Knoxville’s Chad Finchum is no stranger to success in racing. At an early age, he was winning races and championships in the Bandolero division before moving up to full size cars where his success continued.
Like all young drivers, Finchum’s goal was to make it to NASCAR’s Cup Series. After winning a K&N East race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016 for Eric McClure of Martin-McClure Racing, nephew of former Cup owner Larry McClure, things were going in the right direction for Finchum. Plans were for more racing with McClure in the then-Xfinity Series and possibly moving to the Cup series.
McClure encountered a number of health problems that prompted the closure of his race team. Finchum signed on with MBM Motorsports to drive in the Xfinity Series in 2017 in select races. Finchum moved to full time for MBM in 2018 and also made his Cup debut at Bristol in April 2018.
Finchum was hopeful of catching the eye of a bigger team or big sponsorship that would allow him to find his career path into a full-time ride in the Cup Series. While that has yet to materialize, Finchum continues to soldier on driving for Garage 66 (formerly MBM) in Cup races where he can find sponsorship.
“It’s all about sponsorship money to get into a quality ride, or any ride, on any level of NASCAR,” Finchum said. “That’s one side of the sport people don’t see, what it really takes to get a ride on any level of NASCAR. It’s an expensive sport and takes a lot of money to get into it.”
After several seasons in the Xfinity Series, Finchum found that sponsors were easier to get on the Cup level for more money. Many see the exposure a sponsor can get from a Cup race where nearly every car is on screen several times a race versus the now-O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where some cars are rarely shown on TV.
Chad Finchum and his son, Caden, at Bristol.
Finchum considers the 2026 season to be one of his best seasons despite only making seven starts in the Cup Series. Finchum has attracted more sponsors with the hope of more coming onboard for 2027. The highlight was leading 8 laps at Talladega in the spring race.
“That was such a thrill”, Finchum stated. “I know a lot of those guys were on a fuel-saving run and weren’t at full speed. But we decided we were going to the front to get ourselves on TV and show we can do it. I’ll never forget that.”
Finchum will cap off the 2026 season at Homestead with Garage 66, making it his 8th start of the season. Finchum is hoping to make the final race something to draw more sponsors to make more Cup starts.
“We’re hoping to draw more sponsors, get new partners into NASCAR at the Cup level,” Finchum said. “There is some interest in what we are doing, being a smaller team. As I look back, I think we’re headed a step into the right direction. 2027 is looking bright.”
Finchum is also building partnerships beyond the racetrack, using social media to connect businesses with his audience and create opportunities for future race sponsorships. Among those partners is Widener’s Reloading & Shooting Supply, an East Tennessee-based online retailer of ammunition, reloading supplies and shooting accessories.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with Widener’s through our social media partnership,” Finchum said. “Being from East Tennessee myself, it means a lot to represent a business with local roots. They offer a great selection, competitive pricing and fast shipping, and I’ve enjoyed introducing them to our fans through some fun, creative content. I see a lot of potential to keep growing that relationship, and hopefully that opens the door to doing something together on the racing side in 2027. And for your next purchase on their website use code CHAD66 for $15 off any order of $200 or more!”
Fans can follow Finchum on his Facebook page and other social media sites.
