BJ McLeod Motorsports will field 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick in its No. 5 entry at the inaugural Circuit of the Americas race in the Xfinity Series, the team announced May 17.
Rush Truck Centers will sponsor the effort.
The announcement did not note if the No. 5 would be a solely BJMM-fielded effort or if any backing will be provided by Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick’s Cup team and a competitor in the series with Riley Herbst.
It had already been announced that Harvick would drive at COTA. Additionally, Harvick is also expected to make Xfinity starts at Road America (July 3) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (Aug. 14), though it’s not yet known if his starts there will also be in the No. 5.
????!?@KevinHarvick will drive the No. 5 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang at Saturday's race when the NASCAR Xfinity Series makes their debut at @NASCARatCOTA! ?#XfinitySeries | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/hcGmJEsIMg
— BJ McLeod Motorsports (@TeamBJMcLeod) May 17, 2021
Matt Mills had driven the No. 5 for the team every race this season.
Harvick has won 47 races in the Xfinity Series, good for third on the all-time wins list. It will be his first series start since he appeared at Darlington in 2018. The Bakersfield, Calif., native will use it as an opportunity to gain some experience on the road course ahead of the inaugural Cup race at COTA on May 23.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Harvick currently sits in eighth in the points standings with four top fives and 10 top 10s.
The inaugural Pit Boss 250 is scheduled for Saturday, May 22 at 4 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
About the author
Luken Glover arrived on the Frontstretch scene in 2020. He has been an avid NASCAR fan for the majority of his life, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who used to help former team owner Junie Donlavey in his garage. Glover covers news for the site and took over "The Underdog House" column in 2021. In addition to being a college junior, his hobbies include volunteering at church, playing basketball and tennis, racing go-karts, and helping at his high school alma mater.
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