Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Ben Kennedy adds 12 Xfinity starts with GMS Racing to schedule

2017 NASCAR - Portraits

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 24: NASCAR Xfinity series driver, Ben Kennedy, driver of the #2 Chevrolet, poses for a portrait at Daytona International Speedway on February 24, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Getty Images

GMS Racing’s Xfinity Series operation is only 13 races old, but it’s already implementing plans for expansion.

The team announced Monday that Ben Kennedy, who drove for GMS Racing in the Camping World Truck Series in 2016, has rejoined the team for 12 Xfinity races this year in the No. 96 Chevrolet.

Those 12 races are in addition to the nine Kennedy will drive for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 2 Chevrolet.

Kennedy will be teammates with Spencer Gallagher, who drives the No. 23 Chevrolet. Jeff Stankiewicz will serve as Kennedy’s crew chief. Sponsorship will be announced at a later date.

“I am really excited to be competing with GMS Racing in the Xfinity Series,” Kennedy said in a press release. “The conversation to get me in the second car has been ongoing since the end of last season. Everyone that works at GMS is so dedicated to the team. There’s a sense of family at the shop and at the track, so I’m glad everything has finally lined up. GMS has shown speed this year in both series, and I know that they will give me the necessary tools to run up front.”

Kennedy’s first Xfinity start of the year is with Richard Childress Racing in the May 6 race at Talladega Superspeedway. He will then make his first start with GMS Racing in the May 27 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

MORE: Ben Kennedy on the NASCAR on NBC podcast

Kennedy is the son of International Speedway Corp. CEO Lesa France Kennedy and is the grandson of former NASCAR CEO Bill France Jr.

The 25-year-old driver became the first member of the France family to win a national NASCAR event last year when he took his No. 33 Chevrolet to victory lane at Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s his only win in 73 Truck series starts.

Kennedy made his first Xfinity start last year in the June race at Iowa Speedway. He started sixth in the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing and finished 10th.

Follow @DanielMcFadin and on Facebook