Hendrick adds Xfinity Series races to 2023 schedule

Hendrick Motorsports will add two more Xfinity Series races to their 2023 schedule.

The races will be the Charlotte Roval on October 7th and November 4th at Phoenix with Boris Said and Rajah Caruth respectively.

Said, 61, has competed in a total of 149 NASCAR events, and holds a victory in both the truck series and Xfinity Series.

Said planned on retiring in 2017, but could not refuse the opportunity to come back in 2021 and 2022, though stated “If I do well in this race, it’ll be my last for sure in NASCAR.”

Caruth, 21, will be behind the wheel in Phoenix.

He’s run a total of 15 Xfinity Series races over the last two years, all with Alpha Prime Racing. He currently races for GMS Racing’s truck series team, which will close at season’s end.

Hendrick Motorsports has not entered an Xfinity Series race since 2009 when it decided to enter races in 2022.

Jr Motorsports has been the main avenue for HMS drivers to run Xfinity Series races ever since, but there is a five-car limit in the Xfinity and truck series.

JRM allowed HMS Cup drivers to drive the number 88 Chevy to get them more seat time and practice for their Cup Series event, but in some instances, more than one of the drivers wanted to run an Xfinity Series race.

Therefore, Hendrick Motorsports returned to the Xfinity Series for the first time in 13 years, and Kyle Larson even got them a win at Watkins Glen last year, which ultimately led them to field the car again.

The HMS Xfinity Series car has contested in five races this season with all four Cup drivers taking the wheel with a pole, three top-fives, and four top-tens.