Getty David Starr races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
SS GreenLight Racing has solidified its driver lineup. The two-car team will move forward toward the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with two full-time drivers.
Gray Gaulding actually broke the news on January 25. He tweeted that he was back with SS GreenLight Racing and used the hashtag #FullSeason. Team owner Bobby Dotter then confirmed to Jayski that Gaulding will indeed take on the full Xfinity Series campaign.
I’m back!!!
Sponsor announcements coming soon!
@SSGLR0708 @XfinityRacing @NASCAR @DAYTONA
#FullSeason #NeverGiveUp
The organization will feature two full-time drivers in 2023. Gaulding will control the No. 08, which will feature a mix of Chevrolet and Ford entries. Blaine Perkins will drive the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro full-time while making his debut with the team.
All of Perkins’ 13 previous starts in the Xfinity Series have been with another team. He joined Our Motorsports for eight starts in 2021 and five more in 2022. His last start with the team was a 10th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway. Now he will take on the full-season schedule while working as a teammate to Gaulding at SS GreenLight Racing.
Gaulding Makes His Return To SS GreenLight Racing
GettyGray Gaulding prepares for practice at Daytona International Speedway.
Gaulding enters the 2023 season with more than 100 combined starts across the three national series, which includes 59 in the Cup Series and a top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway. Gaulding also has one full Xfinity Series season on his career resume.
The last time Gaulding took on the full Xfinity Series schedule was in 2019. He joined SS GreenLight Racing and drove the No. 08 Chevrolet. Gaulding delivered four top-10 finishes and one top-five during this full season, headlined by a runner-up finish behind Tyler Reddick at Talladega Superspeedway.
Gaulding, who has split time across the three national series since 2019, will now return to SS GreenLight Racing on a full-time basis. He will try to contend for wins and a spot in the playoffs, and he will be a name to watch during superspeedways considering that he has runner-up finishes at both Talladega and Daytona.
SS GreenLight Racing Has an Altered Approach for 2023
GettyDavid Starr made several starts for SS GreenLight Racing.
Bringing in Perkins and Gaulding as full-time drivers marks an altered approach for SS GreenLight Racing. The past three seasons have featured a variety of drivers sharing the entries.
2019 was the last time that the Xfinity Series team had two full-time drivers. Gaulding and Ray Black Jr. each made 33 starts. The lineup changed in 2020 as Joe Graf Jr. ran full-time in one entry while Gaulding, Black, and several other drivers shared the other entry.
The 2021 and 2022 seasons both continued with this setup. Graf remained as the anchor driver of the organization while such names as Hailie Deegan, Brandon Brown, Chase Briscoe, Josh Bilicki, Andy Lally, and Cole Custer all made starts. David Starr, in particular, had a prominent role as he made 19 starts during the 2022 season. His best outing was an 11th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Custer delivered a standout moment for the Xfinity Series team. He won the race at Auto Club Speedway, which was the first trip to Victory Lane for SS GreenLight Racing in more than 300 career starts.
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