The 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 41st season of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. The season started with the Beef. It's What's for Dinner. 300 on February 19 at Daytona International Speedway and ended with the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race on November 5 at Phoenix Raceway.
Daniel Hemric entered the season as the defending champion and attempted to become the second driver in series history to win back-to-back championships driving for two different teams. (The first was Tyler Reddick in 2018 and 2019, who drove for JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing in those years respectively.) Hemric drove the No. 18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021, but moved to the No. 11 car for Kaulig Racing in 2022. Hemric once again made the Playoffs but was eliminated after the Round of 12.
The Xfinity Series logo also changed from red to purple in 2022 to reflect a similar change in the logo of series title sponsor Xfinity.
Following the 2022 Food City 300 at Bristol, A. J. Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing clinched the regular season championship. After the 2022 Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas, Chevrolet won the manufacturers' championship. Ty Gibbs won the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship, while Joe Gibbs Racing won its fourth championship. It was also JGR's second NXS Championship in a row. Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing won the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year honors.
Teams and drivers Complete schedule Manufacturer Team Race driver Crew chief Chevrolet Alpha Prime Racing 44 Tommy Joe Martins Dan Stillman Frank Kerr Michael Brandt Ryan Ellis Sage Karam Rajah Caruth Howie DiSavino III Josh Bilicki Andy Lally Stefan Parsons Julia Landauer 45 Caesar Bacarella Paul Clapprood Michael Brandt Frank Kerr Kaz Grala Tommy Joe Martins Josh Bilicki Howie DiSavino III Ryan Ellis Stefan Parsons Sage Karam Julia Landauer Rajah Caruth Big Machine Racing 48 Jade Buford Patrick Donahue Kaz Grala Tyler Reddick Austin Dillon Ty Dillon Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ross Chastain Nick Sanchez Parker Kligerman Marco Andretti Brandonbilt Motorsports 68 Brandon Brown Doug Randolph Austin Dillon Kris Wright DGM Racing 36 Josh Bilicki George Gorham Jr. Corey Cashman Ryan London Mario Gosselin Nathan Kennedy Alex Labbé Garrett Smithley Josh Williams 91 Mason Massey Mario Gosselin Dan Pardus Preston Pardus Mason Filippi JD Motorsports 4 Bayley Currey Wayne Carroll Jr. 6 Ryan Vargas Kase Kallenbach Alex Bird Gray Gaulding Ty Dillon Spencer Pumpelly Bobby McCarty Brennan Poole Jeremy Clements Racing 51 Jeremy Clements Mark Setzer Tony Clements Jesse Iwuji Motorsports 34 Jesse Iwuji (R) At Texas in May (race #12), Road America (race #16) and Kansas II (race #25), Weatherman qualified the car before being replaced by Iwuji in the race. Jason Houghtaling Dan Stillman Jesse Little Kyle Weatherman Kaz Grala Jordan Anderson Racing 31 Myatt Snider Shane Whitbeck JR Motorsports 1 Sam Mayer Taylor Moyer Andrew Overstreet 7 Justin Allgaier Jason Burdett 8 Josh Berry Mike Bumgarner 9 Noah Gragson Luke Lambert Kaulig Racing 10 Landon Cassill Jason Trinchere Alex Yontz 11 Daniel Hemric Alex Yontz Jason Trinchere 16 A. J. Allmendinger Bruce Schlicker Our Motorsports 02 Brett Moffitt Kris Bowen Blaine Perkins Ty Dillon Brandon Brown Sage Karam Parker Retzlaff 23 Anthony Alfredo Pat Tryson 27 Jeb Burton Chad Walter Richard Childress Racing 2 Sheldon Creed (R) Jeff Stankiewicz Jim Pohlman 21 Austin Hill (R) Andy Street Ford RSS Racing 39 Ryan Sieg Ryan Sieg is running the full season split between the Nos. 39 and 38 RSS Racing cars. Kevin Starland Kyle Sieg (R) Andrew May SS-Green Light Racing 07 Joe Graf Jr. Joe Williams Jr. Cole Custer Chase Briscoe