Category: XFINITY Series PR

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet Team Earn Pole and Strong Sixth-Place Result at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Finish: 6th
Start: 1st
Points: 8th

“I’m very proud of our No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet team for the effort today at Atlanta Motor Speedway. We started on the pole, led 23 laps, and earned stage points. Danny Stockman (crew chief) made good adjustments each stop, and our pit crew was consistent on pit road. We lost some track position by design in order to save fuel for the end but were unfortunately caught up in the late race multi-car wreck. Luckily, we didn’t have heavy damage and could come to pit road for four tires and race hard to the end. Our Camaro was really good, and I felt like we put ourselves in a position to win at the end. It’s a drafting track though, so it’s hard to do by yourself. Congratulations to my teammate, Austin Hill, and the No. 21 team on the win. If we couldn’t get to Victory Lane, I’m glad RCR as a company could. Thanks to everyone at RCR and ECR for building fast cars week in and week out. We’ll keep grinding it out as we close in on the Playoffs.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Capture Season Sweep with Victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Finish: 1st
Start: 4th
Points: 4th

“What a win for our Bennett Transportation & Logistics team today at Atlanta Motor Speedway! To win here again at my home track, but more importantly to win in this gold No. 21 Chevrolet, celebrating Bennett’s 50th Anniversary means a lot. Bennett had over 500 people here at the track, cheering on myself and our team, so to get back in Victory Lane with them is special. We had to work hard for this one though. Our car wasn’t driving the way we wanted it to. I was out of control loose throughout the entire race and had to get elbows up on that last restart. The No. 81 was pushing – doing what he’s supposed to do – but I was honestly surprised the No. 26 went with me. I just wanted it really bad and dug deep. My family, friends, and everyone on this team needed a confidence booster and some momentum going forward. We got it done. The other three wins here seemed easy compared to this one. I’m so proud to drive for Richard Childress and represent every man and woman who works at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines.” -Austin Hill

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger qualified sixth for the Focused Health 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Allmendinger started at the rear of the field after making an adjustment for a power steering issue following qualifying. The first caution came on lap 23; Allmendinger was running 23rd. He reported the balance of his Chevy was good and asked for an adjustment for more rear security. The No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy came to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Allmendinger went on to finish the opening stage in 14th place.
• Under the stage break, the No. 16 stayed out and restarted from the first position. Allmendinger maintained position for the duration of the second stage, winning it under yellow. After reporting the rear of the car was stable, Allmendinger came to pit road during the stage break for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.
• On lap 88, the No. 16 restarted on the bottom lane. The bottom lane didn’t have momentum on the initial start, and Allmendinger fell back to 10th place. By lap 99, when the caution came out, Allmendinger was running fifth. When the caution waved again on lap 110, Allmendinger reported he was free. On lap 116, the No. 16 restarted in seventh place and took sixth place on the first lap green. On lap 132, Allmendinger took a shot for the lead, but without help on the bottom lane, he fell back to seventh. Allmendinger reported his No. 16 Chevy was sideways. By lap 136, Allmendinger was in 16th place. On lap 146, the caution came out and the red flag was displayed for track clean up. When the race resumed, Allmendinger came to pit road for adjustments and restarted in 12th place on lap 151. Allmendinger battled until the end and went on to finish in third place.

“Our Campers Inn RV Chevy was really fast. I got really free that third stage there. That was unexpected; our car had been really good. When that yellow came out, we were able to put on tires and make some adjustments; Alex Yontz and the guys did a great job there. We got to fifth with two to go and I thought if they stay in line, I was far enough back that I was going to go for the lunge for the win there. Great to get a top-five finish today. At the end of the day, we want to get to victory lane, but I’m proud of the race team. We’re making the cars faster, getting closer to making the playoffs and hopefully we’ll be ready to go when we get there.” – AJ Allmendinger  

