Category: XFINITY Series PR

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Date: Aug. 31, 2024
Event: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (Round 23 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 147 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/57 laps)
Note: Race extended three laps past its scheduled 147-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Sheldon Creed of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 21st / Finished 2nd, Running, completed 150 of 150 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 8th / Finished 35th, Running, completed 129 of 150 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (2nd with 815 points, 28 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (7th with 667 points, 176 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his 10th top-five of the season and his sixth top-five in seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington.
● Custer has never finished outside the top-10 at Darlington in his Xfinity Series career.
● This was Custer’s sixth straight top-five at Darlington. He finished third and fourth, respectively in 2023, and third in May.
● Custer finished ninth in Stage 1 to earn two bonus points and sixth in Stage 2 to earn five more bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Christopher Bell won the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 to score his 19th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Darlington. His margin over second-place Custer was .351 of a second.

● There were six caution periods for a total of 29 laps.
● Twenty-six of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Justin Allgaier remains the championship leader after Darlington with a 28-point advantage over second-place Custer.

Sound Bites:

“We were both going for it. We were just trying to carry as much throttle as possible, and Christopher (Bell) had the momentum there. I need to see a replay of the exit of Turn 2. It just got tight. I don’t know if he came down or if I came up, but that was just hard racing. I’m so proud of our team. We were in trouble after qualifying 21st, so for us to get this No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang in second place and really have a car so good throughout the day means a lot to what this team can do.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“Just a rough day from start to finish. As a driver, you don’t want to have days like this, but we have to leave it behind us and move on. We’re locked into the playoffs and have the ability to have these bad days, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Darlington has been a tough track for me, so it’s not one that I necessarily look forward to because I always seem to find bad luck. We’ll move on to Atlanta and hopefully get back on track.​” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Focused Health 250 on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

BELL SCORES XFINITY SERIES WIN AT DARLINGTON
Leads Race-High 108 Laps En Route to Second NXS Win this Season

DARLINGTON, S.C. (August 31, 2024) – Christopher Bell won Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race from the pole at Darlington Raceway after leading a race-high 108 laps (of 150) in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 GR Supra. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sheldon Creed passed Bell late in the race and was leading before a caution came out with three laps to go. Bell won the race off pit road, battling competitors in the overtime finish to earn his 19th Xfinity Series victory and the second this season. Creed led 30 laps in Saturday’s race at Darlington to earn his 11th top-five of the year.

Chandler Smith also finished in the top-10 for Toyota with a ninth-place result in the JGR No. 81 GR Supra.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Darlington Raceway
Race 23 of 33 – 200.802 Miles, 147 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
2nd, Cole Custer*
3rd, SHELDON CREED
4th, Chase Elliott*
5th, Sammy Smith*
8th, CHANDLER SMITH
11th, JOE GRAF JR.
25th, COREY HEIM
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How did you keep your car in line after the contact with Cole Custer?

“I don’t know. I need to see a replay of it. That was wild for sure. Darlington is just such a tough race track and off of (turn) two whether you’re on the bottom or the top, it like flushes you toward the wall and you kind of get a wiggle coming down. Once again, I feel terrible for Sheldon (Creed) to essentially win the race. He passed me on the long run there and then then to lose the lead on pit road is a big bummer. Really, really happy to win in this Sport Clips Supra. Tyler Allen (crew chief), what can I say, man. He’s been killing it this year and I’m just lucky I get to drive for him.”

How rewarding is the win today knowing all you had to overcome today?

“Yeah, I don’t know. It seemed like our car was really good on the short run. Obviously, the 18 (Sheldon Creed) was really good on the long run. Unfortunately, for him, the race played out differently and fortunately for us we got another shot at it.”

How important was that final pit stop?

“Those guys won us the race and without them I’m not going to win the race so thank you to the pit crew as well.”

Did your pit crew win this race for the 20 team today?

“Yeah, this one is on the pit crew. Those guys did amazing all day long. Just kept us in the game and then obviously kept us in position with the lead there on that last pit stop. You win some, you lose some and I’m glad we won it that way.”

