Eric McClure to drive Rensi-Hamilton's No. 24 Nationwide Ford
Rensi-Hamilton Racing officials said Friday that Eric McClure has joined the Nationwide Series team and will drive the No. 24 Ford, with sponsorship from Hefty Brand.
McClure will drive a minimum of 33 races in the car, team President Ronnie Russell said in a news release. Chris Wright returns as crew chief.
Team Rensi Motorsports fielded the No. 25 Ford for Bobby Hamilton Jr. in 2008. Hamilton Jr. became part-owner in the offseason, and the No. 25 team will become the No. 24 team.
“We at Rensi-Hamilton Racing look forward to establishing a relationship with Eric and Hefty brand that will last a long time,” Russell said. “I have watched Eric for a while now and know how smooth he is behind the wheel. With Eric’s skills and ours here at RHR, we’re looking forward to a very successful season.”
McClure moves from Front Row Motorsports, where he competed last season. Front Row officials said the team still plans to compete in the Nationwide Series this year but does not yet have a driver.
McClure has 73 starts in NASCAR’s No. 2 series, with a best finish of 15th last year at Talladega. Hefty has been part of McClure’s career for the last four seasons.
“Joining a team with the history and accomplishment of Rensi-Hamilton Racing is certainly something I’m very excited about,” McClure said. “They have an exceptional group of people involved in their organization, and they are an experienced team with a proven track record. Most importantly, they have a passion to race cars, and I think that is something that can help me take the next step as a driver as we try to build a long-term relationship at RHR.”
Hamilton Jr.’s father, Bobby Sr., drove for Morgan-McClure Motorsports, a team co-owned by Eric McClure’s uncle.
“I’ve known Bobby [Jr.] since his father drove for my family,” McClure said. “Bobby Sr. was very instrumental in my early racing days at Lonesome Pine Raceway [in Virginia], and his advice and encouragement helped me turn a dream into a reality.
“When Bobby Jr. approached us about a partnership for 2009, the opportunity to reunite McClure and Hamilton was something that was too good to pass up.”
