Dean Thompson will team up with Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) and pilot the No. 26 Toyota Supra entry for a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign in 2025.
The news comes as the 23-year-old Thompson from Anaheim, California, is coming off his third full-time campaign in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series division and his second at TRICON Garage, where he finished in 16th place in the 2024 driver’s standings on the strengths of six top-10 results, four laps led and an average-finishing result of 18.9.
“I’m very excited to join the Sam Hunt Racing group and continue to pursue my dreams in NASCAR,” Thompson said. “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, who grew up competing in quarter midgets and late models, claimed both the Irwindale Late Model Track Championship and the California State Title honors in 2020. the Californian also claimed the rookie-of-the-Year title in the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series, and competed for High Point Racing in the ARCA Menards Series West division in 2021. From 2021 to 2024, Thompson would record his first career pole at Pocono Raceway in 2023, two career-best runner-up results, five top-five results and 11 top-10 results through 12 ARCA Menards Series career starts.
In 2021, Thompson made his NASCAR Truck Series debut during the finale at Phoenix Raceway for Niece Motorsports, where he finished 21st. The following season, he campaigned with Niece on a full-time basis, where he recorded an average finishing result of 25.2 and finished in 23rd place in the final standings before he spent his next two seasons competing with TRICON Garage.
During the 2024 season, Thompson made his Xfinity Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Sam Hunt Racing in May, where he finished 34th. Five months later, he made his second series start at Talladega Superspeedway, where he notched a season-best 20th-place result.
Thompson’s promotion to the Xfinity circuit makes him SHR’s second full-time competitor since Kaz Grala in 2023. Since debuting during the 2019 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, SHR has featured a total of 24 competitors, including both Thompson and Grala, campaigning in at least one event with the organization. Through a combined 179 Xfinity starts, SHR has notched 11 top-five results, 26 top-10 results and 26 laps led as the organization strives to gain more consistency and be competitive on the track for the 2025 season.
“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. “He is extremely tough, has a great personality, and works hard behind the scenes to make the most of his opportunities.
Dean understands the challenges that await any rookie and 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.”
With his plans for the 2025 season set, Dean Thompson’s first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is scheduled to commence at Daytona International Speedway on February 15 at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
