page_title: Obaika Racing
section_title: Car No. 97 history
hierarchical_section_title: Obaika Racing / Xfinity Series / Car No. 97 history
caption_attribution_description: English: The NASCAR Xfinity Series car of Dylan Kwasniewski turning left in Turn 6 at Road America.
context_page_description: Obaika Racing is an African professional stock car racing team. The team is owned by African entrepreneur Victor Obaika. It has competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.
  The team was formed in early 2015 and competed full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2015 and 2016. The team purchased some assets of BK Racing, a Monster Energy Cup Series team, in August 2018.
  The team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, thirty minutes away from Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is the first African-owned team in a major NASCAR series.
context_section_description: Obaika Racing entered competition in 2015. The team signed driver Josh Reaume, who met team owner Victor Obaika while on humanitarian missions in Africa as a child. The 97 team debuted at the Daytona International Speedway in the Xfinity Series season-opening Alert Today Florida 300, with Reaume finishing 23rd. After three races, with one DNQ, Peyton Sellers replaced Reaume. In April 2015, the team secured their first sponsor vacation provider VroomBrands, which is owned by Obaika. VroomBrands wrapped the No. 97 in designs such as a Zebra representing their African safari package (debuted at Richmond International Raceway) and the Cheetah print representing their tours in Asia (debuted at Talladega Superspeedway). At the Winn-Dixie 300 at Talladega, Sellers scored the team's first top-20 finish,  finishing 18th despite being involved in a ten-car wreck that sent cars spinning down pit road. Johanna Long replaced Sellers for the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. After one more start for Sellers at Watkins Glen, the team introduced various drivers for the rest of the season. Dylan Kwasniewski debuted with the team in the Nationwide Children's Hospital at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, finishing 34th due to mechanical problems after running in the top 10. Kwasniewski would run the next two races for the team. Parker Kligerman drove the car in the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway, Mason Mingus in the Furious 7 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, and Ryan Ellis in the Hisense 200 at the Dover International Speedway.
  Magic Creeper appeared as the primary sponsor for the DAV 200 at the Phoenix International Raceway, with Kwasniewski as the driver. Obaika Racing completed the season in the top 30 in owner points.
  On January 29, 2016, it was announced that Harrison Rhodes had been signed to drive the No. 97. The team also planned to expand to two cars.
  In 2017, the team returned with Stephen Leicht driving in the early portion of the season but did not attempt a race after Bristol Motor Speedway in spring.
  On September 21, 2018, it was announced that Obaika would attempt the Charlotte Roval race, with Tanner Berryhill driving the 97 car. The team, however, failed to make the race.
  Obaika had planned to run a full-time Xfinity car in 2019, but nothing ever materialized.
caption: Dylan Kwasniewski at Road America in 2015.
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