Luke Lambert, who has paired with Noah Gragson to score eight NASCAR Xfinity Series victories this season, will move with Gragson to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023 and will serve as the crew chief for the No. 42 Petty GMS entry.
Petty GMS made the 2023 crew chief announcement via a press release on Tuesday. For the organization, they couldn’t see finding a better fit with their new driver than his existent crew chief that has shared so much success with him this year.
“Hiring Luke (Lambert) was the right choice for us when it came to finding a crew chief for Noah (Gragson),” said Joey Cohen, Petty GMS Director of Competition and Engineering. “The chemistry and success they have had this year in the Xfinity Series is one that can’t be replicated, and we know with the right resources and tools, that success can carry over to the Cup Series next year. Luke brings a great deal of knowledge from his previous years in the Cup Series and knowledge of Noah. With both Luke and Dave (Elenz) next year, Noah and Erik (Jones) and the relationships they’ve already built, I know we’re giving them the best chance for success next season and the ability to continue to elevate Petty GMS.”
Gragson made the announcement of his move to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2023 with Petty GMS back in August. Now, he’ll get his tenure at Petty GMS started off with a familiar face and voice atop the pit box.
For Lambert, he is excited to continue building with his driver beyond their 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 appearance.
“I’m looking forward to continuing this journey with Noah,” said Lambert. “This year has been fun and rewarding, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. When I joined JRM, it was because I believed in the organization and knew I’d have the opportunity to compete for race wins and a chance at the championship, and that’s exactly where we are right now. I see the same opportunity with Petty GMS. They’ve shown great growth this season and were able to get the team’s first win. With Dave and Erik, along with what Noah and I bring to the table, I think we’ll continue to see that success and contend for race wins next season.”
Lambert has one-career NASCAR Cup Series win as a crew chief, which came in 2017 with Ryan Newman driving for him at Richard Childress Racing. Overall, Lambert has had 332 races atop the pit box in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Lambert served as the crew chief for Chris Buescher in 31 races in 2021 and five races for Newman. After the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Lambert moved to the JR Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series program to be paired with Gragson.
Gragson won this past weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to lock himself into the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. Gragson has gained NASCAR Cup Series experience this season by driving for a combination of Kaulig Racing, Beard Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports, where he has been substituting for the injured Alex Bowman.
Dave Elenz, who serves as the crew chief for Erik Jones and the No. 43 Petty GMS team, came to the organization in the offseason after a couple of seasons as Gragson’s crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
