Hendrick Motorsports returned to the Xfinity Series in 2022 with a part-time schedule. Now the team has set the number of races it will take on during the 2023 season.
Hendrick Motorsports President/General Manager Jeff Andrews provided the update in a release from the Cup Series team. He confirmed that the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro will be back in the Xfinity Series in 2023 and that it will once again run a limited schedule. Though he did not detail which races.
“Right now, we are committed to running four races in 2023,” Andrews said in the team release. “We are defining what those are right now. We want to win a Xfinity race in 2023.”
This update from Andrews follows comments made by Rick Hendrick back in November. The longtime team owner said in a Zoom press conference that he remains involved with JR Motorsports and that the Hendrick Motorsports entry would not be involved in a lot of the schedule. Though he mentioned some road courses as potential options for his drivers.
The No. 17 Took On 4 Races During the 2022 Season
GettyWilliam Byron races at Watkins Glen International.
There were three members of Hendrick Motorsports that controlled the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet during the Xfinity Series season. For example, Kyle Larson took over the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro for the July 2 race at Road America and the September 3 race at Darlington Raceway.
Alex Bowman controlled the entry for the July 30 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. William Byron then took on the August 20 road course race at Watkins Glen International.
Larson turned in top-five finishes in his two starts. He finished second at Road America after going toe-to-toe with Ty Gibbs and then he finished fifth at Darlington Raceway after a fierce battle with Sheldon Creed and Noah Gragson. Larson also won the race at Watkins Glen while driving for JR Motorsports.
Bowman had a strong performance in his lone Xfinity Series start for Hendrick Motorsports. He started fourth at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and led four laps before ultimately finishing second behind Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger.
Byron was in a position to fight for the win at Watkins Glen International. He led the most laps, and he lined up on the front row next to Gibbs after a caution with eight laps remaining. However, Gibbs spun and collected Byron during the final run to the checkered flag, which opened up the door for Larson and Allmendinger to battle for the win.
1 Driver Remains a Question Heading Toward 2023
With Hendrick Motorsports setting the stage for a return to the Xfinity Series, there are now questions about the races that will feature the No. 17. There are also questions about the drivers that will take over the entry.
The 2022 schedule featured three members of the team roster. Chase Eliott did not suit up for Hendrick Motorsports. He attempted to qualify for the May race at Darlington while driving for JR Motorsports, but rain washed out qualifying and kept him out of the lineup.
Will Elliott join his teammates and control the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet during one of the scheduled four races? The answer remains unclear, but Hendrick Motorsports will provide these details much closer to the season. For now, the organization will focus on preparing for the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
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Hendrick Motorsports Settles on Number of Xfinity Series Races