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams qualified 13th for the Focused Health 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Williams coasted just outside the top 10 for the first 12 laps of Stage 1 before a caution came out on lap 13. He restarted from 14th on lap 17 and immediately jumped into the top 10 as the pack went single file. Williams dropped back to 14th after being taken two wide as the stage’s end neared, but he remained at the tail of the lead group of cars. Gaining one more position before the green-white-checkered, Williams ended Stage 1 in 13th.
• Williams pitted for fuel, tires and a slight air pressure adjustment during the first stage break, but he was caught speeding on pit road. He rolled off from the rear of the field for Stage 2 on lap 48 and began slowly moving back up through the field. On lap 79, a wreck brought out the caution that ended the second stage. Williams finished it in 19th.
• After stopping in the pits for tires and fuel, Williams fired off for the final stage in 14th on lap 87 and entered the top 10 entering turn four. As the pack began shuffling, Williams found himself on the outside line battling to move forward. By the time the yellow flag was waved on lap 99, Williams had moved into 11th. He restarted from seventh with 59 laps to go, fell one spot, and then the caution once again was displayed, this time on lap 110. Williams took the green on lap 116 and hooked up with teammate AJ Allmendinger. As the intensity picked up, Williams dropped outside the top 10, and with 17 laps to go, a massive wreck brought out the yellow flag. Williams avoided it and leapt into fifth for the lap-151 restart. He tired making the bottom line work late but couldn’t find any pushers. Williams survived until the checkered flag, taking eighth place.

“We had a good racecar, and I’m happy with our finish. I think we had a lot more in us, but we just didn’t have any help at the end to get it done.” – Josh Williams

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 Quad Lock Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen qualified 12th for the Focused Health 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Van Gisbergen quickly drove his way into the top 10 by lap two. With a caution on lap 13, the team opted to stay out to maintain track position. As the stage progressed, Van Gisbergen fought to maintain position while battling a tight-handling racecar and worn tires. The No. 97 Quad Lock Chevy Camaro took the green-white-checkered flag in 16th.
• The No. 97 Quad Lock team pitted during the first stage break and started the second stage in 17th. Ten laps into the stage, Van Gisbergen drove to 10th and continued racing in the top 10 throughout. On lap 79, a caution came out, and the No. 97 team opted to pit for fresh tires and fuel. Van Gisbergen finished the stage under caution in ninth.
• The No. 97 Quad Lock team started the final stage in ninth. Van Gisbergen quickly raced into the top five on lap 90 of the event and raced there for five laps. With 65 laps left, Van Gisbergen made contact with the wall, forcing him to pit quickly under caution for fresh right-side tires only. The No. 97 team opted to pit again under the same caution for repairs, fresh left-side tires and fuel. Van Gisbergen restarted the stage in 32nd with 59 laps remaining in the race. With 40 laps remaining, the No. 97 had a tire issue, forcing Van Gisbergen to pit under green. Van Gisbergen continued to battle a damaged car for the remainder of the race, ultimately taking the checkered flag in 27th.
• “That was a tough one, not the way we wanted our day to go. I ran up front most of the race, but got into the wall there towards the end and caused some right side damage. Gutted for my No. 97 Quad Lock team because we had a really good car today, but going to continue to learn and get better. Looking forward to another shot at it tomorrow in the Cup car.” – Shane van Gisbergen  

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Focused Health 250
Date: Sept. 7, 2024
Event: Focused Health 250 (Round 24 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 163 laps, broken into three stages (40 laps/40 laps/83 laps)

Race Winner: Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 9th / Finished 26th, Running, completed 158 of 163 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 3rd / Finished 31st, Accident, completed 144 of 163 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (2nd with 832 points, 34 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (7th with 693 points, 173 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Herbst finished third in Stage 1 to earn eight bonus points and fourth in Stage 2 to earn seven more bonus points.
● Custer finished eighth in Stage 1 to earn three bonus points and third in Stage 2 to earn eight more bonus points.
● Custer led two times for 27 laps increasing his laps led total to 29 at Atlanta.