How technical of a race was it today?

“It’s Darlington. You’ve got to really drift the car around this place. I might have been drifting a bit too much today, but this thing was really good on the short run and a little bit loose on the long run. That’s what it’s all about. It was a lot of fun.”

What’s the biggest thing you learn from a run like today for tomorrow’s Southern 500?

“Take care of the car and be there at the end, that’s for sure. You’re never out of it until the checkered flag falls.”

SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

You’re shaking your head. You can’t believe it, can you?

“No. I lost one the same way a few years ago here. Just this has always been a really good place for me. I’ve always loved racing here. Just, man, I don’t know what to do to be any better than that. I felt like I put in one of my best performances today. I love my pit crew, and they do a great job for us. I can’t blame that on them, we just got beat on pit road today so bummer.”

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
Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 | Darlington Raceway
Saturday, August 31, 2024

FORD FINISHING RESULTS (UNOFFICIAL)
2nd – Cole Custer
15th – Noah Gragson
18th – Ryan Sieg
19th – Matt DiBenedetto
22nd – Kyle Sieg
33rd – Chad Finchum
34th – Blaine Perkins
35th – Riley Herbst
38th – Joey Logano

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 2nd)

DESCRIBE THAT OVERTIME RESTART BETWEEN YOU AND CHRISTOPHER BELL: “We were both going for it. We were just trying to carry as much throttle as possible, and Christopher had the momentum there. I need to see a replay of the exit of Turn 2. It just got tight. I don’t know if he came down or if I came up, but that was just hard racing. I am so proud of our team. We were in trouble after qualifying 21st, so for us to get this Haas Automation Ford Mustang in second place and really have a car so good throughout the day means a lot to what this team can do.”

YOU GUYS GOT TOGETHER THERE: “Yeah, it was just really tight racing. It is always fun to race with Christopher. We were both just trying to stay in the throttle off of Turn 2. I couldn’t tell if he came down or I came up a little bit. it was a hard decision to make because he was coming down and I didn’t know if I should lift or stay in it and let him wreck himself. I think if I had stayed in it, I would have wrecked myself. It was a great race by everyone on our team. To come from 21st to second is a huge accomplishment. I can’t thank everyone enough, especially the pit crew. The pit crew did a great job.”

HOW DO YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR DAY IN TERMS OF HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO COME UP THROUGH THE FIELD AND MAKE A GO OF IT? “It is a testament to what this team is. We really put a good day together. We were really confused and in trouble after qualifying but we looked at all the notes and figured out how to make it better and we did a great job coming back.”

Christian Eckes to Drive the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro in the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series

 Lexington, N.C. (August 31, 2024) – Kaulig Racing announces NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) Regular Season Champion and playoff contender, Christian Eckes, will join the team’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) driver lineup starting in 2025.

The 23-year-old will take over the No. 16 Chevrolet, after the team announced AJ Allmendinger’s full-time return to the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) earlier this month. In addition to competing for the NXS Championship, Eckes will compete for the NXS Rookie of the Year title.

“Matt Kaulig and I have invested a lot of time thinking and planning for what the future of Kaulig Racing looks like,” said team president, Chris Rice. “We’re continuing to improve our Xfinity program, and we are making decisions to help us do that. Christian [Eckes] has proven himself in the Truck Series and we’re excited to have him take the next step in his career and be a part of our program beginning in 2025.”

Eckes, currently scored second in NCTS driver standings, has earned three wins in the 2024 season, including a dominant victory at Nashville Superspeedway where he led all 150 laps.

“Christian [Eckes] is one of the brightest young stars in our sport,” said team owner, Matt Kaulig. “He has shown over the last two years that he is ready to take the next step and we’re looking forward to seeing him grow into the future of Kaulig Racing.”

“I’m extremely thankful and grateful for Matt Kaulig, Chris Rice and everyone involved for the opportunity to be a part of Kaulig Racing,” said Christian Eckes. “What they have been able to do as a company in just a few short years has been incredible. I’m looking forward to adding to that success in 2025 and beyond.”

