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Joe Gibbs Racing has confirmed the driver who will take the wheel of Ty Gibbs' car for the 2027 NASCAR season.
Taylor Gray has signed a one-year contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing, keeping him behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota Supra in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series for the 2027 season.
The 21-year-old from Artesia, New Mexico, is currently in his second full-time campaign in the series and has continued to represent JGR as the driver of the No. 54 entry. The extension secures Gray's future with the team as he looks to build on his progress in NASCAR.
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In 2024, JGR announced that Ty Gibbs would become a co-owner of the team, taking ownership of the No. 54 Toyota Supra in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series from the 2025 season.
Across 21 scheduled starts this season, Gray has recorded one victory, coming at Kansas Speedway in mid-April. He also secured pole position at Phoenix Raceway in early March, along with three top-five finishes, eight top-10 results, 189 laps led and an average finishing position of 17.7. The JGR driver currently sits 12th in the championship standings and holds a 17-point advantage over the cutline for a place in this year's Chase.
"I am super appreciative of everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing for this opportunity," Gray said. "I feel like [crew chief] Jason [Ratcliff] and I have developed a really strong relationship that goes beyond racing.
"He has been a great mentor to me and helped me a ton both on and off the track. And overall, our team continues to grow and improve, so I'm excited about the rest of this season and next year working together again."
It was only three years ago that Ratcliff, a 59-time O'Reilly Series winner, announced his retirement before making a return to the series a season later alongside Gray following a late crew chief change at JGR.
JGR managed to convince Ratcliff to come back for another stint, with Gray admitting the decision was an easy one to make. However, securing his return for the 2027 season proved to be a more challenging process.
"A big thing for me was Jason wanting to do it again," Gray said. "I feel like Jason and I have built something really good over the last few years, and I feel like there's a lot of unfinished business with Jason and I with the performances we've had.
"We get to this year, and we get halfway through the year, and I sat down with Jason and said, 'Where are you? What do you think?' It was a little tougher to commit right away to do it right away because he has grandchildren. He is trying to balance that life of being a grandpa, being a husband and father, all while trying to be my dad at the same time and work with me and crew-chief me."
