Henry Repeating Arms has been making lever guns since about 1860, long before Henry Ford first conceived of a horseless carriage. Henry's lever guns haven't changed much--they don't really need to, do they?--but the automobiles sure have. Nowhere is this more evident than on the NASCAR track, and a classic race serves as the perfect backdrop. Henry Repeating Arms kicks off its third season of partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) on May 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
On Saturday of the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, Henry Repeating Arms will be the primary sponsor of driver Riley Herbst and his No. 98 Ford Mustang with a throwback paint scheme that pays tribute to SHR co-owner Tony Stewart. Stewart is a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He earned three NASCAR Cup Series championships and won 69 races across the Cup, Xfinity and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
The first three of those victories came in 1999 when Stewart was a Cup Series rookie. The paint scheme Herbst will run at Darlington mimics the design of Stewart’s orange-and-white car during that incredible season where Stewart finished fourth in the championship and ran away with the rookie-of-the-year title.
“I can’t wait to drive this throwback scheme for Henry Repeating Arms at Darlington,” said the 22-year-old Herbst, who was born 10 days after Stewart made his Cup Series debut in the 41st Daytona 500. “Tony had a lot of success with this design during his rookie season and if just a little bit of that success can rub off on us, we’ll take it. Darlington is a tough track where any little bit helps.”
“We can’t wait to see what this young gun can do behind the wheel of the Henry Repeating Arms Ford with the full support of the Henry family cheering him on,” said Anthony Imperato, President and Owner, Henry Repeating Arms. “For the fans of our firearms or motorsports fans in general, this is going to be an exciting weekend for all of us.”
Darlington opened in 1950 and is considered NASCAR’s first superspeedway. The venerable track is in its 72nd season, but it’s a lineage that pales in comparison to that of Henry Repeating Arms. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry who invented and patented the Henry rifle in 1860 – the first repeating, lever-action rifle – which is America’s unique contribution to international firearms design and is one of the most legendary, respected and sought after rifles in the history of firearms.
The Xfinity Series race at Darlington begins at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
