Jake Finch Bio
James “Jake” Finch Jr. (born June 16, 2005) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Hendrick Motorsports. A native of the Florida panhandle, Finch has built a résumé that spans late model racing, the ARCA Menards Series, the ARCA Menards Series East, and a brief but promising run in NASCAR’s second-tier national tour. His career has been closely followed because of both his family ties to a former Cup Series operation and his quick climb through the short-track ranks.
Finch began competing in go-karts at a young age and progressed rapidly through the developmental ladder. He has balanced his racing commitments with a normal high school experience, eventually graduating alongside the Class of 2023 before leaning further into a motorsports career. With a Hendrick Motorsports Xfinity opportunity announced in 2025, Finch represents one of the younger drivers attached to a top-tier NASCAR organization.
Early Life and Background
Jake Finch was born on June 16, 2005, in Lynn Haven, Florida. He grew up in a household deeply connected to motorsports, as his father, James Finch, is the owner of the former NASCAR Cup Series team Phoenix Racing. Outside of racing, his father also runs an airport construction company known as Phoenix Construction, giving the family a strong business presence in the Florida panhandle region. This dual background in racing and construction helped shape Finch’s exposure to professional motorsports from an early age.
Before stepping into a race car, Finch was an active baseball player for his local school, showing the kind of competitive athletic profile common among aspiring racers. He later attended A. Crawford Mosley High School, where he balanced his developing racing schedule with his studies. He graduated as part of the school’s Class of 2023, an important milestone that allowed him to focus more fully on full-time motorsports ambitions.
Path to NASCAR
Finch’s path to NASCAR began in the grassroots world of go-kart racing, where he developed the car control and race craft that would later define his late model performances. In 2020, he transitioned to stock cars by driving in three late model races for Anthony Campi Racing. In his very first start, Finch dominated the event, led the most laps, and took the win, an emphatic introduction to pavement stock car racing. He followed that with two runner-up finishes, demonstrating immediate consistency in equipment he had never previously driven.
The momentum from those early late model results helped him reconnect with his family’s racing identity. Phoenix Racing, the former Cup Series team originally owned by his father, was reopened, and Finch began competing in additional late model events with the organization in 2021. He also dipped into the SRL Southwest Tour in 2022, running the same family team in two starts. These appearances at regional touring series helped prepare him for the next step, a move into NASCAR-sanctioned ARCA competition with both Phoenix Racing and Venturini Motorsports.
Jake Finch Career
Early Career (2020-2021)
Finch’s documented stock car career began in 2020 with Anthony Campi Racing, where he ran a short slate of three late model events. His debut victory, earned by leading the most laps, instantly marked him as a prospect worth watching. The results that followed, two additional podium finishes of second place, reflected a driver who could adapt quickly and finish races at the front of the field.
In 2021, Finch shifted his focus to Phoenix Racing, the family team led by his father that had been reactivated after years away from competition. The team’s return to the track included a series of late model races with Finch behind the wheel, giving him valuable seat time in higher-profile events. By the end of that season, he had built a foundation of regional results strong enough to justify a step up into NASCAR’s development ladder.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2022-2024)
Finch’s official entry into NASCAR-sanctioned racing came on March 15, 2022, when Phoenix Racing announced he would make his ARCA Menards Series East debut at Five Flags Speedway in the No. 1 car. The event was significant because it marked the first time since 2013 that Phoenix Racing had competed in a NASCAR-sanctioned race, making it a meaningful family milestone as well as a personal one for the young driver. On April 26, 2022, Finch signed with Venturini Motorsports for additional starts, running the No. 25 at Dover in the East Series and the No. 55 at Pocono in the main ARCA Menards Series.
Later in 2022, Finch returned to the No. 1 Phoenix Racing entry for the ARCA Menards Series East race at Nashville, where he started on pole, led 44 laps, and finished second. In both of his East Series runs with the family team, he drove an unbadged Toyota. He continued to develop with Venturini Motorsports in subsequent seasons, building experience across the ARCA platform. In 2024, Finch captured the win in the General Tire 200, one of the signature victories of his young career and a clear signal of his readiness for the next national level.
