Boston, Massachusetts-native Kaz Grala will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series attempt of the season in next weekend’s Henry 180 at Road America, as he looks to score his third consecutive top-five finish at the 4.048-mile road course.
The 22-year-old will pilot the No. 31 Bommarito Automotive Group | Ruedebusch.com Chevrolet Camaro for Jordan Anderson Racing, as the team looks to collect their fourth top-10 finish in six starts in the series. Arthur Haire will continue to call the shots on a car that has featured a revolving lineup of Josh Berry, Tyler Reddick, Jordan Anderson and now Grala.
Grala, who holds the record as the youngest driver to ever compete in an IMSA event, has proven himself to be a talented road course racer across NASCAR’s top-three series, scoring a pair of top-10 results for Young’s Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on the road courses this season, as well as recording a top-10 in his NASCAR Cup Series debut last Summer at Daytona’s Road Course, filling-in for Austin Dillon in the No. 3.
“Growing up my father was a road course racer and for our family to spend late January at the 24 Hours of Daytona was a special time, it was only natural for me to take interest and excel in road racing especially after starting in the COntinental Tire Sports Car Challene at such an early age,” said Grala. “Road America has been a place that I have adapted to very well in recent years. In three starts in the Xfinity Series I have earned two top-10 finishes, and an eleventh. Those are very respectable numbers at a track that offers high-speed sections, elevation changes, and tight corners. I am excited for this opportunity that Jordan Anderson Racing, Ruedebusch.com and Bommarito Automotive Group are giving me. The pairing of the chassis from RCR and the engine package from ECR will be very similar to what I have competed with for the last few years.
Throughout the first five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Jordan Anderson Racing, the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro has only recorded a single finish outside the top-15 – when the car wouldn’t fire on the grid at Texas for team owner Jordan Anderson.
“Kaz is a great road racer, with the familiar RCR and ECR combination he has raced the last few years and with Crew Chief Arthur (Arthur) Haire calling the race I am confident we will be able to provide all tools needed for him to earn a great finish in the Henry 180 at Road America,” Said Jordan Anderson. “We have had some tremendous success the last five races with Tyler and Josh driving for us and I hope to continue that with Kaz. I would like to welcome Ruedebusch Development and Construction to the team. I am confident with everything we have in place Kaz will be able to do a very good job and continue the momentum JAR has with a respectable finish.”
