Mason Massey will run the majority of the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule for DGM Racing in 2022, the biggest season of his career. The move to a new team is a significant change, but the “family atmosphere” at DGM Racing will help with the transition.
The Georgia native spoke to Heavy on January 4 about his move to DGM Racing and the whirlwind process of signing a deal to take over the No. 91 for a multitude of races. Massey explained that DGM Racing owner Mario Gosselin expressed considerable confidence in him and his ability to compete, which certainly drew him to the team. However, one of the biggest factors that led to his deal was the amount of effort that the entire Gosselin family puts in at the DGM Racing shop.
“That’s kind of what drew me to Mario [Gosselin] because I saw how hard they work,” Massey told Heavy. “And it’s a family atmosphere over there. That’s kind of the way I was racing coming up. My family just traveled around, and my dad made me work on the racecar. It was a really big family deal.
“I’m really, really excited about what they’ve got in store for next year,” Massey added. “They’ve been working hard and trying to get better. And they ran really well last year too. So it was very appealing, and I was really happy to sign.”
Massey Will Gain Experience at Several Tracks
GettyMason Massey has set his schedule for the 2022 Xfinity Series season.
Now in his third year in the Xfinity Series, Massey has experience at several of the tracks. For example, he has multiple starts at Richmond Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Though each of his past trips to these tracks has taken place without practice or qualifying.
The 2022 season will mark a significant change for Massey considering that he will have both practice and qualifying sessions before the green flag waves. The practice time will help as Massey adjusts to some of the newer tracks, but the qualifying will be far more important.
“I like qualifying coming back too because it’s easy to get in the hole,” Massey explained. “You know, it seemed like every race last year we started 30-35th. Just the way they lined us up. It was tough to make any progress, but with qualifying coming back I feel like we might get a better starting spot and the chance at a better finish.”
Certain Tracks Stand Out As Top Options
Massey hasn’t competed at every track on the Xfinity Series circuit due to his previous schedules, but he made strides at others. He is already looking forward to returning to certain tracks due to solid runs in the past or simply because of major changes.
“I think the repave at Atlanta is gonna be interesting,” Massey said. “I think they’re going to have to slow us down a little bit somehow because we’ll be going way too fast, unrestricted. I think they’re going to do something there that’s probably going to turn into like a Daytona, at least for a couple of years.
“I’m really excited to go back to Richmond and Darlington. I had my two best runs there last year. We finished 18th at Darlington and 17th the Richmond, so I’m really excited to go back there and see how we do in Mario’s stuff. I feel like we can be a little better and, hopefully, shoot for a top 10.”
As Massey approaches his first season at DGM Racing, he will continue to study film and put in time in the simulator. He will also incorporate the advice that he has received from other NASCAR drivers. BJ McLeod and Matt Mills were two men that helped with the steep learning curve of stock car racing, especially as Massey approached new tracks. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain provided some knowledge of his own, which Massey will try to use during his first season with DGM Racing.
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Mason Massey Celebrates ‘Family Atmosphere’ at DGM Racing