NASCAR: Jack Hawksworth to make Xfinity Series debut for Joe Gibbs Racing at Mid-Ohio

Jack Hawksworth is set to make his NASCAR debut in this Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Jeffrey Earnhardt was slated to make his sixth start for Joe Gibbs Racing of the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season in the season’s 21st race, this Saturday’s B&L Transport 170, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

However, he reportedly canceled his contract with sponsor iK9, leaving the seat of the #18 Toyota open for this 75-lap race around the 13-turn, 2.258-mile (3.634-kilometer) Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course road course in Lexington, Ohio.

Now IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver and former IndyCar driver Jack Hawksworth has been confirmed as his replacement.

Here is what Hawksworth had to say about the opportunity to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in this race, according to RACER.

"“I’m excited to be joining the Joe Gibbs Racing team and driving the No. 18 iK9 Toyota Supra this weekend at Mid-Ohio. It’s a fantastic opportunity in a completely different series, against completely different competition and in a different type of racing.“From a personal perspective, I’m very excited to experience something new and to be challenged in a new way. It’s going to be very different. I’m sure it’s going to be difficult and there’s going to be a bit of a learning curve with it, but I’m going into it with a championship-winning organization so that gives me a lot of confidence. I look to get out there and do a good job and looking forward to getting out on the track.”"

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Hawksworth has never competed in an Xfinity Series race before, and he has never even competed in a NASCAR race before. However, he has had success in road and street course racing, which should bode well for him in this Saturday afternoon’s race.

The 28-year-old Englishman won the 2012 Star Mazda Championship with eight victories in 16 starts before he was promoted to Indy Lights for the 2013 season and finished in third place in the championship standings with three victories in 12 races.

Hawksworth made his IndyCar debut in the 2014 season driving for Bryan Herta Autosport. He dominated the inaugural race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in what was just his fourth career start before he ultimately had to settle for seventh place. He went on to finished in a career-high third in one of the two races on the streets of Houston, Texas later that season.

Hawksworth then drove for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. In 50 career IndyCar starts, he recorded 10 top 10 finishes. He recorded eight top eight finishes, and all of them came at road or street course races. At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course specifically, he finished in 16th, eighth and 21st place, respectively.

In this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Hawksworth was victorious driving for AIM Vasser Sullivan. He has secured three victories in the series throughout his career, which began in the 2014 season, although he has only been driving in the series on a full-time basis since the 2017 season. He also finished in fourth place at the track last year driving for 3GT Racing.

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How will Jack Hawksworth perform in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut this Saturday, August 10? Tune in to NBC Sports Network at 3:00 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

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