Series and has one win and 11 starts in the ARCA Menard Series. He also competed in 2019 in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and finished sixth in the series standings. “I am so excited and appreciative to have TaxSlayer back on board with us for the 2021 season,” Snider said. “Despite how crazy last season was, we were able to still accomplish some incredible feats together like winning the pole at Daytona and contending for wins throughout the season. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in 2021, starting at Daytona.”

Chandler Smith will be the latest Toyota Development Driver to take his turn with a fulltime ride with Kyle Busch Motorsports’ NASCAR Truck organization. Smith, 18, will compete for the 2021 series title driving KBM’s No. 18 Toyota. Christian Eckes drove the truck during the 2020 season. Next season will mark Smith’s third driving for KBM, but first as a fulltime competitor. He has made 16 starts over the last two seasons with KBM with a career best finish of second at Bristol, Tenn., in 2019. Safelite Auto Glass will serve as Smith’s primary sponsor in 15 races. “I’ve learned a lot from Kyle the last few years, and I’m thankful to be in a position where I can continue to learn from him. KBM is a top-notch organization, and I know that with the hard work from everyone in the shop combined with the support from Toyota and TRD that every time we go to the race track we’ll have a chance to compete for wins as long as I do my part,” Smith said. “Having been around KBM the last few seasons, I know how much Safelite supports their drivers and their racing program. I’m going to give it my all to get them back to Victory Lane next year and hopefully things will be back to normal where their employees and customers will be able to be there to celebrate with us.” Smith will join John Hunter Nemechek as new drivers for KBM in 2021 as the organization undergoes several changes. While Smith has yet to win a NASCAR national series race, he has found much success in the ARCA Menards Series. He has nine wins, won 10 poles and has an average finish of 5.3 across 33 career ARCA races over the past three seasons. He set a series record by winning the pole in his first four races. Smith earned his first victory at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in his fourth series start in June 2018. Despite running a part-time schedule, he led the series in laps led in both 2018 and 2019. “Chandler is following the path that other Toyota Development drivers have in past seasons where they gain valuable experience driving a limited schedule for a couple of seasons and then graduate to running full time for a championship once they are eligible to do so,” Busch said. “He showed that he could run up front on the short tracks right out of the gates in his first season and at the end of this year once he started to understand the aerodynamics of racing on the bigger tracks in the Truck Series, he proved capable of producing top-fives no matter where we were racing. “Next season, we expect him to continue his progression and be able to turn some of those second and third-place finishes into wins and put himself into the mix for the championship.” Additional sponsorship and an announcement of Smith’s crew chief will be made at a later date.

Brett Moffitt is going to run in the Camping World Truck Series after all. Moffitt and Niece Motorsports have announced a partnership for the 2021 season to see Moffitt pilot the No. 45 Chevrolet. It is a full-time effort, and Moffitt will earn points in the series. He joins the team after two years with GMS Racing. The news means Moffitt will be pulling double duty next year. Last month, it was announced that he will also drive the No. 02 Chevrolet for Our Motorsports for the full Xfinity Series season. However, with Moffitt declaring for Truck Series points, he will not be championship-eligible in the Xfinity Series. “I am so thankful to Al Niece, Cody Efaw, and everyone at Niece Motorsports for this opportunity,” said Moffitt. “To be able to compete full time in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series is a challenge I look forward to. Chris Our, Our Motorsports and Chevrolet were a big part of helping this all come together, so a big thank you to them as well.” Moffitt is the 2018 champion of the Truck Series with 12 career wins in 82 starts. Niece Motorsports will be the third team he’s competed for in four years. Next season will be his fourth full year in the series. Niece Motorsports has now announced three full-time truck teams for next season. Moffitt joins Carson Hocevar and Ryan Truex. “Brett is a proven winner,” said Nice Motorsports general manager Cody Efaw. “We are thrilled to have him join Niece Motorsports. The experience he will bring to our team is invaluable. We are working hard this offseason – our goal in 2021 is to run up front and contend for wins. Brett, Carson, and Ryan are great talents, and we look forward to giving them competitive equipment.” “I’m excited about our driver line-up next year,” said owner Al Niece. “Brett is a tremendous talent and will be a huge asset to our team. We know that our drivers have the talent it takes to contend for wins in the Truck Series, and I know our crew is working as hard as possible this off-season to build them equipment capable of doing so.”

