Jesse Iwuji has given Kyle Weatherman the keys to his #34 Chevrolet Camaro SS. On Thursday, his Jesse Iwuji Motorsports team announced Weatherman would take over the car for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway.
“Being a driver and owner comes with an option each weekend to be either a driver or owner,” began the team’s statement. “This weekend Jesse decided to build upon the opportunity generating system the Jesse Iwuji Motorsports ownership group has set out to develop by providing an opportunity for an additional driver to drive the #34 eRacing Association Chevrolet Camaro SS. On behalf of the entire ownership group at Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, we are excited to announce that we are giving this weekend’s opportunity to Kyle Weatherman at Richmond Raceway this Saturday, April 2.
“The fit was natural as Kyle loves to support our armed forces and law enforcement – having family members himself that have served. Kyle also has a great pedigree behind the wheel and tracks like Richmond suit his style.
“All of our brand partners supporting Jesse Iwuji Motorsports understand that this team represents so much to so many because great people uniting together can only strive to do great things. Diversity and inclusion is about bringing together all walks of life from all backgrounds, religions, cultures, races, and creeds – so we can become all that we were meant to be.
“As the back of our team uniforms says, One Team One Fight… or as Jesse says, United We Rise, but Divided We Fall, this team is here to fight and help inspire everyone’s best. Jesse Iwuji Motorsports is a team that plans to be involved in motorsports for a very long time. The time is now to make an impact on people’s lives and our mission.
“While Jesse will have his ownership hat on this weekend, he looks to get back in the seat in a few weeks to continue on his own driver journey. This team looks to continue to expand and find ways to open doors for others, and Jesse looks forward to making more opportunities like this weekend happen again!”
Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, co-owned between Iwuji and Emmitt Smith, débuted in 2022 with its namesake planning to race for Rookie of the Year honours. However, Iwuji has struggled through the start of the season as his best finish is twenty-seventh at Daytona and Atlanta—both superspeedways—and failed to qualify for the most recent race at Circuit of the Americas. Jesse Little took over the car at Phoenix, but also missed the show.
Weatherman joins JIMS after running the first five races in the #92 for DGM Racing, during which he scored a top ten in his final start with an eighth at Atlanta. Ross Chastain drove the #92 at COTA while Weatherman remained with the team as a crew member, but the entry was downgraded to a part-time effort for the team to focus on its two other full-time cars. Although DGM stressed that Weatherman is still within its plans for the rest of 2022, a lack of a weekly seat means he can join other rides in the meantime.
The 24-year-old Weatherman finished twenty-fourth in points in his lone full Xfinity season last year with Mike Harmon Racing. The year before saw him record his maiden top ten when he finished eighth at Kentucky.
In four career starts at Richmond, Weatherman’s best finish is fifteenth in the 2021 fall event.