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Joe Graf Jr.

Joe Graf Jr. (born July 12, 1998) is an American professional driver who last competed part-time in the in 2024, driving the No. 19 for . Born in to a racing family—his father, Joe Graf Sr., was a competitor in modified cars—Graf moved to , at age 9 when his family relocated for his father's job in . Influenced by his father and family friend Tim Brockhaus, a local racer, Graf began his driving career at age 9 in cars at Elko Speedway in Byron, . He progressed through the INEX and Legends Car Series, earning over 50 wins and multiple track championships. In the Modified division, he was named Rookie of the Year at Stafford Speedway. Balancing his racing pursuits with academics, Graf attended , where he majored in business, media, and sports management, graduating in 2022 while maintaining a full course load during his early professional seasons. Graf entered national competition in 2018 with a full-time ride in the for Chad Bryant Racing in the No. 77 Chevrolet, where he recorded one win, six top-five finishes, and eight top-10s in 19 starts, highlighted by the closest finish in series history—a second place at , 0.002 seconds behind Zane Smith. In 2019, he improved to fifth in the championship standings with one top-five and 13 top-10 finishes across 20 races. His debut came in 2019 with in the No. 21 Chevrolet for five races, during which he also served as an intern in the team's and communications . Graf transitioned to full-time competition in 2020 with in the No. 08 Chevrolet, running the full schedule through 2022 and achieving his first top-10 finish at Talladega in 2021. In 2023, he ran a full schedule, splitting time between (Nos. 28, 38, and 39 Chevrolet/Ford for 27 races) and (No. 19 for six races), posting a career-best seventh-place finish at . In 2024, he competed part-time with , focusing on select high-profile events while pursuing sponsorships in energy drinks and sectors. As of November 2025, no further starts have been announced.

Background

Early life

Joe Graf Jr. was born on July 12, 1998, in , where he grew up near the assembly plant in a family with deep roots in blue-collar work; his parents were the first in their respective families to attend college. His father, Joe Graf Sr., was an active racer who competed on tracks across the country, instilling a passion for motorsports in the household from an early age. The family, including his mother Nancy—who holds a B.S. in accounting from of and previously worked in —and siblings Andreah and Ryan, emphasized the importance of education alongside any pursuit of racing. When Graf was nine years old, the family relocated to , for his father's job in , where they lived for four years; during this time, Graf spent weekends at local racetracks like Elko Speedway, watching his father compete. This exposure fueled his interest, and at around age nine or ten, he began racing himself in a bandolero car at Elko, quickly demonstrating natural talent under guidance from his father and local racer Tim Brockhaus, who taught him racing lines using coins on a track diagram. The family returned to Mahwah after the Minnesota stint, where Graf continued to balance school—maintaining an —and racing, as his parents conditioned his participation on strong academic performance.

Education

Joe Graf Jr. attended in , where he initially participated in during his freshman and sophomore years before shifting his focus entirely to . He graduated from high school in 2017. Following high school, Graf enrolled at in the fall of 2018, majoring in business, media, and sports management through the School of . He was a at NYU in 2019 while interning in marketing and communications with Enterprises. By 2020, as a , he continued his studies full-time alongside his racing commitments in the . In 2021, amid the , Graf pursued his degree via online classes to accommodate his schedule. He graduated in 2022.

Racing career

Early career

Joe Graf Jr. began his career in the INEX Bandolero Series, a designed for young drivers, competing at tracks including Raceway Park in and Elko Speedway in . Born in , he entered the series around age 8 or 9, shortly after his family relocated to , in 2007 due to his father's job. At Elko Speedway, a 3/8-mile oval south of the , Graf quickly adapted under the guidance of his father, Joe Graf Sr., and local racer Tim Brockhaus, who used innovative methods like placing coins on the track to teach lines. The family returned to when Graf was 13, but he continued honing his skills in Bandoleros and later progressed to the INEX Legends Car Series, racing compact vehicles on short tracks across the Northeast. By his mid-teens, Graf transitioned to more powerful machinery in the Modified Series, focusing on regional competition. In 2016, at age 17, he made his full-season debut as a in the SK Light Modified division at in , driving for veteran crew chief Paul French. Despite the learning curve of the higher-horsepower cars, Graf showed promise with consistent performances, including a feature win on August 5. He finished third in the final points standings with 670 points, behind only champion Tony Membrino Jr. and runner-up Joey Ferrigno, and was awarded the R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year honor for his rapid adaptation and competitive results. This stint in modified racing, which emphasized close-quarters battling on short ovals, built his foundation for national series competition.

