Joey Hand Bio
Joseph Alan Hand, born on February 10, 1979, is an American professional racing driver known for his accomplishments across open-wheel, sports car, and stock car racing. A former Star Mazda Series champion, Hand earned international acclaim as a Ford factory driver, highlighted by co-driving the Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA Ford GT to victory in the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGTE Pro class. He also co-won the 2011 24 Hours of Daytona with Chip Ganassi Racing and the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring GT class with BMW Team Rahal. Today he is associated with BMW Team RBM as a manufacturer-backed driver.
Early Life and Background
Joseph Alan Hand was born and raised in Sacramento, California, where he developed a passion for motorsports at a young age. Growing up in a region with a vibrant grassroots racing scene, Hand was introduced to competitive motorsports early, and he began his career in kart racing at the age of twelve. The discipline and car control required by karting shaped his foundational race craft and prepared him for the transition to formula car competition in the late 1990s.
Family remained an important anchor for Hand throughout his formative years in racing. He and his wife, Natalie, have two children, and Hand has often spoken about the support system that allows him to pursue a demanding international racing schedule. His Sacramento roots continue to be a defining part of his identity as he competes on some of the most prestigious circuits in the world.
Path to NASCAR
Hand’s journey to NASCAR came after more than two decades of success in open-wheel and sports car racing. His early single-seater résumé included nine wins and a rookie of the year award in the 1998 Star Mazda Series, followed by the series championship in 1999. He progressed to the Toyota Atlantic series in 2001, where he scored two wins over three seasons and posted a best championship result of third in his rookie year.
Following a long career in Grand-Am, the American Le Mans Series, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Hand finally reached the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021. Rick Ware Racing announced on October 5, 2021, that Hand would make his Cup Series debut at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in the No. 52. He has since added road course and street circuit starts, including a notable run in the No. 60 for RFK Racing at the Chicago Street Race.
Joey Hand Career
Early Career (1998–2003)
Hand began his professional ascent in the Star Mazda Series in 1998, immediately winning the rookie of the year award. He built on that strong debut by capturing the 1999 Star Mazda Series championship with nine career wins in the series, signaling his potential as a versatile wheelman capable of adapting to a range of cars and tracks.
After an injury sidelined him for most of the 2000 season, Hand returned to competition in 2001 by moving up to the Toyota Atlantic series. Over three seasons in that series, he scored two victories and posted a best championship finish of third in 2001, results that opened the door to professional sports car opportunities beginning in 2004.
Grand-Am and ALMS Breakthrough (2004–2013)
Beginning in 2004, Hand raced in the Grand American Road Racing Association’s Rolex Sports Car Series, splitting time between the Grand Touring and Daytona Prototype classes and earning five GT class wins driving BMW machinery. A spectacular end-over-end crash at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2006 tested his resilience, and in 2009 he responded by capturing the first ALMS pole position for BMW in eight years at Road America.
The 2011 season marked Hand’s breakthrough on the international endurance stage. Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing alongside Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, and Graham Rahal, he co-won the 2011 24 Hours of Daytona in the No. 01 Riley-BMW Daytona Prototype. That same year, the BMW Motorsport team he drove for won the GT class at the 2011 12 Hours of Sebring, and he later joined BMW Motorsport at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he finished third in the GTE-Pro class driving a BMW M3. He continued his strong form in 2012, repeating the GT class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring with BMW Rahal and taking three podiums across seven appearances, while also finishing sixth overall at the 24 Hours of Daytona in a Ganassi BMW.
Ford Factory Era and Le Mans Victory (2014–Present)
Hand joined the Ford factory program for the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, reuniting with teammate Dirk Müller and adding Sébastien Bourdais for the endurance events. Driving the 2017 Ford GT in LMGTE-Pro specification, Hand, Müller, and Bourdais won the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, delivering Ford a memorable result on the global stage.
In parallel, Hand expanded into NASCAR beginning in 2021 with Rick Ware Racing, competing in road course events in the No. 15 during 2022 with a best finish of twentieth at Sonoma and a best start of ninth at Road America. On June 12, 2024, he was announced as the driver of the No. 60 for RFK Racing at the Chicago Street Race, where he captured his first career NASCAR Cup Series stage win, led seven laps, and finished fourth after being passed late by Alex Bowman. He currently represents BMW Team RBM, while remaining part of the Ford factory driver lineup.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hand is widely regarded as a smooth, technically precise driver with particular strength on road courses, street circuits, and long endurance events. His race craft shines in traffic management, tire conservation, and stint strategy, qualities that have made him a valued co-driver in prototype and GT programs. His seamless transitions between sports cars, open-wheel cars, and stock cars reflect a versatile skill set refined across three decades of professional competition.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments in Hand’s career include co-winning the 2011 24 Hours of Daytona, the 2011 and 2012 GT class at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGTE Pro class. In NASCAR, his stage win and fourth-place finish at the 2024 Chicago Street Race for RFK Racing stands out as his most prominent Cup Series achievement to date.
Joey Hand Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hand was born in Sacramento, California, and credits his family environment for nurturing his early interest in motorsports. The support of his relatives helped him pursue karting as a preteen and gradually climb the ladder toward professional racing.
Personal Life
Hand is married to his wife, Natalie, and the couple has two children. Family remains a central part of his life as he continues to balance an international racing schedule with time at home.
2025 Season Performance
Joey Hand’s 2025 campaign centers on his continued association with BMW Team RBM, where he serves as a manufacturer-backed driver. His program is expected to focus on sports car and GT competition, drawing on his deep experience with BMW machinery and his recent success in the Ford factory program.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Hand is positioned as a road course and street circuit specialist. His fourth-place run and stage win at the 2024 Chicago Street Race for RFK Racing established a strong benchmark, and his Cup Series career number 4 car remains part of his broader identity across racing categories.
With the 2025 schedule featuring additional road course and street circuit events, Hand’s versatility and endurance racing pedigree should keep him in contention for stage points and strong finishes. His ongoing collaboration with established teams underscores a season oriented toward consistent results and selective opportunities.