GMS Racing shutting down after 2023

GMS Racing was one of the premier organisations in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the 2010s, winning two championships along with three in the ARCA Menards Series and its regional divisions. However, hoping to focus on his Cup Series operation Legacy Motor Club, team owner Maury Gallagher will close the book on GMS at the end of 2023.

Gallagher founded GMS in 2012 to support his son Spencer Gallagher‘s racing career, though the younger Gallagher retired in 2018 to become a team manager. The team won the 2016 and 2020 Truck titles with Johnny Sauter and Sheldon Creed, along with the 2015 ARCA championship with Grant Enfinger and a pair of ARCA East titles with Sam Mayer. GMS also fielded an Xfinity Series programme from 2016 to 2019; while not enjoying the same level of success as in the lower tiers, they still scored a win with Spencer Gallagher.

The team was Chevrolet’s de facto Truck Series factory outfit. In 2019, GMS partnered with JR Motorsports—the latter serving the same capacity at the Xfinity level—to create Drivers Edge Development for Chevrolet’s young drivers. Current GMS drivers and Truck rookies Rajah Caruth and Daniel Dye are Drivers Edge Development members.

Despite their successes, the team’s performance has waned in recent years. Kyle Busch Motorsports has effectively become Chevrolet’s top Truck programme, while sponsorship concerns plagued GMS even during Creed’s title defence. Legacy Motor Club has also struggled mightily in 2023, prompting a switch to Toyota for 2024 that does not include GMS doing the same; Gallagher bought into the team, formerly Richard Petty Motorsports, ahead of 2022.

GMS Fabrication, a fabrication shop independent of the team, will also be shuttered.

“During the past nine years, GMS Racing has become one of the top teams in the Truck and ARCA Series garage,” said Gallagher. “The people that made this happen have been the hard-working men and women at GMS Racing and GMS Fabrication. Every employee, new and old at GMS has always strived to be the very best. Without their effort and dedication, we would have never been able to win two Truck championships, three ARCA championships and 68 wins. Leadership is always critical in any success story.

“Since 2015, (president) Mike Beam has been the catalyst of this race team’s success. Chevrolet and GM has also been critical to our success. With the combination of Chevrolet plus Mike at the helm, we became the team I always dreamed of owning. I can’t thank Mike enough for all his leadership and hard work. We are looking to finish out this year on a high note and close our legacy in this era with another Truck Series championship.”

Enfinger, the lone GMS driver to make the playoffs, is sixth in points. None of the GMS trio have revealed their 2024 plans, though Dye stated he has already found a ride for next year.