Kaz Grala will not be returning for a second season with Sam Hunt Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024, the organization confirmed in a social media post made on Monday.
“A record-breaking year for Kaz Grala behind the wheel of our No. 26 GR Supra,” the social media post reads. “Kaz, thank you for all you’ve done here at Sam Hunt Racing. We wish you the very best on your next venture.”
Two Top-5 & Nine Top-10 finishes in 2023.
A record-breaking year for @KazGrala behind the wheel of our No. 26 GR Supra. Kaz, thank you for all you’ve done here at Sam Hunt Racing. We wish you the very best on your next venture.#SHR26 | #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/428KorqccQ
— Sam Hunt Racing (@Team_SHR26) November 27, 2023
A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Grala put together a record-breaking season for the two-car organization, picking up a pair of top-five finishes at Richmond Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL, as well as nine top-10 results.
The fourth-place result in the April event at Richmond Raceway matched a career-best finish for Grala, as well as his first top-five in Xfinity Series competition that didn’t come on a superspeedway or road course.
Throughout his career, the 24-year-old racer has jumped between NASCAR’s National Series from year to year, which has included stints in the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series, for teams such as Richard Childress Racing, Kaulig Racing, GMS Racing, and TMT Racing.
During his rookie campaign in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Grala brought home the victory in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, his only victory to date in NASCAR’s top three divisions.
As of the time of this post, Sam Hunt Racing has yet to confirm any details surrounding its driver lineup for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign. However, the organization is still expected to field full-time entries, as it did for the first time in 2023.
