Hendrick Motorsports ran the #17 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in four NASCAR Xfinity Series races during the 2022 Xfinity season for the first time since 2009 where Tony Stewart took the checkered flag at Daytona International Speedway.
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion and Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson drove the #17 Chevrolet at Road America in 2022 to a runner-up finish behind Joe Gibbs Racing Ty Gibbs, ending a 13-year gap from NASCAR's second tier series.
In a press conference earlier this month before the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway, team owner Rick Hendrick confirmed that the organization would field an entry into the Xfinity Series for the 2023 season.
When reporters asked if he expected the organization to compete more in the Xfinity Series next season, Hendrick said:
“Some of it but not a lot of it because I’m involved with JRM, and that’s our focus up there. But we like to run some road courses, and some of our guys want to run some of the ovals.”
He continued:
“We won’t be competing full time at all, just a handful of races. It’s been a lot of fun to watch and bring those colors back. That’s kind of Ricky’s number and colors. That’s really something that I’ve enjoyed, and we’ll do a few more of those.”
Hendrick Motorsports have yet to reveal which of their drivers will compete in the 2023 Xfinity season.
In the Xfinity Series, Rick Hendrick had two teams in the race. Being the co-owner of JR Motorsports alongside NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., he has a strong interest in the series. It will be good for the sport if Cup drivers also take part in the Xfinity Series race.
Hendrick Motorsports made four starts in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season
The last time Hendrick Motorsports competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series was in 2009. This past season, the organization re-entered the series in four races. Kyle Larson drove the #17 Chevrolet two times while Alex Bowman and William Byron made one start each for the team.
HMS failed to score a win, but Larson and Bowman had two second-place finishes at Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, respectively.
Hendrick Motorsports and its drivers will be seen in action next year in the Cup Series in the preseason race Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum. The official season will kick-off at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 19, 2023.