Race Weekend Central

Kaz Grala Finds New Life with Fury Race Cars

NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Kaz Grala and Fury Race Cars announced Friday that Grala will run the next four NXS events in the team’s No. 61 car. Grala, who was unexpectedly released by JGL Racing last week with the team citing financial woes, found himself looking for a ride. The No. 24 car he was driving suspended operations after Grala’s release.

Now, the 19-year-old has found new life. Fury co-owner and former Cup Series crew chief Tony Eury Jr. says that the team’s first foray into NASCAR’s national series is a logical next step and something he’s looking forward to.

“We are all really proud of what we’ve been able to put together in such a short amount of time,” said Eury Jr. in a team release. “Of course we would do whatever we can to help Kaz. He is literally part of the family here at Fury. And with all the help we’ve received from the racing community, how could we not do it? While competing at this level will be new for our company, Jeff Fultz and I have plenty of experience in the XFINITY garage.”

The team has had success in NASCAR’s local Late Model and Modified divisions. It’s also partially owned by his father, Darius Grala, a former sports car racer in his own right.

Grala, who won at Daytona in the Camping World Truck Series in 2017, will be joined by several of his JGL crew members.  Veteran crew chief Shane Wilson will call the shots from the pit box.

“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to continue competing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series,” said Grala Friday. “I had a great relationship with Shane, Yerges [team engineer] and the rest of our crew, and I believe that we only scratched the surface of that potential in the limited time we had together.

“I am amazed with all the outreach I’ve received and the help that everyone has been willing to lend. That is really what has made this all possible. I began the 2018 season with the intent of running full time, and we hope to find the sponsorship to still make that a reality. That would be a dream come true.”

About the author

Amy is an 20-year veteran NASCAR writer and a six-time National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) writing award winner, including first place awards for both columns and race coverage. As well as serving as Photo Editor, Amy writes The Big 6 (Mondays) after every NASCAR Cup Series race. She can also be found working on her bi-weekly columns Holding A Pretty Wheel (Tuesdays) and Only Yesterday (Wednesdays). A New Hampshire native whose heart is in North Carolina, Amy’s work credits have extended everywhere from driver Kenny Wallace’s website to Athlon Sports. She can also be heard weekly as a panelist on the Hard Left Turn podcast that can be found on AccessWDUN.com's Around the Track page.

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