By NASCAR Wire Service
Stewart-Haas Racing announced Monday it will field a full-time, single-car NASCAR XFINITY Series team in 2017.
The driver and sponsor lineup for the team will be announced prior to the conclusion of this season. The team will operate out of SHR’s headquarters in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
“In order to maintain the competitiveness that has earned SHR two championships since our debut in 2009, we needed an outlet to develop drivers and team personnel for the Sprint Cup Series,” said Greg Zipadelli, Stewart-Haas Racing’s vice president of competition. “People make the difference between winning and losing. An XFINITY Series team gives us added depth that will allow us to promote from within whenever necessary.”
Stewart-Haas Racing has captured two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships – the first with Tony Stewart in 2011 and the second with Kevin Harvick in 2014. SHR has won 33 races since its inception in 2009.
“This is a natural progression of SHR’s growth and one that allows us to be more self-sufficient,” said Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, who co-owns SHR with Stewart. “If you look at all the teams that are successful in Sprint Cup, they have a direct connection to the XFINITY Series where drivers, engineers, mechanics and pit crew members are developed. We’re an established team with a strong infrastructure that is ready for this endeavor.”
