Jake Finch Bio
James David “Jake” Finch Jr. (born June 16, 2005) is an American professional stock car racing driver from Lynn Haven, Florida. He has competed part-time across the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the ARCA Menards Series, building a reputation as a promising young talent with a deep family connection to the sport. Over the past several seasons, he has driven for notable teams including Hendrick Motorsports, JR Motorsports, Venturini Motorsports, and Nitro Motorsports.
Finch first gained national attention in the ARCA Menards Series, where he captured his first career victory in dominant fashion. He later advanced to NASCAR’s national ranks, making his Xfinity Series debut in 2025 and expanding his schedule with JR Motorsports in 2026.
Early Life and Background
Jake Finch was born in Lynn Haven, Florida, and grew up in a household with strong ties to motorsports. His father, James Finch, is the owner of the former NASCAR Cup Series team Phoenix Racing and also runs an airport construction company called Phoenix Construction. That family background gave Jake early access to race shops, equipment, and the wider stock car community in the Southeast.
Before he ever turned a wheel in a stock car, Finch was an active baseball player for his local school, sharpening his hand-eye coordination and competitive instincts on the diamond. He later attended A. Crawford Mosley High School, graduating in the class of 2023, and balanced his studies with a rapidly growing racing schedule.
Finch began racing go-karts at a young age, learning the basics of race craft, car control, and patience before stepping into heavier machinery. Those early karting years laid the foundation for a smooth transition into late model racing once he reached his mid-teens.
Path to NASCAR
In 2020, Finch drove in three late model races for Anthony Campi Racing. He won his first start after dominating the race and leading the most laps, then finished second in his next two outings, an impressive debut that signaled his readiness for higher-level competition. In 2021, Phoenix Racing reopened its doors, and Finch ran several late model races with his family team, gaining valuable seat time and track experience.
The 2022 season marked Finch’s entry into NASCAR-sanctioned competition. On March 15, 2022, Phoenix Racing announced that he would make his ARCA Menards Series East debut at Five Flags Speedway, the team’s first NASCAR-sanctioned race since 2013. He also signed with Venturini Motorsports for selected East and main ARCA events, and he dipped into the SRL Southwest Tour with Phoenix Racing, posting finishes of 22nd and 23rd in his first two starts. That blend of regional touring series and ARCA competition gave him a well-rounded development path toward NASCAR.
Jake Finch Career
Early Career (2020–2022)
Finch’s first notable results came in late model competition, where his three-race run with Anthony Campi Racing in 2020 produced a win, two runner-up finishes, and a reputation for leading laps. That success opened the door to a larger opportunity with Phoenix Racing in 2021, when the family-owned team returned to action and put him behind the wheel for several late model events.
By 2022, Finch was balancing a regional schedule with his first ARCA-level races. He posted top-ten finishes in two ARCA Menards Series West starts for Phoenix Racing, ran selected East Series rounds, and competed in the SRL Southwest Tour. He finished sixth in the East Series standings despite running a partial slate, an early sign that he could perform against veteran competition while still learning the ropes.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2022–2024)
Finch’s 2023 ARCA campaign produced his first major breakthrough. At the East Series race at Dover, driving for Venturini Motorsports, he held off Landen Lewis in a side-by-side battle on the final restart to earn his first career ARCA Menards Series East win. He also dominated the event, leading a race-high 89 laps and confirming his superspeedway and intermediate-track potential.
In 2024, Finch returned to Venturini on a partial schedule, opening the year at Daytona International Speedway, where he led the most laps before being involved in a multi-car crash while leading on the final lap. He bounced back at Talladega Superspeedway by leading every lap of the General Tire 200 to claim his first career ARCA Menards Series victory. The run was historic, marking the first Talladega race in series history in which a driver led every lap to win. He also posted a best ARCA main-series finish of 18th that year, a mark matched again in 2025.
Finch remained with Venturini in 2025 and was originally scheduled to compete at Michigan International Speedway, but he withdrew due to illness and was replaced by Corey Heim. On January 13, 2026, it was announced that he would drive for Nitro Motorsports at Daytona and Talladega, signaling a continued evolution of his team partnerships at the ARCA level.
Hendrick Motorsports and JR 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 2025 season, driving the No. 17 for Hendrick Motorsports. The team confirmed in July that his debut would take place at Dover, where he lined up for the BetRivers 200. Driving a Chevrolet Camaro SS, he began his tenure with one of the most decorated organizations in the sport, finishing the season 58th in the Xfinity standings.
