NASCAR: Huge team merger gives ‘best of both worlds’

The offseason between the 2021 and 2022 NASCAR Cup Series seasons saw a merger between two teams that could benefit the teams, drivers and more.

Throughout NASCAR offseasons, fans often find themselves waiting for on-track action to resume. But this year, there has been a plethora of events that can keep fans excited for the 2022 Cup Series season as the offseason continues.

Earlier this week, an announcement was made that Richard Petty Motorsports and GMS Racing will merge and become Petty GMS Motorsports. GMS Racing had previously announced their plans to move up to the Cup Series, with Ty Dillon originally slated to drive the #94 Chevrolet.

It wasn’t until GMS Racing purchased a majority stake in Richard Petty Motorsports that the merger became possible, but the inevitable happened.

The team that fields the iconic #43 car has been no stranger to merging, having previously done the same with Evernham Motorsports.

Though mergers aren’t uncommon, the newly formed Petty GMS Motorsports has quite a bit of potential.

While Dillon was originally set to drive the #94 Chevrolet for GMS Racing’s Cup Series program, the team decided to rebrand with an homage to the Petty legacy, giving Dillon the number 42 and using a design similar to the days of Richard Petty’s father Lee and son Kyle.

Additionally, this will be the first time in Dillon’s Cup Series career that he has raced alongside a teammate, with Erik Jones behind the wheel of the #43 Chevrolet. Richard Petty Motorsports have had a two-car tandem in years past, but they had recently been leasing their second charter out to Rick Ware Racing.

Having a second car will only strengthen the team’s chances of finding victory lane, and with financial backing from a team that wants to win in GMS Racing, they can be expected to be much more competitive than they have been in recent years.

With the Next Gen car set to even the playing field to an extent, a new investor, and a two-car tandem, Petty GMS Motorsports could be the next team to find themselves as a playoff contender.