Race Notes:

● Austin Hill won the Focused Health 250 to score his ninth career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his third of the season and his fourth at Atlanta. His margin over second-place Parker Kligerman was .340 of a second.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 36 laps.
● Twenty-three of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Justin Allgaier remains the championship leader after Atlanta with a 34-point advantage over second-place Custer.

Sound Bites:

“I thought we were okay. Our car wasn’t dominant, but I thought it was fast enough for a top five at least. It just felt good to get points again with my mistake from last week, but I just got ran over on that caution. Somebody didn’t listen to their spotter and made the most of it.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“I haven’t heard was Justin (Allgaier) said, but I think he just blew a right-front. Looking at the replay, I just tried to come down to side draft him and we just barely touched. I mean, it didn’t have any smoke or anything and it looked like it blew its right-front, I guess. I’ve never seen that light of contact blow a tire, but it’s just part of the racing. You’re trying to side draft as hard as you can. If you don’t, he’s gonna clear you the next corner, so it’s just tough racing and close racing and just part of it.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Autodesk/Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Mission 200 at the Glen on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The race begins at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

SMITH, HEIM SCORE TOP-FIVE FINISHES IN ATLANTA

HAMPTON, Ga. (September 7, 2024) – Georgia’s own Chandler Smith (fourth) and Corey Heim (fifth) led Toyota with top-five finishes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

Smith, a Talking Rock, Ga.-native, was strong throughout the day – leading 28 of 163 laps, while Marietta, Ga.-native Heim delivered the best superspeedway finish for Sam Hunt Racing and earned his third top-five finish of the year in just his 11th start of the season.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race 24 of 33 – 251.02 Miles, 163 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Hill*
2nd, Parker Kligerman*
3rd, AJ Allmendinger*
4th, CHANDLER SMITH
5th, COREY HEIM
10th, RYAN TRUEX
25th, SHELDON CREED
28th, TAYLOR GRAY
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 Wheelers Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Can you talk about that finish?

“It is what it is. We had a really fast Wheelers Toyota GR Supra all day. It was as Xfinity Internet. I feel like I’ve been robbed of three Atlanta wins now unfortunately in my career here. I’m kind of speechless honestly. There are a lot of different things that I could have done. I could have been more selfish when I got cleared and went to the bottom and covered that and controlled the race for sure, but I was trying to be a good teammate and that didn’t pay for me today, as usual.”

COREY HEIM, No. 26 Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

Was there anything more that you could have done on that final lap?

“Yeah, I think at the end of the day, I would have done the same thing. I’m a little frustrated about it, but if you are in a spot to win at these superspeedways and someone gets to your right rear, you have to do that, or else you are going to lose the race. I can be mad all I want, but if I was in the same spot, I would have done the same thing. It is frustrating, but I have to give a huge thank you to Sam Hunt Racing – to bring me here. We literally don’t have a logo on the thing, but we have a lot of people in the background that are providing a lot of support – Toyota, Sam Hunt Racing, Synergy – all of those guys get us to the race track, week-in and week-out, if we don’t have a logo on the car. Very thankful right now, and another top-five for Sam Hunt Racing – happy about that, but certainly still frustrated.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Focused Health 250 | Atlanta Motor Speedway
Saturday, September 7, 2024

Ford Performance Unofficial Results:
13th – Lawless Alan
16th – Kyle Sieg
19th – Blaine Perkins
26th – Riley Herbst
31st – Cole Custer
32nd – Ryan Sieg
33rd – Morgen Baird
35th – Matt DiBenedetto

LAWLESS ALAN, No. 15 Deal Badger Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It feels really good to bounce back after Michigan to have a pretty solid run and be fast again. We would have finished top five or six, but the 8, when he was pushing me, just shipped me off into turn three. I was lucky to hang onto it at all, but we did decent in qualifying. It wasn’t what any of us really wanted, but we knew that we should be fast in the race. Sim time from Ford, these Roush Yates motors, AutoParkit, AM Racing, Ford, we were fast. I’m bummed, but considering the last five or six weeks this team has had it’s nice to bring it home.”

