NASCAR Xfinity Series: Noah Gragson to drive for JR Motorsports in 2019

NASCAR Truck Series driver Noah Gragson is set to replace Elliott Sadler at JR Motorsports in the 2019 Xfinity Series season.

Last month, Elliott Sadler confirmed that he will not he returning to the NASCAR Xfinity Series as a full-time driver in the 2019 season, meaning JR Motorsports needed to find a driver to replace him behind the wheel of the #1 Chevrolet.

It has been confirmed that the replacement for the 43-year-old Emporia, Virginia native is set to be Noah Gragson, who has competed full-time in the Truck Series in each of the last two seasons. He has signed a multi-year deal to drive for JR Motorsports.

Here is what the 20-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada had to say about the opportunity to drive for JR Motorsports starting in the 2019 Xfinity Series season, according to NASCAR.com.

"“First off, I’m very thankful for the opportunity to get to race full-time in the Xfinity Series. It’s a great privilege to be able to run full-time and then to do it with JR Motorsports, I’ve looked up to Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. ever since I started racing back in 2012 when I was 13 years old. When I started racing, I never would’ve thought that I’d be at this level, especially so quick. To have that opportunity is definitely a dream come true, so definitely have to work hard, stay focused and make the most of the opportunity.”"

What is very notable about the fact that Gragson is set to make the move from Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series to JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series as Sadler’s replacement is the fact that he is set to switch from driving for a Toyota team to driving for a Chevrolet team. Here is what he had to say about the matter, according to NASCAR.com.

"“They have been so good to me and they really haven’t even been sponsors to me, they’ve been more mentors. They’ve been guys that I’ve really looked up to in this sport. I consider them friends of mine, and so it made it very difficult to shy away from the Toyota banner, but I talked to them last week and told them what the plan was, and they said that they understand, that racing is a business and I had to do what I had to do, but that I’m always welcome to come back to drive a Toyota in the future.“Just very thankful for the relationship that I’ve built with those guys. They’ve invested into me and I’m very thankful for that. It’s been a great relationship, and they said they still want me to win. It’s cool that we’re both on the same page and they’re cool with everything. They’re just great people overall.”"

Gragson, who was tipped to be Sadler’s replacement shortly after Sadler announced that he will not be returning to JR Motorsports next season, competes full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series as the driver of the #18 Toyota. He signed with the team after competing in his first two career Truck Series races in the 2016 season as the driver of the #18 Wauters Motorsports Toyota.