LOUDON, N.H. – Rising New Hampshire standout Derek Griffith will return to NASCAR Xfinity Series action this weekend at his home track, New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Griffith will make another start for Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26 Hudson Speedway GR Supra around the Magic Mile, completing the hometown weekend in style.
Carrying sponsorship from Hudson Speedway, a track where Griffith cut his teeth just up the road from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, is everything for Griffith. The hometown crowd will be out in full-force, and Griffith is looking forward to giving them something to cheer about.
“I’m really excited to get back in the car overall, but doing it at home in New Hampshire is going to be huge for me,” Griffith said. “Hudson Speedway is ecstatic about being on such a national level. With starting my career at Hudson, the entire opportunity is such a feel-good story, and to have it really come to life is nothing short of amazing. I know Sam Hunt Racing has been working really hard to bring us a fast GR Supra. We’re going to have a really good weekend. I can’t thank Sam Hunt Racing, Hudson Speedway, Toyota Racing Development and everyone involved enough for the opportunity. It’s time to go have some fun back home.”
Griffith is no stranger to the Magic Mile – competing multiple times with the Pro All Star Series Super Late Models there, including earlier this year. In his two starts for Sam Hunt Racing this season, Griffith scoring a best finish of 21st.
“It’s definitely a big weekend for Derek racing at his home track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway,” Griffith said. “We already see the vast size of support he has up there and we’re excited to see a facility full of 26 fans. Hopefully, he is able to focus and just be a racer come race day. He’s more than capable of cashing in with a high-caliber performance and I feel like our cars have been fast every week. We just need to eliminate mistakes and run our own race. We’re proud to carry Hudson Speedway on the car this weekend and can’t thank Ben and everyone that has supported this race enough.”
On Friday, the team will practice at 5 p.m., followed by qualifying at 5:30 p.m. The green flag for the Crayon 200 is scheduled for Saturday, July 16 at 2:30 p.m.
For more information on Sam Hunt Racing, visit SamHuntRacing.com and follow the team on social media. For more information on Derek Griffith, visit DerekGriffith.com and follow Derek Griffith Motorsports on Facebook for the latest updates.