WHAT KIND OF CONFIDENCE BUILDER IS THIS FOR YOU IN YOUR SECOND NXS RACE? “It would have been a lot bigger confidence boost if I finished sixth, but it feels good. It helps reassure me that I know it’s there and it makes the trucks a little bit more fun. It makes everything a little bit more fun when your confidence is higher.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE RACES IN THE 15 THIS YEAR? “None planned at the moment, but hopefully, yes.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Autodesk/Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I haven’t heard was Justin said, but I think he just blew a right-front. Looking at the replay, I just tried to come down to side draft him and we just barely touched. I mean, it didn’t have any smoke or anything and it looked like me and it blew its right-front, I guess. I’ve never seen that light of contact blow a tire, but it’s just part of the racing. You’re trying to side draft as hard as you can. If you don’t, he’s gonna clear you the next corner, so it’s just tough racing and close racing and just part of it.”

WHAT COULD YOU HAVE DONE IF THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN? “I thought we definitely could have won. We were up there with the rest of them. It was really weird because everybody was trying to back up to try and get a push from the guy behind you, but nobody was actually pushing because everybody was just trying to back up, so it was interesting racing. I hate these speedways. We go to so many of them in the Xfinity Series now that it’s just a crapshoot if you get wrecked or not. We’re ready to go to Watkins Glen and I think we’ll be good.”

SO YOU WERE TRYING TO SIDE DRAFT EACH OTHER, OR WERE YOU SIDE DRAFTING HIM? “I think it’s both, but I think I was the one that came down a little bit, so, overall, you’re just trying to side draft to try and get the momentum going into the corner.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 Sci Aps Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “After being two laps down to come back and get on the lead lap and drive back inside the top 10, and just trying to make some moves and trying to do something with 20 to go. That’s still a pretty decent amount of laps, but you’ve got to get something going because you just kind of get stuck and stagnant riding. I tried to go to the bottom and do all we could do, but we brought a fast Sci Aps Ford. It just sucks to come out of here on the hook because we had a super fast car. We drove from the back to the front a couple times and it was just a tough day.”

ANYTHING YOU COULD HAVE DONE IN THAT WRECK? “No. I checked up and I couldn’t check up enough for them in front of me. That’s about all I could do.”

WHAT WAS THE DEAL WITH THE CAR EARLY ON THAT GOT YOU TWO LAPS DOWN? “Something with the ignition fell off inside the car. They put it back on and it was fine, but a mistake on our part. We’ve got to clean some of that up and rebound and get some points. We could have come out with some points, but now we’re still behind. We’ve got to figure out what happened.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I thought we were OK. It wasn’t dominant, but I thought it was fast enough for a top five at least. It just felt good to get points again with my mistake from last week, but I just got ran over on a caution. Somebody didn’t listen to their spotter and made the most of it.”

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Atlanta Motor Speedway; September 7, 2024

Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway– Quad-Oval (1.5-Miles)
Race: Focused Health 250; 163 Laps –40/40/83; 251.02 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Saturday, September 7, 2024 3:00 PM ET
TV: USA, and the NBC Sports App
Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN) – Check Local Listings for affiliate, and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
Social Media: Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport; Facebook, Instagram, and X

Jeb Burton – No. 27 NORMA Precision Ammunition
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Atlanta Motor Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

News and Notes:

• Practice; In similar fashion to the Spring race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will receive no practice time for Saturday’s Focused Health 250.

