By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Five days removed from his 19th birthday, Taylor Gray started his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway.
And he ended it in third place, capping off a 1-2-3 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas on Saturday.
With no prior laps in an Xfinity car until Saturday morning, it was a massive learning day for the Craftsman Truck Series sophomore.
“Never even sitting in the car until last week and being able to come out and capitilize with my guys and get such a strong run going for the next couple weeks is really important,” he said. “It’s huge.”
The result comes following am impressive start to his Trucks campaign for Tricon Garage, with three top fives in five races.
READ: Taylor Gray Bounces Back With Top 5 in Atlanta
In December, Gray was announced as one of JGR’s rotating drivers to hop aboard the No. 19 car in 2024. With another start lined up next week at Martinsville, Gray has momentum and lessons learned for another short track.
“Being patient all day,” he said. “I made too many mistakes to be able to capitilize on such a fast car. We’re gonna have fun the next couple weeks.
“They’re just so much fun to drive, honestly. Everything is so much fun about them. The heat wasn’t really a big deal. Just getting acclimated was the biggest thing. I can’t thank all my Joe Gibbs Racing guys enough to bring me a fast Supra.”