Hendrick NASCAR Cup drivers add Xfinity races this season

On Tuesday, JRM announced it will field a fifth car – its No. 88 Chevrolet – in five additional Xfinity races this season.

With sponsorship from HendrickCars.com, current HMS Cup drivers William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson will combine to make the starts.

Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, drive the No. 88 in the May 7 race at Darlington, S.C.; Byron will take the wheel of the No. 88 May 21 at Texas Motor Speedway and July 16 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Larson, the reigning Cup Series champion, will race the No. 88 Aug. 20 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and Sept. 3 at Darlington.

Originally, JRM planned to run the No. 88 in four races this season. In two races run so far, the team has one top-10 finish with Miguel Paludo at Circuit of the Americas.

Crew chief duties for the No. 88 team will be announced at a later date.

No strangers to NXS cars

Elliott and Byron have both won Xfinity Series championships driving for JRM during their respective careers – Elliott in 2014 and Byron in 2017.

Elliott has five Xfinity Series wins in 82 career starts, including one start last season with JRM at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Byron has four wins in 33 starts – all in 2017.

Larson has amassed 12 Xfinity wins in 108 starts with his most recent Xfinity race coming in the 2018 season with Chip Ganassi Racing.