INDIANAPOLIS – Chris Windom will suit up for Hayward Motorsports to drive the No. 19 for the full AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series season in 2020.
Along with Windom, his longtime sidekick and crew chief Derek Claxton will be turning the wrenches on the machine that will carry sponsorship from NOS Energy Drink.
Additional corporate sponsors will be announced by the team during the Performance Racing Industry show this week in Indianapolis.
Windom, the 2016 USAC Silver Crown and 2017 National Sprint Car champion, began the 2019 AMSOIL National Sprint Car campaign in similar fashion with a new team, Parallax Group/Goacher Racing. In their first race out of the box, they won at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.
The Canton, Ill., native aims for a similar grand opening in his new digs with Hayward.
“It came together, I guess you could say, last minute.” Windom explained. “It was Sunday night (on Thanksgiving weekend) that he gave me a call and we chatted for a while. I was at a point right now to where I was unsure with what I had for a sprint car deal next year. I could’ve stayed with the same deal, but all the logistics weren’t really put together yet. Brodie called me and basically offered me the full-time deal and to bring Derek along full-time as well. That was something I couldn’t really turn down.
“I know they want to run a top-notch situation over there too. I think it’s going to be a good deal.”
Windom owns 25 career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car feature victories, tied for 21st all-time with Steve Butler and Jay Drake. In 2019, with Parallax/Goacher, Windom notched four victories, 22 top fives and 29 top 10s in 34 starts.
Ironically, in last year’s season debut victory, Windom passed the Hayward Motorsports car driven by Kevin Thomas, Jr. on the final lap to score the win.
Windom gained additional victories at Illinois’ Tri-City Speedway, Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway and Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway to round out a year that saw him finish sixth in the final standings.
Hayward Motorsports, meanwhile, had Kevin Thomas Jr. at the controls in 2019 and together, the combo captured a pair of victories during the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car season at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway and Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway.
Last week, Thomas announced his return to the KT Motorsports No. 9k for the 2020 USAC season.
Since 2015, Hayward Motorsports has won 13 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car feature events as a team, nine with Bryan Clauson and two with Brady Bacon came under the Dooling/Hayward Motorsports banner while Thomas won a pair with Hayward a year ago.
Hayward expects the success to continue with Windom, starting in February in the Sunshine State.
“We’re very excited to bring Chris on board,” Hayward noted. “Chris is a USAC champion and he ran really well this past year. He is always a front runner and we’re glad to have him at Hayward Motorsports in 2020.”