Partnership details for Eckes and the No. 16 Chevrolet will be announced at a later date.
 
About Kaulig Racing

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.

DARLINGTON, S.C.: The fourth installment of a part-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program for Rette Jones Racing and Noah Gragson will take the checkered flag in Saturday afternoon’s Sport Clips Haircuts Help a Hero 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Rette Jones Racing graduated from the ARCA Menards Series and invaded the NASCAR Xfinity Series with arms wide open, guiding Gragson, a native of Las Vegas, Nev., to three straight top-10 finishes at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway respectively.

The team finished sixth in its last outing in the Irish Hills of Michigan. With the caution waving on the final lap in NASCAR Xfinity Series overtime, the Mooresville, N.C.-based team felt assured of a top-five finish, but upon further review, the team was forced to settle for sixth.

Feeling robbed of their second straight top-five finish, the team returns to action at the track dubbed “Too Tough To Tame” looking to not only capture their second top-five finish of the season but contend for the team’s first Xfinity Series victory in the 147-lap race.

“I’m blessed to have another opportunity to race for Rette Jones Racing this weekend at Darlington,” said Gragson. “This team has done amazing in such a short amount of time and I have the confidence we will continue to pick up right where we left off from Michigan a couple of weeks ago.”

Gragson explains that he had a fast No. 30 Rette Jones Racing | Ford Performance Ford Mustang but being forced to battle a wicked tight race car hindered the team’s opportunity for a checkered flag.

Continuing to learn from each Xfinity Series race, Gragson believes that his Mark Rette-led team knows where they need to have their No. 30 Ford Mustang when they tackle the 1.33-mile track on Saturday morning.

“Darlington can be such a weather-sensitive track,” Gragson explained. “The track will change a bunch between practice, qualifying, and the race. “The most important thing for us is to make sure we keep up with the track conditions so I can get the momentum that I need off the corners, especially Turns 2 and 4, so I can carry the speed that will allow us to pick up positions on the track and guide this team to another strong finish.”

The bonus for Rette Jones Racing? The most recent Xfinity Series race for Gragson at the “Lady in Black” delivered a victory for the popular driver. After starting second, Gragson led 82 laps en route to his second Xfinity Series win at Darlington Raceway.

In seven starts overall, he has delivered two wins, most recently in 2022, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Gragson boasts an average finish of 4.0 over four years of Xfinity Series competition.

“Darlington has always been that track where I just have a good vibe,” added Gragson. “I’ve been fortunate to have fast race cars on the Xfinity side every time I raced. I know what bringing a win to Rette Jones Racing will do for this team on Saturday afternoon and I believe if everything lined up, we would be able to.

“We must not beat ourselves and just do what we came to do.”

Unlike his prior three races this season, with only 38 cars entered for Saturday afternoon’s contest, Gragson and his No. 30 Rette Jones Racing team are locked into the field.

Rette Jones Racing crew chief and co-owner Mark Rette eagerly looks forward to another productive weekend.

“I’m so proud of this Rette Jones Racing team,” explained Rette. “This was a big undertaking for our small organization. However, with a lot of determination, a great technical alliance, and a talented driver like Noah Gragson behind the wheel, we have been able to exceed our expectations.

“We are going to Darlington this weekend focused on continuing to do what we’ve done at Charlotte, Nashville, and Michigan – race near the front. We felt like we should have finished inside the top-five at Michigan, but landed sixth, so we have unfinished business.

“I’d love nothing more than to put an exclamation point on our limited Xfinity Series program with our best finish of the year on Saturday afternoon!”

The team will welcome a new partner, Drop Zone TV, for their second and final race in South Carolina this season.

Team Drop Zone TV is the brainchild of veteran Outdoor Channel personality Hal Shaffer and two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion crew chief Greg Zipadelli.

Team Drop Zone TV, also known as Drop Zone, is a reality hunting show on the Outdoor Channel that combines big game hunting with entertainment and education for hunters of all skill levels.

