U.S. Navy officer set for NASCAR return at Talladega

Jesse Iwuji, a part-time stock car racing driver and a United States Navy Reserve officer, is officially returning to the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, April 26. Iwuji will drive the No. 91 Chevrolet for DGM Racing in partnership with Jesse Iwuji Motorsports. His return marks his first NXS race since 2023.

The No. 91 car will feature a bold red, white, and blue patriotic paint scheme, showing support for the American Veterans Center’s National Memorial Day Parade. The annual parade in Washington, D.C. is the largest Memorial Day event in the U.S., attracting over 300,000 people and more than 10,000 participants, including veterans.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event, and it will be the third time Iwuji takes part in the celebration. His car will carry logos from Chevrolet Accessories, the eRacing Association, Lincoln Electric, and the National Memorial Day Parade. DGM Racing shared the news on social media, writing:

"@Jesse_Iwuji makes his return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series at @TALLADEGA! Iwuji will pilot a patriotic @TeamChevy No. 91 that will be featured in the @AVCupdate National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C."

Although Iwuji has been focused on his role as co-owner of Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, he’s been waiting for an opportunity to get back on the track.

“The DGM x JIM team has excellent drivers whom I enjoy cheering on and learning from," Iwuji said through DGM Racing. "I must admit, however, I’ve been looking forward to getting back behind the wheel, and I have stayed ready for when an opportunity would present itself.”

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega is scheduled for Saturday at 4:00 PM ET.

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NASCAR recently celebrated the successful return of Rockingham Speedway

Known as “The Rock” in the stock car racing community, Rockingham Speedway made a successful return to NASCAR in the Xfinity and Truck Series last weekend. While the Cup Series was on a break for Easter Sunday on April 20, Rockingham hosted races on Friday (April 18) and Saturday (April 19) in the Truck and Xfinity Series.

Many, including the drivers, fans, and NASCAR officials, shared extremely positive feedback on Rockingham Speedway’s return to the sport. The track last hosted a Cup Series and Xfinity Series race in 2004, but a decline in fan attendance and viewership led to the governing body dropping the track from the calendar.

Attempts were made to bring back Rockingham in 2012 in the Truck Series with limited success. The track was once again dropped at the end of the 2013 season. However, a successful return over a decade later has sparked discussions on whether the 1.6-mile oval should return on the Cup Series calendar.

Bob Sargent, President and CEO of Track Enterprises, a leading race promoter company, was asked what he thought about the track’s chances to return to Cup racing. He replied (via The Charlotte Observer):

"I feel comfortable, and am not saying anything out of line, that, yes, we did everything we needed to do. It’s a process. But we are on the radar. We are in that process."

The NASCAR Cup Series will return this weekend for the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The race is scheduled to start at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, April 27.