Image: Hendrick Motorsports
CONCORD, NC – With principal sponsorship from HendrickCars.com, Hendrick Motorsports will compete in three NASCAR Xfinity Series road races in 2022. The limited schedule will mark the first time in more than a decade that the 14-time NASCAR Cup Series winning team has competed at the track.
Hendrick Motorsports will compete in its No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro on July 2nd at Road America with Kyle Larson, on July 30th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course with Alex Bowman and on August 20th at Watkins Glen International with William Byron deploy. The three riders have a combined 17 wins at the Xfinity Series level.
Hendrick drivers have also made several starts in the Xfinity Series this year in the #88 Chevrolet from JR Motorsports.
“Our drivers are always looking for more opportunities to compete,” said Jeff Andrews, President and General Manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “We believe that the additional street course experience on Saturdays (in the Xfinity Series) translates well to Sundays (in the Cup Series). It will be exciting to see the number 17 return to the track for Hendrick Motorsports and we will do everything we can to get her back on the winning track.”
HendrickCars.com also sponsors Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports #5 team, NHRA Champion Greg Anderson and other grassroots level racing efforts.
“It will be special to see the #17 back in action for Hendrick Motorsports,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and Chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group. “It’s a great opportunity for Kyle, Alex and William to gain more time on the street circuits and achieve even more with our HendrickCars.com sponsorship. I look forward to directing the Xfinity series again.”
The three races will be led by crew chief Kevin Meendering, who has three wins, 39 top five finishes and 77 top 10 finishes in the Xfinity Series. As crew chief at JR Motorsports from 2016 to 2018, he guided driver Elliott Sadler to top five results in the series standings, including two second places. Meendering and Sadler won the 2017 Xfinity Series regular season championship.
The number 17 car has a long history at Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip drove it to nine wins for the team from 1987 to 1990, including the 1989 Daytona 500. The car number was also driven by Ricky Hendrick in various races including the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2000 and 2001 The HendrickCars.com color scheme is based on the #17 truck that Hendrick drove during his 2001 rookie season.
Hendrick Motorsports last competed in an Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2009, where driver Tony Stewart took the road to victory in a Chevrolet sponsored by HendrickCars.com. The organization has 26 wins and one drivers’ championship (2003) in the series.
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