Category: XFINITY Series PR

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Honor the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 21st
Start: 5th

“Our No. 2 Whelen/National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Chevrolet team brought a fast Chevrolet to Daytona International Speedway. Our Camaro started out on the free side in the first stage, but Danny Stockman and the team made good adjustments to help the balance. When we came down pit road on lap 34, I got tagged in the rear and spun backwards into my stall. That cost us a lot of time and we were forced to restart deep in the field. It seemed like whatever line we wanted to race in would not build up the momentum to make ground in the draft which kept us mid-pack. Here at Daytona International Speedway that can be a dangerous place. We were caught up in a couple different incidents that hurt the body of the car and killed the downforce we needed to run in the lead pack. My team did a great job with repairs and kept us from going a lap down though. We will keep our heads up and move forward to Darlington Raceway next weekend.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics/Global Industrial Chevrolet Team Persevere After Lap One Accident at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 31st
Start: 2nd

“Today wasn’t our day at Daytona International Speedway. We qualified second in our No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics/Global Industrial Chevrolet, but the second round was canceled due to weather. I feel like we would have had a shot at the pole though. During my one lap on the track, I felt an issue in the steering, so to be on the safe side, we changed the parts. Unfortunately that forced us to start in the back where anything can happen. And that proved true when we got collected on lap one. While it is disappointing that we didn’t have a shot during the race, this is the same team that won the first two races of the season and went on to string together a lot of consecutive top-five finishes. We just need one clean race to get the momentum back on track and we can hit our stride again at the right time before the Playoffs. I have confidence in the men and women at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines. We will focus on Darlington Raceway, which has been a decent track for us the last few times there.” -Austin Hill

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams qualified 10th for the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
• The caution came out on lap one, and Williams restarted from eighth on lap 10. Moving down to the bottom, Williams ran as the second car on the inside line at the halfway point of Stage 1. He dropped back as the pack raced towards the green-white-checkered and finished the stage in 14th.
• Williams pitted for tires and fuel and fired off for Stage 2 as the fourth car on the outside line on lap 37. Quickly moving down to the inside line once again, Williams hooked up with teammate AJ Allmendinger and attempted to push the middle lane forward. The outside line gained momentum near halfway, and Williams dropped back down to the inside line. The pack evolved to single-file running with Williams at the tail of the lead group. As the racing up front intensified, Williams continued to run passively within the pack. The stage finished under yellow with Williams running in 10th.
• After stopping for tires and fuel, Williams took the green for the final stage from 16th place with 35 laps to go. He slid into the outside line just before a spin brought out the yellow flag with Williams running 20th. Restarting from the inside of the eighth row with 27 laps remaining, Williams moved to the outside line immediately. On lap 77, a wreck broke out right in front of the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy Camaro, and by mere inches, Williams avoided it. The race restarted with 18 laps left, and Williams fired off in 13th. With the intensity elevating late, a car narrowly avoided collecting Williams in a wreck once again with five laps to go, setting up overtime. Williams restarted in 12th and took the checkered under yellow in 11th.

“We had a top-five car for sure, just every lane we got in wasn’t the right one. Still a good day overall, and we got a bit of luck missing two big wrecks. Kept the car clean. We’ll get after it again next weekend.” – Josh Williams

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger qualified third for the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
• The first caution of the night came on the opening lap. Allmendinger was still scored in third place, where he would restart on lap 10. On the first lap green, Allmendinger took over second, maintaining his position in the bottom lane. On lap 11, the bottom lane surged and Allmendinger took the lead. As the field went three wide and the top lane gained momentum, Allmendinger fell back to fourth and then back to eighth as the field went double file. Within two laps, Allmendinger had taken the lead again and went on to finish the opening stage in third place. During the stage break, Allmendinger reported he was a little free off the corners. The team came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.
• Allmendinger restarted as the third car top row on lap 37. On the first lap green, Allmendinger took fifth place. By lap 41, Allmendinger had taken the lead and reported his No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy fired off better. Allmendinger went on to finish the second stage in fourth place. As the green-white-checkered flag waved, Allmendinger reported he was loose at the end of the stage. The No. 16 Chevy was brought to pit road for track bar and air pressure adjustments.
• Allmendinger restarted in 12th place for the final stage on lap 66 and had taken over ninth place on the same lap. One lap later, Allmendinger was in third place, where he remained when the caution came out on lap 70. He reported he was happy with the car and he restarted on the top of the front row on lap 74. Allmendinger took the lead on the start and maintained position in the top three. When the caution came on lap 72, Allmendinger was scored in second. Going into NASCAR overtime, Allmendinger restarted front row on the top lane. On the final lap, Allmendinger spun on the entry to turn one and finished 24th.

