JD Motorsports is making some changes for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The organization will go back to a three-car operation after only running two entries during the 2022 season.
JD Motorsports announced the news on September 20. The Xfinity Series team continues to examine options for drivers and sponsors while celebrating some new additions to the schedule. This includes the Chicago street race where the Xfinity Series will join the Cup Series for the historic event.
“We’re very excited about how 2023 looks,” team owner Johnny Davis said in a press release. “I’ve been around this series for a long time, and the schedule looks to be the best it’s ever been. We’re going to be all over the country with our cars, and we’re going to have some great opportunities for partners to come on board and race with us.”
Along with setting some plans for the 2023 season, JD Motorsports provided another update about 2022. The team confirmed that Brennan Poole will replace Ryan Vargas for races at Texas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway.
JD Motorsports Announced the Return of 1 Driver
JD Motorsports did not provide explicit details about the upcoming season’s lineup and whether Ryan Vargas will return to the No. 6. Instead, the team only announced the return of one driver in this press release.
According to the announcement, Bayley Currey will be back with JD Motorsports after joining the team full-time in 2022. He will close out the current season that has featured a 10th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and an 11th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. Currey will then return to the No. 4 for another full slate of events.
“We don’t have the biggest team, but we have one of the most dedicated,” Currey said in a press release. “We ran so strong at Bristol, finishing ahead of some of the series’ most established teams and showed that we’re capable of more. I’m looking for strong teammates and dedicated partners to come on board and help us build on a strong foundation.”
JD Motorsports Underwent a Change Prior to 2022
The Xfinity Series organization has utilized a variety of lineups in recent seasons. The 2022 campaign featuring Currey and Vargas as the primary wheelmen is the latest example. It follows a change that took place before the season-opening trip to Daytona International Speedway.
The 2021 season featured Vargas, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Landon Cassill, and Colby Howard making the majority of starts. Currey and some other drivers filled out the schedule with part-time runs.
The situation changed after the season finale at Phoenix. Earnhardt announced that he would leave JD Motorsports while examining different options across the national series. Cassill, for comparison, joined Kaulig Racing and replaced Jeb Burton in the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro.
Howard took a different approach. He moved over full-time to the Camping World Truck Series and joined McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. He has started all 20 races while posting two top-10 finishes.
While these changes took place, Vargas agreed to return for another season in the No. 6. Currey then signed on for an entire season as JD Motorsports moved to a two-car operation. He has since matched the best average finish of his career at 24.5.
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JD Motorsports Announces Plans for 2023 NASCAR Season