KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Spencer Gallagher, the son of GMS Racing owner Maury Gallagher and a longtime staple driver for the team, announced Friday afternoon at Kansas Speedway that he will retire from competition at the end of the season.

The 28-year-old Las Vegas native will transition into a managerial role with GMS Racing ahead of the 2019 season, leaving his No. 23 Chevrolet Camaro open in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for a new driver to step into the seat next year.

Before he turns the reins over, however, Gallagher will complete the remaining four races on the Xfinity Series calendar and look to add to his lone series victory – scored earlier this season at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

“This has been a big decision. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a long, long time,” Gallagher said Friday at Kansas Speedway. “GMS started out surrounded by Spencer Gallagher … but it’s so much more. It’s time to take the next step and see what this team can do.

“Trust me when I say this is the hardest decision I have ever had to make, and I did not make it lightly,” he added. “At the end of the day, this came down to what I want for my future, what I want for GMS’ future and how I can grow this team and this sport.”

GMS Racing issued a statement on Gallagher’s impending departure following his formal press conference on Friday afternoon.

“All of us at GMS Racing wish Spencer the best in his future endeavors,” said GMS President Mike Beam. “We look forward to what the future holds for this organization and we will continue to work to build our Xfinity Series program into a championship caliber team like our trucks.”

Gallagher is a veteran of both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He raced full time in the Xfinity Series last year and was slated to do so again this season before being suspended in May for a violation of the sanctioning body’s Substance Abuse Policy.

Despite that setback, Gallagher completed the Road to Recovery program and returned to the seat in July at Kentucky Speedway. He also made a start at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August before returning to his role as the regular driver of the No. 23 Chevrolet at his home track – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – last month.

Gallagher noted Friday that his suspension earlier in the year did not play into his decision to retire; the thought had been on his mind for quite some time before that.

“It’s kind of been a slow, ongoing burn. A couple months back I started sitting down and looking at all the cool technologies and opportunities that exist within this industry,” Gallagher said. “Before I did this I was a professional nerd, and a good one, and I think a lot of my skillsets translate well to other areas of the industry.”

Asked what his title would be at GMS Racing next season, Gallagher flashed his trademark grin and deftly sidestepped the question.

“My position at GMS is one of servant. My existence there is to bring others success,” he explained. “You want to give me a title, feel free to invent one.

“A professional nerd is responsible for any and all technical wizardry,” he added. “It’s not one skill set, like learning to weld. It’s like a fabricator. It’s knowledge to get things done.”

Gallagher has run in 15 of the 29 Xfinity Series races this season. All told, he has one win, three top-five and eight top-10 finishes in those 15 starts.

For his Xfinity Series career, Gallagher has a total of 10 top 10s in 55 starts, and he’ll accrue 59 total appearances by the time he takes his final checkered flag at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in November.

Gallagher also has two poles, three top fives and 15 top 10s in 60 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to his name, while he made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut for BK Racing at Watkins Glen Int’l in August and finished 35th.

Through it all, Gallagher has injected charisma and fun into the NASCAR ranks with his boyish grin and admitted he’s enjoyed every bit of the ride he’s been on during his six-year tenure at the national level.

“It’s been an incredible journey watching this team grow and flourish and become something incredible from very humble beginnings,” he said. “We’re going to continue our efforts forward and continue our pattern and saga of success that we saw in the Truck Series and beyond.”