What’s Happening?

Taylor Gray is taking the next step in his NASCAR career in 2025. Wednesday, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that the 19-year-old will race the No. 54 full-time in the 2025 Xfinity Series season.

• Taylor Gray currently races full-time for Tricon Garage in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Gray is currently sixth in Truck Series points but has yet to crack out a win in two full-time seasons with Toyota’s premiere Truck Series team.
• Gray is the second full-time driver in Joe Gibbs Racing’s 2025 Xfinity Series lineup. He will be accompanied by returning veteran Brandon Jones in the No. 19. Sheldon Creed, JGR’s other Xfinity Series driver, is leaving for the Haas Factory Team in 2025, and Chandler Smith, the driver of the No. 81, is yet to have official plans for 2025.
• Corey Heim, Gray’s Tricon teammate and the current Truck Series Championship favorite, is outperforming Gray statistically. Furthermore, in 10 starts in one of JGR’s part-time Xfinity Series entries, Gray has only two top-fives. This means that he is outperformed by fellow part-timers Aric Almirola and Ryan Truex. That’s not to say Taylor is not a skilled driver. In a 14-race 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule, Gray won three races.
• A potential and major factor in this decision could be those drivers who occasionally take the step to the Xfinity Series without dazzling in the Truck Series. For example, Chase Briscoe, prior to his 11 Xfinity Series wins, had just one Truck Series victory, putting up similar stats to Gray’s 2025 season.
• Either way, Gray has a real chance of being a top prospect in NASCAR. Whether or not this move is premature, Gray at JGR has all the support he needs to make this promotion work.

The Complete 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Full-Time Driver Roster (So Far)

The Complete 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Full-Time Driver Roster (So Far)

What’s Happening? The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season isn’t here quite yet. However, multiple drivers and teams have confirmed their plans…

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