– Starting Position; With no practice scheduled teams will move directly into qualifying at 11:00 AM ET Saturday morning to determine the starting order for that afternoon’s Focused Health 250. In 2024, superspeedway qualifying for the NXS would consist of a two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. With 37 cars entered, no cars will miss the race. Burton is scheduled to go out on track 23rd for his qualifying lap. Qualifying will be shown in its entirety LIVE on USA Network (USA) and the NBC Sports App at 11:00 AM ET.

– Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats; Saturday afternoons NXS Focused Health 250 will mark Burton’s ninth NXS start at AMS. In seven previous starts, Burton holds an average finish of 14.6 with a 99.8% lap completion rate completing 1323 laps of the possible 1326. Burton has two Top-10 finishes with a best of second coming in 2021 after starting 11th. Burton has finished in Top-25 in all of his eight starts at Atlanta. In the Spring Burton would start in the 25th position and finish 23rd after getting damage early in the event and having to make repairs.

Featured Partner

• NORMA Precision Ammunition; Norma ammunition is a brand that has been a mainstay in the shooting community for over 100 years, known for its commitment to quality, innovation, and precision. Founded in Sweden in 1902, the brand has a rich history and a reputation for producing some of the most accurate and reliable ammunition in the world. Whether you’re a seasoned shooter or just starting out, you can trust Norma ammunition to provide you with the performance and reliability you need to succeed. Learn more about NORMA ammunition and all the items they have available at Norma-Ammunition.com or following the Norma social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Parker Retzlaff – No. 31 FUNKAWAY
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Atlanta Motor Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

• Practice; Similar to past superspeedway events the NXS will receive no practice time for Saturday afternoons Focused Health 250.

– Starting Position; With no practice scheduled teams will move directly into qualifying at 11:00 AM ET Saturday morning to determine the starting order for that afternoon’s Focused Health 250. In 2024, superspeedway qualifying for the NXS would consist of a two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. With 37 cars entered, no cars will miss the race. Burton is scheduled to go out on track 23rd for his qualifying lap. Qualifying will be shown in its entirety LIVE on USA Network (USA) and the NBC Sports App at 11:00 AM ET.

• Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats; Saturday’s Focused Health 250 will mark Retzlaff’s fourth start at the AMS. In three previous starts, Retzlaff holds an average finish of 16.0 with a 98.2% lap completion rate completing 492 laps of the possible 901. Retzlaff has two Top-20 finishes with a best of fifth coming in the second-year Wisconsin racers last visit to AMS back in February.

Featured Partner

• FUNKAWAY; Headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, FUNKAWAY is a line of odor elimination products that removes the horrible effects of bad smells. Guaranteed to work on clothing, shoes, gear, pet products, car interiors and more, FUNKAWAY allows customers to renew and refresh, rather than throw away. To learn more about FUNKWAY, visit FUNKAWAY.com and connect on Instagram and Facebook.

About Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport is a NASCAR team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group President, John Bommarito. Established in 2017 the organization is fueled by an incredible, close-knit team of employees, fans, and sponsors with a focus on integrity in the pursuit of excellence. Our goal is to embrace the journey we’re on and to never give up – whether on the track, in the pits, or in life. Every single team partner, and fan of ours, is what keeps our race cars running strong and our team performing at the highest level.

COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST
Atlanta NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: Focused Health 250 (Round 24 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 7
• Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Layout: 1.54-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3 p.m. EDT on USA/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer and the No. 00 Autodesk / Haas Automation team are hoping to build on the momentum of their runner-up finish last Saturday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. They must first face the challenge of superspeedway-style racing in Saturday’s Focused Health 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which has provided a mixed bag of results for the team in the past. While Custer’s spot in the 12-driver Xfinity Series Playoffs field is locked in by virtue of his July 13 win at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Custer is still racing for one more title in the final three regular-season races – regular-season champion. It’s a feat he has yet to achieve in his otherwise successful Xfinity Series career. After losing the points lead he’d held since June 1 to Justin Allgaier two weekends ago at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Custer was able to close the gap with his second-place finish at Darlington, now witting 28 points behind Allgaier. Custer looks to string together good runs through the rest of the regular season, which ends Sept. 20 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, in an attempt to regain the points lead from Allgaier. The regular-season champion not only gains a coveted trophy, but also earns 15 valuable playoff points to carry him through the seven-race playoffs.
• Saturday’s Focused Health 250 at Atlanta will be Custer’s seventh Xfinity Series outing at the track. Best of his previous six was his runner-up finish from the pole qualifying position after leading two laps on the previous configuration in February 2019. He finished third on the new configuration last July and 16th when the series last visited in February. He has only finished outside the top-16 once at Atlanta. Best among Custer’s six NASCAR Cup Series appearances at Atlanta was his ninth-place finish in July 2022, which came on the new configuration. He also has one start there in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which resulted in a 17th-place finish from the sixth starting position in February 2016.
• Autodesk will once again adorn the hood of Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in an alpha-bravo paint scheme with Haas Automation. The company previously sponsored Custer from 2020 to 2022 in the NASCAR Cup Series. For four decades, Autodesk has worked together with its customers to transform how things are made, and in doing so, it has also transformed what can be made. A car’s performance now inspires the method of its manufacture, a city’s infrastructure helps predict the unpredictable, and the creation of ever-bigger universes shapes ever-bigger stories. Today, Autodesk’s solutions span countless industries empowering innovators everywhere. But the company is restless to do more. Autodesk doesn’t believe in waiting for progress, it believes in making it. By combining and recombining technologies. By blurring boundaries, reinventing rules, and merging fields. By unleashing talent and unlocking insights across industries. By helping customers converge on solutions to the challenges everyone faces today. Autodesk believes that with the right tools to working and thinking flexibly comes the power to transform what actually needs making. The power to design and make a better world for all.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst hopes to turn his luck around as he heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Saturday’s Focused Health 250. Last Saturday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse qualified solidly in eighth for the scheduled 147-lap race, but a scrape of the wall and several cut tires forced him to go multiple laps down in the first stage of the race. While he was able to stay on track and finish the race, Herbst was unable to gain those laps back and had to settle for a 35th-place finish. It was particularly disappointing for the team after its fourth-place finish the previous weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. This weekend, Herbst is trading the intermediate-track racing at Darlington for the superspeedway-style racing at Atlanta, a style of racing that has suited him well in the past. To go along with his fourth-place finish at Daytona, Herbst finished sixth Feb. 19 in the season opener at Daytona and second on April 20 at its sister track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. His experience in working the draft has helped him lead a total of 22 laps and earn a total of 49 stage points at superspeedway-style tracks so far in 2024.
• Saturday’s Focused Health 250 will mark Herbst’s ninth career Xfinity Series start at Atlanta and his sixth on the reconfigured layout. When Xfinity Series drivers competed on the new layout for the first time in March 2022, Herbst finished fourth – his best result in four Atlanta starts at the time. He followed that up with a ninth-place finish when the series returned to the track in July 2022. In the 2023 season at Atlanta, he earned a fifth-place result in March, leading 11 laps along the way and competing for the win before getting tangled up in an incident while crossing the finish line. When the series last visited Atlanta in February, Herbst started fourth and earned a total of 17 stage points with his second- and third-place stage finishes, respectively. Ultimately, he got shuffled back on the final restart and was forced to settle for a 15th-place finish. Herbst’s sixth-place finish in the March 2021 race was the best of his three Xfinity Series outings on the old Atlanta surface.
• Only three races remain before the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs kick off Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. With Herbst locked into the postseason by way of his July 20 victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he now has a chance to prepare for the Round of 12 during the final three regular-season races. The first playoff round consists of an intermediate track, a superspeedway and a road course in Kansas, Talladega and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval, respectively. That stretch of races is similar to the one that Herbst and his fellow Xfinity Series competitors are in the middle of now – Darlington last weekend, Atlanta this weekend, and the road course at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Sept. 14, experience he hopes will help him advance through the first playoff round and into the Round of 8 for the first time in his career.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Autodesk / Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You’ve started to close the gap on the points lead as you only sit 28 points behind Justin Allgaier now. What are your hopes for the next three races as you battle for the regular-season championship?

