GAFFNEY, S.C. – JD Motorsports with Gary Keller officials have announced that road course veteran Spencer Pumpelly will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut driving the No. 6 Chevrolet at Circuit of the Americas this weekend.
Pumpelly is a 20-year veteran of professional sports car racing, and has earned multiple victories across multiple sports car divisions. He is a two-time class winner in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 2016 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge ST champion. He has also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times.
Despite only having one previous stock car start in the ARCA Menards Series, Pumpelly has plenty of track time at COTA, making it a perfect track for his series debut.
“I am very excited for this opportunity to drive for Johnny Davis and work with all the guys at JD Motorsports,” said Pumpelly. “I have been racing for 25 plus years and have had the opportunity to drive some really cool cars at places like LeMans and Daytona, but I’ve always said the most fun I’ve had in a car was racing stock cars on road courses. This will be my first Xfinity start so I know it will be a tough challenge but with the help of the guys on the team I’m sure we can get up to speed and be competitive.”
Saturday’s race at COTA will be the first time NASCAR has raced at the 3.4-mile road course. The track, initially built for Formula One, is the newest facility on the schedule.
“COTA is a track I know well and I have two IMSA victories there so hopefully my track knowledge can help a little. I know the guys in Gaffney are working hard getting things ready and I can’t wait to get on track,” said Pumpelly.
Pumpelly will drive the No. 6 Chevrolet primarily driven by Ryan Vargas. Vargas will return to the seat at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29.