NASCAR: New driver of the #9 car for the 2023 season?

With Noah Gragson set to move to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time, will JR Motorsports replace him behind the wheel of the #9 Chevrolet?

A long-rumored announcement was made earlier this month when Petty GMS Motorsports confirmed that Noah Gragson is set to join the team as the full-time driver of the #42 Chevrolet for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. Gragson currently competes part-time in the Cup Series for Kaulig Racing and Beard Motorsports.

This announcement came after it had been confirmed that Ty Dillon would not be back for a second season behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet next year but that Erik Jones would retain his seat behind the wheel of the #43 Chevrolet after signing a multi-year contract extension.

The Gragson news will ultimately bring to an end a four-year run for the 24-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native with the JR Motorsports Xfinity Series team as the driver of the #9 Chevrolet.

Gragson switched from Toyota to Chevrolet back in 2019 after spending two full seasons with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series. He has amassed eight Xfinity Series wins thus far, all since the start of the 2020 season, and qualified for last year’s Championship 4.

So will the #9 Chevrolet be back in 2022?

Last weekend at Watkins Glen International, which saw Kyle Larson win the Xfinity Series race in the #88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Dale Jr. confirmed that the #9 Chevrolet is indeed set to return next year, despite Gragson’s departure.

"“We’re deep into some great opportunities to field that car next year. I can’t wait to be able to announce whatever that is, but from what I’m hearing, we’ve got some exciting prospects and programs that could potentially be in the #9 car next year.”"

Dale Jr. stopped short of announcing anything specific about the car next year, including whether or not there will be just one full-time driver taking Gragson’s place or multiple part-time drivers getting the opportunity to compete in various races throughout the season.

The team have already announced that Sam Mayer will return for a second season behind the wheel of the #1 Chevrolet, and it’s hard to imagine Justin Allgaier driving anything other than the #7 Chevrolet or Josh Berry driving anything other than the #8 Chevrolet next year.

Berry has been mentioned as a possible candidate for a Cup Series promotion, but with JR Motorsports not planning to field a full-time Cup entry yet in 2023, that possibility will likely be put on hold.