Corey LaJoie has found his footing with Spire Motorsports. On Monday afternoon, the team announced they have signed LaJoie to a multi-year contract starting with the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. He will drive the #7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. LaJoie spent the last two seasons, his first years in which he ran all thirty-six races each, with Go Fas Racing. In 2020, he finished thirtieth in the standings with a best finish of eighth in the Daytona 500. He announced he would leave GFR in August, while the team will downsize to a part-time schedule in 2021. At the Cup level, LaJoie has three career top-ten finishes, all at superspeedways. “The next chapter of my racing career provides me with a unique opportunity to play a key role in working with a motivated leadership group to build a competitive NASCAR Cup Series team from the ground up,” LaJoie stated. “I’m thankful to work directly with Spire Motorsports co-owners Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr and all of our partners as we build on the proud and competitive tradition associated with the #7. We expect to be a force in the garage for years to come.” It has been a busy offseason for Spire Motorsports, who bought a charter from Leavine Family Racing to field the #7 in addition to their usual #77. 2021 will be the team’s first season as a multi-car operation, and the first with permanent drivers after using a carousel of names during their first two seasons of operation. Spire also got their hands on a third charter that has been loaned to fellow Chevrolet newcomer Trackhouse Racing Team. “Corey LaJoie is a talented young driver and has proven that he wants to get better every time he sits in the race car,” Puchyr said. “He wants to better himself and is willing to go to great lengths to make it happen. That’s the same philosophy Jeff and I subscribe to in all of our business ventures. He fits very well with our group and will obviously play a critical role in the success of our team as we continue to grow and develop. We’re going to build this together and Corey will be the anchor.” The LFR asset acquisition also comes with the team’s shop in Concord, North Carolina. The shop was formerly used by Alan Kulwicki and his AK Racing team; the late Kulwicki would become one of the most iconic owner-drivers in NASCAR history after winning the 1992 championship in the #7 “Underbird” car. Spire will also use #7 for LaJoie as a tribute to Kulwicki, having received approval from NASCAR and Tommy Baldwin Jr., the latter of whom has used the number for much of his team’s Cup history. “I’ve been an Alan Kulwicki fan my entire life,” LaJoie added. “To compete with the #7 on the roof and door is an honor for any driver at any level, but to have it here on our car in the NASCAR Cup Series is taken very seriously.” “We’re thrilled to pay tribute to Alan Kulwicki and Geoff Bodine by running the #7 and racing out of that shop,” said Puchyr. “Alan had a unique way about him and took a very unconventional route to winning a championship. Everyone knows the story. He didn’t have a ton of money and did more with so much less than many of the most well-heeled teams of that day. We see a lot of parallels between Spire Motorsports and Alan’s approach. At the same time, I grew up in the northeast and the #7 was synonymous with the Baldwin family so, it’s a proud moment to tie all that history together and compliment the #77 we’ve run the last two years.”

William “Rowdy” Harrell, who most recently served as a tire carrier on driver Alex Bowman’s No. 88 NASCAR Cup Series team, and his wife, Blakley, died at the scene in a head-on car crash in the Florida Keys Tuesday night, according to police reports. The crash happened around 9:40 p.m. at mile marker 76 on U.S. 1 on Lower Matecumbe Key. William, 30, and Blakley, 23, had been married on Saturday and were on their honeymoon. “Our entire team is absolutely devastated at the loss of Rowdy and Blakley,” said Greg Ives, who was Harrell’s crew chief for the past six seasons. “They were such positive, giving and passionate people who could not have been a more perfect match. “Rowdy had an energetic and infectious personality. He was the heart and soul of our team and always kept us motivated, no matter the circumstance. Rowdy shared his love with the people around him and was loved in return. “Although he will be greatly missed, his memory will continue to inspire us always. Our prayers are with Rowdy, Blakley and their wonderful family.” Before his NASCAR career, Harrell won three national championships as a walk-on middle linebacker for the University of Alabama football team. The native of Moundville, Ala., held a degree in human performance and exercise science from the school. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Harrell was driving a 2020 Toyota Corolla north on the two-lane highway when he crossed into the southbound lane in the path of a 2013 Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by a 62-year-old man from Tennessee. The pickup truck driver was transported to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, Fla., with minor injuries. His two passengers, a 58-year-old woman from Tennessee, and a 62-year-old Tennessee woman, were seriously injured. All the passengers and drivers were wearing seatbelts, the FHP report said. The agency said it is investigating whether alcohol was involved in the crash. Memorial arrangements for the Harrells are incomplete at this time.

