Team Penske will return its NASCAR
Xfinity Series operation to a two-car Ford Mustang effort in 2017. The second
Team Penske entry will serve as a Ford Performance driver development program
as both organizations continue to build for the future.
“Our NASCAR XFINITY Series
program has been one of the best in the series since we started running
full-time in 2009,” said team owner Roger Penske. “For several years, we
ran it as a two-car operation and then decided to focus primarily on the No. 22
for the last few years. Along the way, we developed a lot of people that
have moved into our Cup programs, including all of our current NASCAR Sprint
Cup crew chiefs. We want to win another XFINITY Series Championship while
continuing to utilize our program to build human capital.”
Team Penske’s NXS program ran
sparingly between 2001 and 2008, winning nine races with drivers Ryan Newman
and Kurt Busch. The team began competing full-time in 2009 and earned the
NXS Driver’s Championship with Brad Keselowski in 2010. Since joining
Ford in 2013, Team Penske has earned 29 XFINITY Series wins and has won
back-to-back-to-back NXS Owners’ Championships.
“Obviously, we’ve really
enjoyed our relationship with Team Penske and the success that they’ve brought
to the Ford family in the NASCAR XFINITY Series,” said Dave Pericak, Director
of Ford Performance. “The addition of a second Team Penske XFINITY Series car
will allow all of us to work on developing talent behind the wheel and across
the board.
A driver and sponsorship for
the team’s second Ford entry will be announced at a later date.
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