Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Kansas Speedway
Race: Kansas Lottery 300
Date: October 23, 2021

No. 22 Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 2nd
Stage 1: 3rd
Stage 2: 1st – 11th stage win of 2021
Finish: 2nd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 200/200
Laps Led: 151
Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+0)

Notes:

• Austin Cindric started second, won the second stage and finished second in Saturday afternoon’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway in the No. 22 Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang. Cindric scored 18 stage points and sits 47 points above the cutline to advance to the Championship 4 race as the NASCAR XFINITY Series heads for Martinsville Speedway next week for the penultimate event of the 2021 season. The second-place finish marked the 20th top-five result of the season for the No. 22 team as they chase their second consecutive NASCAR XFINITY Series Championship.
• After starting from the second position, Cindric claimed the lead on the 10th lap of the race with the No. 22 Odyssey Battery Mustang, immediately asking spotter Coleman Pressley to help him manage his gap to second place. A restart with eight laps remaining in Stage 1 would see Cindric shuffled back to the third position when the green-checkered was displayed. A quick four-tire stop would send the No. 22 Ford back off pit road in the race lead to start the second stage.
• Cindric led the second stage wire-to-wire, collecting 10 points for the stage win, his 11th of the 2021 NASCAR XFINITY Series season. Under the stage caution, Cindric reported he might have lost a little turn in the No. 22 Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang, but overall had no complaints with the handling. Under the caution, the team added tape to the nose.
• Through the opening 30 laps of the final stage, Cindric reported the Odyssey Battery Mustang had taken a step to the loose side but was able to maintain the lead until a caution flag at lap 135 setup the teams to return to pit road. Another caution flag would bring Cindric back down pit road for a four tire stop at lap 156 with the team making another air pressure adjustment, bolting on their final set of sticker Goodyear Racing Eagles. Cindric restarted 11th and climbed to seventh before another caution at lap 160.
• Cindric would reclaim the lead at lap 167 and was immediately reminded to conserve his tires for the end of the race. With 11 laps remaining, Cindric was passed for the race lead by eventual race winner Ty Gibbs but powered through to a second-place finish a career best at Kansas Speedway. Cindric led a race high 151 laps.

Quote: “It was a great points day in our Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang. I really would have loved to lock our way in and race for a win at Martinsville, that would be huge for us. Congrats to the 54, Ty (Gibbs). That whole team has been on it no matter who is in the car. They have earned it. It sucks to lose one that late in the race. Not the first time, but I didn’t spontaneously crash in the playoff Kansas race this time, so it is okay I guess. I hate losing but we will move on. In the bigger picture, it was a good day.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Louisiana Hot Sauce / Hy-Vee Chevrolet Team Show Speed at Kansas Speedway and Earn Top-10 Finish

Finish: 10th
Start: 15th
Points: 10th

“We had such a fast Louisiana Hot Sauce/Hy-Vee Chevrolet today at Kansas Speedway. Everyone at Richard Childress Racing did a great job, and we had one of the best cars we’ve had all year. We started the race 15th but quickly got into a rhythm as the top line came in and worked our way into sixth by the stage end. We kept up with adjustments all day and posted some of the fastest lap times throughout the race. It was good to run up front today and race as high as second. Towards the end of Stage 3, we stayed out to try and take advantage of track position because we didn’t have a set of fresh tires to put on our Chevy. Tires proved too valuable and we ended up finishing 10th. It’s not the finish we wanted, but it was a good run and we showed them what we could do.”

-Myatt Snider

TY GIBBS SCORES FOURTH XFINITY SERIES WIN AT KANSAS
Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Supra Claims 11th Victory of 2021

KANSAS CITY (October 23, 2021) – In just his 17th Xfinity Series start of the season, Ty Gibbs scored his fourth victory in the Xfinity Series Saturday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. The win marked the 11th win of the season for the No. 54 Toyota Supra team as they continue to battle for the 2021 Owner’s Championship.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Kansas Speedway
Race 31 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, TY GIBBS
2nd, Austin Cindric*
3rd, AJ Allmendinger*
4th, Justin Haley*
5th, Ryan Sieg*
11th, BRANDON JONES
15th, DANIEL HEMRIC
17th, GARRETT SMITHLEY
27th, DYLAN LUPTON
32nd, LORIS HEZEMANS
34th, HARRISON BURTON
37th, MASON MASSEY
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How were you able to overcome some of the things you did in today’s race?

