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Dean Thompson will pilot the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra full-time for Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025, the team announced Tuesday.
Thompson, 23, raced full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2022 as a member of Niece Motorsports and most recently with Tricon Garage from 2023-24. Thompson tallied two top fives and 11 top-10 finishes across 70 races with the two organizations. Thompson additionally logged two Xfinity starts with SHR in 2024, finishing 34th at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and 20th at Talladega Superspeedway in October.
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“I’m very excited to join the Sam Hunt Racing group and continue to pursue my dreams in NASCAR,” Thompson said in a press release. “The team made me feel at home after the two races we shared last year. Everything clicked with us, and we are both in a spot where we could fulfill each other’s needs to help our growth as a race team and driver. I’m lucky to have this opportunity to take the next step, which most can only dream of reaching, and I’m grateful to share it with such an awesome group of people.”
Thompson, an Anaheim, California native, began racing at 5 years old and made stock car racing his career at 16. Thompson quickly climbed the racing ladder, clinching the Irwindale Late Model Track Championship and California State Title in 2020. After being named Southwest Tour Series Rookie of the Year, Thompson transitioned to ARCA Menards Series West action in 2021, where he logged nine races and tallied one top five and two top 10s to go along with two pole positions.
Sam Hunt Racing has competed in the Xfinity Series since its debut in 2019, and with each campaign, the team’s performance has gradually strengthened, headlined by the organization collecting four top-five finishes in 2024 among a rotation of 10 different drivers.
“We’re all excited to bring Dean into the SHR family to develop in the Xfinity Series full-time in 2025,” Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing, said in a press release. “He is extremely tough, has a great personality and works hard behind the scenes to make the most of his opportunities. As in any rookie, Dean understands the challenge that awaits, but he is completely committed to becoming a well-rounded, mature race car driver who can put himself in a position to succeed every single week. Our goals are aligned, and we are ready to get to work.”
MORE: 2025 Xfinity Series schedule
Thompson Pipe Group, MCM Transportation and Assured Partners have partnered with SHR to support Thompson’s 2025 effort. Additional partnership information, in addition to more details on the No. 24 entry, will be announced at a later date.
The 2025 Xfinity Series begins Feb. 15 at Daytona International Speedway (5 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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