ARCA Menards Series

Graf began his career in 2018 with Chad Bryant Racing, driving the No. 77 Ford for EAT SLEEP RACE, missing only the season-opening race. He made his debut on April 7 at in the Music City 200, starting 18th and finishing 15th after a late-race incident. Over the course of 19 starts that year, Graf achieved six top-five finishes and eight top-10s, culminating in an eighth-place points finish. His lone victory came on August 25 at Berlin Raceway. After bumping leader on the white-flag lap to bring out a caution, in the ensuing one-lap overtime, he bumped Travis Braden and Zane Smith to secure the win by 0.041 seconds over Zane Smith. This triumph highlighted his aggressive short-track style and marked the first win for both Chad Bryant Racing and the EAT SLEEP RACE sponsor in the series. In 2019, Graf returned full-time with the same team for a 20-race schedule, focusing on consistency across diverse track types. He recorded one top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, including strong runs at intermediate tracks like (fourth) and (fifth). Despite challenges like mechanical issues at and Talladega, where he was involved in close finishes, Graf clinched fifth in the final championship standings with 2,390 points, his best career result in the series. Overall, across 39 starts from 2018 to 2019, Graf secured one win, seven top-fives, and 21 top-10s, establishing himself as a promising talent before transitioning to higher divisions.

Joe Graf Jr. made three starts in the across three seasons, primarily as a part-time competitor while focusing on the main . His involvement in the East series was limited, with races often coinciding with national series events at short tracks and ovals in the . Driving for Chad Bryant Racing in the No. 22 , Graf's appearances highlighted his versatility amid a busy schedule that included development opportunities. In 2018, Graf debuted in the series at , but did not complete the event due to mechanical issues or an incident, earning 29 points and finishing 51st in the driver standings out of 54 competitors. His effort came during a breakout rookie year in the primary ARCA series, where he secured a win and eighth in points, underscoring the East race as a supplementary outing. Graf returned in 2019 for the Bush's Beans 150 at , marking his second start in the discipline. Again with Chad Bryant Racing, he qualified but withdrew early, contributing minimally to his overall ARCA portfolio that season, where he placed fifth nationally with 4,610 points. This appearance aligned with his growing reputation for short-track prowess, though the East series remained secondary to his national campaign. His most notable East series performance occurred in 2020 at Dover International Speedway, where he performed triple duty across ARCA, , and Trucks series events. Starting the ARCA East race in the No. 22 Bucked Up , Graf completed all 200 laps to finish 17th, avoiding incidents in a caution-filled event won by . This result netted 27 points, placing him 47th in the final standings despite the abbreviated season impacted by the . Overall, Graf's career spanned three races with no top-10 finishes, reflecting his prioritization of higher-profile series while using East events for additional seat time and regional exposure. His average finish across completed laps stood at 17th, with zero laps led.