The show is hosted by Hal Shaffer and Greg “Zippy” Zipadelli, two friends who met on a whitetail hunt in Kentucky seven years ago and share a passion for the outdoors.

“We are proud of our partnership with Team Drop Zone TV,” added Rette. “Greg has been instrumental in helping launch our NASCAR Xfinity Series program, and we could not have done without his support and guidance. It means a lot to help bring further attention to his program to the NASCAR fans and community.”

RJR will continue to field a full-time ASA STARS National Tour effort for Canadian Kyle Steckly and compete in select ARCA Menards Series races through October 2024.

Steckly recently scored his first career ASA STARS National Tour victory at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway in the Redbud 400.

Since 2018, Gragson, 26, has made 138 Xfinity starts, earned two poles, won 13 races, delivered 63 top-five and 99 top-10 finishes, and finished a career-best second in the Xfinity Series championship standings driving for JR Motorsports during the 2022 season.

For more on Noah Gragson, like him on Facebook (Noah Gragson Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@noahgragson), TikTok and X | Twitter (@NoahGragson).

For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and X | Twitter (@RetteJones30).

The Sport Clips Haircuts Help a Hero 200 (147 laps | 200.8 miles) is the 23rd of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2024 schedule. Practice will occur on Sat., August 31st, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. Qualifying will immediately follow, beginning at 11:10 a.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 3:30 p.m., with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

About Rette Jones Racing:

Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never-give-up attitude.

Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plans to field a full-time entry in 2024 in the ASA STARS National Tour Series while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series platform and NASCAR respectively.

Rette Jones Racing also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.

Irving, TX – August 29, 2024 – Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company and the official trading card partner of NASCAR, has announced that it will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 15 AM Racing Ford Mustang, driven by two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, for the Xfinity Series’ Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200.

The race is this Saturday, August 31st, at the iconic Darlington Raceway.

Logano has been a member of Panini’s athlete roster since 2019, serving as the brand’s racing trading card ambassador and as a key element of multiple Panini NASCAR products and marketing activations, including its annual Panini VIP Experience for a sweepstakes-winning fan at the Daytona 500.

“Bringing back the fan-favorite Panini Prizm paint scheme on the No. 15 Panini America Ford will be fun to see on the track this weekend at Darlington,” said Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations for Panini America.

“We are proud to be partnering with the team at AM Racing and, of course, with Joey Logano, who has been such an important part of our many NASCAR initiatives over the years.”

Panini has had primary car partnerships on the Xfinity Series every season since 2019, and earlier this year was the primary sponsor of the No. 4 Ford Mustang driven by Josh Berry at the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. That car’s paint scheme featured basketball star Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever. The Panini Prizm paint scheme is highlighted in advance of Panini’s upcoming Prizm NASCAR trading card release.

“We are thrilled to welcome Joey (Logano) back to AM Racing this weekend at Darlington Raceway,” offered AM Racing team president Wade Moore. “Joey did a great job for our team at the Chicago Street Course in July, and we look forward to having another successful race together at one of our sport’s most prestigious tracks on Saturday afternoon.”

This will be Logano’s second NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season in the No. 15 car, having finished in eighth at The Loop 110 in Chicago on July 6th. He has 30 career victories in the series.

“I’m looking forward to racing the No. 15 Panini America Ford Mustang this weekend at Darlington for many reasons,” said Joey Logano. “Darlington is a very challenging racetrack, yet it’s a fun one to battle on, as it has an older surface, and for the majority of the time, you’re racing just inches from the wall.

“The extra seat time on an important race weekend is always an added bonus and I’m pumped that Panini will be the primary with me on Saturday. I’ve celebrated in the winner’s circle in both the Xfinity and Cup Series at Darlington, and we have high hopes to add to the stat sheet by parking my No. 15 Panini America Ford Mustang for AM Racing in Victory Lane Saturday afternoon.”

About Panini America:

Panini America is a subsidiary of The Panini Group, established over 60 years ago in Modena, Italy, with subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America, and the United States.

