Sage Karam has joined up with Sam Hunt Racing for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Road America, driving the #24 Toyota GR Supra. It will be his tenth time running a NASCAR road course event.
While SHR will be his first time racing a Toyota, he previously contested the 2017 IMSA season in a Lexus GTD, where he scored a pole at Mosport. Incidentally, one of his team-mates that year was former Xfinity champion Austin Cindric.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity Sam and Toyota have presented me to drive the #Sam Hunt Racing GR Supra at Road America,” said Karam. “Sam has developed a really great programme in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and it’s really an honour to drive for him. I’m excited to be back with the Toyota family as I drove the Lexus RCF GT3 with them in IMSA and we made many great memories together and I look forward to making many more.”
While mainly known for his IndyCar exploits, Karam has been an Xfinity part-timer since 2021. He is doing a limited slate for Alpha Prime Racing, with his best finish to date being a twenty-second at Chicago. His highest career outing is a fifth at Daytona with APR the previous year.
So far, 2023 is the first year since before his 2014 series début that Karam has not done any IndyCar racing whatsoever as he focuses on NASCAR.
He finished thirty-first in the 2022 Road America Xfinity race after crashing out. Karam is no stranger to success at the Wisconsin road course, having swept the weekend there in the 2010 USF2000 Championship.
“We are really excited to give Sage an opportunity at SHR to drive our #24 machine at Road America,” team owner Sam Hunt commented. “Sage is a fierce competitor and has always shown he has the ability to make speed. I’m excited to see him behind the wheel of a Toyota GR Supra. He’s worked with Kris (Bowen, crew chief) in the past, so I feel the driver and crew chief communication will be easier and more efficient than your average single-race opportunity. Our goal is for Sage to run the entire race, keep his nose clean, and compete inside the top ten for all the partners that helped make this happen.”
The #24 is mainly being driven by Connor Mosack, though Parker Chase, Corey Heim, and Tyler Reddick have also made starts. It is currently twenty-seventh in owner points with two top tens and a best run of eighth at Portland courtesy of Mosack.