“First of all, I just want to say thank you to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and everybody that’s helped me – Monster Energy, Toyota, everybody at TRD and everybody at Interstate Batteries. Mitch (Covington, Monster Energy) and everyone. I’m just at a loss for words right now, this is awesome. To have four wins in my Xfinity rookie season is just unbelievable. I’m very thankful and blessed. This is just awesome.”

How patient did you have to be to make the pass on Austin Cindric?

“We had to be really patient with the way the track was and we were on the top so a lot of dirty air. We had to make sure that we could just get him a little loose with air and then side draft him and pull away. I felt like that was the best way to pass him. It was hard because he could run the bottom and then just be completely stalled out. This is just awesome. I’ve got one more tonight.”

What will you do for the next hour before your ARCA race?

“I don’t know, it’s not an hour, I think it’s quicker than that. I’m probably going to have some peanut butter and honey sandwiches and some bananas and some Monster Energy to keep me awake. Just thank you again, thank you everybody.”

What does it mean to get your fourth Xfinity Series win of the season?

“It was, you know, man what a day. First off, I want to say all Glory to my Father Above. Everything goes to him. This is awesome. I can’t thank everybody enough that helps me. Monster Energy, you know, everyone that’s a part of this deal. I am so blessed. I just want to say Thank You. This is just wonderful.”

Back to the initial question, how did you make the pass on Austin Cindric to win the race?

“Sorry, I forgot to answer your question. I’m at a loss of words right now. I just feel like he got a little bit free and slowed down a little bit in three and four and I could just get to his left rear and side draft him and get away from him. Luckily, I pulled away. I got loose a couple of times over there, but I was just trying to give it my all. Just trying to come back with the win. To have four wins this year in the Xifinity Series is unbelievable. Like I said, all Glory to the Man Above. You know, I wouldn’t be here without Him.”

HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 Morton Buildings/DEX Imaging Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 34th

What happened that took you out of the race?

“I haven’t really had time to watch it yet as I just got out of the infield care center. I just know that I was suddenly heading towards the fence. It was such a bummer, we were so fast today. I felt like this was one of our better races. We were really building on it and building on it, but now we’ll just go on to Martinsville and try to kick their tail.”

What happened in the accident that ended your day?

“Yea, I don’t know what really happened to be honest with you. I haven’t had a chance to see it. We were fast today. We felt like this was a race we were finally showing what we were capable of and it’s been a rough couple of weeks really. I don’t know it’s just so frustrating. I don’t know if I did something wrong or not and until I can get chance to watch what happens I won’t really know. What I do know is that we were in contention to win. In racing, that’s all you can do. We put ourselves in a situation where we have to do it again, but we are coming off of a race where we had speed so there’s confidence in that. Just bummed out it didn’t work out.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Kansas Lottery 300 | Saturday, October 23, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
2nd — Austin Cindric
5th — Ryan Sieg
13th — Riley Herbst

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Odyssey Batteries Ford Mustang — Finished 2nd

“It was a great points day in our Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang. I really would have loved to lock our way in and race for a win at Martinsville, that would be huge for us. Congrats to the 54, Ty (Gibbs). That whole team has been on it no matter who is in the car. They have earned it. It sucks to lose one that late in the race. Not the first time, but I didn’t spontaneously crash in the playoff Kansas race this time, so it is okay I guess. I hate losing but we will move on. In the bigger picture, it was a good day.”

WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED AT THE END? “A little bit of this, a little bit of that. I feel like those guys were the class of the field today between the 54 and the 20. I feel like I could hold my own with the track position and we did a good job being consistent and not making mistakes today. Maybe if I didn’t enter as high I could have maybe air-blocked a little better. The cooler it got the freer I was getting. I thought the tire cycle would help me, but it didn’t help me. I would have loved the win to lock our way in, but it is better than crashing out at a Kansas playoff race like I have the last three years. We led a lot of laps but finished second, but it could have been a lot worse.”

HOW SURPRISED ARE YOU THAT NOBODY HAS CLINCHED A SPOT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4 YET? “I think the better question is how surprised am I that the 54 has won two races in a row. I am not surprised in the slightest. Those guys have done an incredible job all year. They have won a lot of races with a lot of different drivers. Sometimes it is a challenge to try to beat that some days.”

