NASCAR: Long-awaited driver announcement finally set

Petty GMS Motorsports are set to announce the driver of their #42 Chevrolet for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season later this week.

Earlier this summer, Petty GMS Motorsports announced that they would be moving on from Ty Dillon following the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Dillon was to have driven the #94 Chevrolet for GMS Racing this year, but after GMS Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports merged to form Petty GMS Motorsports, he ended up behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet.

The 30-year-old Welcome, North Carolina native has had a frustrating year with the team, with a top finish of only 10th place in the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Through 23 races, he sits in 30th place in the point standings, and he would only be in 29th if not for the 35-point penalty which the #42 team was assessed at Pocono Raceway.

Meanwhile, teammate Erik Jones would be in 11th place in the standings if not for his 35-point penalty. He sits in 14th with eight top 10 finishes, including a top finish of third at Auto Club Speedway.

Unsurprisingly, Petty GMS Motorsports recently announced that they had re-signed Jones to a long-term deal. However, they have yet to confirm Dillon’s replacement.

But that is set to change on Wednesday.

The name that has consistently been brought up as a potential replacement for Dillon is Noah Gragson.

Gragson is in his fourth season competing full-time for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, and he is in his first season competing part-time for Kaulig Racing and Beard Motorsports in the Cup Series.

Many believe that the 24-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada is ready to take the next step and become a full-time driver at the sport’s highest level, and considering the success that Petty GMS Motorsports have had this year with Jones and crew chief Dave Elenz, this would be a fantastic opportunity for him.

Elenz served as Gragson’s crew chief with JR Motorsports from 2019 to 2021.

Of course, there are also some who believe there is an off chance that the team shock the world and announce Kyle Busch as the new driver of the #42 Chevrolet.

It has been well-documented that Busch is in a contract year with Joe Gibbs Racing, and the two sides haven’t been able to reach a new deal in the absence of a sponsor to replace departing partner M&M’s. Busch has confirmed he is talking to other teams, and a manufacturer switch from Toyota is not out of the question.