“We had a fast No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy today. I’m proud of my guys for their effort and the progress we’ve made. It’s disappointing; I felt like we did everything right, but it didn’t work out there at the end.” – AJ Allmendinger  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 Safety Culture Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen qualified 19th for the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
• Van Gisbergen fought to maintain position as he battled an extremely loose race car during the entire stage. Nearing the stage conclusion, he relayed a potential vibration and issues with the steering. Van Gisbergen took the green-white-checkered in 21st.
• At the conclusion of the first stage, the No. 97 SafetyCulture team opted to pit before pit road was officially open to make major adjustments. Van Gisbergen was sent to the back of the field for entering pit road early. The No. 97 team started stage two, 26th, quickly advancing to 21st to begin the stage. Van Gisbergen continued to battle a loose car during the duration of the stage, reporting the previous changes had not been helpful. He completed the stage 19th.
• The No. 97 team came to pit road for a huge adjustment before starting the final stage of the race. Van Gisbergen started stage three, 33rd. Van Gisbergen quickly made his way up to 18th, five laps into the stage. Caution came out with 31 laps remaining in the race and the No. 97 team opted to pit for four fresh tires. The No. 97 Chevy restarted the stage, 25th. Van Gisbergen avoided a huge crash with 24 laps remaining in the race. The No. 97 team opted to pit for four new tires. Van Gisbergen restarted the stage 24th with 19 laps remaining in the event. The No. 97 SafetyCulture Chevy quickly made its way to 15th with just 15 laps remaining in the race. Van Gisbergen was damaged in a wreck with 6 laps remaining in the race, making the No. 97 come to pit road for new tires and front end repair. Van Gisbergen restarted the race, 26th and ultimately took the checkered flag, 25th.

“That was a tough race. Had problems with the car being too loose. My No. 97 SafetyCulture team worked on it all night trying to get it more comfortable and then got caught up in a wreck there at the end. Not the way I wanted the night to go, but that’s superspeedway racing. Proud of my 97 Kaulig Racing team. Get another shot at it tomorrow in the Cup car!” – Shane van Gisbergen  
 
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.

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Daytona 250
Date: Aug. 23, 2024
Event: Daytona 250 (Round 22 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 100 laps, broken into three stages (30 laps/30 laps/60 laps)
Note: Race extended two laps past its scheduled 100-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Ryan Truex of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 8th / Finished 4th, Running, completed 102 of 102 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 14th / Finished 32nd, DVP, completed 77 of 102 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (2nd with 773 points, 33 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (6th with 665 points, 141 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his fifth top-five of the season and his third top-five in 11 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona.
● This is Herbst’s second straight top-10 at Daytona. He finished sixth in the season opener in February.
● Since joining SHR in 2021, Herbst has only finished outside of the top-15 twice at Daytona.
● Herbst finished second in Stage 2 to earn nine bonus points.
● Herbst led once for one lap to increase his laps led total at Daytona to 36.

Race Notes:

● Ryan Truex won the Daytona 250 under caution to score his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Daytona.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 34 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Justin Allgaier leaves Daytona as the championship leader with a 33-point advantage over second-place Cole Custer.

Sound Bites:

“We just weren’t good enough. We gave the No. 20 a pretty good shot. I feel like that’s what won him the race, so congrats to everybody over there. They were really fast today, but I don’t know. I thought we worked really hard, and we had a fast No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for sure, but we just weren’t as good as we needed to be. We were just a little too bogged down and too bound up, but we’ll go back to work. I know everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and that’s what they do, they go to work. We’ll get it better for Talladega in the playoffs and to come home here in fourth with some decent points, we’ll take that after last week. All in all just not good enough to win.​” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“I haven’t seen a replay or anything, but I just saw some guys get together up top and I just tried to shoot as low as I could to try to get around it. It ended up that the No. 38 started to spin in front of me, and we were just kind of along for the ride at that point. I hate it for Fanttik and everybody. I wish we had a better day. That was definitely one of the hardest days of our season, but we’ll get our feet back under us at Darlington. This is a really weird stretch for the Xfinity Series right now with so many speedway races. I think it’s four in a month-and-a-half or something, so a lot can happen. We’ll rebound at Darlington and go after it.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Fanttik Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

TRUEX, SMITH DELIVER 1-2 FINISH IN DAYTONA
Toyota goes to victory lane in NASCAR Xfinity Series action at Daytona for the first time since 2013

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 23, 2024) – Ryan Truex drove a stellar race – leading six times for 28 laps – and made the right decisions on the final, overtime restart to score his second win of the season – in just his eighth start. Truex, who won earlier in the year at Dover, added to the accolades of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team, who have won six races with four different drivers (Truex, Aric Almirola, Christopher Bell and John Hunter Nemechek).

Chandler Smith, who earlier in the day won the first pole for Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona since 2016, had a strong race as the Georgia-native led 15 laps and finished second. Joe Gibbs Racing had three Toyota GR Supras finish in the top-10 as Sheldon Creed was scored eighth – his fourth straight top-10 finish.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Daytona International Speedway
Race 22 of 33 – 250 Miles, 100 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, RYAN TRUEX
2nd, CHANDLER SMITH
3rd, Parker Kligerman*
4th, Riley Herbst*
5th, Ryan Sieg*
8th, SHELDON CREED
12th, JOE GRAF JR.
28th, JEFFREY EARNHARDT
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

RYAN TRUEX, No. 20 Certified Collision Center Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

What was the plan there on the final restart?

