🇺🇸 Mike Stefanik

Mike Stefanik was an entry-level professional racing stock cars in NASCAR Xfinity, a national single-class championship mixing amateur and professional competitors. He made 26 starts for CAA Performance Group between 1992 and 2000, racing primarily on oval circuits with occasional road-course appearances.[1]

Stefanik's indexed record in Xfinity spans eight seasons and shows him competing regularly against established professionals. He typically finished behind Mike McLaughlin and Tim Fedewa, both significantly more experienced in the series with over 300 starts each. He did finish ahead of Tony Stewart once and Kevin Harvick three times, though both were substantially stronger competitors; Stewart was already an IndyCar champion and Harvick would go on to win multiple Xfinity titles and a long NASCAR Cup Series career. The record reflects a driver at the lower end of professional competition, outpaced by the regulars in the field but capable of occasional results against drivers of considerably higher standing.[2]

Stefanik's racing career, however, extended far beyond the indexed Xfinity starts. He became the dominant force in NASCAR's Modified division, capturing seven championships in that series and ranking among the greatest drivers in the category's history. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2022, with nine total NASCAR championships across his career, tying the all-time record.