“I think it’s just to continue to close that points gap. I lost my points lead in two bad races, so anything can happen with us only being 28 points behind Justin (Allgaier). We’ve always been strong competitors, so to once again be competing for a title with him is cool. We just have to be consistent and stay out of trouble if we want a shot to actually give him a run for his money. Unfortunately, this stretch of races had a lot of unknowns with Michigan and Daytona just being so bad for us. Atlanta hasn’t always been my best track since the track reconfiguration, but that’s a challenge I’m willing to take this weekend. If we can survive this weekend, I know we’ll be strong at Watkins Glen and Bristol.”

Atlanta Motor Speedway was once one of your better tracks when it raced like an intermediate track. With the 2022 reconfiguration, it’s now akin to a superspeedway with intermediate qualities still there, and the No. 00 team struggles a bit more. Talk about the difference and how you prepare for that as a driver.

“I think when you look at Daytona and Talladega versus Atlanta, you know, it’s hard, but they are really similar. Atlanta just has so much more handling come into play and you have to worry a little bit more about how well your car handles on the track. There’s still an unknown, but not as much of one. At Daytona, it’s all out all the time. It’s just a different kind of battle. At the same time, the runs can come very fast at Atlanta because the track is more condensed. It really makes it a fast-paced race where everyone is on their toes. It’s different, but still similar to traditional superspeedways. It honestly makes it very exciting, but also so nerve-racking as a driver just like a Daytona or Talladega. Hopefully we can get a better finish this time around for Autodesk and Haas Automation.”

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

With only three races to go until the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs begin Sept. 28 at Kansas, you’re locked into the playoffs thanks to your July 20 win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Does knowing this help you at all when you have a tough race like you did at Darlington?

“It definitely makes it a little easier, but those races still hurt. As a driver, you never want to have a bad race like that, but knowing that we’re not points racing for a spot in the playoffs like we have been in the past helps make it a little easier. Darlington has also been such a difficult track for me in the past. I have to leave it all behind me, though, and look ahead to these final three races. There are still three chances to win and gain more playoff points. I think we’ll have a good shot at Atlanta this weekend to win stages and go for the win. The more playoff points you can get, the better you’ll be as you face the elimination races. We’ve got some work to do, but I know this No. 98 Monster Energy team is a championship-winning team. We just have to survive until the end to race for it.”

You’ve performed well at Atlanta since the reconfiguration in 2022. What is it about the new layout that suits you better than the old one?

“I don’t think it’s anything in particular. It’s definitely more akin to a superspeedway now, which have been one of my strongest types of tracks since joining SHR in 2021. This track is just so much faster now. I saw it the first year when we had an issue early in the race and I went a couple of laps down. By the end of the night, I had recovered all of those laps and finished well inside the top-10. There’s definitely the unpredictability of superspeedway-style racing that comes with the reconfiguration, but it makes me excited to race there every time. We’re strong at superspeedway races, and I think I’ve proven myself on them not only in the Xfinity Series, but also the Cup Series. The No. 98 team has what it takes to win at Atlanta.”

JR Motorsports Team Preview
TRACK – Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54 mile quad-oval)
NXS RACE – Focused Health 250 (163 laps / 251.02 miles)
TUNE IN – USA, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Sam Mayer

No. 1 High Rock Vodka Chevrolet

Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 23

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 10

Laps Led: 136

Avg. Finish: 18

Points: 13th

• Sam Mayer heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend for his seventh NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 1.540-mile quad-oval.
• In six previous NXS starts at Atlanta, the Franklin, Wis. native has tallied one top five and three top 10s with a best of fifth coming in this event last season in 2023.
• The young driver is a previous winner on the 1.5-mile speedways in the NXS, having gone to Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2023 and Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year.
• High Rock Vodka, a premium handcrafted vodka co-created by JR Motorsports owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife Amy in collaboration with Sugarland’s Distilling Company, will ride along side the No. 1 Chevrolet this weekend with Mayer.