“I didn’t really have one to be honest. I couldn’t figure out if I wanted the top or the bottom. I restarted on both lanes and felt like neither of them were great, but I fell back in 2018 – I had the lead, and I took the top and I lost the race and I didn’t want to do that again, so I figured I would try the opposite of that and go to the bottom. Riley (Herbst) gave me a crazy push, so shout out to him. He didn’t wreck me – just straight up pushed me. Once the restart shook out, I was just listening to Tyler (Green, spotter) telling me where to block. AJ (Allmendinger) – I knew he had a run coming to the white. I knew he was going to go for it going into (turn) one and I got lucky, and all of those guys hit each other, and the caution came out. Here we are.”

What does this show to the racing world with how few races you’ve ran this year?

“It shows I’m versatile. We’ve won at Dover and Daytona – can’t be more opposite. This is my eighth race of the year – period. I don’t race late models or trucks or ARCA or any of that stuff. I do my sim work at TRD during the week, and that is my main focus and on weekends that I get to race, I put all of my effort into this car. To be able to add to the list of winners they’ve had in this car is really special.”

What does it mean to you to call yourself a winner at Daytona?
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but I’m sure it will. I might not feel too good tomorrow so maybe after that it will sink in – but it feels really good though.”

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

What was the run late like for you?

“I was getting a run from behind, and I was trying to time my runs precisely to where I could time it right and still have forward momentum to poke bottom. It looked like the 16 (AJ Allmendinger) started to go bottom and it was just all bad pushes at that time. I was getting pushed out back. There wasn’t much I could do. I was already squirrelly. Just extremely, extremely happy for everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing. I mean this in a very nice way – we had not been good on superspeedways for a very, very, very long time on the Xfinity program. We went to Indy and was solid. We had our break. Went to Michigan and was firing on all cylinders and then we came here today and sat on the pole. That is huge for us, and now we are sitting in victory lane – just a huge statement to all of the men and women back at the shop. Really, really fast No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra – as fast as Xfinity internet today, just couldn’t time my run good enough and it wasn’t in the cards today.”

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
Wawa 250 | Daytona International Speedway
Friday, August 23, 2024

Ford Performance Results:
4th – Riley Herbst
5th – Ryan Sieg
14th – Blaine Perkins
15th – Kyle Sieg
32nd – Cole Custer
33rd – Matt DiBenedetto
36th – Gus Dean

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We just weren’t good enough. We gave the 20 a pretty good shot. I feel like that’s what won him the race, so congrats to everybody over there. They were really fast today, but I don’t know. I thought we worked really hard and we had a fast Monster Energy car for sure, but we just weren’t as good as we needed to be for sure. We were just a little too bogged down and too bound up, but we’ll go back to work. I know everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing that’s what they do, they go to work. We’ll get it better for Talladega in the playoffs and to come home here in fourth with some decent points, we’ll take that after last week, but all in all just not good enough.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 Sci Aps Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It’s exactly what we needed to come out of Daytona and to come out of Daytona in one piece is always good, and then a top five. At the beginning of that race I thought something was wrong with the car. The handling was off and it was all over the place and then to recover and I just got over and drove the heck out of it and came home fifth.”

YOU ARE 15 POINTS TO THE GOOD ON THE PLAYOFF CUT OFF LINE. THAT MUST BE COMFORTING. “Oh, yeah. That’s always good. We just have to finish off these races. We’ve had some struggles at the end of the races the past three and didn’t get the finishes for where we were running. We’ve just got to put it all together and keep gaining on that and make it into the playoffs and get more points.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Fanttik Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I haven’t seen a replay or anything, but I just saw some guys get together up top and I just tried to shoot as low as I could and trying to get around it. It ended up that the 38 started to spin in front of me and we were just kind of along for the ride at that point. I hate it for Fanttik and everybody. I wish we had a better day. I was definitely one of the hardest days of our season, but we’ll get our feet back under us at Darlington. This is a really weird stretch for the Xfinity Series right now with so many speedway races. I think it’s four in a month-and-a-half or something, so a lot can happen. We’ll rebound at Darlington and go after it.”

YOU WERE BACK THERE BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED ON PIT ROAD. WHAT HAPPENED? “I think it’s just a tough situation. At the end of the day, maybe I could have lifted a little bit coming out of the box and it’s just a really tough situation. It’s just really tight.”

MATT DIBENEDETTO, No. 38 ReMA Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We had just decided to go, of course, and I think the 8 tried to slide up in front of the 27 from what I saw, and then they just clipped me in the right-rear and we kind of got spun down the track. Then we went the wrong way up the racetrack and hit super hard. That stunk. It’s just tough because we were playing the ride strategy and there weren’t any wrecks, but stage three it was time to get up there and go, but you know there’s gonna be a wreck. It’s inevitable and we were in it. It stinks for the team. We had a top 10 last week and have had some good runs. I’m proud of the team and proud of Viking Motorsports. Thanks to ReMA, Recycled Materials Association on the car. It’s cool to see the progress of our team. I’m obviously bummed to wreck here, but it’s Daytona. It happens.”

