Thanks to Oregon State University’s partnership with Toyota, the Sam Hunt Racing team and NASCAR driver, Dean Thompson, will roll out today at Portland International Raceway in an OSU-themed car.
The Beaver car was on display Friday in front of Reser Stadium.
“It’s really cool. I’m excited to represent you guys, and I’m really excited to be here. Hopefully I can put on a good show,” said Thompson, driver No. 26, on the opportunity to partner with OSU.
This weekend, the next chapter in Thompson’s 2025 season will take place in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at PIR, the Pacific Office Automation 147.
And this time, he’ll be doing it in orange and black.
“Growing up, my dad and I always watched NASCAR Sundays. I started (racing) when I was 9, but it became taxing, you know, being a 9-year-old and all,” Thompson said. “But my buddy invited me to a race, and I fell back in love with it, and began my journey there.”
Thompson is coming off a seventh-place finish at Daytona International Speedway where he raced against 38 other drivers in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Aug. 22.
That finish marks his sixth top-10 finish in a race this season.
“It was nerve racking, I gotta take every opportunity I can to rest now, but yeah that was just an insane experience,” Thompson said.
OSU’s official Instagram account revealed on Monday that the Sam Hunt Racing team was partnering with the university and Toyota to give their Toyota GR Supra a Beaver overlay.
“Sam Hunt, they’re awesome man, it takes a village,” Thompson said of his team. “I can’t emphasize enough how important my team around me is.”
The Pacific Office will be Thompson’s 25th race of the season.
Thompson has primarily raced in the South and on the East Coast this year. This will be his first race in the Pacific Northwest.
“You just gotta know the situation you’re in, and you gotta be aware of factors out of your control at all times. This road will be different, but I’ve had a good experience with different courses, but it still gets pretty intense. It’s just a different mindset to have,” Thompson said.
So far this season, Thompson has led 11 laps and has an average finish of 16.8. He showed his eagerness to raise that average this weekend: “Like I said, I hope to put on a show, and have some fun for y’all,” Thompson said.
The OSU-themed race car, Thompson, and the Sam Hunt Racing team will hit the track at 1940 N. Victory Blvd. in Portland, Oregon, today at 4:30 p.m.
