Getty RSS Racing will have a new driver for the 2023 season.
RSS Racing has added another driver to the lineup for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The team has joined forces with Joe Graf Jr., who makes the move over after his departure from SS GreenLight Racing.
Graf and RSS Racing announced the news on January 27. They confirmed that Graf will compete in a minimum of 28 events during the 2023 Xfinity Series season. He will continue to work with key partners in Bucked Up Energy Drink, CoverSeal, G-Coin, Gtechniq, and JACOB Companies.
As part of the move to RSS Racing, Graf will also have a new partner. Lefcourt Brothers Racing, a group of exotic car collectors, enthusiasts, and investors, will serve as his primary marketing partner.
2023… Daytona can’t come soon enough
“I am very appreciative to be welcomed into the RSS Racing family,” Graf said in a release. “I am opening a new chapter in my Xfinity Series career in 2023 and I am determined to make it my best yet.
“I’m looking forward to having Ryan [Sieg], who is not only respected in the garage as my teammate, but also driving for a family-owned team is certainly going to bring back memories. I hope we are able to make some new memories of our own this season with all of our great marketing partners.”
Graf Will Have a New Crew Chief for 2023
GettyJoe Graf Jr. will reach 100 career Xfinity Series starts in 2023.
As part of the announcement, RSS Racing named the crew chief that will work with Graf during the 2023 season. Steve Addington will be atop the pit box as he guides Graf to 100 career Xfinity Series starts.
Addington has worked with a large number of drivers in a career spanning all three national series. In the Cup Series alone he worked 428 races and celebrated 20 career wins. Kyle Busch was the driver for 12 of these wins while Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart each had four.
Addington has also worked 263 Xfinity Series races as the crew chief while adding another 11 wins to his career resume — 10 with Jason Keller and one with Mike Bliss.
The 2022 season featured Addington working alongside multiple drivers at RSS Racing. He guided the No. 38 team, which had Parker Retzlaff, CJ McLaughlin, Patrick Gallagher, Kyle Sieg, and Darren Dilley. Graf and Addington also worked together during the trip to Auto Club Speedway in February.
RSS Racing Provided Another Important Update
GettyKyle Sieg practices at Phoenix Raceway.
RSS Racing has featured one main setup since the 2016 season. Ryan Sieg, who began competing full-time in 2014, has been the main driver of one entry while a variety of guests have shared the other. This list includes Dylan Lupton, Jordan Anderson, Angela Ruch, Josh Bilicki, and many, many others.
With the addition of Graf for at least 28 events, RSS Racing has provided another update. The team said that it will field “at least two full-time entries” during the 2023 Xfinity Series season. This leads to some wiggle room for a third entry that could feature multiple guests.
There will likely be more updates from the Xfinity Series team in the coming weeks. For now, fans of the team will move forward with the knowledge that Sieg will be full-time once again after making the playoffs in 2022 while Graf will continue the pursuit of an Xfinity Series win while remaining involved with Ford Performance.
“We saw the improvement of Joe’s on-track performance during the course of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and we believe he can continue that progression with RSS Racing this season,” Rod Sieg said in a release. “Joe brings a welcomed enthusiasm with a determined focus to help make 2023 one of the best seasons yet for RSS Racing.”