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE GOING INTO MARTINSVILLE WITH THE POINTS LEAD YOU HAVE? “I am more comfortable than anyone else can be I guess. The good thing about Martinsville is it takes a lot to hit hard enough to get you out of the race. We probably just need to finish that one and we will be in the show. That is really all that matters for us but I would really like to try to race for a win at Martinsville.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 CMR Construction and Roofing Ford Mustang — Finished 5th

“It was a great day. We had a fast CMR Roofing Ford Mustang. We were just a little off at the beginning from what I needed. The guys made great adjustments on it and got it better and we got closer and closer to the front. The strategy worked out for us and we were able to come out of there with a top five. A good day for us, great day for the team.”

Jordan Anderson Racing NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Kansas Speedway; October 23, 2021

Track: Kansas Speedway– Tri- Oval (1.5-Miles)
Race: Kansas Lottery 300; 200 Laps– 45/45/110; 300 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Saturday; October 23, 2021 3:00 PM ET
TV: NBC and the NBC Sports App
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) – Check Local Listings, and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
Social Media: Jordan Anderson Racing; Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Jordan Anderson– No. 31 Bommarito Automotive Group
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Kansas Speedway

News and Notes:

– Starting Position; 30-year-old Team Owner/ Driver Jordan Anderson of Forest Acres, S.C., will start the Kansas Lottery 300 from the 27th position at Kansas Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Due to no practice or qualifying the starting lineup was calculated by the competition-based performance metrics system; fastest lap in the previous race 15 percent, driver finish from previous race 25 percent, owner points 25 percent, and driver points 35 percent.

– Kansas Speedway Stats; The Kansas Lottery 300 will mark Anderson’s sixth NASCAR Xfinity Series (NSX) start of the 2021 season, and first NXS start at the Kansas Speedway. Since 2015, Anderson has competed annually in the NASCAR Camping World Series (NCWTS) race at Kansas Speedway. In nine starts at the 1.5-mile Tri-Oval Anderson holds an average finish of 23.22 with a best finish of 13th coming in 2013.

Featured Partners

-Bommarito Automotive Group; A primary supporter of Jordan Anderson Racing, Bommarito Automotive Group is celebrating 50 years in the St. Louis marketplace, the Bommarito Automotive Group currently operates 20 automotive franchises throughout every St. Louis neighborhood led by president John Bommarito and the over 900 dedicated team members. Bommarito is recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as Missouri’s No. 1 selling automotive group and is currently ranked 52nd in the nation. What once started as a vision to have one Bommarito vehicle in every driveway, is today a reality thanks to the ‘Where Price Sells Cars” mission.

For more information on the Bommarito Automotive Group, visit them online at Bommarito.com, and follow their social channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

– Chassis; JAR will bring Chassis No. 105 for Anderson to compete with in Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Chassis No. 105 would last compete for JAR at the Richmond Raceway in the Go Bowling 250 with Josh Berry driving the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS to a 24th place finish. Prior to Richmond, Berry would steer No. 105 to a Top-Ten finish at Pocono Raceway in his second start with JAR. In No. 105’s debut for JAR at Texas Motor Speedway in June team owner Jordan Anderson would experience clutch issues at the start and would come home with 34th place finish.

About Jordan Anderson Racing

Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) is a NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson. Established in 2018, JAR has competed full-time in the last three NCWTS seasons claiming back-to-back runner-up finishes in the 2020 & 2021 season opening NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway. JAR fields a full-time entry in the NXS Series; the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS driven by Jordan Anderson, Tyler Reddick, Josh Berry, Kaz Grala, Sage Karam, Erik Jones, Austin & Ty Dillon. JAR also fields the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for select drivers in the NCWTS.

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Kansas Speedway
RACE: Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBC / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett enters this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway on a run of three straight top-eight finishes at the 1.5-mile oval. Annett finished eighth in his last two starts there, with a fourth-place run in the fall of 2019 as his best finish in 10 total starts.
• The No. 1 team enters the second race of the Round of 8 in the owner’s championship playoffs eighth in the standings, just 19 points off a transfer spot to the Championship 4 with two races remaining.
• The Iowa native will return to his familiar Pilot Flying J livery this weekend, with Pilot Flying J’s MyRewards Plus messaging on the TV panel.

