 | |
| Owner(s) | Jesse Iwuji Emmitt Smith Matt Casto |
|---|---|
| Base | Gaffney,South Carolina |
| Series | NASCARXfinity Series ARCAMenards Series |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
| Opened | 2021 |
| Career | |
| Debut | Xfinity Series: 2022Beef. It's What's for Dinner 300 (Daytona) |
| Latest race | Xfinity Series: 2023Pennzoil 150 (Indianapolis) |
| Races competed | Total: 33 Xfinity Series: 33 |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 0 Xfinity Series: 0 |
| Race victories | Total: 0 Xfinity Series: 0 |
| Pole positions | Total: 0 Xfinity Series: 0 |
Jesse Iwuji Motorsports is an American stock car racing team that most recently competed part-time in theNASCAR Xfinity Series. It was founded in 2021 byNFL hall of famer,Emmitt Smith, withNASCAR driver andUnited States Navy Reserve officer,Jesse Iwuji, and they fielded the No. 34Chevrolet Camaro SS for owner/driver,Jesse Iwuji and others.
On August 21, 2021,Jesse Iwuji announced the formation of his new team, Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, that will compete full-time in theNASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022. He also announced thatEmmitt Smith, a formerNFLrunning back, would co-own the team with him.[1] In December 2021, Iwuji announced thesponsor for his team, which would be the Equity Prime Mortgage company.[2]
On December 9, 2022, Jesse Iwuji Motorsports filed aUS$4.125 million lawsuit against Equity Prime Mortgage for breach of contract.[3] In February 2023, EPM filed a counterclaim on JIM.[4]
In 2025, it was announced that the team would have an ownership stake withDGM Racing.[5]
On February 7, 2022, Iwuji and Smith partnered withChevrolet as the manufacturer for the2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, with the number being 34, as a tribute toWendell Scott. The team was scheduled to run the full 33-race schedule, with Iwuji competing forRookie of the Year honors.[6] The team operated out of theJD Motorsports race shop, with providing engines fromHendrick Motorsports.[7]
Iwuji started the2022 season with a 27th place finish atDaytona, and followed with two top thirty finishes atAuto Club andLas Vegas.[8] AtPhoenix,Jesse Little replaced Iwuji as a last-minute decision for an unknown reason, he would fail to qualify. Iwuji returned the following week atAtlanta, finishing 27th. After the team failed to qualify for a second time atCircuit of the Americas, it was announced on March 31 thatKyle Weatherman will drive the 34 car atRichmond, where he would finish 28th.[9] Although he was only scheduled for a one race deal, Weatherman returned the following week atMartinsville, giving the team their best-career finish of sixteenth. He beat that result after finishing twelfth atDarlington. Iwuji and Weatherman would split the driver's seat for the rest of the season. AtNew Hampshire, Weatherman finished in tenth, giving JIM their first-career top-ten and their best finish to date. AfterNoah Gragson andLandon Cassill were disqualified from second and third place, Weatherman would later be scored in the eighth position.[10] In theAugust race at Daytona, Iwuji survived numerous wrecks and earned his career best finish of eleventh. He received sponsorship fromCoca-Cola Zero Sugar in that race. On September 28, it was announced thatKaz Grala would drive the No. 34 at theCharlotte Roval, finishing 35th after being involved in a late incident.[11] The team ended the season with one top ten and ten top twenties, finishing 29th in owner's points.[12]
The team returned for the2023 season, but only for a partial schedule due to sponsorship issues.[13] Iwuji ran theseason-opener at Daytona, finishing 30th after being involved in a wreck. He attempted to make the race atTalladega, but failed to qualify. On June 9, it was announced that theUSF2000 Championship driverAndre Castro would make hisXfinity Series debut for the team at theChicago Street Course, with sponsorship from theUniversity of Chicago Medical Center.[14]
| NASCAR Xfinity Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | NXSC | Pts | Ref | ||
| 2022 | Jesse Iwuji | 34 | Chevy | DAY 27 | CAL 36 | LVS 34 | ATL 27 | COA DNQ | TAL DNQ | TEX 34 | PIR 26 | ROA 22 | ATL 32 | DAY 11 | KAN 36 | TAL 28 | 29th | 392 | [15] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jesse Little | PHO DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kyle Weatherman | RCH 28 | MAR 16 | DOV 27 | DAR 12 | CLT 36 | NSH 38 | NHA 8 | POC 19 | IND 30 | MCH 16 | GLN 22 | DAR 16 | BRI 17 | TEX 22 | LVS 14 | HOM 20 | MAR 30 | PHO 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kaz Grala | CLT 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Jesse Iwuji | DAY 30 | CAL | LVS | PHO | ATL | COA | RCH | MAR | TAL DNQ | DOV | DAR | CLT | PIR | SON | NSH | 49th | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Andre Castro | CSC 37 | ATL | NHA | POC | ROA | MCH | IRC 36 | GLN | DAY | DAR | KAN | BRI | TEX | ROV | LVS | HOM | MAR | PHO | |||||||||||||||||||||||