NASCAR Cup Series lands another new team for 2022

GMS Racing plan to make their NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2022 season, though nothing else about the situation has been confirmed.

GMS Racing, formerly known as Gallagher Motorsports, have been around since 2011, competing in NASCAR‘s national series on some level every year since 2013, but they have never competed in a Cup Series race.

That is slated to change in 2022 when the Next Gen car is scheduled to make its debut, the team confirmed on Thursday afternoon.

They shared the following clip on Twitter.

GMS Racing competed in the Xfinity Series from 2016 to 2019, doing so as a full-time team from 2017 to 2019, and they have competed in the Truck Series since 2013, becoming a full-time operation in 2014 when they took on the name GMS Racing. They also run select races in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West.

Last season, they had three of the four drivers in the Truck Series Championship 4 and won the title with Sheldon Creed, and they won the ARCA Menards Series East title with Sam Mayer.

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As for their entry into the Cup Series, not much is known, other than the fact that it is planned for next year. They have not announced whether they plan to run a full-time schedule or a part-time schedule, and they have not announced a driver or drivers, nor any details about a potential charter purchase.

They are the second team currently not competing full-time in the Cup Series to announce a Cup Series entry for 2022. Kaulig Racing, which compete full-time in the Xfinity Series and part-time in the Cup Series, announced earlier this year that they plan to run a full Cup Series schedule for the first time next year, though they also have not revealed much else about their plans.

Kaulig Racing made their Cup Series debut in last year’s Daytona 500, but that was the only race in which they had ever competed until their part-time entry this year. Three other teams, 23XI Racing, Trackhouse Racing Team, and Live Fast Motorsports, all made their Cup Series debuts this year. All three compete full-time.

Xfinity Series team JR Motorsports, which have a technical alliance with GMS Racing along with Cup Series team Hendrick Motorsports, have also admitted that they are looking at making the jump to the Cup Series next year, though nothing has been announced.

Here is what team owner Maury Gallagher had to say about the decision to take GMS Racing to the top level of NASCAR next year.

"“GMS is always looking forward and I believe this is the next step for the team in that process. We have the goal to be a championship-caliber team in any series in which we compete, and I am excited to watch the team grow in the coming years.”"

Here is what team president Mike Beam had to add.

"“GMS has always risen to the occasion and proven that we are a team capable of competing at every level of this sport. We have been preparing to make this step and with the addition of the Next Gen car in 2022, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the move.”"

There were rumors about the team entering the Cup Series a few years ago, but those never came to fruition. That was before they shuttered their Xfinity Series program after just four seasons in 2019.

The 2022 Cup Series season is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, February 20 with the 64th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.