NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Noah Gragson will move up to the Cup Series next season to drive car No. 42 for Petty GMS Motorsports, the team announced Wednesday.
Gragson will replace Ty Dillon, who announced recently his planned departure from the team at the end of the season.
Gragson, 24, has made nine Cup starts this year for Kaulig Racing and Beard Motorsports. He has a top finish of 18th, in the Kansas race.
Gragson has raced full-time in the Xfinity Series since 2019. He has a total of eight wins, including three this year for JR Motorsports.
He scored two wins in the Camping World Truck Series while racing full-time there in 2017 and 2018.
“With where I’m at in my racing career and being at JR Motorsports and seeing how that operation is run, that’s kind of what I see at Petty GMS,” Gragson said in a press conference at the team’s shop in Statesville, North Carolina. “I see a family atmosphere. I see great people and great leaders. It’s truly humbling. It’s time to go to work next year.”
Gragson, who has qualified for the Xfinity playoffs, will finish the season at JR Motorsports.
“The sky is the limit here,” he said. “Petty GMS wants to grow and make this a home for me. I’m really excited for the opportunity.”
Gragson, a Las Vegas native, will be teammates at Petty GMS with Erik Jones, driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet.
Team president Mike Beam said he hopes Gragson can contend for wins next season and for the championship in three years.