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Daytona International Speedway; August 23, 2024

Track; Daytona International Speedway– Superspeedway (2.5-Miles)
Race: WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola; 100 Laps –30/30/40; 250 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Friday; August 23, 2024 7:30 PM ET
TV: USA, and the NBC Sports App
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) – 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 State Water Heaters/ Fly Alliance
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Daytona International Speedway

News and Notes:

• Practice; In 2024, except for the season opening United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) teams will receive no practice time for superspeedway events, including Friday nights WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola.

– Starting Position; Qualifying for the WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola will take place Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM ET to set the 38-car starting field. In 2024, NXS Qualifying for superspeedways will be determined by the fastest competitor in two rounds of single-lap qualifying. The fastest ten in Round 1 will move on to Round 2 where the fastest competitor in Round 2 will be determined the WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola pole sitter. The lineup up will then be set by the fastest 33 competitors on speed and five provisional starters. With 38 cars on the entry list all cars will make the starting field. Burton piloting the State Water Heaters/ Fly Alliance No. 27 will roll off 25th in the order for the first round. Weather pending qualifying will be shown in its entirety at 3:00 PM ET on Friday, August 23, and will be shown LIVE on USA Network (USA) and the NBC Sports App.

– Daytona International Speedway Stats; Friday nights scheduled NXS WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola will mark Burton’s 11th NXS start at DIS. In ten previous starts, Burton holds an average finish of 14.9 with an 98.7% lap completion rate finishing 1144 laps of the possible 1159. Collecting three Top-5 finishes, with 42-laps led, Burton’s best finish of 4th would come three times separate times in July of 2017, and both races of 2021. Burton would finish in the 26th position during the season opening United Rentals 300 back in February after starting 16th.

Featured Partners

State Water Heaters; State Water Heaters is a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters. For more than 60 years, State Water Heaters has built dependable, long-lasting water heaters for commercial and residential applications. State remains fixed on manufacturing durable products that last longer. For more information, visit StateWaterHeaters.com or follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

• Fly Alliance; Fly Alliance specializes in private jet charter, Jet Card Membership and aircraft sales/management. Setting a new standard when it comes to private jet travel, the difference is in the employees. With a combined experience including hundreds of thousands of flight hours dispatched, thousands of Jet Card members serviced and hundreds of aircraft transactions, Fly Alliance has a solution for each one of its customers. The mission of Fly Alliance is to provide its customers with safe, high-quality services, on each and every flight from take-off to landing. Learn more about the services Fly Alliance has to offer at FlyAlliance.com.

Parker Retzlaff – No. 31 FUNKAWAY
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Daytona International Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

• Practice; In 2024, except for the season opening United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) teams will receive no practice time for superspeedway events, including Friday nights WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola.

– Starting Position; Starting position for the WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola will take place Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM ET to set the 38-car starting field. In 2024, NXS Qualifying for superspeedways will be determined by the fastest competitor in two rounds of single-lap qualifying. The fastest ten in Round 1 will move on to Round 2 where the fastest competitor in Round 2 will be determined the WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola pole sitter. The lineup up will then be set by the fastest 33 competitors on speed and five provisional starters. With 38 cars on the entry list all cars will make the starting field. Retzlaff driving the FUNKAWAY No. 31 is scheduled to hit the track 21st in the order for the first round. Weather pending qualifying will be shown in its entirety at 3:00 PM ET on Friday, August 23, and will be shown LIVE on USA Network (USA) and the NBC Sports App.

• Daytona International Speedway Stats; Retzlaff will make his 4th NXS start at DIS in Friday night’s WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola. In three previous starts, Retzlaff holds an average finish of 4.7 with an 100% lap completion rate finishing all of the possible 355 laps. Collecting three Top-10 finishes, Retzlaff’s best finish of 3rd would come last February in the season opening United Rentals 300, while he would finish 4th in the 2023 season opener and 7th in last season WaWa 250.

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 FUNKAWAY, visit FUNKAWAY.com and connect on Instagram and Facebook. #FUNKINFAST31

Jordan Anderson – No. 32 Volpi Foods
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Daytona International Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

News and Notes:

• Practice; In 2024, except for the season opening United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) teams will receive no practice time for superspeedway events, including Friday nights WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola.

– Starting Position; Qualifying for the WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola will take place Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM ET to set the 38-car starting field. In 2024, NXS Qualifying for superspeedways will be determined by the fastest competitor in two rounds of single-lap qualifying. The fastest ten in Round 1 will move on to Round 2 where the fastest competitor in Round 2 will be determined the WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola pole sitter. The lineup up will then be set by the fastest 33 competitors on speed and five provisional starters. With 38 cars on the entry list all cars will make the starting field. Anderson behind the wheel of the Volpi Foods No. 32 will be third on the track for the first round. Weather pending qualifying will be shown in its entirety at 3:00 PM ET on Friday, August 23, and will be shown LIVE on USA Network (USA) and the NBC Sports App.

