Richard Childress Racing‘s #21 car will be piloted by a triumvirate of drivers in the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series. On Friday, the team announced Kaz Grala will return to the organisation for 2020, completing a three-driver lineup for their full-time Xfinity car as he joins Anthony Alfredo and Myatt Snider.
“I learned a lot as a driver working with RCR last year, so I feel confident that our existing chemistry as a team will lead to even better results in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season,” Grala stated. “RCR’s Xfinity Series program is top-notch, and with the No. 21 car running all year, I am excited to be a part of the team chasing yet another owner’s championship. I’m very grateful to Richard Childress for giving me this opportunity to further my career.”
Grala has not raced full-time in NASCAR’s national series since he finished seventh in the 2017 NASCAR Truck Series standings; the then-18-year-old is the youngest driver to qualify for the playoffs since its introduction in any series. A full-time Xfinity campaign in 2018 abruptly ended when JGL Racing shut down, forcing him into a limited slate with newcomer Fury Race Cars. In 2019, he ran five races for RCR in the #21, recording top-twenty finishes in every run and a fifth in his last start at Road America. He shared the car with Joe Graf Jr., who ran three races for the team and will compete for Rookie of the Year honours with SS-Green Light Racing in 2020.
The other #21 drivers were revealed in late 2019. Snider joined RCR in November, having just completed a full season in the Whelen Euro Series Elite 2 Division with Racing Engineering. The 2018 Truck Series Rookie of the Year finished the Euro season sixth in points with top-ten finishes in all but two races, including a runner-up finish at Autodromo di Franciacorta and Raceway Venray. Snider also ran three Truck races for ThorSport Racing in 2019, including finishing tenth as an interim driver for the suspended Johnny Sauter in the summer.
“I am thrilled to be driving for Richard Childress Racing in 2020,” Snider said in his press release. “It’s an honor to drive for a team with such a rich history in the sport, and I’m excited to start learning from everyone. After a great season of racing in Europe this past year, I’m excited to be back home and moving up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series.”
Alfredo joins the Xfinity Series after a part-time Truck schedule in 2019 with DGR-Crosley. Running thirteen races, he recorded two top tens with a best finish of eighth at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The previous year, he finished fifth in the K&N Pro Series East standings with a win at South Boston Speedway. His signing came a month after Snider’s.
“It’s every racer’s dream to drive for such an iconic organization like RCR,” Alfredo commented in December. “I’m very thankful for everyone that has helped put this together, including my family, friends and our partners. This is a career-making opportunity for me, and I plan to take full advantage of it.”
A specific schedule for each driver has not been revealed. The future of the team’s #2 car, which was driven by Tyler Reddick to his second straight series championship in 2019, is currently unknown as Reddick moves up to the Cup Series.
