John Hunter Nemechek joins GMS Racing for 2019 NASCAR Xfinity effort

John Hunter Nemechek is set to compete for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2019.

GMS Racing revealed that it had signed the 21-year-old to drive the No. 23. He will replace Spencer Gallagher, the son of team owner Maury Gallagher, who is transitioning to a management role this offseason.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Gallagher and the whole GMS organization has presented to me to be able to go run fulltime in 2019," said Nemechek in a press release.

"The results that GMS Racing showed last year in their Xfinity program were impressive. Their goal is to create a championship-caliber team, like their Truck program, and I believe that we can achieve that goal this 2019 season."

Nemechek has spent the last five seasons driving for his family team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, winning six times in 94 starts. He finished eighth in the 2016 and 2017 championship standings for NEMCO Motorsports.

He ran partial seasons in both the Trucks and Xfinity Series this season, the latter for Chip Ganassi Racing, where he won once in 18 starts. He is also the 2014 Snowball Derby Super Late Model race winner.

Veteran crew chief Chad Norris will lead the No. 23 team.

"John Hunter is a wheelman," said Mike Beam, president of GMS Racing. "We are excited to have him on board for the 2019 season. With how much progress we showed last year in our NASCAR Xfinity Series program, I know that John Hunter will take us to the next level."

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