Getty Sam Hunt Racing has important information to provide.
The start of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season is only 44 days away, and plans are in place for the majority of teams. However, Sam Hunt Racing’s lineup remains a mystery.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series team has yet to confirm if there will be one full-time driver during the 2022 season, or if a sizable group will alternate starts. The team used this approach in 2021 with drivers such as John Hunter Nemechek, Kris Wright, Santino Ferrucci, Dylan Lupton, Will Rodgers, Brandon Gdovic, Grant Enfinger, and Colin Garrett.
Ready to Rip.
Sam Hunt Racing hasn’t set a date for any announcements about the driver lineup. However, the team has teased some news multiple times on social media. Owner Sam Hunt asked on December 29 “who’s going to keep moving the needle” in 2022 and then the team delivered an end-of-year message to the fans.
“As the sun sets on the final day of 2021 & tomorrow’s sun rises in a new year, we want to thank each and every one of you who have been a part of our journey thus far. News coming soon about 2022. Be safe this NYE. Cheers,” the December 31 message from SHR said.
2 Drivers Contended for SHR During the 2021 Season
GettyBrandon Gdovic secured a top-10 finish at Daytona International Speedway.
Nemechek turned in the best performance for SHR. He took over the No. 26 Toyota Supra at Richmond Raceway with Safeway as his main sponsor and started 27th overall. Nemechek raced his way to a third-place finish, the only top-five for the organization in 2021.
Nemechek had an opportunity to take SHR to Victory Lane during the September 11 race at Richmond. He lined up on the front row next to Noah Gragson for the final restart, but the JR Motorsports driver used fresher tires to take the lead. Gragson built up an advantage while Nemechek battled with Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley.
While Nemechek achieved success at a short track with SHR, Gdovic turned in a strong performance at a superspeedway. He kicked off the season with a run at Daytona International Speedway in which he started 39th overall and raced his way to a top-10 finish. More importantly, Gdovic avoided multiple on-track incidents, including one crash that collected 14 entries.
Sam Hunt Racing Has Made Changes Ahead of 2022
The Next Chapter. #2022 #TeamToyota
While Sam Hunt Racing hasn’t provided any information about the driver lineup, the team has turned heads in a different way. SHR has posted a multitude of photos showing off the new shop, a wide variety of chassis, Toyota Racing decals, and the new toolboxes.
One major addition to the team was the hiring of Allen Hart, who previously served as the lead race engineer on the No. 7 team at JR Motorsports. Hart will now work as the technical director and crew chief at SHR while bringing considerable expertise to the third-year Xfinity Series organization.
SHR has mentioned multiple times that these additions are part of the company’s growth, which involves securing more than 10 chassis for the upcoming season. These changes don’t mean that SHR will run more than one entry during the Xfinity Series season. The team could continue to simply focus on fielding one competitive entry. However, the photos created considerable intrigue.
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