Nick Sanchez will officially move to the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time in 2025 as he will pilot the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet Camaro, the team announced on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old racer will have primary sponsorship from Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers and will have associate sponsorship from longtime partners Gainbridge, which is a Group 1001 company. Sanchez, who ran a partial NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with the team in 2022, has impressed Big Machine Racing team owner Scott Borchetta, who feels Sanchez will be in the mix for race wins next season.
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“In 2022 we put Nick in our car for a handful of races and he was fast right out of the gate,” said Borchetta in a team release. “At Martinsville in particular, I watched him go full-on, elbows out, putting the car right where it needed to be, with no fear against the best-of-the-best in the series. Since then, he’s done a fantastic job in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and I know that he and Crew Chief Patrick Donahue and the entire Big Machine Racing Team are going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.”
Sanchez, who has had a solid sophomore season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as he has racked up two wins and sits fourth in the championship standings, is honored at the opportunity to take the next step and to work with Big Machine Racing again.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join Big Machine Racing with Chevrolet next year in the Xfinity Series, commented Sanchez.” “I’m grateful to get the opportunity to work with Scott Borchetta, Patrick Donahue, and the whole Big Machine team next year. This amazing opportunity would not be possible without Big Machine Records, Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers, Chevrolet, Gainbridge, the NASCAR Diversity program, Rev Racing, Bono, and everyone at Spire, who made this dream a reality. As a driver, I feel that I’m ready to move to the next level and I look forward to competing for wins and ultimately a championship next year driving the #48 for Big Machine Racing.”
Gainbridge is also elated to continue climbing the NASCAR ladder with the young talented racer.
“Gainbridge is excited for Nick and will continue to support him as he advances through the ranks of NASCAR,” said Group 1001 President and CEO Dan Towriss. “We are looking forward to following him during this year’s Craftsman Truck Series playoffs with Rev Racing and next year’s Xfinity Series with the Big Machine Racing family.”
Sanchez, who made eight NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2022, had a best finish of seventh in his six race stint in the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet Camaro. The Miami, Florida native recorded four top-15 finishes in his six starts with the team.
The door for Big Machine Racing’s acquisition of Sanchez was opened when Parker Kligerman announced last week that he would not return as the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet in 2025 as he would be retiring from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of the 2024 season. Borchetta thanked Kligerman for his contributions to Big Machine Racing, and reaffirmed that the team is all-in on chasing the championship with Kligerman for the remainder of the 2024 campaign.
“I am so grateful to Parker Kligerman for coming to Big Machine Racing for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He was the perfect driver at just the right time to help us go to the next level in the Xfinity Series,” Borchetta explained. “His smarts as a race driver have been on display since his first race with us. He’s simply a very fast driver that makes very few mistakes and unforced errors. His ability to bring home race cars with all four corners intact while battling door to door is absolutely top percentile in the series, which is fully on display with him on the eve of clinching our second consecutive playoff appearance.
“He and the team are determined to go as far as we possibly can in the playoffs and, who knows, maybe we’ll cap this off at the finale in Phoenix! I have nothing but great things to say about Parker and I hope that our relationship continues at the highest level as he navigates his next career moves. He will always be a Big Machine Driver.”