– Daytona International Speedway Stats; Making his return to the seat since Talladega Superspeedway in April, Anderson will make his 4th NXS start at DIS in Friday night’s WaWa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola. In three previous starts, Anderson holds an average finish of 13.7 with an 100% lap completion rate finishing all of the possible 330 laps. Collecting one Top-5 finish, Anderson’s best finish of 4th would come last February in the season opening United Rentals 300. Anderson is no stranger of Daytona capturing two second place finishes in back-to-back years (2020, 2021) in the season opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS). In five starts in the truck series Anderson holds an average of 13.6.

Featured Partner

• Volpi Foods; Founded in St. Louis in 1902, is Volpi Foods a fourth-generation, family-owned producer of award-winning charcuterie available in retailers nationwide. Slow-cured in small batches, non-GMO, gluten-free and never frozen, every product is free from nitrates, nitrites, or growth hormones. Volpi Foods is proud to preserve the ancient tradition of dry curing meat by hand, partners only with local farmers to source meat that is Raised Responsibly™ and still operates the oldest salumeria in America. To learn more, visit VolpiFoods.com and follow on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X.

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
Daytona NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: Daytona 250 (Round 22 of 33)
• Date: Friday, August 23
• Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
• Layout: 2.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 7:30 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer and the No. 00 Fanttik team are looking to rebound in Friday night’s Daytona 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion ran into some bad luck last Saturday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn after his No. 00 Ford Mustang Dark Horse sustained damage in accident on lap 48 of the scheduled 125-lap race. While the team was able to repair most of the damage, a series of cut right-front tires kept forcing Custer to pit road, prompting crew chief Jonathan Toney to bring the car to the garage just 17 laps shy of the finish. It was just the second DNF (Did Not Finish) for Custer in 2024, a season that has featured a July 13 victory at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, a runner-up finish to teammate Riley Herbst at Indianapolis Motor Speedway the following weekend, along with three pole positions, 16 top-10s and 427 laps led. With five races left in the regular season, Custer remains the leader in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings by a 12-point margin over second-place Justin Allgaier. In addition to race wins, Custer’s primary goal is to claim the regular-season title, which he has yet to do in his career, and take home another 15 playoff points to provide him a cushion when the Round of 12 kicks off on Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
• Friday night’s Daytona 250 on Daytona’s historic 2.5-mile oval will mark Custer’s 165th career Xfinity Series start and his 10th at the track. He scored career-best finishes in both races there last season – ninth in February and fifth in August. Prior to last year, Custer never finished better than 14th at Daytona. In his most recent visit to the track in February, he earned a 13th-place finish after being shuffled back in the closing laps. In addition to his Xfinity Series starts at Daytona, Custer has five NASCAR Cup Series starts, one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start, and one ARCA Menards Series start. Best of those was his 10th-place finish in the February 2016 ARCA race.
• Fanttik is a youthful, dynamic brand dedicated to outdoor, household, sports and automotive products that cater to every need for the perfect adventure. In a short span of time, Fanttik has garnered extreme acclaim from enthusiasts, social media influencers, digital media and consumers. It has earned the internationally revered Red Dot Design Award multiple times, along with the prestigious IF Design Award. Fostering the motto, “We explore, we innovate and we make it happen,” Fanttik has brought trailblazing experiences in the automotive arena to the most diverse audience. For more information, visit Fanttik.com and, on social media at Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit and Quora.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst, the driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing, is ready to put the bad luck of last Saturday’s race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn behind him as he heads to Friday’s Daytona 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. After starting second for the scheduled 125-lap race at Michigan, Herbst led four laps and looked to be on his way to compete for the win when a misjudged gap while passing the No. 39 Ford Mustang of Ryan Sieg sent him into the outside SAFTER Barrier and ended his day on lap 48. He was able to earn four bonus points with his seventh-place Stage 1 finish. Herbst has clinched a berth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs thanks to his July 20 win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He currently sits sixth in the regular-season standings, 23 points behind fifth-place AJ Allmendinger. He’ll be looking for his third career Xfinity Series win and his second of the 2024 season at Daytona – a track that has been good to him in the past.
• Friday’s race marks Herbst’s 11th career Xfinity Series start on the 2.5-mile oval in Daytona. His best finish at the track is fourth, earned in August 2020 and February 2022. When the series visited the track for February’s season opener, Herbst qualified 11th and finished sixth. In his four seasons with SHR, Herbst has finished outside the top-15 just twice at Daytona.
• Herbst has eight starts at Daytona outside of the Xfinity Series – three in the ARCA Menards Series, two in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and three in the NASCAR Cup Series. He earned a best finish of seventh in the Truck Series season opener in February 2020. He made his Cup Series debut in the February 2023 Daytona 500, during which Herbst earned an impressive 10th-place finish to become only the second driver in NASCAR history to record a top-10 in his Cup Series debut in the iconic race. He joined Terry Ryan, who made his debut in the 1976 edition of The Great American Race and finished sixth. Herbst went on to participate in both Cup Series races at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last year and the August Daytona race, earning a best finish of ninth in the October Talladega race after leading 10 laps, his first laps led in the Cup Series. He returned for this year’s 66th running of the Daytona 500, where he had a strong week leading up to the feature race in the No. 15 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing. Herbst started sixth in Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacation Duel No. 2 and led seven laps to follow up his strong 2023 starts. But a subsequent accident forced him to the rear of the Daytona 500 starting grid. He finished the race 24th.

