GAFFNEY, S.C. – Colby Howard will be joining JD Motorsports with Gary Keller for the majority of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season, starting at the fourth race of the year at Phoenix Raceway.

Howard, 18, made his NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series debut at Phoenix Raceway at the end of the 2019 season and also made a second start at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In the two starts, Colby recorded a best start of 16th and a best finish of 21st. Following the guidelines of the NASCAR approval process, Colby earned his Xfinity Series license eligibility after the race at Homestead-Miami.

In addition to the Truck Series races, Howard has also made four ARCA Menards Series starts spanning two years. The teenager was able to earn top-10 finishes in all four ARCA starts, with a best finish of eighth coming at Salem Speedway.

“I am really looking forward to starting this season with JDM,” Howard said. “It’s going to be a steep learning curve for sure with all the new tracks on my schedule, but I’m sure we can handle it. My goal is to go out there and learn as much as I possibly can, all while aiming for solid top-20 runs. This is a big step in my career, and I am excited to show what I am capable of.”