Getty Stefan Parsons prepares for qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
BJ McLeod Motorsports has made a lineup change for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The team will bring back Stefan Parsons as the full-time driver after he ran a part-time schedule during the 2019, 2020, and 2021 Xfinity Series seasons. He will drive the No. 99 with Sokal Media Group as his primary sponsor.
The race team dropped the news with a press release on Tuesday, Sept. 21. McLeod confirmed that Parsons will take over the No. 99 and become a key part of the team as he fights for playoff points. Sokal will be the main sponsor for the entire 33-race schedule while Springrates Automotive Suspension Source will provide additional support.
So excited to be running full time in the @NASCAR @XfinityRacing Series next year with @TeamBJMcLeod and @Go_Sokal! Absolute dream come true. Can’t thank Mark Sokal and @bjmcleod78 enough for making this possible!
“I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to drive for B.J. McLeod Motorsports again next year, and full-time,” Parsons said in a press release from the organization. “We have built a ton of momentum over the last few years working together as a team and there’s a really good foundation for a strong season next year off that alone.
“I would really like to thank Mark Sokal and BJ McLeod for their belief and support in me to make my dreams come true. I’m looking forward to finishing the 2021 season on a high note and hit the ground running at Daytona next year!”
Parsons First Joined BJ McLeod Motorsports in 2019
Had a top 20 car last night @BMSupdates, cut a tire down late in stage 2 which cost us a lap and the finish we deserved. @TeamBJMcLeod built a fast car! The @Go_Sokal machine looked good under the lights!
The 23-year-old driver first made his debut in the No. 99 during the final portion of the 2019 schedule. Parsons suited up for the Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway and raced his way to a 12th-place finish. He then started another five races for BMM, finishing inside the top-25 every time.
Parsons started nine races in 2020, primarily focusing on intermediate tracks and superspeedways while posting a best finish of 18th at Texas Motor Speedway. He made two starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, one at Texas, two at Dover International Speedway, one at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and one at Pocono Raceway. He rounded out the schedule with two short tracks — Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.
While the North Carolina native finished every race that he started in 2019 and 2020, he dealt with some issues while sharing the No. 99 with other drivers in 2021. A fuel line issue sent him to the garage early at Las Vegas and then he crashed during races at Nashville Superspeedway and Texas. However, Parsons avoided the multiple incidents during the season-opening race at Daytona and took 13th overall while contending for the first top-10 of his career.
Several Drivers Have Shared the No. 99 in 2021
GettyKevin Harvick drives for BJ McLeod Motorsports at Road America.
When Parsons takes over the No. 99 as the full-time driver, he will mark a significant change in team history. BMM has primarily relied on an assortment of drivers throughout the years — some up-and-comers and others from the ranks of the Cup Series.
Chase Briscoe, Kevin Harvick, Mason Massey, Andy Lally, Jesse Little, and Kyle Tilley have all made starts in the No. 99 during the 2021 season. The two Cup drivers — Briscoe and Harvick — both cracked the top-10 during their time behind the wheel, posting a pair of sixth-place finishes. Briscoe locked up the spot at Charlotte Motor Speedway after starting second in the No. 99 Ford while Harvick did so at Road America.
BMM has two other stock cars that could potentially serve as rides for Cup Series stars and other drivers. Matt Mills primarily controls the No. 5 while Little focuses on the No. 78. Neither ran a full schedule in 2021, and this trend could continue in 2022. Though BMM has yet to announce plans for the remaining two stock cars.
READ NEXT: Riley Herbst Is Ready To ‘Flip the Switch’ at Vegas