CONCORD, N.C. – In a time where NASCAR is gasping for new ownership in any of its top three national divisions, 23-year-old Matt Hurley is diving in headfirst.
Hurley will announce Thursday afternoon at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, the launch of H2 Motorsports – a new NASCAR Xfinity Series team set to launch at Iowa Speedway next month.
The Mooresville, N.C.-based team will adorn the No. 28 number and has selected Toyota as its manufacturer. The team has tapped rising star Shane Lee as its driver with motorsports veteran Pete Rondeau as crew chief.
Beginning with the June 16 American Ethanol E15 250, H2 Motorsports plans to run the remainder of the Xfinity Series through Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Nov. 16.
Hurley has been cleverly crafting and building his newest endeavor since early 2019.
Coined America’s youngest venture capitalist Hurley comes to NASCAR as an experienced negotiator and businessman who is widely acclaimed as one of the youngest and most successful entrepreneurs in the United States after founding a company that would quickly become the largest buyer of digital advertising in the Southeastern United States. Hurley sold his stock and went on to become Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of a private equity firm of Fort Myers, Fla.-based The H2 Organization.
Lee, 25, joins H2 Motorsports after a limited Xfinity Series tenure at Richard Childress Racing in 2018 after graduating from the ARCA Menards Series with Chad Bryant Racing. In 13 races last year, the Newton, N.C.-native earned a career-best fourth place at Kansas Speedway – while tallying two additional top-10 finishes at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Richmond (Va.) Raceway respectively.
“I’m very excited and proud of this opportunity with H2 Motorsports,” said Lee. “I’ve been given a great opportunity to showcase my ability with great people and partners. Matt has built H2 Motorsports in a short amount of time, but he has done so thoughtfully and is determined to come out swinging at Iowa and contend for strong finishes. I can’t wait to get started.”
Hurley’s efforts will be backed by Circuit City Corporation, the American online consumer electronics retail company – once the second largest electronics retailer across the United States and a former sponsor in the Cup Series with a variety of teams and drivers.
Circuit City Corporation and its vendors will adorn Lee’s No. 28 Toyota Supra throughout the 2019 season.
Rondeau, a mainstay in NASCAR for decades returns to the crew chief role for the first time since 2005 when he helped Dale Earnhardt Jr. steer a top-five performance at Daytona. Most recently, Rondeau served as director of competition at the now defunct Cup championship team Furniture Row Racing.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
