The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season will feature the arrival of a new competitor. FRS Racing, a new team founded by former Brandonbilt Motorsports Technical Director Collin Fern, will strive to make its debut at a historic short track.
According to an announcement from the 26-year-old Fern, the goal is to compete at Richmond Raceway on April 1. This is the seventh event on the schedule, which leaves time for the team to continue prepping equipment. FRS Racing will make an announcement about the driver lineup as the race weekend approaches.
I’m excited for this opportunity and cannot thank everybody that has helped me get here along the way.
See y’all in Richmond.🏁
Fern is no stranger to the Xfinity Series. He spent several seasons at Brandonbilt Motorsports, first as a Marketing and Public Relations Manager and then as a Technical Director.
Following Fern’s move into this second role, the team celebrated a playoff appearance in 2020 and a win at Talladega Superspeedway in 2021. Brandon Brown was the driver of the No. 68 Chevrolet for both accomplishments.
“FRS Racing is the culmination of an entire off-season’s worth of hard work trying to build a brand from scratch,” Fern said in a statement. “I am extremely excited for this opportunity, and I cannot thank Jerry Brown and David Clarke enough for their visions and belief in me to carry on what they’ve built. I look forward to being on track part-time in 2023, with the hope that we can be full-time come the 2024 season.”
FRS Racing Revealed Its Number on February 10
GettyXfinity Series drivers race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Fern did not provide his team’s full plans in the press release issued on February 10. Instead, he only said that the team will be part-time in 2023 before attempting to go full-time in 2024.
One important detail was the number that the team will use. FRS Racing will field the No. 96 Chevrolet Camaro, first at Richmond and then in other select races on the schedule.
The No. 96 has not been as prevalent in the Xfinity Series in recent seasons. Though Ben Kennedy drove the entry for GMS Racing during the 2017 season while splitting his schedule between two teams.
Kennedy did not secure any top-10 finishes with the No. 96, but he was within reach. His best outing in the entry was a 12th-place finish at Darlington Raceway.
Another Team Will Provide Some Equipment
GettyXfinity Series drivers race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2022.
Another key part of the announcement focuses on the equipment that FRS Racing will use as it takes on NASCAR for the first time. The team will get engines from ECR during the 2023 season. The team will also use chassis from Richard Childress Racing.
RCR and ECR provide support for numerous teams in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series. This extensive list includes Legacy Motor Club, Live Fast Motorsports, Big Machine Racing, BJ McLeod Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing, Beard Motorsports, Brandonbilt Motorsports, Jordan Anderson Racing, and Kaulig Racing.
FRS Racing is now the newest team to utilize equipment built by ECR Engines and Richard Childress Racing. The process will be slow at first as Fern’s team makes its debut at Richmond Raceway and eyes other select races. However, the partnership will only grow as FRS Racing looks forward to potential full-time competition in 2024.
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A New Team Joins the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023