Joe Graf Jr. entered the in 2020, driving the No. 07 Chevrolet for on a full-time basis. He competed in 33 races that season, achieving an average finish of 24.3 without recording any top-10 results, marking a in the competitive second-tier series. His debut came at , where he finished 28th after starting 35th. In 2021, Graf continued full-time with in the No. 07, running all 33 points-paying events. He earned his first career top-10 finish, placing 10th at in October after a late-race charge. His average finish improved slightly to 27.5, though challenges with mechanical issues and consistency persisted throughout the season. The following year, 2022, saw him remain with the team for another full schedule of 33 races, posting a best finish of 11th at but no additional top-10s, with an average finish of 28.1. These seasons highlighted his growing experience on ovals and road courses, though the team struggled with equipment limitations. Graf's career progressed in 2023 with a split schedule across two organizations. He drove the No. 38 Ford for in 22 events under a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing, supported by crew chief Steve Addington, achieving an average starting position of 27.2 and finish of 30.4, including a career-best seventh-place finish at . Additionally, he joined for five races in the No. 19 at , , , , and . That year, Graf tallied three top-10 finishes overall, bringing his career total to four, across 27 starts with no wins or poles. Shifting to a part-time role in 2024, Graf returned to for four Series starts in the No. 19 . He competed at (17th), (12th), (11th), and (19th), with an average finish of 14.8 but no top-10s. These outings demonstrated improved qualifying efforts, averaging a 14.8 starting position, amid a season focused on select high-profile tracks. As of November 2025, Graf has not announced further Series plans following his 2024 efforts, holding career totals of 130 starts, zero wins, zero top-fives, five top-10s, and zero poles, with an average finish of 25.4. His progression from underfunded starts to opportunities with top teams like underscores steady development in the series.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Joe Graf Jr. entered the in 2020, driving the No. 07 Chevrolet for on a full-time basis. He competed in 33 races that season, achieving an average finish of 24.3 without recording any top-10 results, marking a in the competitive second-tier series. His debut came at , where he finished 28th after starting 35th. In 2021, Graf continued with in the No. 07, running 29 of the 33 points-paying events. He earned his first career top-10 finish, placing 10th at in October after a late-race charge. His average finish was 27.4, though challenges with mechanical issues and consistency persisted throughout the season. The following year, 2022, saw him remain with the team for 28 races, posting a best finish of 8th at Talladega and earning his second career top-10 finish, with an average finish of 27.0. These seasons highlighted his growing experience on ovals and road courses, though the team struggled with equipment limitations. Graf's career progressed in 2023 with a split schedule across two organizations. He drove the No. 38 for in 28 events under a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing, supported by crew chief Steve Addington. Additionally, he joined for five races in the No. 19 at , , , , and . His strongest performance came at in February (driving the No. 38), where he finished seventh after starting 19th, marking his career-best result. That year, Graf tallied three top-10 finishes (7th at , 9th at , 10th at Homestead), bringing his career total to five, across 33 starts with no wins or poles. Shifting to a part-time role in 2024, Graf returned to for four Series starts in the No. 19 . He competed at (17th), (12th), (11th), and (19th), with an average finish of 14.8 but no top-10s. These outings demonstrated improved qualifying efforts, averaging a 13.8 starting position, amid a season focused on select high-profile tracks. As of November 2025, Graf has not announced or participated in further Series events following his 2024 efforts, holding career totals of 130 starts, zero wins, zero top-fives, five top-10s, and zero poles, with an average finish of 25.4. His progression from underfunded starts to opportunities with top teams like underscores steady development in the series.

Graf began his ARCA Menards Series career in 2018 with Chad Bryant Racing, driving the No. 77 Ford for EAT SLEEP RACE, missing only the season-opening race. He made his debut on April 7 at in the Music City 200, starting 18th and finishing 15th after a late-race incident. Over the course of 19 starts that year, Graf achieved six top-five finishes and eight top-10s, culminating in an eighth-place points finish. His lone victory came on August 25 at Berlin Raceway, where he executed a controversial move on leader on the final lap—known as a "bump-and-run"—to secure the win by 0.085 seconds in the closest finish in series history at the time. This triumph highlighted his aggressive short-track style and marked the first win for both Chad Bryant Racing and the EAT SLEEP RACE sponsor in the series. In 2019, Graf returned full-time with the same team for a 20-race schedule, focusing on consistency across diverse track types. He recorded one top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, including strong runs at intermediate tracks like (fourth) and (fifth). Despite challenges like mechanical issues at and Talladega, where he was involved in close finishes, Graf clinched fifth in the final championship standings with 2,390 points, his best career result in the series. Overall, across 39 starts from 2018 to 2019, Graf secured one win, seven top-fives, and 21 top-10s, establishing himself as a promising talent before transitioning to higher divisions.

Joe Graf Jr. made three starts in the across three seasons, primarily as a part-time competitor while focusing on the main . His involvement in the East series was limited, with races often coinciding with national series events at short tracks and ovals in the . Driving for Bryant Racing, Graf's appearances highlighted his versatility amid a busy schedule that included NASCAR development opportunities. In 2018, Graf debuted in the series at , finishing 15th after completing 175 laps, earning 29 points and placing 51st in the driver standings out of 54 competitors. His effort came during a breakout rookie year in the primary ARCA series, where he secured a win and eighth in points, underscoring the East race as a supplementary outing. Graf returned in 2019 for the Bush's Beans 150 at , marking his second start in the discipline. With Chad Bryant Racing, he finished 16th after completing 150 laps, contributing minimally to his overall ARCA portfolio that season, where he placed fifth nationally with 2,390 points. This appearance aligned with his growing reputation for short-track prowess, though the East series remained secondary to his national campaign. His most notable East series performance occurred in 2020 at Dover International Speedway, where he performed triple duty across ARCA, , and Trucks series events. Starting the ARCA East race in the No. 74 Bucked Up , Graf completed 12 of 150 laps before retiring due to issues, finishing 17th and earning 27 points, placing him 47th in the final standings despite the abbreviated season impacted by the . Overall, Graf's career spanned three races with no top-10 finishes, reflecting his prioritization of higher-profile series while using East events for additional seat time and regional exposure. His average finish across the events stood around 16th, with zero laps led.

References

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