David Gilliland Racing announced this morning that it would be rebranding to TRICON Garage, partnering with Toyota for 2023, and bringing in Corey Heim full-time.
With Kyle Busch Motorsports’ move to Chevrolet, Toyota was looking for new teams to join the manufacturer. The news that DGR would swap to Toyota had broke about a month ago, but today the team made it official. Tricon Garage will run Corey Heim, Taylor Gray, and Tanner Gray in Toyota Tundras for 2023.
The team also plans to run a fourth part-time truck with drivers TBA. Heim will pilot the #11, Tanner in the #15, Taylor piloting the #17, and the #1 becoming the part-time truck. Long-time Toyota sponsors Mobil 1, JBL, Safelite, and Sirius XM are making the move with them as well.
NEWS: TRICON Garage is here.
@dgr_racing announces rebrand, new partnership with Toyota and more Thursday: https://t.co/mfu705yxcV pic.twitter.com/uZZutPu145
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) October 27, 2022
TRICON Garage’s drivers:
Tanner Gray, former NHRA Pro-Stock champion, has been running full-time in the Truck Series since 2019 for DGR. Tanner has three top ten finishes this season, earning a career-best sixth-place finish at Charlotte. Taylor Gray, his younger brother, has been running full-time in ARCA for DGR and part-time in trucks this season. Taylor scored three wins in ARCA this season, finishing tenth in the points, and earned a top-ten at Richmond in the Truck Series.
Corey Heim has been a rookie talent in the Toyota camp this season, with two wins, six top-fives, nine top-tens, and two pole awards, Gateway and Mid-Ohio. Heim ran only 15 races this season but will be full-time in 2023. He has shown tremendous speed, but that was with KBM. DGR has won two races this season, and that was with Cup Series talent behind the wheel. Will this new injection of funding help bring new speed to the team? David Gilliland Racing has a history with Toyota. The team formerly ran Tundras in the Truck Series and Camrys in ARCA, before switching to Ford in 2020.
Excited to be running full-time in the @NASCAR_Trucks for 2023 season with #TRICONGarage. I'm proud to continue my development with @ToyotaRacing and compete for a championship. Daytona cannot come soon enough! #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/eLkF28E6O6
— Corey Heim (@CoreyHeim_) October 27, 2022
What does the switch mean for Deegan?
Hailie Deegan joined the Ford Development Program and currently races the #1 F150 for the DGR. Deegan has a contract with Ford so she will be in a Ford in 2023, but she will not be returning to the team. No plans have been announced as of yet but Xfinity seems like the likely path. Stewart-Haas Racing has been thrown around, either replacing Riley Herbst or bringing back the #00 Mustang. Front Row is now the lone F150 in the series. Speculation has said that they will add a second truck, making her teammates with Zane Smith, currently in the Championship 4. Whatever her plans are for 2023, She will be in a blue oval.
The 2022 Truck Series silly season has been the most exciting in years. Some popular drivers will have some big announcements coming and the anticipation is mounting.