Sam Mayer
No. 8 QPS Employment Group Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer will make his first NXS start at Kansas Speedway this weekend in the QPS Employment Group Chevrolet.
• Mayer brought home his best 1.5-mile finish in his first start on an intermediate track. The 18-year-old finished ninth at Atlanta to earn his first NXS career top-10 effort in only his third start.
• To date, Mayer has tallied four top-10 finishes and has led a total of 57 laps with his most recent top 10 coming at the Charlotte Roval.
• Throughout the 2021 season, the No. 8 team has posted one win (Martinsville Speedway), four top fives and 11 top 10s.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his 100th career NXS start on Saturday. His first start came on April 20, 2018 at Richmond Raceway, and the then-18-year-old Las Vegas native finished second.
• Noah Gragson enters the second race of the Round of 8 in the NXS Playoffs this weekend as the fourth seed in the playoff standings, two points above the playoff cut line.
• On 1.5-mile tracks this season, Gragson has finished third in the last three races (Texas, Las Vegas and Atlanta). Overall, the young driver has five top-five and six top-10 finishes in eight 1.5-mile starts this season.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier enters the second race in the Round of 8 third in the NXS Playoff Grid, four points above the cut line.
• In 11 previous NXS starts at Kansas, Allgaier has scored three top fives and eight top 10s.
• According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Allgaier ranks first in quality passes (374), first in positions gained in the final 10 percent of a race (22), second in laps run inside the top 15 (1,706) and second in green flag passes (471) at Kansas.
• In nine starts on 1.5-mile tracks this season, Allgaier has earned one win (Atlanta Motor Speedway – March), five top fives and six top 10s.

Driver Quotes

“Our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet has been solid at Kansas the last three times we’ve raced there, and our run last week at Texas was solid all the way around. We had speed and could race with the leaders. I expect to have the same thing this weekend and to move forward in the owner’s playoff standings. We made good progress last week, and we need to do that again to have a chance to move on to the Championship 4 after Martinsville.” – Michael Annett

“Kansas will be interesting this weekend for sure. We’ve had good speed all season long on the mile-and-a-half tracks and I feel confident that that will continue again on Saturday with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. Hopefully we can have a smooth day, earn stage points at the end of both stages and be in contention for the win to get ourselves in as good a position as possible to move on in these playoffs. We all know what we need to do, now we just need to go out and execute the same way we have been all season.” – Justin Allgaier

“We ran towards the front for a lot of the race last weekend in Texas and hopefully we can do more of the same in Kansas. There are more grooves to use in Kansas which will lend itself to make more passes. It’s another new track for me so the quicker I can learn the better we will be towards the end of the race. Hopefully this QPS Employment Group Chevrolet can be in contention for the win.” – Sam Mayer

“Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and this No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team gave me a fast car last year until we wrecked following a restart and had our only finish worse than third in the playoffs. I know I will have another good car this weekend, we just need to put the entire race together and we will be there at the end. We only have two more opportunities to lock ourselves into Phoenix and it starts this weekend.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates

• JRM at Kansas: JRM has competed in the “Land of Oz” a combined 44 times in the NXS. Over the course of those 44 starts at the 1.5-mile facility, the organization has tallied 13 top fives and 25 top 10s, while holding an average finish of 13.5. JRM has finished in the runner-up position three times (2014, 2016, 2020). It’s one of only six active facilities where JRM seeks its first victory.
• #makeovermybackyard: Enter for your chance to win a Backyard Makeover Shopping Trip at Sam’s Club with Justin Allgaier*. Buy any participating Knorr, Lipton, Hellmann’s or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise product at Sam’s Club or samsclub.com between Oct. 14, 2021 and Nov. 30, 2021 to enter to win a three-day trip to Charlotte, N.C. for a $6,000 Shopping Trip to Sam’s Club with JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier for an outdoor/backyard makeover. *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER THE SWEEPSTAKES. Void in AK, HI and where prohibited.
• myRewards Plus™ app: Save time and money on the road at Pilot Flying J Travel Centers and One9 Fuel Network locations with the myRewards Plus™ app, the rewards program made for drivers™. The app offers more of what matters on the road: more savings, more convenience and more time-saving features to plus-up your next stop. Professional drivers can earn up to four points per gallon only in the myRewards Plus™ app by activating the tiered points program every month. It has a trip planner, which has exclusive offers to find the best places to stop and save along the road with clean, fast and friendly service at Pilot Flying J Travel Centers

Toyota Racing – Daniel Hemric
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

KANSAS CITY (October 19, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Daniel Hemric was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Kansas race weekend today:

DANIEL HEMRIC, No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Is it easy for you to keep the Championship 4 mindset since you have been there before?

