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History

The team was founded in 2021 by founder of Big Machine Records and American record executive Scott Borchetta, who at one point was a race car driver prior to founding Big Machine Records in 2005.¹

When the Jayski's Silly Season Site 2022 Xfinity Series team/driver chart was released, it was revealed that BMR may form an alliance with a larger NASCAR Xfinity Series team.² On October 7, 2021, it was announced that the team would have an alliance with Richard Childress Racing in 2022 and they would move shops from Mooresville, North Carolina to one on the RCR campus in Welcome, North Carolina.³

Xfinity Series

Car No. 5 History

On February 2, 2023, the team announced that it would run a second car for the 2023 Daytona 300. Jade Buford was announced as the driver for the No. 5 car.⁴

Car No. 5 results

Car No. 48 History

On January 19, 2021, Big Machine Records founder and owner Scott Borchetta announced that he and the company were starting a full-time Xfinity Series team, Big Machine Racing, which would field the No. 48 Chevrolet. The team bought cars and equipment from RSS Racing/Reaume Brothers Racing's No. 93 car in 2020. Jade Buford was announced as the driver of the team's No. 48 car in 2021, running full-time and for Rookie of the Year.⁵ Buford drove in the Xfinity Series road course races in 2020 for SS-Green Light Racing with Big Machine Records as his sponsor. Patrick Donahue, who also moved over from SS-Green Light Racing (where he had been the crew chief of Joe Graf Jr.'s No. 08 car), was announced as the crew chief for Buford and the BMR No. 48 car.⁶ Due to only having competed on road courses in a stock car before the start of the season, Buford was not approved by NASCAR to race at Daytona to start the season, so his first race came at the Daytona Road Course the following week.⁷ On February 1, it was announced that On Point Motorsports Truck Series driver Danny Bohn would make his Xfinity Series debut at Daytona substituting for Buford. (Despite it being his first start in the series, Bohn was approved due to him previously having driven in a superspeedway race in NASCAR.)⁸

A rotation of drivers would drive for the team, such as Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Jade Buford, Kaz Grala, Parker Kligerman, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Ross Chastain, Nick Sanchez, and Marco Andretti.

On May 21, 2022, Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick earned the team's first victory at Texas.⁹

On October 30, 2022, Big Machine announced that they would field the No. 48 car for Parker Kligerman in 2023. Following Kansas, Kligerman was able to qualify for the playoffs. Kligerman was eliminated at the conclusion of the Charlotte Roval race.¹⁰

On August 24, 2023, Kligerman announced he will return for 2024.¹¹ Following the Michigan race, the No. 48 was levied an L1 penalty after pre-race inspection discovered illegal modifications on the rear spoiler; as a result, the team was docked 20 owner and driver points, and crew chief Patrick Donahue was fined US$25,000.¹² On September 11, Kligerman announced on his podcast that he will not return to BMR and is done with full-time racing at the end of the 2024 season.¹³

On September 18, 2024, it was announced that Nick Sanchez would drive the No. 48 and compete for Rookie of the Year honors following two years in the Truck Series.¹⁴ He started the season with a 35th-place DNF at Daytona. After staying consistent throughout the season, he earned his first career victory at Atlanta.¹⁵

Car No. 48 results

External links

• Official website
• Big Machine Racing owner statistics at Racing-Reference

References

1. Organ, Mike (January 19, 2021). "Nashville music mogul Scott Borchetta forms NASCAR Xfinity Series team". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 28, 2025. https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2021/01/19/scott-borchetta-big-machine-race-team-jade-buford/4221316001/ ↩

2. "2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Team/Driver Chart". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 18, 2022. https://www.jayski.com/xfinity-series/2022-xfinity-series-team-driver-chart/ ↩

3. "Big Machine Racing partners with Richard Childress for 2022". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 7, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2022. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/10/07/big-machine-racing-partners-with-richard-childress-racing-for-2022/ ↩

4. "Jade Buford running second car for Big Machine Racing at Daytona". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 2, 2023. https://www.jayski.com/2023/02/02/jade-buford-running-second-car-for-big-machine-racing-at-daytona/ ↩

5. "Big Machine Records Starting New Xfinity Team in 2021". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media LLC. January 21, 2021. https://www.jayski.com/2021/01/21/big-machine-records-starting-new-xfinity-team-in-2021/ ↩

6. Stern, Adam (January 19, 2021). "Music Meets Motorsports With Big Machine's New NASCAR Team". Sports Business Journal. Advance Publications. Retrieved January 18, 2022. https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2021/01/19/Big-Machine.aspx?ana=top_stories ↩

7. "(Twitter post)". Twitter. Chris Knight. January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2022. Patrick Donahue, crew chief for the new Big Machine Racing team confirmed on @SiriusXMNASCAR with Moody that driver @buforjm is not approved for @DAYTONA oval and is looking for driver for No. 48 Chevrolet. Buford approved for Daytona RC and rest of '21 #NASCAR Xfinity season. https://twitter.com/Knighter01/status/1352019930292641792 ↩

8. "Danny Bohn to Make Xfinity Debut at Daytona". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2022. https://www.jayski.com/2021/02/01/danny-bohn-to-make-xfinity-debut-at-daytona/ ↩

9. Long, Dustin. "Tyler Reddick triumphs at Texas; Big Machine Racing scores first Xfinity win". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 5, 2022. https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2022/05/21/tyler-reddick-triumphs-at-texas-gives-big-machine-racing-its-first-xfinity-win-william-byron-justin-allgaier-sam-mayer-austin-hill/ ↩

10. Spencer, Reid (October 7, 2023). "Sam Mayer converts must-win at Charlotte Roval, advances in Xfinity Series Playoffs". NASCAR. Retrieved October 8, 2023. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2023/10/07/results-xfinity-series-playoffs-2023-charlotte-road-course-race-recap/ ↩

11. "Parker Kligerman returning to Big Machine Racing in 2024". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. August 24, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023. https://www.jayski.com/2023/08/24/parker-kligerman-returning-to-big-machine-racing-in-2024/ ↩

12. "Big Machine Racing's No. 48 team levied L1-level penalty after Michigan". NASCAR. August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2024/08/21/big-machine-racings-no-48-team-levied-l1-level-penalty-after-michigan/ ↩

13. "Parker Kligerman not returning to Big Machine Racing in 2025, not pursuing full-time rides". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024. https://www.jayski.com/2024/09/12/parker-kligerman-not-returning-to-big-machine-racing-in-2025-not-pursuing-full-time-rides/ ↩

14. Staff Report (September 18, 2024). "Big Machine Racing taps Nick Sanchez for 2025 Xfinity campaign". Official Site Of NASCAR. Retrieved January 27, 2025. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2024/09/18/big-machine-racing-taps-nick-sanchez-for-2025-xfinity-campaign/ ↩

15. DeGroot, Nick (June 28, 2025). "Nick Sanchez spun, then won in frantic NASCAR Xfinity race at Atlanta". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved June 28, 2025. https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-xs/news/nick-sanchez-wins-nascar-xfinity-atlanta-frantic-race/10736941/ ↩