Getty Blaine Perkins (center) will replace Brett Moffitt.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to Michigan International Speedway on August 6 for another 125 laps of action. The entry list has revealed the identity of the driver that will replace Brett Moffitt at Our Motorsports.
News surfaced after the Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that Our Motorsports and Moffitt would part ways. Lee Spencer reported at the time that Blaine Perkins would get the nod. Now the entry list has confirmed that the California native will take over the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro while making his first Xfinity Series start of the year.
41 Xfinity cars for 38 spots at Michigan. 02-Perkins 5-Williams 13-Ogata 18-SSmith 26-Nemechek 28-KSieg 32-Anderson 34-Iwuji 35-Emerling 38-McLaughlin 44-Ellis 45-Bilicki 47-Poole 48-Grala 68-Brown 78-Mills
Perkins will suit up for the race at Michigan International Speedway with Detroit Taco Company as his primary partner. He will showcase the brand on the No. 02 while making his series debut at Michigan International Speedway.
Perkins’ weekend will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday, August 6. He will put the No. 02 on the track at 9:05 a.m. ET (no TV). Perkins will then try to qualify for the 38-car field at 9:35 a.m. ET (no TV). He will cap off his weekend with the New Holland 250 at 3:30 p.m. ET (USA Network).
ALL the latest NASCAR news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on NASCAR newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on NASCAR Newsletter!
Perkins Made 8 Starts During the 2021 Xfinity Series Season
GettyBlaine Perkins (front) races at Martinsville Speedway.
When Perkins climbs into the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro, it will be for the ninth time in the Xfinity Series. He previously made eight starts during the 2021 season while driving for Our Motorsports.
Perkins made starts at a variety of tracks during his debut season. This includes a short track in Martinsville, superspeedways in Daytona and Talladega, and a one-mile track in Phoenix. He also competed at Pocono, Las Vegas, and Atlanta.
Perkins achieved the most success at the end of the season. He finished 13th at Talladega Superspeedway in a darkness-shortened race that Brandon Brown won. Perkins then closed out his season with a 16th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway.
The New Holland 250 presents a new challenge. Perkins has never competed at Michigan International Speedway in a national NASCAR series. The Xfinity Series race will mark his debut, and it will take place as he faces extra scrutiny due to replacing Moffitt.
The Entry List Features an Xfinity Series Owner
GettyJordan Anderson makes his Xfinity Series season debut.
While Perkins will take over the No. 02 Chevrolet, a team owner will make his first start of the season. Jordan Anderson will climb into the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet Camaro as his team runs two entries for the first time.
Anderson made six starts during the 2021 season in the No. 31 Chevrolet. He completed every race he started and posted three top-20 finishes. This includes a 15th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway, 20th at Kansas Speedway, and fifth at Talladega Superspeedway.
Anderson did not have the opportunity to compete in the first 10 races of the 2021 season. Rain washed out qualifying at Daytona International Speedway, which kept the first-year team from securing a spot in the season-opening race.
NASCAR then used its formula to determine the starting lineup for every race. Jordan Anderson Racing did not have any previous points to help the team make the field, so it did not qualify for any of the first 10 races.
However, Tyler Reddick took over the entry at Circuit of the Americas on May 22, 2021, and secured a top-five spot for the Xfinity Series race. He then finished eighth in the road course race and locked up enough points to guarantee entry in some future events.
READ NEXT: Richard Childress Racing Adds Third Entry for Michigan