Blaine Perkins will be driving for Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) for the 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.
The 26-year-old Perkins from Bakersfield, California, will assume driving responsibilities of the No. 24 SHR Toyota Supra entry led by crew chief Brian Gainey next season. Perkins is currently campaigning in his second consecutive O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with Jordan Anderson Racing and driving the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro entry. He is currently ranked in 22nd place in the 2026 driver’s standings after recording a single top-10 result and an average-finishing result of 23.1 through 29 of the 33-race schedule.
“I’m proud to announce that I will be joining Sam Hunt Racing in a multi-year deal starting in 2027,” Perkins said. “It’s a dream come true to have the opportunity to race for SHR and Toyota. I can’t thank my sponsors and supporters enough for helping make a longtime dream of mine into my new reality.”
Perkins, a three-race ARCA Menards Series West race winner who finished in the runner-up spot in the championship standings in 2020, debuted in the O’Reilly division on a part-time basis in 2021 with Our Motorsports. He made a total of 13 starts with the organization over two seasons (2021-22) before he competed in the first five events of the 2023 season with SS-Green Light Racing. Perkins would rejoin Our Motorsports by early April and remain with the organization for the remainder of the season as he competed in all but two of 27 events.
In 2024, Perkins competed the entire season with RSS Racing before joined Jordan Anderson Racing the following season. During this past season, Perkins notched four top-10 results, including a career-best sixth place at Talladega Superspeedway in October, and finished in a career-best 26th place in the final standings.
Through 137 current starts in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division, Perkins has recorded six top-10 results, six laps led and an average-finishing result of 25.3 as he continues his pursuit for his first series’ victory. Perkins will take over the No. 24 SHR Toyota entry that is currently being driven by Harrison Burton while Burton is set to drive for Peterson Racing in 2027. Perkins will compete alongside Sheldon Creed, the latter of whom was announced to join SHR and drive the No. 26 Toyota entry next season.
“We’re extremely excited to have Blaine join the SHR family and continue his development with us into the future,” Sam Hunt, Owner and President of Sam Hunt Racing, said. “He’s a great person, has experience in these cars, and is extremely motivated to take the next step as a driver. We are excited to embed him into our culture and give him the tools and resources he needs to be successful both on and off the track.”
With his plans for next season set, Blaine Perkin’s 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season resumes this upcoming Saturday, Octobrer 17, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, for the Timberland PRO 200. The event’s broadcast time is slated to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN Radio and SiriusXM.