Hendrick Motorsports Era (2025-Present)
On April 16, 2025, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed on The Dale Jr. Download that Finch would make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut during the season, driving the No. 17 for Hendrick Motorsports. The announcement placed the young Floridian inside one of the most successful organizations in NASCAR history, with resources and personnel capable of supporting a long-term national career. Later, the team confirmed that his debut would take place at Dover Motor Speedway, giving Finch a high-profile venue to begin his Xfinity tenure.
The opportunity with Hendrick Motorsports represents a major step up in competition, equipment, and visibility. Driving the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro SS, Finch joins an organization with a deep history of developing young talent into Cup Series stars. As a part-time Xfinity entrant paired with continued ARCA competition, he has a clear development pathway to build on his regional success.
Driving Style and Strengths
Finch has shown a knack for short-run speed and qualifying pace, as demonstrated by his pole-starting run at Nashville in the ARCA Menards Series East. His early late model win, earned by leading the most laps, suggests a driver comfortable controlling the front of the field once he gets there. Working with established teams like Venturini Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports should sharpen his race craft, tire management, and restarts as he gains more national-series experience.
Notable Races and Milestones
Finch’s victory in the 2024 General Tire 200 stands as a career-defining early result, and his pole at Nashville in the ARCA Menards Series East remains one of his most impressive single-race performances. His debut at Dover with Hendrick Motorsports in 2025 marks his first national NASCAR start and a major moment for both the driver and the family-run Phoenix Racing legacy.
Jake Finch Career Wins
Jake Finch’s verified victories are anchored in the developmental ranks of American stock car racing. His most notable win came in 2024 in the General Tire 200, a result that elevated his profile ahead of his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut. Combined with his first late model victory in 2020, these results form the foundation of a young résumé that continues to grow.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Finch has made multiple ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East starts split between Phoenix Racing and Venturini Motorsports. His strongest performance to date remains the 2024 General Tire 200 win, a result that confirmed his readiness for higher-level national competition. Earlier, a runner-up finish at Nashville in the East Series showed his ability to lead laps and contend for victories.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of the ARCA platform, Finch’s most significant win came in his 2020 late model debut with Anthony Campi Racing, where he led the most laps and took the checkered flag. That early result set the tone for a developmental path that has steadily carried him toward NASCAR’s national series.
Jake Finch Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Finch comes from a family with deep ties to NASCAR. His father, James Finch, owned Phoenix Racing, a former NASCAR Cup Series team that competed at the sport’s top level before being sold in 2013. The team was later reactivated, allowing Jake to drive in several late model races and ARCA Menards Series East events in 2021 and 2022. Beyond racing, his father runs Phoenix Construction, an airport construction company based in the Florida panhandle.
Personal Life
Finch attended A. Crawford Mosley High School in Lynn Haven, Florida, where he graduated as part of the Class of 2023. Before focusing on racing, he was an active baseball player for his local school, reflecting a well-rounded athletic background. He is an American national who continues to reside in the Florida panhandle area, near the short tracks that helped launch his career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marks a major turning point in Jake Finch’s young career. In April, Hendrick Motorsports, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. publicly confirming the news, announced that Finch would drive the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro SS in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on a part-time basis. The team later confirmed that Dover Motor Speedway would host his series debut, giving him a demanding one-mile oval on which to open his national NASCAR tenure.
Alongside his Xfinity commitments, Finch has continued part-time ARCA Menards Series work with Venturini Motorsports in the No. 25 Toyota Camry, ensuring he maintains race sharpness between national-series weekends. This dual-track schedule is designed to maximize his exposure to high-level stock car racing while he builds chemistry with his new Hendrick Motorsports crew. The combination of Cup-level organization support and ARCA seat time sets a strong foundation for measurable growth across the year.
Looking ahead, the priority for Finch is simple: deliver clean, competitive runs in his Xfinity starts while continuing to develop in ARCA. A successful debut at Dover, paired with consistent finishes, would go a long way toward expanding his 2025 schedule and laying the groundwork for a fuller Xfinity campaign in future seasons. With a Hendrick Motorsports affiliation now in place, Finch’s development arc is firmly in the hands of one of NASCAR’s most proven talent pipelines.