SS GreenLight Racing has made a significant change for the rest of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The team and driver Blaine Perkins have parted ways after the first five races.
SS GreenLight Racing announced the news with a press release on March 21. The team said that it and Perkins made the decision to immediately part ways after struggling early in the season. The team will move forward with Carson Hocevar as the driver of the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro at Circuit of the Americas.
“Obviously we are disappointed with how the season has started,” said team owner Bobby Dotter in a press release. “But after talking with Blaine and his group, we feel that it is in the best interest of all parties involved to mutually part ways, and work to build some momentum heading into the next few weeks.
“We are extremely grateful for Carson, Al [Niece], and everyone involved in this decision, helping us move swiftly as the 07 team prepares for this weekend.”
SS GreenLight Racing did not provide any further details about the No. 07 or the drivers that will control it after Hocevar attempts to qualify for the road course race.
Perkins Joined SS GreenLight Racing Ahead of the 2023 Season
GettyJoe Graf Jr. previously drove the No. 07.
The No. 07 featured a different driver during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Joe Graf Jr. was in control of the entry as he delivered two top-10 finishes. This followed the 2020 season when he drove the No. 08 entry.
The situation changed on December 23, 2022. Dotter released a video on Twitter and announced that the team had parted ways with Graf. He did not provide further details at the time about the plans for the Xfinity Series program, but Perkins officially joined the team in early January.
Perkins only made five starts for SS GreenLight Racing before he and the team parted ways, and he struggled to finish inside of the top 30. He finished 37th at Daytona due to a crash and then he finished 31st and 35th at Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, respectively.
The season continued with Perkins finishing 35th at Phoenix Raceway due to a mechanical issue. He then turned in his best finish of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway by crossing the finish line 22nd overall.
2 New Drivers Will Join SS GreenLight Racing at COTA
With Perkins no longer in control of the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro, there will now be two new drivers in the SS GreenLight Racing lineup at Circuit of the Americas on March 24-25.
Hocevar will attempt to make his Xfinity Series debut while a Cup Series regular will make his return to the series. Aric Almirola will take over the No. 08 Ford Mustang while pursuing his fourth career win.
SS GreenLight Racing has a full-time driver for the No. 08 in Gray Gaulding. He joined the team ahead of the 2023 season and became a teammate of Perkins.
The Xfinity Series team is not replacing Gaulding. He explained in a tweet that SS GreenLight Racing had reached an agreement with Almirola before he inked his own deal to drive the No. 08 full-time. Gaulding will be back in the entry at Richmond Raceway.
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SS GreenLight Racing Makes Big Driver Change