Brett Moffitt Hailie Deegan 08 David Starr Jason Miller Jeff Kirkendall Joe Graf Jr. Spencer Pumpelly B. J. McLeod Andy Lally Brandon Brown Stewart–Haas Racing 98 Riley Herbst Richard Boswell Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Drew Dollar Jason Ratcliff Trevor Bayne Ryan Truex Bubba Wallace John Hunter Nemechek Connor Mosack Sammy Smith Christopher Bell James Davison 19 Brandon Jones Jeff Meendering 54 Ty Gibbs Chris Gayle Sam Hunt Racing 26 Ryan Truex Allen Hart Jeffrey Earnhardt John Hunter Nemechek Parker Chase Derek Griffith Chandler Smith Santino Ferrucci Connor Mosack Daniil Kvyat Kaz Grala Chevrolet Ford B. J. McLeod Motorsports 5 Matt Mills George Ingram Keith Wolfe Mike Tyska Nick Sanchez Scott Heckert Ryan Preece Joe Graf Jr. Josh Williams After Williams failed to qualify for the race at Daytona II (race 23) in the DGM Racing No. 92, he replaced Patrick Emerling in the B. J. McLeod Motorsports No. 5 in the race.The entries at Daytona in August (race 23) and Talladega in October (race 28) were fielded in a collaboration with Emerling-Gase Motorsports. Stefan Parsons Brandon Brown Patrick Emerling Tommy Joe Martins Garrett Smithley Joey Gase Chevrolet Toyota 78 Josh Williams Danny Johnson Adam Brooks Mike Tyska George Ingram Matt Mills Scott Heckert Brandon Brown Stefan Parsons B. J. McLeod Garrett Smithley Ford Toyota RSS Racing 38 C. J. McLaughlin Steve Addington Andrew May Clifford Turner Kevin Starland Timmy Hill Timmy Hill qualified the No. 38 car at Fontana, but after Joe Graf Jr. failed to qualify for the race in his own No. 08 car, he replaced Timmy Hill in the No. 38. Joe Graf Jr. Kyle Sieg (R) Parker Retzlaff Loris Hezemans Entries were fielded in a collaboration with Reaume Brothers Racing. Will Rodgers Ryan Sieg Darren Dilley Patrick Gallagher Toyota Ford Chevrolet Emerling-Gase Motorsports 35 Shane Lee Scott Eggleston Rick Bourgeois Jim Gase Joey Gase Jeffrey Earnhardt Parker Kligerman Patrick Emerling Chris Dyson Brad Perez Dawson Cram Chevrolet Toyota Ford MBM Motorsports 66 J. J. Yeley George Church Jason Houghtaling Natalie Decker Timmy Hill
Limited schedule Manufacturer Team Race driver Crew chief Rounds Chevrolet B. J. McLeod Motorsports 55 Matt Mills Keith Wolfe Adam Brooks 99 Stefan Parsons Mike Tyska Adam Brooks George Ingram Nick Sanchez Matt Mills Bassett Racing 77 Ronnie Bassett Jr. Ronald Bassett Sr. Dillon Bassett Ronnie Bassett Jr. Shane Wilson Mike Hillman Sr. Dillon Bassett DGM Racing 90 Alex Labbé Ryan London Mason Filippi Mike Garvey 92 Kyle Weatherman Nathan Kennedy Mario Gosselin Ryan London Mike Hillman Sr. B. J. Tucker Ross Chastain Dexter Bean Josh Williams Alex Labbé Kaulig Racing 14 Justin Haley Justin Cox Hendrick Motorsports 17 Kyle Larson Kevin Meendering Alex Bowman William Byron Jimmy Means Racing 52 Harrison Rhodes Tim Brown Gar Robinson Brennan Poole Jordan Anderson Racing 32 Jordan Anderson Arthur Haire Austin Wayne Self Jamie Jones JR Motorsports 88 Miguel Paludo Jason Stockert Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chase Elliott William Byron Kyle Larson Mike Harmon Racing 47 Gray Gaulding Ryan Bell Brennan Poole Ryan Vargas Bobby McCarty Brandon Brown Stanton Barrett Tim Viens Dawson Cram Mike Harmon 74 Tim Viens Carl Brown Richard Childress Racing 3 Jeffrey Earnhardt Larry McReynolds Ford Emerling-Gase Motorsports 53 Joey Gase Rick Bourgeois Shane Lee Mike Hillman Jr. RSS Racing 28 Kyle Sieg (R) Andrew May Steve Addington Kevin Johnson Clifford Turner C. J. McLaughlin Patrick Gallagher Natalie Decker Parker Retzlaff Toyota Reaume Brothers Racing 33 Natalie Decker Josh Reaume Andrew Abbott Will Rodgers Loris Hezemans Sam Hunt Racing 24 Jeffrey Earnhardt Andrew Abbott Joe Nemechek Eric Phillips Toyota Ford Chevrolet MBM Motorsports 13 Stan Mullis Carl Long Kody Clark George Church Jason Houghtaling Chad Finchum Natalie Decker Timmy Hill Matt Jaskol J. J. Yeley Will Rodgers Akinori Ogata Brad Perez Dawson Cram
