Fans share mixed emotions as former race director joins NASCAR team

Former NASCAR National Series driver and, more recently, a part of NASCAR’s competition department, Jesse Little will join Sam Hunt Racing as Vice President of Business Development. However, this move has attracted a lot of mixed reactions from stock car racing fans. While some have appreciated the move, others have questioned whether Little has earned this position.

Little also served as the race director for limited events and brings a wealth of experience to SHR. He started working with the governing body in 2022 and quickly became involved in managing race weekend logistics and operations across the top three National series.

Now, he’s stepping into a big role at SHR, which competes in the Xfinity Series. FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), writing:

"Jesse Little, who was with NASCAR competition department the last few years and had been a race director for some events, has moved to Sam Hunt Racing, where he is VP of business development."

While the announcement caught attention, fans seem to have contrasting opinions on this move. Many took to the comment section on Pockrass' post and shared their thoughts.

A few fans were quick to call out what they see as a case of nepotism or favoritism. One frustrated fan commented:

"Wait. So was a mediocre driver. Better than his dad. Dad gets him a job that he didn’t earn and can’t keep it so now he’s a VP for a race team. Seems about right for NASCAR today. Pathetic."

Another fan simply said:

"Love me some good ol nepotism."

Still, there are many fans who see this as a smart hire. One fan praised the move:

"He was a good driver. Solid guy all around. Good hire for @Team_SHR26."

Another pointed out that Little has been one of the stronger talents working behind the scenes in the sport:

"This is why NASCAR sucks. All the good ones and smart ones are on race teams. NASCAR sucks the bottom of the barrell."

Another fan reminded others of Little’s skills behind the wheel:

"Real NASCAR fans remember how good this mfer was."

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A quick look at Jesse Little's NASCAR career

Son of former NASCAR driver Chad Little, Jesse started racing when he was just 7 years old. He competed in go-karts, midget cars, and late models, winning over 50 races by the age of 15. In 2010, he won the USAC Eastern Focus Young Guns midget car championship.

At 15, Jesse became the youngest driver to race in the K&N Pro Series East in 2012. He drove the No. 97 car for his family-owned team, Team Little Racing. In 2013, he raced full-time and won the Rookie of the Year award.

He made his way up to the Camping World Truck Series in 2015, initially racing part-time for his family team. He achieved his best Truck Series finish, sixth place, at Iowa Speedway in 2018. The same year, Jesse made two starts in the Cup Series, driving for Premium Motorsports and Gaunt Brothers Racing.

In 2020, he joined JD Motorsports to race full-time in the Xfinity Series. He finished 19th in the standings, with two top-10 finishes. The next year, he raced part-time for BJ McLeod Motorsports. 2022 was Little's final year in the sport as a driver when he returned to the Truck Series for one final time with Young's Motorsports.

Speaking about his new position as VP of Sam Hunt Racing, Jesse Little shared (via Speedway Digest):

"Sam has done an exceptional job growing his program into a competitive and respected force within the NASCAR garages. I'm thrilled to be joining SHR and look forward to working with the great group of people there. We're excited to show everyone the potential of this race team," said Little."

Little's formal education includes graduating from the Belk School of Business at UNC-Charlotte, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Management Information Systems.