Joe Graf Jr. will remain with Ford for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. On Friday, he announced he will pilot RSS Racing‘s #38 Ford Mustang for at least twenty-eight of thirty-three races. His first start will be the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on 18 February.
“He said, ‘Jeff, listen. You’ve always been behind Joe every step of the way, and would you be interested in being partners?’ To think ever that I’d be in this position,” said sponsor Jeff Lefcourt in a video posted on social media. “Some guys have loved racing from age eight, and now here we are. Race #1, Daytona.”
Graf spent the past three seasons with SS-Green Light Racing, but departed the team at the end of 2022. He scored a pair of top tens at Talladega for the team, but only ran the full schedule in 2020 while his 2021 and 2022 seasons saw him miss races due to DNQs, being replaced for road courses, and personal matters. During his stint at SSGLR, the team also had backing from Lefcourt that led to them formally being called “SS-Green Light Racing with Jeff Lefcourt”.
“I am very appreciative to be welcomed into the RSS Racing family,” Graf stated. “I am opening a new chapter in my Xfinity Series career in 2023 and I am determined to make it my best yet.
“I’m looking forward to having Ryan (Sieg), who is not only respected in the garage as my team-mate, but also driving for a family-owned team is certainly going to bring back memories. I hope we are able to make some new memories of our own this season with all of our great marketing partners.”
RSS fields the #39 full-time for Ryan Sieg, whose family runs the team. The #38 was split between multiple drivers including his younger brother Kyle, and even Graf drove it at Fontana in place of Timmy Hill after failing to qualify for SSGLR. Other drivers in the #38 have not been revealed.