“First off, it’s never easy. We’ve seen guys dominate and miss out, and we’ve seen myself and a few others make it on points. Just the unknown is there for everyone, which I feel like drives the NASCAR fanbase, especially once we get to the Playoffs. That’s why we show up and try to be better each and every week. Better the following week than we were before, and we are no different. You just have to show up and try to do your part. It’s not easy by any means. I feel like you go into it and play to your strengths. I feel like we’ve done a good job of honing on those as the 18 team. That’s our play. We have to rely on our strengths. We have to go through the race weekends and execute to those strengths. You can’t control everybody else. You can’t control the decisions that they are going to make, how they are preparing, how they attack – but you can control yourself and that can take you far if you stick to that.”

Do you have a certain number of points you would like to be compared to the cutline going into Martinsville?

“Not that past results guarantee any part of future success, but I’ve honestly – even the times that I made it on points – I’ve worried zero about it. I go and try to run my race. Obviously, you are aware of other guys, but there is so much that can happen like that in all three series in a swing of a corner or someone’s decision. All of that worrying does you no good. You focus on yourself. I have no clear-cut point scenario that I look at. I know that Dave Rogers (crew chief), the engineers, the folks at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Toyota have all of metrics that say where you want to be. I personally don’t care. I go race and do my job. In years past in Xfinity, that’s given me that opportunity to run for a championship. I don’t look at this any different. Let’s go race.”

How much has being a father changed your perspective?

“It for sure changes it. Great question. I said it even last year going through some – really the last two years – going through some tough times, our little girl, Rhen, is 17 months old now. It’s really fun to enjoy the really good moments with them and to have that extra person and dynamic in your life to share those good moments with, but where I value it, the most is the tough days. The days that you can come home and have that outlet. It’s an incredible feeling like no other and I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful for my wife, Kenzie’s support. Our little girl, Rhen, is starting to have her own personality and things that make it that much more exciting, no matter what the day has given you. It’s a fun dynamic. Something that we are having a blast with. Any young parent knows that each day is different and that is the joy of it. No matter how your day goes, that is always fun to come home too.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Texas Motor Speedway
Race: Andy’s Frozen Custard 335
Date: October 16, 2021

No. 22 Snap-on Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 2nd
Stage 1: 1st – Tenth Stage Win of 2021
Stage 2: 11th
Finish: 5th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 200/200
Laps Led: 34
Point Standings (behind first): 2nd (-4)

Notes:

• Austin Cindric and the No.22 Snap-on Ford team opened the Round of 8 with a solid fifth-place finish Saturday afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway. The reigning series champion won the first stage for his 10th stage victory of the season and lead a total of 34 laps. The finish was also Cindric’s sixth top-five and seventh top-10 in eight starts at the Lone Star 1.5-mile oval. He heads into Kansas Speedway second in points, trailing championship points leader AJ Almendinger by 4 points.
• The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rulebook, which gave Cindric the second starting position. During the opening laps he steadily chipped away at championship rival AJ Allmendinger’s lead, capturing the top position on lap 14. He reported his Snap-on Ford was a little tight but solid. The third caution was displayed with six laps remaining in the first 45-lap stage, setting up for mixed pit road strategy and a one lap dash to the Stage 1 finish. Cindric was able to hold on to the lead position and capture the Stage 1 win. He came to pit road during the caution for four tires, fuel, and an adjustment to loosen up his Mustang as he restarted Stage 2 in the 19th position.
• He slipped to the 24th position on the restart, going three-wide but over the course of the caution filled second stage, raced his way to 11th. He radioed to his team that his Snap-on Ford was still tight and could use more turn. He pitted during the stage caution on lap 94 for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment to improve the balance on the No. 22 Mustang. Cindric lined up sixth when the race went green on lap 97.
• Shortly after the restart, Cindric raced his way back inside the top-five, running fourth when the ninth caution slowed the race on lap 141. Cindric said his Mustang was still a little tight and needed more stability to run with the leaders. Crew chief Brian Wilson called his driver to pit road for four tries, fuel, and another air pressure adjustment. Cindric restarted third with 51 laps to go. Over the course of the green flag run, Cindric fell to the fifth position still battling a tight racecar. The caution was displayed once again on lap 172 allowing the field to pit one final time. Wilson called for a round of wedge out of the Snap-on Ford to help the Mustang turn better, in addition to four fresh tires and fuel. The Mooresville, N.C. native restarted eighth with 21 laps left and raced his way to the fifth position by the end of the 200-lap race.