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

Superspeedways, especially Daytona, are unpredictable by nature. How do you prepare for a race where it’s difficult to make a solid plan because anything could happen?

“So that’s what is so tough about Daytona and superspeedways. Your plan is always changing. There can be like 15 situations that could happen, and no matter what situation, you have to know what to do when presented with each one. Honestly, you have to take these races lap-by-lap to see what kind of scenario you’re in and then adapt from there. You can’t have a solid plan going into a superspeedway because it’s always going to change and you’re forced to adapt to whatever comes your way.”

We’re heading back to where the season started at Daytona. Talk about how you feel your season has gone so far as there are only 12 races left.

“I think overall our season has gone well. We obviously didn’t show the speed we did last year at the beginning part of 2023, but as we got to the summer months, I feel like the No. 00 team really hit our stride. We were one of the cars to beat all summer. There’s been bad luck, especially last weekend at Michigan, but one bad race doesn’t make or break your season at this point. We have a win and that gets us into the playoffs. We have the opportunity to experiment because of that win so that once we get to the playoffs, we can hopefully figure out how to win all the way to the championship. This season has been great, and we’ve welcomed some new partners like Fanttik. Hopefully we can give them a good run this weekend at Daytona.”

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

Daytona has been one of your better tracks on the circuit, even though superspeedways seem to be a place where luck plays a huge part. Would you say you’ve just found a good string of luck or is there something that you find you excel at in superspeedway racing?

“Honestly, it’s a little bit of both. You have drivers who are just strong superspeedway racers, so I do think it’s a skill to know how to run there. You know how to stay out of trouble but also have speed. At these races, it’s all about being there at the end. Sure, you want to get stage points and run well, but if you’re super aggressive too early, you can put yourself out of the race. So you have to be smart, but there is that element of luck. Sometimes there are situations out of your control and that’s just superspeedway racing. We’ve been on both ends – having a great day and being caught up in an accident not of our own doing. I think this No. 98 Monster Energy team will have a shot at the end of this race if we can just stay out of trouble. I’m excited to get back down to Daytona with them.”

You’ve been in contention to win a couple of superspeedway races in your career. What would it mean to get a third career win Friday night under the lights at an iconic track like Daytona?

“Winning at Daytona would mean a lot. It’s one of those iconic racetracks like Indianapolis that everyone around the world knows. Daytona is anyone’s to win, but it’s still special. You’re a winner at Daytona and it puts you in a different history book. I’ve gotten wins at two very different tracks. We have one win on the season, so we know we can take chances now and Daytona is one of those that we can just go for the win and not have to worry about points. That hasn’t been the case in the past few seasons. I know the No. 98 team will give me a fast car, so I think we’ll be in contention this weekend if we just stay out of trouble.”

JR Motorsports Team Preview
TRACK – Daytona International Speedway (2.5 mile tri-oval)
NXS RACE – Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (100 laps / 250 miles)
TUNE IN – USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 7:30 p.m. (ET)

Sam Mayer

No. 1 Carolina Carports Chevrolet

Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 21

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 10

Laps Led: 118

Avg. Finish: 17.7

Points: 13th

• Sam Mayer will head back to Daytona International Speedway this weekend for his seventh NASCAR Xfinity Series career start at the 2.5-mile-superspeedway.
• The Franklin, Wis. native has a total of 22 NXS starts on tracks measuring two miles or larger in length, earning four top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
• The 21-year-old’s best finish on the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega came in the fall of 2022 where Mayer earned a runner-up finish at the Alabama track.
• Carolina Carports is back on board the No. 1 Chevrolet for its third time this season with the young driver and their second appearance at Daytona.