Ryan Truex will be returning to Niece Motorsports for the 2021 NASCAR Truck Season but this time round he will be competing for the 2021 Camping World Truck Series championship. Ryan Truex, is the 28-year-old younger brother to former NASCAR Series champion Martin Truex Jr. Ryan ran nine races with Niece Motorsports in the 2020 season having his best finish at Las Vegas and Kansas after ranking 12th best. The younger Truex also has an extensive NASCAR experience but the 2021 season will be the third opportunity to run a full schedule in the national series, NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck. “Last season was really a learning year for me with this team,” said Truex, who will drive the No. 40 Chevrolet. “I feel like we learned a ton every week. We adjusted to working with no track time prior to racing, and I feel like we made our equipment better throughout the course of the year.” “I am excited about the continuity we will be able to build, competing week-in and week-out. I’m thankful to Marquis Spas for their support this season and as we move into next season.” Ryan Truex run a full NASCAR Truck series back in 2017 has achieved 2 poles, 10 top-five finishes and 19 top-ten finishes not forgetting he has 51 starts in the Truck series, 78 starts in the Xfinity series and 26 in the Cup series. “As a team, we are really excited about how our program is shaping up for next season,” said general manager Cody Efaw. “We are working hard collectively to make our equipment the best it can be. “We are thankful for the support of great partners like Marquis and Chevrolet. We look forward to contending for wins next year with Ryan.” The 22-race 2021 Truck Series schedule kicks off Feb. 12, 2021, at Daytona International Speedway.

John Hunter Nemechek will join Kyle Busch Motorsports for the 2021 NASCAR Truck Series season. Nemechek, who just completed his rookie Cup Series season with Front Row Motorsports, will move back to the Truck Series in 2021. He will compete for the title with KBM, driving the No. 4 Toyota Tundra. The 23-year-old revealed last week that he and FRM would part ways, leaving many to wonder where the young racer was heading with limited rides available at the Cup level. The Truck Series is a familiar place for Nemechek, having won six races with the family-owned NEMCO Motorsports between 2015 and 2018. He also has one victory in the Xfinity Series with Chip Ganassi Racing. “Kyle and Samantha with the support of Toyota have built an organization that has won races and championships on a consistent basis and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to carry on the winning tradition by getting back to victory lane in the Camping World Truck Series next year,” said Nemechek in a release from KBM. “I can’t thank the partners that have supported my career through the years enough for their continued support and I’m looking forward to building relationships with new partners this year. Bring on 2021 — Let’s Go Places!” He replaces Raphael Lessard, who placed 12th in points and won once this season at Talladega Superspeedway. “I began my XFINITY Series career with NEMCO and I’ve had a long-running relationship with Joe and the Nemechek family, so it’s cool to see things come full circle with being able to sign John Hunter to race at KBM,” said team owner Kyle Busch. “John Hunter is a proven winner in the Camping World Truck Series, as well as the Xfinity Series, and someone who we are confident will be able to put the No. 4 Tundra up front on a consistent basis and compete for victories each and every race. Despite only being 23 years old, he has a lot of experience across all three series and with next year’s Truck Series schedule including a lot of events where it’s just show up and race, having an experienced driver in one of our full-time Tundras is going to be beneficial to our whole organization.”

When Matt Tifft was forced to cut short his NASCAR driving career due to health issues that didn’t mean he wanted out of the sport. In fact, it was just the opposite. Tifft began searching for options to make NASCAR a long-term home even if it involved something other than driving race cars. Last October, Tifft – who was competing in the Cup series with Front Row Motorsports at the time – was forced to the sidelines after experiencing seizures. The first steps of his future were unveiled Friday when he and fellow driver B.J. McLeod announced the formation of Live Fast Motorsports, which will field a fulltime Cup Series team beginning with the 2021 Daytona 500. The team will field the No. 78 Ford Mustang which will be driven by McLeod and the organization has purchased a charter, which will guarantee it entry in all 36 points-paying races in 2021. “I explored all kinds of avenues, whether that was being involved from a PR standpoint or sponsor standpoint. I looked at some driver coaching stuff. I couldn’t drive, so when you spend your entire life being a driver, it’s pretty hard,” said Tifft, 24. “I went through several months in there, one, I was dealing with the health problems, but, two, kind of a dark space of I’ve worked my entire life to get here and all of a sudden it’s gone. So, I really worried about it because I wanted to be a part of NASCAR. “NASCAR is my work life and I love everything about racing, so my full investment in this sport is seeing the sport grow, seeing our team grow and to have that opportunity as a team owner is so rewarding.” Taking on an ownership role allows Tifft to do something in NASCAR that was much more difficult when he was a driver – plan for the future. “When you’re a driver, you worry about every single season. ‘What does that contract look like? What does my funding look like for the next year?’ With this, you get to plan for one, two, three, five years, 10 years, 20 years, and you have a business plan set in there,” he said. “That’s what’s so cool about this and what makes it such a bigger deal.” Additionally, Live Fast will have a partnership with fellow Ford team Stewart-Haas Racing, one of the most successful organizations in the NASCAR in recent seasons. “We have an open door there and we’ve obviously already got their cars, their parts, their spindles, their hubs, their trailing arms, truck arms,” said McLeod. “We’ve got a good platform already to start with.” McLeod, who currently owns a three-car Xfinity Series operation, recently brought his organization to the Cup Series. McLeod and Garrett Smithley combined to make 12 starts in his No. 78 Chevrolet this season as a non-charter team.