Sam Mayer

“Atlanta is a pretty interesting track to run at, especially after the repave and increase of the banking. It runs more like a superspeedway so anything can happen here but I know this No. 1 High Rock Vodka Camaro will be up front when it counts. Super cool to have High Rock on board this week and I am hopeful this team will get the finish they deserve this week.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 Hellmann’s Chevrolet

Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 23

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 15

Laps Led: 570

Avg. Finish: 12.3

Points: 1st

• Justin Allgaier is a previous winner at Atlanta in the NXS, having gone to Victory Lane on the previous configuration in the spring of 2021.
• In five starts on the new configuration at Atlanta, Allgaier has earned a best finish of seventh, coming in the spring of 2022.
• Overall, in 17 total NXS starts at the 1.54-mile quad-oval, the JRM driver has amassed three top fives and nine top 10s to accompany the 2021 victory.
• With three races remaining in the NXS regular season, Allgaier currently sits atop the point standings, 28 points ahead of second.

Justin Allgaier

“As we’ve seen over the last couple of years on this new configuration, anything can happen in Atlanta. Hopefully we can keep our nose clean all race long and be in contention for the win when it counts with our Hellmann’s Chevrolet. I know that Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) will give me a great car, and JRM always has a strong superspeedway program. So I feel really confident that we will be where we want to be with our JRM teammates on Saturday.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet

Smith 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 23

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 5

Top 10s: 12

Laps Led: 55

Avg. Finish: 15.5

Points: 10th

• Sammy Smith will head to Atlanta this weekend for his fourth NXS start on the 1.54 mile quad-oval where he has not qualified worse than 14th.
• Smith has finished inside the top-10 in his last two starts at the Georgia track.
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics, Smith is ranked fifth for quality passes with 917 thus far this season.
• The No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will display a “Thank You Pro Drivers” message on the TV Panel as a kick off to “National Truck Driver Appreciation Week” which is Sept. 15-21.

Sammy Smith

“We had a strong car last week in Darlington where we were competitive in the top-10 all day. I was happy that we could bring home a strong finish for Pilot Flying J and JR Motorsports. I’m looking forward to getting back in the car in Atlanta to continue the momentum and fight for a better position in the playoff points”

Brandon Jones

No. 9 Menards / Jeld-Wen Chevrolet

Jones 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 23

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 5

Laps Led: 30

Avg. Finish: 20.3

Points: 14th

• Returning to his home track for the 13th time, the 27-year-old Georgia native currently has one top five and 3 top 10s at the 1.54-mile quad oval.
• Brandon Jones has made 142 starts on tracks measuring one-two miles in length in the NXS and has recorded four wins, 20 top fives and 63 top 10s.
• Jones currently ranks fourth in quality passes at Atlanta, according to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics, with 370.
• Jeld-Wen, an industry-leading, global building products organization will make its second appearance on the hood of Jones’ Camaro this weekend. This will be the company’s fourth time appearing on Jones’ car at AMS.

Brandon Jones

“I always love coming back to my home track, especially with the new configuration. This No. 9 team has been giving me fast racecars and I know that we will unload another one this Saturday. Hopefully we can keep our nose clean and be battling for the win at the end.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Atlanta Motor Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway a combined 67 times with the NXS since its first trip there in 2006. In those starts at the 1.54 mile quad-oval, the organization has recorded four wins, 18 top fives, and 39 top 10s, with an average finish of 11.9.

Souvenir Rig: JRM driver Justin Allgaier will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, September 7 from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET.