Parker Chase, who ran Circuit of the Americas in the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing entry, will return to the team for the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Portland International Raceway on June 4th.
Sam Hunt Racing announced the return of the Texas-native in a press release on Wednesday. According to the release, Tower Family Foundation will serve as the primary sponsor for the effort.
Chase, 21, is excited for the opportunity at a new venue for NASCAR Xfinity Series teams, especially considering he personally has experience at the road course.
“I’m really excited to expand my program with Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra,” said Chase in the team release. “We have been working hard to put together something for this race as it is a new venue for the Xfinity Series and one that I have experience at. I’ve won at Portland in GT World Challenge America in the GT3 class and really like the layout. It will be exciting in the Xfinity cars, that is for sure.”
In his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Circuit of the Americas, Chase scored a 19th-place finish in the No. 26 car.
For team owner Sam Hunt, having a driver who has run at Portland in the past, helps calm his nerves heading into the race, which is an unknown for the NASCAR Xfinity Series teams.
“Portland is a race the entire garage is equally excited and nervous about,” explained Hunt. “Any time we go to a completely new venue, the excitement is always matched with the unknown. Having Parker in the seat, someone who has raced Portland in other series, should be great for us getting up to speed. He learned a ton at COTA, got used to how these cars drive, and showed he can be a contender at the front portion of the field. Eliminating small mistakes and keeping the car clean will be a key aspect to having a successful weekend. I’ve got no doubts that he will continue to get stronger and stronger every time he runs our car. It’s definitely been fun working with him so far in 2022.”
The No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing team has opened a lot of eyes this season, as they have been trending toward scoring their first-ever victory.
John Hunter Nemechek scored a fourth-place finish for the organization in their last outing at Darlington Raceway. Overall, the No. 26 team sits 15th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series owner championship standings. The team finished 23rd in owner points a season ago.
