DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Gray Gaulding will attempt to do double-duty this weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway driving for the new NXT Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, CATCHFENCE.com has confirmed.
NXT Motorsports is owned by Mike Contarino and Robert Flanagan and will compete part-time in 2018. The team has acquired XFINITY Series cars from Joe Gibbs Racing and has leased a motor from the powerhouse organization for their anticipated XFINITY debut.
The team does not have any owner points.
Gaulding must qualify 33rd or better during qualifications Saturday morning to make the starting grid for the PowerShares QQQ 300.
“I’m pumped to drive the VSI Racing Toyota for NXT Motorsports,” said Gaulding, who will drive the No. 54 VSI Racing Toyota. “I love superspeedway racing and I’m very thankful for Mike and Robert giving me this opportunity to run the XFINITY race this weekend.
“I’m going to use the race to learn what I can for Sunday’s Daytona 500 and get the best finish I can for our team.”
Gaulding, a native of Colonial Heights, Va. has nine XFINITY Series starts to his credit with back-to-back 13th place finishes at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Richmond (Va.) Raceway in 2016 driving for Roush Fenway Racing.
His other XFINITY starts were start-and-park efforts in RSS Racing’s second car.
Gaulding earned one of 40 starting positions available for Sunday’s DAYTONA 500 driving for BK Racing. The team did not post a lap in qualifying on Feb. 11, but the 20-year-old did turn a lap in practice on Feb. 10 and is expected to compete in Thursday night’s Can-Am duel which determines his starting position for the “Great American Race.”
Despite being locked into Sunday’s Cup opener, Gaulding only racing experience at the “World Center of Racing” is an ARCA race in 2016 driving for Lira Motorsports. He finished ninth after qualifying 11th.
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