Quote: “It was a solid day. Obviously, the strategy there in Stage 1 that made for an eventful Stage 2 trying to get back through the field with our Snap-on Ford Mustang. I wish that would have been able to be more straight-up because we could have had good stage points. Otherwise, we just struggled tight and struggled to keep up with the track. I felt like we made a really good adjustment on the last run but just didn’t have enough laps. It was an interesting day. No major dramas. I feel like we brought a good package, it was just really hard to predict what the track was going to do with the resin they added. It was fun trying to learn that throughout the day. Obviously, we wanted to win to lock in, but we have a good amount of points to work with for the next two weeks.”

Herbst Finishes 12th at Texas
Monster Energy Ford Driver Earns 16th Top-15 of Season

Date: Oct. 16, 2021
Event: Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 (Round 30 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 20th / 12th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 11th (2,067 points)
Race Winner: John Hunter Nemechek of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: John Hunter Nemechek of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

After a 200-lap battle in the Lone Star State, Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team brought home their 16th top-15 finish of the 2021 season. The Las Vegas native finished 12th in Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. After starting 20th, Herbst wasted no time in his drive forward, moving up to 16th by lap eight. When the competition caution came out on lap 20, the 22-year-old driver reported that his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang fired off fine but became tight. Crew chief Richard Boswell kept Herbst out on the track to stick to the team’s pit strategy. After the lap-26 restart, Herbst ran as high as 13th for the remainder of the stage. A late-stage caution on lap 40 presented an opportunity for the No. 98 team. Herbst pitted for four tires, fuel, and a double adjustment to combat his tight-handling racecar. A majority of the leaders stayed out at that time, so while Herbst finished the stage in 20th, he was able to restart the second stage in sixth. When the race went back green on lap 52, the Las Vegas native was consistent. He ran as high as fifth and reported that his Ford Mustang was the best it had been all day. Herbst finished sixth to earn five bonus points and restarted the final stage seventh on lap 98 after a scheduled pit stop. He was battling for eighth when an accident brought out the caution flag on lap 100. The team kept its driver on the track to restart eighth. Herbst struggled in the dirty air on the restart and fell back to 14th. When the caution came out on lap 142, Herbst was running 13th. He reported that the car was good, but he continued to struggle with passing, similar to many other competitors. The No. 98 Monster Energy team brought its driver down pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. Herbst continued to run in the top-12 after the restart. He was 11th when another caution flag flew on lap 172. Boswell made the call to bring Herbst down pit road for the final stop of the race to put on four tires and fill up on fuel. In the final 21 laps, Herbst battled in the top-12, where he ultimately finished.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“Man, Texas is a tough track. We struggled with a tight Monster Energy Ford Mustang initially. During the second stage, we really showed some speed while running in the top-10. Unfortunately, it was hard to pass all day, so when we got shuffled back to 12th on the final restart, it was hard to get back up to the front. We’ll take what we learned and head to Kansas.”

Notes:

● Herbst finished sixth in Stage 2 to earn five bonus points.

● Herbst’s 12th-place result equaled his previous best finish at Texas – 12th, earned in June.

● John Hunter Nemechek won the Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 to score his second career Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Texas. His margin over second-place Daniel Hemric was 1.316 seconds.

● There were ten caution periods for a total of 54 laps.

● Nineteen of the 40 drivers in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 finished on the lead lap.

