Stewart-Haas Racing talks XFINITY Series expansion

Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Monday their plan to expand to the NASCAR Xfinity beginning next year, but VP of Competition Greg Zipadelli tells SiriusXM NASCAR Radio no driver or sponsor has been attached to the developing team.

“We’re looking at a couple different avenues, trying to create a combination of what would work best for us,” Zipadelli told host Dave Moody on SiriusXM Speedway. Zipadelli said the expansion to the XFINITY Series will function somewhat like a farm system in baseball.

“That’s really the biggest thing, I think people development – whether it be drivers, whether it be crew members – it’ll be fun to venture into that side of the world,” Zipadelli said.

Stewart-Haas Racing said in a statement that the expansion will consist of one full-time, single-car team. The driver and sponsor will likely be named prior to the end of the 2016 season.

The Sprint Cup Series is where Stewart-Haas Racing has made its mark over the last several years, including a championship with Tony Stewart in 2011 and another title with Kevin Harvick in 2014.

“An XFINITY Series team has always been something we would consider when the time was right, and that time is now,” Stewart, who co-owns SHR, said in a statement. “Staying successful in this sport means staying ahead of the curve, and having an XFINITY Series team provides an in-house driver development program and a new channel for personnel to make a positive impact with our race team.”

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