Getty Kyle Weatherman will take over the No. 34 Chevrolet at Richmond.
The No. 34 Jesse Iwuji Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro will have a new driver for the trip to Richmond Raceway. Kyle Weatherman will make his debut with the NASCAR Xfinity Series team during the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, April 2 (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1).
JIM announced the news on March 31 and confirmed that the Missouri native will make his debut with the team after five starts with DGM Racing to kick off the year. The press release cited Weatherman’s appreciation for the armed forces and law enforcement while explaining why he is a good fit for the team. JIM also noted that short tracks suit Weatherman’s style of racing.
👏🏾👏🏾ANNOUNCEMENT 👏🏾👏🏾
“Being a driver and owner comes with an option each weekend to be either a driver or owner,” the team said in a press release. “This week Jesse decided to build upon the opportunity generating system the Jesse Iwuji motorsports group has set out to develop by providing an opportunity for an additional driver to drive the [No. 34] eRacing Association Chevrolet Camaro SS.
“On behalf of the entire ownership group at Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, we are excited to announce that we are giving this weekend’s opportunity to Kyle Weatherman at Richmond Raceway this Saturday, April 2.”
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Weatherman Only Has 4 Xfinity Series Starts at Richmond
At the track this weekend with @JIMS__official getting it through tech! Race tomorrow at 1:30 EST on @FOXSports 1
The race at Richmond will only be Weatherman’s fifth as an Xfinity Series driver. He has four previous starts, three with Mike Harmon Racing, and he has no top-10 finishes. However, he has made positive strides every single time.
Weatherman made his debut at the short track while driving for Rick Ware Racing in 2019. He finished the race in 32nd place while Cole Custer took Stewart-Haas Racing to Victory Lane.
Weatherman returned to the short track for two races in 2020 and another in 2021. He finished each race in a better position than the last, culminating in a 15th-place run in the No. 47 Chevrolet. Now he will try to qualify for the Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway, mere weeks removed from tying his career-best eighth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Weatherman Will Have To Beat Out 4 Other Entries
Qualifying for the race at Richmond will not be a simple task. Weatherman will be one of 42 entries trying to qualify for a spot in the 38-car field. This list includes Ryan Preece, who joins BJ McLeod Motorsports as the team moves to four cars.
Securing a spot based on speed will be important considering that Iwuji is 43rd in the Xfinity Series driver standings. The driver-owner has failed to qualify for two of the first six races — Phoenix Raceway and Circuit of the Americas — and he has a pair of 27th-place runs as his best finishes in 2022.
Jesse Iwuji Motorsports also sits near the bottom of the standings in owner points. The team is 39th overall with 24 points, four behind the No. 88 JR Motorsports entry that Miguel Paludo controlled during the trip to Circuit of the Americas.
Weatherman will have experience on his side as he climbs into the No. 34 Chevrolet Camaro. He has made 66 starts in the Xfinity Series with multiple teams — 10 at short tracks — and he has secured two top-10 finishes. He knows how to qualify for the majority of races while controlling vehicles built by smaller teams, so he will have a solid opportunity while driving the No. 34 entry.
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