NASCUP series driver Kyle Busch will be having a new crew chief come year 2021, this is a part of several crew chief line-up changes made by the Joe Gibbs Racing management. Back on Tuesday, Joe Gibbs made an official announcement that Adam Stephens who has served as Kyle Busch’s crew chief for the past six seasons and jointly won two championships with Kyle will be moving to the No.20 team where he will serve in the same capacity with the driver Christian Bell. Together, Busch and Stevens won 28 races and series titles in 2015 and 2019. The two also collected 19 wins in the Xfinity Series. Busch went without a win for most of the 2020 season, capturing his lone victory at Texas Motor Speedway, after he had already been eliminated from further title contention. Ben Beshore will return to the Cup Series and serve as crew chief for Busch and the No. 18 Toyota team. Beshore previously served as engineer for the No. 18 team prior to moving to JGR’s Xfinity Series as crew chief in 2019. “We go through a process at the conclusion of every season that includes evaluating each of our teams, we believe our crew chief lineup for 2021 will best position each team and driver for success across both series,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We take a lot of pride in our depth of talent across our entire organization. All of our crew chiefs are proven winners.” Chris Gabehart and James Small will continue to serve as crew chief for the Nos. 11 (driver Denny Hamlin) and No. 19 (driver Martin Truex Jr.) teams respectively. In addition, JGR announced changes to their Xfinity Series program. Jason Ratcliff will return to the organization as crew chief for the No. 20 Toyota driven by Harrison Burton, while Dave Rogers will work with newly-named driver Daniel Hemric in the No. 18. Jeff Meendering will continue to serve as the crew chief with Brandon Jones, who returns behind the wheel of the No. 19. JGR also plans to field a fourth Xfinity Series entry in 2021, appointing Chris Gayle to lead the No. 54 Toyota team which will be driven by a team of all-star caliber drivers. The 2021 driver lineup and race schedule for the No. 54 team will be announced at a later date.

On Monday, Kaulig Racing announced it had hired Jeb, the 28-year old son of NASCAR veteran Ward Burton, to compete for the organization in 2021 in the Xfinity Series. Jeb will have primary sponsorship from Nutrien Ag Solutions. For the first time since 2014, Jeb Burton is returning to fulltime competition in a NASCAR national series. “Jeb is a hard worker on and off the track,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “He’s a great fit for Kaulig Racing and our partners. I’ve known the Burton family and worked with them back in the 1980s, so it feels like everything has come full circle. “We are going to go out and compete for wins and championships. Jeb is a guy we can build a long term, successful program around.” The 2021 season will be Burton’s first fulltime season in the Xfinity Series and competing for the series championship. He’s made 43 starts in the series since 2013 with a career-best finish of second this season at Richmond, Va., driving for JR Motorsports. Burton ran a pair of fulltime seasons in Trucks in 2013 and 2014, earning one win, seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes and winning seven poles during that span. His best championship finish was fifth in 2013. “It’s an honor to have this opportunity driving full-time for Kaulig Racing and Nutrien Ag Solutions,” Burton said. “I’ve worked so hard, not only behind the wheel, to get an opportunity like this, and it couldn’t be more perfect – representing a brand with the same values and beliefs as my family. “This partnership represents everything we are, and I can’t thank Matt Kaulig, Chris Rice and Nutrien Ag Solutions enough.” In addition to its primary partnership with Burton, Nutrien Ag Solutions will serve as an associate sponsor at Kaulig Racing and will continue its DocuSeries, “Two-Track Mind,” airing Season 2 in 2021, with Burton’s story.