Panini is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles and is the most significant publisher of collectibles in the U.S., with official licenses for NFL, NFLPA, NBA, NBPA, NASCAR, FIFA, LIV Golf, WWE, the Professional Fighters League, College, Disney and other key properties from many other licensors.

Panini is also the exclusive trading card and sticker partner of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Elite 11 and Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.

Panini has distribution channels in more than 150 countries and employs a staff of over 1,200. For more information, visit us at www.paniniamerica.net, www.paninigroup.com, or http://blog.paniniamerica.net/.

You can also follow Panini America on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

About AM Racing:

AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.

Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.

The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its eighth year of competition.

Jesse Love to race the No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September

WELCOME, N.C. (August 29, 2024) – Richard Childress Racing (RCR) today announced a partnership with Samsara Inc. (“Samsara”) (NYSE: IOT), the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud. RCR has implemented Samsara Video-Based Safety, Vehicle Telematics, and Equipment Monitoring solutions in its fleet to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of its operations.

“RCR is consistently striving to find solutions to improve the safety and efficiency of not only our race cars, but our fleet of trucks that log thousands of miles to and from the track every week,” said Torrey Galida, president of RCR. “This partnership with Samsara allows us to equip our hauler drivers with innovative and sustainable technology that will help our logistic operations. Our use of the Samsara platform is an exciting opportunity, and we look forward to finding much success together both on and off the track.”

Samsara helps tens of thousands of organizations in industries like transportation, construction, and field services, solve their most complex and pressing problems. The company brings data from frontline workers, equipment, vehicles, and worksites into the cloud and leverages AI models to provide real-time insights. Whether it’s keeping the workforce out of harm’s way, managing thousands of vehicles and assets, or making operations changes to increase sustainability, Samsara is essential to strengthening operations.

“The time and hard work RCR’s hauler drivers and logistics team put in is critical to the team’s performance on track. At Samsara, we’re dedicated to helping make their jobs safer and easier with technology,” said Amy Day-O’Connor, senior director of brand and creative at Samsara. “We’re excited to play a role in improving RCR’s operations and to cheer on Jesse Love as he competes for the championship.”

The No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet, driven by Jesse Love, will make its inaugural appearance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 7. Making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the start of the 2024 season, Love has impressed throughout his rookie campaign. The 19-year-old captured his first series victory in only the ninth race of the season and currently holds a sizeable lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings. Love, a native of Menlo Park, California, is the youngest NASCAR champion in history and the reigning 2023 ARCA Menards Series champion.

Watch Love and the No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 7. Live television coverage will air on USA Network at 3 p.m. ET, with the Performance Racing Network carrying the live radio broadcast.

For more information on Samsara, please visit www.samsara.com.

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing, and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2024 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (No. 8 Chevrolet) and 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Jesse Love (No. 2 Chevrolet) and Austin Hill (No. 21 Chevrolet).

Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud, which is a platform that enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. With tens of thousands of customers across North America and Europe, Samsara is a proud technology partner to the people who keep our global economy running, including the world’s leading organizations across construction, transportation and warehousing, field services, manufacturing, retail, logistics, and the public sector. The company’s mission is to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy.