Sam Mayer

“We’re ready to head back to Daytona this weekend and hopefully turn some of that bad luck around down there. JR Motorsports has always brought some incredible superspeedway cars and I know that all four of us will be strong again when we get there. It’s great to have Carolina Carports back onboard our No.1 as well and hopefully we can have a repeat of what we did with them in Texas and come home in Victory Lane on Friday night.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 Hellmann’s / Sam’s Club Chevrolet

Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 21

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 13

Laps Led: 554

Avg. Finish: 12.7

Points: 2nd

• Justin Allgaier returns to Daytona as the most recent winner in the NXS, having gone to Victory Lane last weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
• Allgaier is also the defending winner of the summer event at Daytona, scoring the win in a dramatic photo finish last year to earn his first victory at “The World Center of Racing.”
• Accompanying the win, Allgaier has scored eight top fives and 13 top 10s at Daytona. Additionally, the JRM driver has earned a combined 12 top fives and 20 top 10s in 44 career NXS starts on the sister tracks of Daytona and Talladega.
• This weekend marks the return of the “Mayo Missile” for the second consecutive race, as Hellmann’s adorns the No. 7 Chevrolet in a co-branded effort with Sam’s Club.

Justin Allgaier

“Daytona is always a place that I look forward to going to. Anything can happen there and I know that we will have an extremely quick Hellmann’s / Sam’s Club Chevrolet when we unload on Friday. Hopefully we can keep our nose clean and avoid any potential trouble out there and work well with our JRM teammates to come home with a shot at the win. I know that this group is ready to go.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet

Smith 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 21

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 4

Top 10s: 11

Laps Led: 55

Avg. Finish: 15.6

Points: 10th

• Sammy Smith will head to Daytona this weekend for his fourth NXS start on the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
• In nine combined starts at the drafting tracks of Darlington, Talladega and Atlanta Motor Speedway, Smith has twice earned a best finish of 10th, coming in the last two NXS events at Atlanta.
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics, Smith is ranked fourth for quality passes with 800 so far this season.
• The No. 8 JRM Chevrolet will display CDT, Inc, a Lake City, FL-based company on the TV panel this weekend. CDT is a trucking company that provides trucking service using flatbed and climate controlled trailers primarily serving the southeastern United States.

Sammy Smith

“This No. 8 JR Motorsports crew brought a really strong car to Michigan last weekend and I’m glad I was able to get more seat-time on a speedway track right before heading back to Daytona. It helped to build my confidence so I’m looking forward to getting our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet out there under the Friday-night lights to see what we can do.”

Brandon Jones

No. 9 Menards / Turtle Wax Chevrolet

Jones 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 21

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 5

Laps Led: 30

Avg. Finish: 19.7

Points: 14th

• Brandon Jones has made 17 starts at the 2.5-mile facility and has amassed two top-five and five top-10 finishes. His best finish of third came in the season-opening race of 2019.
• At the two superspeedways of Talladega and Daytona, Jones has a combined five top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 29 total starts at the two tracks.
• On tracks measuring 2 miles or longer in length in the NXS, Jones has accumulated eight top fives and 24 top 10s in 58 total starts.
• Jones’ long time partner Turtle Wax, America’s favorite car care brand for over 75 years, will adorn the hood of his No. 9 Camaro this weekend. This will be their first appearance on the hood at Daytona.

Brandon Jones

“We didn’t have the finish we hoped for last weekend, but now we are looking forward to turning it around in Daytona. Superspeedway racing can be unpredictable so this No. 9 team has been working hard to make sure we are prepared for whatever happens. Being in the final stretch before the playoffs we need to put ourselves in position to potentially lock in that spot. I know this team will give me a fast Menards/Turtle Wax Chevrolet, so hopefully we can be up front when it counts.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Daytona International Speedway a combined 112 times with the NXS since its first trip there in 2006. In those starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, the organization has recorded eight wins, 29 top fives, and 45 top 10s, with an average finish of 16.1. The eight victories mark the most of any track in the NXS for the organization.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Friday, August 23 from 4:40 p.m. to 5:05 p.m. ET.

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger qualified 13th for the Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
• On the initial start, the top lane took off better and Allmendinger fell back to 18th on the bottom lane. By lap six, Allmendinger was up to 16th and reporting his Campers Inn RV Chevy was loose. When the first caution came on lap 16, Allmendinger came to pit road for four tires, fuel, air pressure and track bar adjustments. On lap 19, the No. 16 restarted in 27th place, and by lap 25, when the caution came out, Allmendinger was scored in 12th. The team stayed out under the caution and Allmendinger went on to finish the first stage in ninth.
• After the green-white-checkered, the field was brought to pit road for weather. When the race restarted, the No. 16 stayed on track to restart in sixth place on lap 37. When the caution came out one lap later, Allmendinger was in third place. The No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy restarted on the bottom of the front row on lap 42 and was scored in third when the caution came on lap 50. Allmendinger stayed out and restarted on the front row of the bottom lane on lap 55. Allmendinger finished the second stage in third place.
• During the stage break, Allmendinger came to pit road for four tires and fuel. He restarted in 10th place for the final stage. Two laps into the stage, the caution came out and Allmendinger returned to pit road for fuel and a track bar adjustment and restarted in 17th on lap 72. Allmendinger continued to move forward, driving up to 11th by lap 90. When the caution came out on lap 117, the No. 16 was in ninth. On lap 123, the field was again brought to pit road for weather. Allmendinger restarted in eighth place for overtime and finished in 10th.

