Brandon Jones will return to the manufacturer with whom he began his NASCAR career as he rejoins Chevrolet with JR Motorsports for the 2023 Xfinity Series season. He will drive the #9 Camaro set to be vacated by the Cup Series-bound Noah Gragson.
Jones’ father JR Jones is the CEO of Rheem, a longtime Chevrolet team sponsor in the early 2010s which allowed him to begin racing with the make in NASCAR’s regional tiers. He spent three years with Richard Childress Racing from 2015 to 2017 before joining Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota from 2018 onwards. With JGR, he has scored five victories and made the playoffs every year, and is currently seventh in points with a win at Martinsville.
He has also raced for JGR’s ARCA Menards Series programme in 2022, winning three of his four starts at Charlotte, Iowa, and Watkins Glen. The exception was a third at Pocono.
“Brandon’s been a tough competitor over the years, and he’s a talented addition to JR Motorsports,” said JRM co-owner and general manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller. “He’s a series veteran that brings a lot of experience, and we’re going to see big things from Brandon and the #9 team in 2023.”
Jones’ departure continues a trend of exits for JGR after 2022, most notably Kyle Busch announcing he would also head to Chevrolet with RCR. Amusingly, Jones and Busch’s new numbers are the same as their JGR counterparts except they drop the ‘1’ digit.
“To watch how competitive JRM has been over the years is really impressive,” commented Jones. “They’re a threat to win every week, and one of the premier teams in our series. I’m so thankful to Dale (Earnhardt Jr.), Kelley, and Mr. (Rick) Hendrick for allowing me to be part of it.
“Reuniting with Chevrolet again is awesome, too. They were a big part of my career early on, and I’m looking forward to building on those relationships and driving a Camaro in 2023.”
