Joe Gibbs Racing supplemented its driver lineup for the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Thursday, moving John Hunter Nemechek into a full-time role in 2023.
Nemechek is set to drive the No. 20 Toyota next season, with Ben Beshore serving as the team’s crew chief. He joins new teammate Sammy Smith, who was named Tuesday as the driver of JGR’s No. 18 Supra.
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The addition of Nemechek was announced ahead of a formal introduction later Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Toyota’s other affiliated Xfinity Series team — Sam Hunt Racing — was set to unveil its plans for 2023.
The team also announced that Mobil 1 would be the primary sponsor of the No. 20 Toyota. Nemechek’s entry will also be backed by partners Berry’s Bullets, Pye Barker Fire and Safety and Romco Equipment.
Nemechek competed in JGR’s No. 18 Toyota in three Xfinity races last season, and drove for Sam Hunt Racing in eight other events. The 25-year-old driver was full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series last season, scoring two wins, seven pole positions and placing fifth in the final standings for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Nemechek has won twice in the Xfinity Series, and his most recent victory came with Joe Gibbs Racing at Texas Motor Speedway in 2021. He is a 13-time winner in the Truck Series, with seven of those wins arriving under the KBM banner the last two seasons.
Beshore returns to JGR’s Xfinity Series effort after working the last two seasons in the Cup Series as crew chief to Kyle Busch on the No. 18 Toyota. Beshore scored three Cup victories together with Busch and is an eight-time winner in Xfinity competition — notching four wins each with Busch and Harrison Burton.
JGR brings the No. 20 back to the Xfinity Series after one year out of its car number rotation. The number was last campaigned by Burton in 2021.
Both of JGR’s full-time drivers from last season will be racing in different surroundings next year. Ty Gibbs, who claimed the Xfinity Series championship on Nov. 5, will race for his grandfather’s team in the Cup Series in 2023. Brandon Jones will be back for his eighth full season in Xfinity, but will shift to the JR Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet next year.
Joe Gibbs Racing went back-to-back in the drivers’ championship hunt the last two Xfinity Series seasons, winning with Daniel Hemric in 2021 and Ty Gibbs this year.