Getty JD Motorsports will announce another driver.
The holiday season is not going to stop NASCAR Silly Season. JD Motorsports with Gary Keller has set a timeframe for an upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series driver reveal.
The team provided the update on December 22 with a straightforward tweet. “Silly Season News: Full-time driver announcement scheduled for next week. Who will it be?!” the message read. The organization also provided further intrigue by highlighting a poll about the number of vehicles it might field during the 2022 season.
JD Motorsports with Gary Keller has remained relatively quiet about the upcoming Xfinity Series season. The team has not provided many updates about the number of drivers or their identities. The expectation is that Ryan Vargas will return to the No. 6 Chevrolet, but the team has not fully confirmed this plan or any for the No. 0, No. 4, or No. 15.
2 Drivers Announced Their Departures After the 2021 Season
GettyJeffrey Earnhardt (left) will not drive for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller.
While there are several questions about the JD Motorsports lineup, there are two drivers that have confirmed their departures from the organization. Jeffrey Earnhardt and Landon Cassill will not return to the No. 4 and the No. 0, respectively.
Earnhardt was the first to announce his change in plans. He posted a message on his Facebook page on November 9, three days after the Xfinity Series season came to an end in Phoenix. He thanked all of his sponsors and then confirmed that he would leave JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in order to pursue a ride in which he could contend for wins. Earnhardt also clarified that it could be full-time or part-time.
Cassill was the next to confirm his departure from the organization. There were reports that he would seek out other opportunities after agreeing to an extension with sponsor Voyager Digital. He then confirmed these reports by narrating a December 9 video for Kaulig Racing and announcing that he will drive the No. 10 Chevrolet during the 2022 season.
“Continuing my partnership with Voyager Digital and driving for Kaulig Racing is an incredible opportunity for me,” Cassill said in a statement. “I have a world-class partner in Voyager and the best support team in the business with Kaulig Racing. I am excited to not only have a shot to win races, but to also bring awareness to crypto and help educate people in a space that I’ve been personally invested in for a number of years.”
JD Motorsports Dealt With a Driver Change in 2021
While Earnhardt and Cassill will move on to other opportunities, there are even more questions surrounding the No. 15 entry. Colby Howard started the year as the driver of the Chevrolet, but he did not finish out the year.
The South Carolina native started 21 of the first 24 races in the No. 15 and posted a season-best finish of 16th at Phoenix Raceway. However, Bayley Currey replaced him at Richmond Raceway on September 11 — one day after Howard landed a full-time deal for the 2022 Truck Series season — before taking over for the remainder of the year.
JD Motorsports with Gary Keller issued a statement on September 10 after releasing Howard from his driving duties for the remainder of the season. “Johnny Davis would like to thank Bayley for coming aboard on such short notice while we continue to figure out the roster for the [15] seat for the remainder of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season,” the team said in a statement.
There is no information currently available about whether Currey will return to JD Motorsports for the 2022 season. However, he created intrigue on December 21 by tweeting out a crayon emoji, which served as a possible indicator that he had signed a contract.
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