By David Morgan, NASCAR Contributor
With Stewart-Haas Racing making the move over to Ford for the 2017 season, the organization will also be expanding into the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the first time with one full-time car for Cole Custer and now will also have a part-time entry in the series as well.
Kevin Harvick, who has run in the Xfinity Series on a part-time basis since moving up to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 16 years ago, will be back behind the wheel in NASCAR’s second tier series for four races for the 2017 season. The second Stewart-Haas entry in the Xfinity Series will be the No. 41 Ford Mustang with sponsorship from Hunt Brothers Pizza for those races with Harvick in the cockpit.
The four races that Harvick will compete in during the 2017 season will be at Texas Motor Speedway (April 8), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 27), Kentucky Speedway (July 7), and Darlington Raceway (September 2). In addition to sponsoring Harvick in his Xfinity Series endeavors in 2017, Hunt Brothers will also serve as an associate sponsor for Custer’s full-time entry in the No. 00 car.
“NASCAR has been a strong platform for Hunt Brothers Pizza thanks to the roles Kevin Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing have played in representing our brand. NASCAR fans love to travel and visit convenience stores. We want to continue to show our appreciation to our store partners and their consumers. Having our own Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang on the racetrack with a partner like Kevin is a great way to showcase how we constantly strive for excellence,” said Keith Solsvig, vice president of marketing, Hunt Brothers Pizza.
“I’ve always enjoyed competing in the XFINITY Series. With Stewart-Haas Racing starting a new program, I’m excited to be a part of the building process because it will make us stronger going forward as a company. I’m proud to continue working with Hunt Brothers Pizza and seeing their colors on my Ford Mustang,” said Harvick.
In 335 starts in the Xfinity Series over the past 18 seasons, Harvick has amassed 46 wins, 178 top-five finishes, 250 top-10 finishes, 25 poles, 9322 laps led, an average finish of 8.4, and two series championships in 2001 and 2006.
