A pair of road aces will be joining the NASCAR Xfinity Series during its trips to Mid-Ohio and Road America next month.
Alex Tagliani, who has raced in IndyCar, Australian V8 Supercar and sports car races over his career, will race the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske at Mid-Ohio August 15th.
Tagliani has run three previous NXS races for Penske since 2011, finishing in the top five in each race. Last season, he ran Mid-Ohio and Road America in the No. 22, winning the pole at Road America and leading 19 laps on the way to a second-place finish. He finished fifth at Mid-Ohio.
“It’s always unique to be part of Team Penske, even for one weekend,” Tagliani said. As part of last year’s owner championship team, he is hoping his upcoming run will help the No. 22 increase its lead in the this year’s standings. They currently have a 48-point lead over Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33. “Looking at the owners’ championship ring (from 2014), it reminds you how important and how hard everyone behind the scenes is working to contribute toward the success of the No. 22 car.”
“We are looking forward to having Alex back in the No. 22 Ford,” Team Penske president Tim Cindric said. “He was a big part of our championship last year as he put the team’s goals in front of his own. Hopefully, we can put him in Victory Lane this time.”
If Tagliani can find victory, it will be his second NASCAR triumph this season. He won a Canadian Tire Series race earlier this summer at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario.
Two weeks later, when the NXS tour heads to Road America, Andy Lally will take the green flag for King Autosport/SS Greenlight Racing’s No. 90. The car will be sponsored by Anderson’s Maple Syrup.
Lally, the 2011 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year, finished seventh in this event last year while driving for SS Greenlight.
“I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of a NASCAR Xfinity machine,” Lally said. “We showed a lot of speed during last year’s event, and this year we’re coming back with a really strong effort. It’s been unbelievable how supportive Steve Anderson and everyone at Anderson’s Maple Syrup have been since we first came in contact, and we’re doing everything we can to deliver a strong result for them, on and off the track.”
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