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Earl Bamber Joining Richard Childress Racing at Daytona Xfinity Event

Earl Bamber is going NASCAR racing.

The veteran IMSA driver will pilot the No. 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series entry for Richard Childress Racing, beginning at the Daytona International Speedway road course (Aug. 15) the team announced July 31.

The Daytona contest will be the stock car start of any kind for the 30-year-old New Zealander. However, Bamber is no stranger to Daytona, having made numerous starts in sports cars on the road course, including the famed 24 Hours of Daytona. The start will also mark one of the few times a driver from the South Pacific has competed in NASCAR, including James Davison, Marcos Ambrose and Max Johnston.

“I’ve dreamed about competing in NASCAR my entire life, so I am so thankful to Richard Childress, KCMG and everyone who has played a role in creating this opportunity for me,” said Bamber. “I know that RCR has a storied history of cultivating talent and will give me all of the tools I need to succeed. I’m looking forward to the race.”

So far this season in IMSA competition, Bamber has scored podiums in all three events contested while wheeling Porsches for CORE Autosport.

While it is unknown how many events Bamber will compete in beyond Daytona, he joins a growing list of drivers who have stepped into the seat of the No. 21 entry. Kaz Grala made his season debut last weekend in the ride at Kansas Speedway.

Backing the effort will be longtime RCR supporter KCMG, who also said they had extended their sponsorship with the team’s Xfinity program as will as their Cup efforts with driver Tyler Reddick on the same day as Bamber’s announcement.

“It’s extremely special for KCMG to be aligned with Earl Bamber and Tyler Reddick this year,” said RCR owner Richard Childress. “These two up-and-coming drivers have shown talent and promise. I’ve been watching Earl for a number of years, and I’m pleased to have him join RCR’s strong NASCAR Xfinity Series program.”

Andy Street will serve as Bamber’s crew chief.

Never at a loss for words, Zach Gillispie is a young, talented marketing professional from North Carolina who talks and writes on the side about his first love: racing! Since joining Frontstretch in 2018, Zach has served in numerous roles where he currently pens the NASCAR 101 column, a weekly piece delving into the basic nuts and bolts of the sport. Additionally, his unabashedly bold takes meshed with that trademarked dry wit of his have made Zach a fan favorite on the weekly Friday Faceoff panel. In his free time, he can be found in the great outdoors, actively involved in his church, cheering on his beloved Atlanta Braves or ruthlessly pestering his colleagues with completely useless statistics about Delma Cowart.

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