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

• Event: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (Round 23 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, August 31
• Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
• Layout: 1.366-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer and the No. 00 Haas Automation team are hoping to rebound after bad luck struck in last Friday’s race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. In the rearview mirror for Custer is a superspeedway where anything can happen as he looks to Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, a track he’s tamed in the past. Custer started 14th at Daytona after a qualifying session shortened by lightning. He ran in the top-10 in the first stage of the race before finishing it just outside the points-paying position. During the stage break, he made contact on pit road with the his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Riley Herbst’s No. 98 Ford Mustang, forcing Custer to pit multiple times to repair damage and putting him a lap down for the start of the second stage. He was able to get his lap back and was running in the top-20 again when he was caught up in a multicar accident on lap 77. The No. 00 team attempted to repair the significant damage, but ultimately ran out of time on the DVP (Damage Vehicle Policy) clock. Custer was forced to retire his Ford Mustang and settle for 32nd-place. Most importantly, it cost him his regular-season points lead, dropping him to second in the standings, 33 points behind new leader Justin Allgaier. Four regular-season races remain.
• Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington will mark Custer’s seventh career Xfinity Series start at the track nicknamed “Too Tough to Tame.” Despite never having led a lap there until this May, the native of Ladera Ranch, California, was credited with the Xfinity Series victory in August 2019, when he crossed the finish line .602 of a second behind apparent race-winner Denny Hamlin, who was subsequently disqualified for a ride-height violation in postrace inspection. It was Custer’s eighth of 14 career Xfinity series victories. In the September 2018 race at Darlington, Custer was runner-up to Brad Keselowski by .738 of a second. Custer finished ninth in his Xfinity Series debut at Darlington in September 2017. Custer has not finished worse than ninth there. In his most recent visit to the track in May, Custer looked to be well on his way to another victory after starting from the pole and leading 21 laps. He ultimately was forced to settle for a third-place result after pit road issues.
• Custer has an additional seven starts outside of the Xfinity Series at Darlington, all in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2020 to 2022. His best outing there was an 11th-place effort in the September 2021 Southern 500. He’s scored two other Darlington top-15s in the Cup Series – a 12th-place finish in September 2020 and a 14th-place finish in his most recent Cup Series start last September.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst heads to Saturday’s Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in hopes of keeping the No. 98 Monster Energy team’s momentum rolling. After starting eighth in last Friday’s Daytona 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Herbst appeared to be on his way to a third career victory in the final laps of the scheduled 100-lap race. sitting fourth in the second row on the final overtime restart. He was making a charge for the lead when the caution flag flew on the final lap, ending the race under caution. He had to settle for a fourth-place finish, but given damage sustained in a pit road incident after Stage 1, Herbst’s rebound for a top-five was significant in the regular-season standings. Earlier in the race, he finished second in Stage 2 to earn nine bonus points.
• Saturday’s 200-mile race will mark the 10th Xfinity Series start at Darlington for Herbst. While he’s experienced a variety of results at the track affectionately known as the “Lady in Black,” he’s also earned some of his career-best finishes there. In his nine prior starts at the track, Herbst has earned four top-10 finishes with a best of third, earned in the May 2022 race on the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval. While his return there in September 2023 was an up-and-down day of emotions as he was racing to make the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, he came emerged with a sixth-place finish after starting 15th. In his most recent start at the track in May, Herbst started ninth and ended up with a solid seventh-place result. He’ll be seeking his first career Darlington win with the Stewart-Haas team that has been victorious twice there in the Xfinity Series – August 2019 with Cole Custer and May 2020 with Chase Briscoe.
• With just four races to go until the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs kick off Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Herbst is locked into the 12-driver postseason for the fourth time in five fulltime seasons. His win on July 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway secured his playoff berth, and Herbst has been on a roll ever since. He has collected a total of two stage wins, 176 stage points, and 10 top-10s in the 22 races run so far this season. Currently, he sits sixth in the regular-season standings, just nine points behind sixth-place AJ Allmendinger. Herbst has earned the fourth-most stages points of all Xfinity Series drivers – only eight fewer than his teammate Custer. He has four regular-season races left to improve his position in the standings and accumulate more playoff points to carry over into the opening Round of 12. He is sixth in the playoff standings with seven playoff points.

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

Darlington is a difficult track where a lot of drivers struggle to find success. Yet, you’ve earned a win, five top-fives and six top-10s at the 1.366-mile oval in your six career starts. What’s your secret to navigating the track?

“Darlington is called ‘Too Tough to Tame’ for a reason. It’s such a difficult track for a driver. If your car isn’t set up just right, it can make for a bad race, which we definitely don’t need right now. I’ve been lucky to have some good runs there and continue to score top-10s at such a difficult track, but to put it into perspective as to just how hard this track is, I didn’t lead my first laps until this past May. I got the win in 2019, but that was in such unprecedented fashion. I want to win outright by running up front and crossing the finish line first. We’ve been close, but we just need that little bit more. Luckily, J.T. (Jonathan Toney, crew chief) and the guys have been working hard on it since May, and I know they’ll bring me a fast racecar once again. We’ve been good here, but I know we can be the best of the best.”

