Hand, 45, has each a category victory and an total victory within the Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race. Though an skilled highway racer, NASCAR continues to be pretty new to him.
On Sunday, he was making simply his eighth profession Cup Sequence begin. He was driving a part-time entry for RFK Racing, often known as Stage 60. There was little buzz round Hand, who certified thirty eighth. However when rain hit the monitor and threw the race into full chaos, Hand and the No. 60 staff had been in a position to capitalize in an enormous manner.
He was already pretty excessive within the working order on advantage alone, however selected to remain out with growing old moist tires on a drying monitor whereas a majority of the sphere selected to pit. He really gained the second stage, and was main within the ultimate 20 minutes of the race.
Though he put up a valiant battle, he couldn’t fend off the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Alex Bowman. Whereas Bowman went on to assert victory, Hand ended up ending fourth. It was nonetheless a large accomplishment for the veteran sports activities automobile driver. His greatest Cup end earlier than Sunday was a twentieth place end at Sonoma Raceway in 2022.
Joey Hand, RFK Racing, BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang
Picture by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photos
“It was an amazing day,” mentioned Hand post-race. “I’m all grins. That was quite a lot of enjoyable. It’s enjoyable when you’ve got a automobile that’s going ahead. RFK, this Stage 60 automobile and this group of fellows and gals was superior. We had such a great time collectively. We didn’t qualify effectively however I instructed them that we had been manner higher than that. I laid in mattress final evening and dreamt about driving to the entrance.
“It was quite a lot of enjoyable. I like these circumstances the place everybody has to discover a completely different manner and it isn’t set in stone what you’re going to do. I’ve gained quite a lot of races like that in my life. I assumed there was an opportunity was going to win one other one which was going to be big. To run fourth, beginning thirty eighth, with this automobile, it was a ton of enjoyable.
“What are you able to say? We went to the entrance and I’m comfortable about it.”
Hand ended up main a complete of seven laps and was the top-placing Ford driver within the ending order. Earlier this 12 months, RFK ran the Stage 60 entry at Sonoma with Supercars star Cam Waters, who completed thirty fifth after getting collected in a crash. Additionally they ran the automobile within the season-opening Daytona 500 with David Ragan, who completed twentieth.