Notes
Changes Teams On August 6, 2021, Shane Lee tweeted that he got the equipment from the closed H2 Motorsports team that he drove for in 2019 and was contemplating whether to use it and start his own team or sell the equipment. On November 18, Joey Gase announced that he would start his own team, Joey Gase Racing, fielding the No. 35 Ford/Toyota full-time in 2022 with himself and other drivers sharing the ride. The Toyotas that the team will run were the ones owned by Lee that were last used by H2M. As part of the deal to sell the equipment to Gase, Lee will drive select races in Gase's No. 35. On December 30, it was announced that Patrick Emerling (who drove part-time for Our Motorsports in 2020 and 2021) would join the team as a driver and a co-owner, and as a result, the team was renamed Emerling-Gase Motorsports, and that the team would also field a second part-time car. On August 21, 2021, it was announced that NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and driver Jesse Iwuji would be starting an Xfinity Series team, Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, with Iwuji running the full season and for Rookie of the Year. On February 7, 2022, it was announced that the team would run Chevrolets and share a shop with JD Motorsports, which had extra space available as they reduced from 4 full-time cars to 2 for 2022. The team chose the No. 34 in honor of fellow African American driver Wendell Scott after Team Penske, who cut back to a part-time Xfinity car in 2022, declined to give the team their first choice of car number, the No. 22, Smith's number when he played for the Dallas Cowboys. On August 30, 2021, it was announced that Caesar Bacarella, who has driven part-time in the series for B. J. McLeod Motorsports and DGM Racing since 2017, would be joining Martins Motorsports as a driver/co-owner and the team would be renamed Alpha Prime Racing (Alpha Prime is a company he owns). In addition to Bacarella, Tommy Joe Martins, Rajah Caruth, and potentially additional drivers will share the team's No. 44 car for the full season. On January 6, 2022, Alpha Prime Racing announced it will field two full-time teams in 2022, with Sage Karam driving the No. 45 for four races. When the Jayski's Silly Season Site 2022 Xfinity Series team/driver chart was released, it was revealed that Big Machine Racing, which fields the No. 48 car for Jade Buford (who will return to the team in 2022) may form an alliance with a larger NASCAR Xfinity Series team. On October 7, 2021, BMRT announced that they would partner with Richard Childress Racing in 2022. Miles Thomas Motorsports will debut in 2022. The team will compete part-time in both the Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series with Jason Miles, who is also a co-owner of the team. Miles competed part-time in ARCA for Fast Track Racing in 2019 and 2021. Ford will be their manufacturer. The team has yet to announce their car number, sponsors, and crew chief. On October 14, 2021, Bob Pockrass from Fox tweeted that Joe Gibbs Racing could downsize from four full-time cars to three in 2022. One of the cars would continue to be for a rotation of drivers like the No. 54 was in 2021. The team lost two of its full-time drivers from 2021, Daniel Hemric, who moved to Kaulig Racing's No. 11 car, and Harrison Burton, who moved up to Wood Brothers Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, who each bring sponsorship, and the team could not find sponsorship for the No. 54 car in multiple races in 2021. On November 16, JGR officially announced that it would only field 3 full-time Xfinity Series cars in 2022, thus shutting down the No. 20 team, because the No. 54 car would return in 2022 with Ty Gibbs as its full-time driver. It was later turned out the No. 54 was renumbered from the No. 20 after the season ended.