● A.J. Allmendinger remains the championship leader after Texas with an four-point advantage over second-place Cindric.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Kansas Lottery 300 on Saturday, Oct. 23 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK SCORES XFINITY SERIES WIN FOR JOE GIBBS RACING
Nemechek leads a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2 finish at Texas

FORT WORTH (October 16, 2021) – In his second start for Joe Gibbs Racing, Truck Series points leader John Hunter Nemechek scored the victory in the Xfinity Series at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Texas Motor Speedway
Race 30 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
2nd, DANIEL HEMRIC
3rd, Noah Gragson*
4th, Justin Allgaier*
5th, Austin Cindric*
8th, HARRISON BURTON
10th, BRANDON JONES
20th, AUSTIN HILL
27th, MASON MASSEY
34th, DAVID STARR
38th, DYLAN LUPTON
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 54 Romco Equipment Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How did you stay calm when you had to go to the back?

“Stevie Reeves (spotter) and Chris Gayle (crew chief) kept me calm. I think this year I’ve grown a lot as a driver and got put in position in the Truck Series as well. I can’t say enough about this whole team. The 54 has been fast every single week. My goal coming in was to win. I had to win to prove to myself that I can do this. It’s just like taking that step back to the Truck Series. I wanted to get back to Victory Lane. Huge shoutout to Romco Equipment Company. Thank you to all the fans that are here. It’s an amazing accomplishment to get this done – beating a teammate as well. We’re racing for an owners championship. I’m back in the 54 in Phoenix, so double championships for us when we go.”

You battled back and got the victory. How was the comeback from your seat?

“This thing was awesome. It was so fast all day. First, I have to give a shout out to Romco Equipment for everything they’ve done. The fans for being here. My wife and Aspen are back home, sad they didn’t make the trip today but overall so happy to get back to Victory Lane. It’s been a little bit in the Truck Series, and with us having an off week, I was glad to be able to win this thing. An amazing car. This thing hauled the mail. I can’t say enough about this group. I’m looking forward to Phoenix, and going to try to win two championships.”

What did you think when you heard that you had a penalty?

“I was a little frustrated. Chris (Gayle, crew chief) and I have a joke from earlier in the week that we go from zero to the rev chip pretty easy. I got him on the rev chip earlier, and he was on the rev chip there and I got put on the rev chip a little bit. Just an amazing accomplishment by this team. We had to stay calm. We had to do what we needed to do. We knew what we were here for. We had a fast Toyota Supra. I can’t thank the guys enough and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing for this opportunity.”

How does it feel to join your dad (Joe Nemechek) as Texas Motor Speedway winners?

“It feels amazing. It feels really cool to be able to be here in Victory Lane. I won the Truck race earlier this year here, and then won the Xfinity Series race here, so I’m two for two here. Just an amazing accomplishment.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, No. 18 Craftsman Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

I know what you didn’t need which was the late race caution, but what more did you need out of this race car to chase your teammate down?

“They just made a really good call there to take two tires. Obviously clean air was so big. When we had clean air with our Craftsman Supra there at one point, it was really good. We were on the tighter side all day even early when the 54 was better than us, he was just a little free. I just couldn’t quite carry the same mid corner exit speed. Dave Rogers (crew chief) made good adjustments all day to get it better and once we got that clean air, we were pretty well checked out. The caution came out and they just made a good call there to take two. It’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Just too tight there and never got far enough into the run to where tires could make a difference and with 20 laps to go, you aren’t going to make up the gap I needed to make up. Just too tight. I was whipping it for all I had, about pounded the fence three or four times trying to catch him. Great job to those guys. Congrats to those guys. Really fast JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) Supra, just not quite good enough.

On the plus side, you were fast. You went up there and led 54 laps. We go to another mile-and-a-half track next week at Kansas, so how much confidence can you take from this race as you move forward?

“Same as we have all the Playoffs. Keep bringing the same bullets. These guys are doing a hell of a job. Just got to keep working. I don’t know, that’s all you can do. Keep showing up, keep grinding it out. Thankful to be a part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Thankful to know that I can leave it all on the line these next three races for Joe Gibbs Racing and that’s what we’re going to do.”

DYLAN LUPTON, No. 26 Toyota Racing Toyota Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 38th

What happened out there?

“We had a pit stop and for whatever reason we fired off really tight right there. We kind of got shuffled back and going into turn one, I committed to run the middle and whoever dove down inside of us came up the track and hit us and that sent us directly in the fence. Just really sucks. We keep the nose of our Supra clean and we are always a victim of circumstance, it seems like. We will just regroup and go back next week into Kansas and see if we can put together a clean race.”

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