On Wednesday, Sam Hunt Racing announced that Late Model standout, Derek Griffith, will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the Toyota Care 250 at Richmond Raceway.
Griffith, who was previously announced to compete at Martinsville Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra, will also compete on the three-quarter-mile facility in Richmond, Virginia.
“I’m pumped,” Griffith said. “It fits into my wheelhouse perfectly. It’s the home track for Sam Hunt Racing, and it’s a short-track, which makes it almost like a double-whammy for us. I’ve run at Richmond before in the Super Late Model and we had a good run. Working with everyone at Sam Hunt Racing has been awesome. We had the opportunity to visit with the team in Las Vegas and I feel like seeing how everything works and that experience as a whole is going to help us right away.”
In 2021, Sam Hunt Racing and John Hunter Nemechek captured an incredible third-place result at the team’s home track at Richmond Raceway, the first top-five for the single-car organization.
“Richmond is and will always be an extremely special place for me,” Sam Hunt said. “Not only is it home, but our third-place finish there in 2021 marks the highest finish for SHR to date. Heading there with a rookie — Derek Griffith making his first career start — is different, but still equally as special for me. I have no doubt in my mind that he will quickly learn these cars and be a competitive force by the end of the race. Anytime we get to compete in front of our friends, family, and fanbase is really special.”
Through four NASCAR Xfinity Series events this season, the team has recorded four top-15 finishes, including a top-five in the series’ most recent event at Phoenix Raceway, finishing fifth with John Hunter Nemechek.
Hudson Speedway – a long-time partner of Griffith’s racing efforts — will continue to partner with the Late Model standout throughout his multi-race campaign.