While the NASCAR Cup Series regular season-finale is this week, the Xfinity Series still has four races to go. You’re second, only 33 points behind new leader Justin Allgaier. What do you need in order to get the points lead back?

“Honestly, we just need to leave the bad luck behind us. Michigan and Daytona were just miserable. In such a good season, we were forced to park our car early in incidents outside of our own doing. Those days are tough as a driver. You replay what you could’ve done differently in your head, but you can’t dwell on it too long. This stretch here is so weird with so many superspeedway races in a month-and-a-half. We’ve got one of my best tracks with Darlington, though, and I’m planning to use that to my advantage. We lost the points lead last weekend, which is hard. We still have a shot to fight for it, though. We just need to get back to where we were. Luckily, we’re locked into the playoffs, but I’m hoping to find our way back to the top of the leaderboard again.”

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

Darlington has been one of those tracks where you run well but often find bad luck. What do you need to do in order to not only stay out of trouble Saturday, but also find your way to victory lane?

“Honestly, this racetrack is all about being patient. You can’t get too heated if you’re working your way through traffic or it’ll come back to bite you – which I’ve learned the hard way. I’ve had some of my best runs at Darlington and some of my worst. I’ve made some mistakes and gotten back in the pack, which ended up not working out in my favor and a lot of times ended my day way too early. Bad luck can hit you hard there, and I can say that I’ve seen both the good side and bad side of this track. If we can just keep focused and stay out of bad luck’s way, I know the No. 98 team can find its way to victory lane at Darlington. When it’s been good, it’s been great. We’ve had the speed all year at intermediate tracks, but it’s just about staying out of trouble. I’m excited to get back to Darlington this weekend.”

With four races to go in the regular season, you are locked into the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs thanks to your July 20 win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Talk about that feeling of being able to prepare for the final regular-season races without having to worry about points racing.

“It’s like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. We don’t have to watch that points race and can just focus on getting better for the playoffs. We can take those risks to get stage wins and race wins to help us collect playoff points. That’s something that we’ve never really been able to do in the past, and it’s such a good feeling. This No. 98 Monster Energy team has brought me fast cars each and every weekend, so I have no doubt that we can do the same at Darlington. We just have to stay out of trouble and be there at the end. I’m excited to finally be in this spot. We’re able to also experiment and see what will work for the playoffs and what won’t. It’s a good spot.”

JR Motorsports Team Preview
TRACK – Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
NXS RACE – Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (147 laps / 200.802 miles)
TUNE IN – USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 3:30 p.m. (ET)

Sam Mayer

No. 1 – 10X Health Chevrolet

Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 22

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 10

Laps Led: 125

Avg. Finish: 17.5

Points: 13th

• Sam Mayer heads back to Darlington Raceway for the second time this year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
• The 21-year-old driver will make his seventh start overall at the 1.366-mile oval, where he has previously earned two top-five and three top-10 finishes. His best, fourth came earlier this year in the spring.
• In 42 starts on tracks measuring between one and 1.5 miles in length, the Franklin, Wis. native has earned two victories, 15 top fives and 22 top 10s.
• Mayer’s two victories came at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season, and earlier this year at Texas Motor Speedway.

Sam Mayer

“Darlington is one of my favorite tracks and one that I really enjoy racing at. So I am super pumped to get back there this weekend. We had a top-five finish in the spring so I have no doubt in my mind that Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and the guys have put together a great package for this track and we will be able to be up front and in contention for the win. The playoffs are just a few short weeks away and I am ready to get this bad luck off our shoulders and go fight for a Championship.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 Professional Agriculture Chevrolet

Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 22

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 14

Laps Led: 570

Avg. Finish: 12.5

Points: 1st

• Justin Allgaier returns to Darlington as the most recent winner at “The Track too Tough to Tame,” having scored the victory after leading a race-high 119 laps earlier this season.
• Overall, Allgaier is a three-time winner at “The Lady in Black,” going to Victory Lane in the spring of 2021, 2022 and 2024, respectively.
• In 18 career NXS starts at Darlington, Allgaier has eight top fives and 14 top 10s to accompany the three wins.
• Allgaier’s three victories at Darlington ranks as the most wins for the Illinois native among all tracks that he has competed on in the NXS.