On March 25, 2026, it was announced that Finch would drive the No. 9 for JR Motorsports in five races, expanding his national series presence and aligning him with another championship-winning team. Across his ARCA Menards Series career, he has accumulated 1 win, 14 top-ten finishes, and 1 pole, while in the ARCA Menards Series East he has 1 win, 13 top tens, and 1 pole, underscoring the consistency that has driven his rise through the ranks.
Driving Style and Strengths
Finch has shown particular strength on superspeedways, where his ability to lead laps and manage traffic has translated into results at Daytona and Talladega. He has also demonstrated poise in late-race restarts, most notably in his side-by-side victory at Dover in 2023, suggesting strong race craft and a willingness to battle for position. His development under the Venturini Motorsports banner, and later at Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports, has paired him with experienced crew chiefs and engineers, helping him refine his approach across both short tracks and high-speed ovals.
Notable Races and Milestones
Finch’s most memorable result remains the 2024 General Tire 200 at Talladega, where he led every lap to become the first driver in ARCA Menards Series history to win a Talladega race in such fashion. His first ARCA Menards Series East win at Dover in 2023 and his 2022 East Series pole at Nashville are also signature moments, along with his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Dover in 2025. A best ARCA main-series finish of 18th in both 2024 and 2025 rounds out a résumé that is steadily trending upward.
Jake Finch Career Wins
Jake Finch has built a growing list of verified victories across the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East. His wins have come on a mix of intermediate tracks and superspeedways, demonstrating his versatility as a stock car racing driver.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Finch has 1 ARCA Menards Series win, 14 top-ten finishes, and 1 pole across his career in the series. His first and most recent series win came at the 2024 General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway, where he led every lap in a historic performance. He has also recorded a best series finish of 18th in 2024 and 2025, reflecting steady improvement against increasingly competitive fields.
Other Wins and Performances
In the ARCA Menards Series East, Finch has earned 1 win, 13 top-ten finishes, and 1 pole, including his breakthrough 2023 General Tire 125 victory at Dover. He also logged a best East Series points result of 6th in 2022 while running a partial schedule, and he added 6 top-ten finishes in the ARCA Menards Series West without a win. Earlier in his development, he captured a late model win in his first start for Anthony Campi Racing in 2020, leading the most laps in a dominant debut performance.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCA Menards Series | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| ARCA Menards Series West | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Jake Finch Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jake Finch comes from a family with deep roots in American motorsports. His father, James Finch, owns the former NASCAR Cup Series team Phoenix Racing, which was sold to Harry Scott Jr. in 2013 and later reopened its doors with Jake behind the wheel. The family also runs Phoenix Construction, an airport construction company, giving the Finches a strong business presence in the Southeast alongside their racing operations.
Personal Life
Finch attended A. Crawford Mosley High School in Florida and graduated in the class of 2023. Before committing to racing, he was an active baseball player for his local school, a background that helped sharpen his hand-eye coordination and competitive drive. He continues to balance his rising racing career with his personal life in Florida, where he has been based throughout his development.
2025 Season Performance
Finch’s 2025 season was defined by his long-awaited arrival in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. After Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced on The Dale Jr. Download in April that he would drive the No. 17 for Hendrick Motorsports, the team confirmed in July that his debut would come at Dover in the BetRivers 200. The campaign positioned him inside one of the most respected organizations in the sport, providing access to elite resources as he adjusted to national-series competition. He finished the year 58th in the Xfinity Series standings while continuing to learn the demands of stock car racing’s second tier.
He also remained with Venturini Motorsports for a partial ARCA Menards Series schedule, building on his 2024 Talladega triumph. He was originally scheduled to compete at Michigan International Speedway but withdrew due to illness, with Corey Heim stepping in as a replacement. Across ARCA competition in 2025, he matched his best main-series points finish of 18th, reinforcing his consistency at the development level while he gained experience in NASCAR.
Looking ahead, Finch’s 2026 plans are already taking shape. He will drive the No. 9 for JR Motorsports in five Xfinity Series races, expanding his national-series exposure alongside continued ARCA efforts with Nitro Motorsports at Daytona and Talladega. With a Hendrick Motorsports alliance, a JR Motorsports expansion, and continued growth in ARCA, Finch heads into the next chapter of his career with strong momentum and clear development pathways.
