KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Former NASCAR K&N Pro Series East winner and Tennessee late model star Chad Finchum will realize a childhood dream next month, when he finally straps in at the top level of stock car racing in North America.
Finchum, who is tackling his rookie season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year for team owner Carl Long, will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut on April 15 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, driving Long’s No. 66 Toyota in the Food City 500.
Smithbilt Homes of Knoxville and Concrete North Inc. will team up to sponsor Finchum’s efforts for the entire Bristol race weekend.
“I’ve been blessed with opportunities to run NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series races at Bristol over the past few years, but I’m very excited at getting to strap in and compete in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol,” Finchum said. “To be quite honest, this early in my NASCAR career, I wasn’t really expecting to be able run a Cup Series race. I’m just very thankful to Carl Long and MBM Motorsports for having the confidence and faith in me to drive their race cars.”
The 23-year-old already has a win at the .533-mile concrete oval on his racing resume, having driven Martin-McClure Racing to victory lane in K&N East competition during the team’s debut race in April of 2016.
His prior experience and the comfort of competing at his home race track are both things that Finchum feels will make his debut in NASCAR’s premier series much easier to handle.
“For my first Cup start to come at Bristol, it makes it that much sweeter and gives me a lot of confidence, with it being my home track and having the laps I do there. There’s not even another track on the circuit that I can say I’ve won at before. I can say that about Bristol.”
“I think that all those things should allow me to adapt a lot quicker to how the Cup car drives there and it will be nice to have a lot of friends and family at the track to offer their support throughout the weekend as well.”
For Finchum, strapping into a race car and competing was never something he was pushed to do, but rather something he was drawn to from the very beginning – something that makes his arrival at NASCAR’s top level even more special.
“I’ve always wanted to compete. Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve wanted to race cars and go fast, and I think it’s human nature that you always want to go to the top of whatever you’re doing, whether it’s playing (stick and) ball sports, being a lawyer … whatever it is, you always want to make it to the top level of whatever field you’re in,” said Finchum. “In NASCAR, I’ve always said if I could ever reach one of the top three series and make a career inside it, I’d be happy, content and where I wanted to be. Now I’m at the Xfinity level and I have a shot to finally break into the Cup Series. It’s amazing. It really is.”