“I felt like overall we had a really solid day. Just a challenge with the motor and air package that we ran. Kind of got behind in the third stage with strategy a little bit. I thought if the caution hadn’t come out, we were on a really good strategy to finish top three. Solid day, earned stage points and a top-10 finish. Happy to have a clean race car and head to Daytona.” – AJ Allmendinger  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 Safety Culture Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen qualified 23rd for the Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
• The No. 97 battled hard to maintain position until 15 laps into the event. A caution came out, and the No. 97 team opted to pit for four fresh tires and fuel. Van Gisbergen restarted the stage 29th. Another yellow flag flew with five laps remaining in the stage, and the No. 97 team opted to stay out, restarting the stage 21st. Van Gisbergen broke into the top 20 in the final laps of the stage, finishing Stage 1 in the 22nd position.
• The No. 97 SafetyCulture team started Stage 2 in 16th. Van Gisbergen battled a very tight-handling race car throughout the entire stage. Another caution flag flew with nine laps remaining in the stage and the No. 97 opted to stay out and finish the stage instead of coming in for adjustments. Van Gisbergen restarted eighth, breaking into the top 10 for the first time. Van Gisbergen took the green-and-white checkered flag, 13th, to end the stage.
• The No. 97 team came to pit road for adjustments, four new tires and fuel. The left rear tire was slow to come off, lining Van Gisbergen up to start 25th. A caution came out on the first lap of Stage 3, and the No. 97 came to pit road for fuel, restarting the stage in 24th. NASCAR issued a penalty to the No. 97 team for pulling out of line before the start-finish line on the restart, making Van Gisbergen do a pass through on pit road and cycle to the back of the field. Van Gisbergen continued to battle a tight car throughout the remainder of the race. Another caution flew with eight laps remaining in the race. The No. 97 SafetyCulture team chose to come to pit road for adjustments and fuel, restarting 28th. The event went into overtime and Van Gisbergen ultimately took the checkered flag 17th.

“I enjoyed this track, but unfortunately we just didn’t have any speed. It’s hard, we were flat the whole way around so people would just drive away from us. I made an error there on a restart and got a penalty, misjudged that, but still had fun and I’m continuing to learn! On to Daytona next weekend.” – Shane van Gisbergen  

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams qualified 29th for the Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
• Williams dropped four spots in the first two laps while getting up to speed with the pack. Once up to speed, he advanced to 28th by the time the race’s first caution came out on lap 16. No. 11 crew chief Eddie Pardue called Williams in for tires and fuel, and Williams restarted from 32nd on lap 19. After making up seven more spots to take 25th, the race’s second natural caution came out on lap 25. Refiring from 18th for a three-lap dash to the Stage 1 finish, Williams took the yellow flag running 19th.
• Rain began falling during the stage break, and the race went under red flag conditions on lap 34 for 15 minutes. Upon rolling, Williams pitted for tires and fuel and took the Stage 2 green flag from 13th on lap 37, but the yellow came out on the restart lap. Williams restarted in 14th on lap 41 and fell back to 24th by lap 50, when a wreck at the front of the field brought out the caution. Williams pitted under yellow for two right-side tires and fuel and restarted in 29th with six laps to go in Stage 2. He finished in 29th.
• Williams took the green for the final stage as the third car in the outside lane. A mid-pack wreck brought out the caution on lap 67, and Williams pitted to top off on fuel. Restarting from 22nd with 55 to go, Williams coasted in 20th until leaders began pitting for fuel under green with 16 to go. On lap 117, a crash brought out the yellow with Williams running in 19th. He pitted for tires and fuel, but rain once again brought out the red flag. The race restarted with two laps remaining and Williams running in 22nd. He took the checkered flag in 19th.

“We really did all we could to keep up, but whenever you tried making a move and didn’t get it done, you’d lose tons of time. Restarts were tough today. We made the most out of what we had.” – Josh Williams  

DANIEL DYE
No. 10 Race to Stop Suicide Chevrolet Camaro

• Daniel Dye qualified 23rd for the Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
• Dye ran in line with teammate AJ Allmendinger for the opening laps. The first caution of the day occurred on lap 16. Not having any complaints about the handling of the car, Dye pitted for four tires and fuel. He continued to run consistently and finished Stage 1 in the 15th position.
• Dye started Stage 2 content with the handling of his car. As the stage progressed, he struggled through the middle and late laps of Stage 2 to keep the power down. Relaying that he was plowing tight and snapping loose on exit, Dye pitted for four tires and a left-rear spring adjustment at the stage conclusion.
• Early in Stage 3, on lap 66, Dye was on the outside of two cars when he was involved in a wreck that caused significant damage to the rear of the No. 10 Race to Stop Suicide Chevrolet. Dye finished 34th.

“We had a pretty good Kaulig Racing Race to Stop Suicide Chevy in the first two stages today at Michigan. Unfortunately, we just got caught up in a mess that ended our day. We’ll be ready to get after it at Kansas in September.” – Daniel Dye  

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.