NASCAR: Gray Gaulding to drive full-time for BK Racing in 2018

By Asher Fair | Feb 25, 2018

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Gray Gaulding, driver of the #23 Toyota, races Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

Gray Gaulding is set to drive full-time for BK Racing in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, something he has never done before.

Gray Gaulding, who drove part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series last season for BK Racing and Premium Motorsports and made his Daytona 500 debut last week for the former, is set to drive full-time throughout the rest of the season in the #23 Toyota for BK Racing.

Gaulding, 20, has started in 30 Cup Series races in his three-year career in the sport so far. He drove in two races in the 2016 season for The Motorsports Group in the team’s #30 Chevrolet, but he failed to finish both races.

Last season, Gaulding drove in 27 of the season’s 36 races. He drove he #23 Toyota for BK Racing in 14 races, the #83 Toyota for BK Racing in four races, the #55 Toyota for Premium Motorsports in six races, the #15 Toyota for Premium Motorsports in two races and the #15 Chevrolet for Premium Motorsports in one race.

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Gaulding opened up the 2018 season with a 20th place finish in the Daytona as the driver of the #23 Toyota for BK Racing. That 20th place result was his third career top 20 finish in the Cup Series. His other two career top 20 finishes are in his only other two restrictor plate races. Both of those races were at Talladega last year. He finished in 20th place in the May Talladega race before finishing in a career-high 9th place in the October Talladega race.

Here is what Gaulding had to say about racing full-time for BK Racing in the 2018 Cup Series season, according to ESPN.

"“They (BK Racing) plan on me for running a full season. Short term, long term, whatever you call it, but I’ll be in the No. 23 car when we get to Atlanta.”"

Gaulding also has eight career Xfinity Series starts and 17 career Truck Series starts. He has never driven full-time in any of NASCAR’s top three series.

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Will Gray Gaulding experience success as the full-time driver of the #23 Toyota for BK Racing in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season? Will he be able to secure another career-high finish in a restrictor plate race? He will certainly be a driver to watch in those particular races given the fact that he has never finished lower than 20th place in three career restrictor plate races.