Jade Buford‘s full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign with Big Machine Racing Team in 2022 was cut short after a difficult eight races and he was replaced by multiple drivers, but he remained involved with the team and will continue to do so in 2023. On Thursday, the team announced they will field the #5 Chevrolet Camaro for Buford in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on 18 February.
It will be the first time that Big Machine fields multiple cars in a race as they usually run the #48, which will be piloted by Parker Kligerman in 2023.
“Big Machine Racing is so proud to announce a second entry for Jade Buford at Daytona. He had an incredible top-five run going last year before being caught up in a wild last lap incident,” team owner Scott Borchetta said. “This year, to double the excitement and our winning opportunity, we’re doubling up with our Big Machine Double SPIKED Coolers #5 Chevrolet Camaro, and I’m visualising a Big Machine Racing 1–2 finish.”
After making his NASCAR début in 2020, Buford joined Big Machine Racing Team for their inaugural Xfinity campaign in 2021 and finished twenty-third in points with a top ten at Michigan. Despite an expanded alliance with Richard Childress Racing for 2022, his performance dipped the following year when his eighth at COTA was his lone finish above twentieth across the first eight races. Hoping to light a spark in the #48, the team replaced Buford with a rotation that included Cup drivers from RCR, and Tyler Reddick would score their first win at Texas. Buford returned to the #48 at Portland and finished fourteenth in his final race of the year.
Despite losing his NASCAR ride, he stuck with Big Machine in the Trans-Am Series and scored a podium at the Music City Grand Prix in August.
“I’m honoured to be débuting the second car for the team and looking forward to working with Parker as a team-mate,” Buford said. “This will be my first time having a team-mate to work with so I’m very excited to see what we can do to make sure one of our BMR Chevrolets crosses the finish line first at the end of 300 miles on the high banks of Daytona.”
The #5 was previously used by B.J. McLeod Motorsports.