Justin Allgaier

“We are really looking forward to getting back to Darlington this weekend with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. We’ve had some really strong runs these last couple weeks and I know that Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and all the guys on this JR Motorsports team will give me another car capable of that again on Saturday. Hopefully we can keep our car clean all race long and be up front when it counts to try to sweep the season at Darlington. We are ready to go.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet

Smith 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 22

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 4

Top 10s: 11

Laps Led: 55

Avg. Finish: 16.0

Points: 11th

• Sammy Smith has 22 NXS starts in his young career on tracks up to 1.366 miles in length. Of those, he has tallied one win, five top-fives, 12 top-10s and led 371 laps.
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Smith is currently ranked fifth with 893 quality passes in the 2024 season.
• Smith is only 15 points below the playoff cutline going into the weekend with four races remaining in the regular season.
• Pilot Flying J will share the TV panel with Best Logistics Group of Kernersville, NC, located just over two hours north of Darlington.

Sammy Smith

“Last week in Daytona we didn’t finish where our No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet was capable of due to an unfortunate late-race incident. I’m hoping we have some luck on our side this weekend in Darlington and can keep our nose clean, compete up front and secure the victory that this JR Motorsports team deserves.”

Brandon Jones

No. 9 Menards / Patriot Lighting Chevrolet

Jones 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 22

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 5

Laps Led: 30

Avg. Finish: 19.8

Points: 14th

• Brandon Jones has made 13 starts in the NXS at “The Lady in Black” and has compiled one win, two top-five and six top-10 finishes. Jones’ win came during the 2020 season after taking the lead with two laps remaining.
• Overall, Jones has made 141 starts on tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length in the NXS and has recorded four wins, 20 top fives and 63 top 10s.
• Patriot Lighting, a company dedicated to providing premium quality, stylish and inviting lights at affordable prices, will make its first appearance on the hood of Jones’ Camaro this weekend. While this will be the company’s only appearance on the hood this season, Patriot Lighting will be featured on the TV panel four times over the 33-race schedule.

Brandon Jones

“This No. 9 team gave me a fast Chevy Camaro our last trip to Darlington and we were able to bring home a top-10, so I hope we can be running up towards the front again this weekend. We have had a rough couple of weeks getting caught up in other people’s situations, but we are going to stay focused and keep working to secure our spot in the playoffs.”

Carson Kvapil

No. 88 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet

Kvapil 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 7

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 3

Top 10s: 4

Laps Led: 63

Avg. Finish: 8.7

Points: 29th

• Carson Kvapil will make his eighth NXS start this weekend at Darlington, and it will mark his second start on the historic 1.336-mile oval. In his first start there in May, Kvapil finished 19th.
• The spring race at Darlington marked Kvapil’s first ride with Clarience Technologies and Saturday’s race will be his sixth with the company.
• Kvapil made a big impression in his last outing at Michigan, leading 25 laps and contending for the victory in the late stages, before being collected in a late-race incident.
• Crew chief Andrew Overstreet has guided the No. 88 team to four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 10 starts this season with Kvapil, Connor Mosack and Bubba Pollard behind the wheel.

Carson Kvapil

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Darlington for a second time. That’s a tough place to learn, and now that I have one start there under my belt, I have a better handle on what that track throws at you. We had a great race going at Michigan before the crash, and I want to keep that momentum up this weekend.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Darlington Raceway: JR Motorsports has competed at Darlington Raceway a combined 72 times in the NXS since its first trip there in 2006. In those starts at the 1.366-mile oval, the organization has recorded seven wins, 23 top-fives and 45 top-10s, with an average finish of 11.7.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones and Carson Kvapil will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, Aug 31 from 12:45 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. ET.