Joe Graf Jr.’s decision to a five-race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing for the NASCAR Xfinity Series didn’t go well among fans.
The 24-year-old driver will run the full NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule in 2023, the majority of the events for RSS Racing.
However, his deal with JGR means that he will drive their No. 19 Toyota for five races, which includes races at Auto Club and Las Vegas, Richmond, New Hampshire and Kansas.
“Running five races with JGR is a fantastic opportunity for myself and for my marketing partners. I think I can learn a lot from JGR and showcase the skills I’ve been growing in the series in the past three years. 2023 is shaping up to be a great year and I’m pumped to get started with the No. 19 group,” the driver said.
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Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass announced the move on his Twitter post, which invited a dig from home-racing brand Couch Racer.
Money > Talent https://t.co/ayN394qC4G
— Couch Racer (@CouchRacerShop) February 1, 2023
Many people seemed to agree with Couch Racer’s opinion on the matter and it was not only the fans who supported it but also the likes of Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft and GMS Racing’s Rajah Caruth, who liked the post.
It’s never going to change.
— Randy Ridgway (@drizz_81) February 1, 2023
That’s been the case and will be the case for a while
— Dusty (@DWC_78) February 1, 2023
That's most of nascar!
— Brandon Clark (@BADBRANDON23) February 2, 2023
It’s sad. Nothing at all against Joe I’m sure he can drive a race car better than me but it’s sad people with money can now just get a top tier ride now but a driver with more talent gets over looked because he don’t have the money or know the right people to bring sponsor 💰
— Tyler Hess (@Tyler_Hess_) February 2, 2023
Money > Talent https://t.co/ayN394qC4G
— Couch Racer (@CouchRacerShop) February 1, 2023
That’s the name of the game at JGR.
— Andrew Underwood | #4EVER (@A_Underwood06) February 1, 2023
Been that way for years.
— Matt (@MIracingfan) February 1, 2023
Rich driver country club > professional sport
— Mike Dallrace (@MDallrace) February 2, 2023
JGR doing rent a ride now?
— Did Kyle Larson win? (@DidLarsonWin) February 1, 2023
Fans agreed and lamented that money is given more priority than talent in NASCAR.
Nonetheless, the spotlight will be on Graf Jr. to make the best of his deal with JGR.
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