Category: XFINITY Series PR

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

• Event: Indianapolis 250 (Round 20 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, July 20
• Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Layout: 2.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA/IMS Radio/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer has had a weight lifted off his shoulders as he heads into Saturday’s Indianapolis 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 26-year-old defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion locked himself into the 2024 playoffs with his first win of the season last Saturday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. After coming close to a victory several times this summer, the driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse finally sealed the deal at Pocono, where he scored a Stage 2 win and led 25 laps on his way to the race win. It was his 14th career Xfinity Series win and his second at the 2.5-mile Pocono triangle, making him the only driver to have multiple Xfinity Series wins at the track. In addition, he moved up to sixth on the all-time Xfinity Series win list for Ford drivers, tying him with Matt Kenseth. The next driver on the list is Jeff Burton with 17 wins. Custer has been the picture of consistency this season. He has earned 15 top-10s, collected a total of 174 stage points, won three stages, and led 425 laps overall – second-most in the series behind Justin Allgaier, who has led 517 laps.
• Unlike many of his competitors, Saturday’s Indianapolis 250 will not be Custer’s first start on the oval at Indianapolis. It’ll mark his fourth Xfinity Series start on the iconic Brickyard layout. His most recent start came in September 2019, which was his last year in the Xfinity Series prior to moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series in the No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. He started that race 11th and worked his way to a seventh-place finish. His best Xfinity Series finish of fifth came in his first start at the track in July 2017. Custer has an additional start on the Indianapolis oval during his rookie Cup Series campaign in 2020. He earned an impressive fifth-place result after starting 30th.
• Win and you’re in. That’s the philosophy of the NASCAR Playoffs. Only seven races remain until the Xfinity Series Playoffs kick off Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, and Custer has punched his ticket into the postseason field. After his first win of the season last Saturday at Pocono, Custer clinches a spot in the Round of 12. He also leads the regular-season Xfinity Series standings by a stout 51-point margin over second-place Justin Allgaier. Custer has held the points lead since his sixth-place finish June 1 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway. If Custer holds onto the lead through the regular-season finale on Sept. 20 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, he will take home the regular-season championship trophy and 15 bonus points to start the playoffs. Custer finished fourth in the regular-season standings last season on his way to the championship.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst is ready to take on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Saturday’s Indianapolis 250. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Hose is coming off a solid rebound after a late-race pit-road penalty last Saturday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. After starting 18th for the 90-lap race, Herbst quickly worked his way forward to finish seventh in Stage 1 and fourth in Stage 2. He looked to be in contention in the final stage until the pit-road penalty he was required to serve after a round of green-flag pit stops. The penalty sent him a lap down. He received the free pass back onto the lead lap during a caution on lap 69, then rallied in the final laps to an 11th-place finish. He hopes to carry that speed and resilience into this weekend while leaving the mistakes behind him as he gets to race for the first time on an iconic track layout he’s dreamed of racing on since his childhood.
• During Herbst’s rookie Xfinity Series season in 2020, the series made the switch from the 2.5-mile oval to its grand prix road course. It was his first of four starts on the circuit, best of which was his sixth-place finish in July 2022. While Herbst has never made a start on the oval, he should feel right at home as the Xfinity Series cars will utilize a superspeedway package for the race. Herbst has been in contention to win each of the superspeedway races the past several seasons. His success in this style of racing has also been seen in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he earned best finishes of 10th and ninth, respectively, in his series debut in last year’s Daytona 500 and last fall’s stop at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, where he also led his first laps in a Cup Series car.
• With seven races remaining before the Xfinity Series Playoffs kick off Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Herbst sits seventh in the driver standings, 72 points above the top-12 cutline. Herbst’s strong runs thus far have put him just four points behind fifth-place AJ Allmendinger and three points behind sixth-place Jesse Love. Herbst has earned a total of 145 stage points – fifth-best in the series – and he won one stage March 23 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). He hopes to keep the momentum rolling through the regular-season finale Sept. 20 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

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

You’re one of the few drivers in the series who has had a chance to run a race on the Indianapolis oval. Do you feel like that will help give you an advantage this weekend?

“I mean, experience always helps, but there is a lot that has changed with how we’re running the oval now. We’re using a superspeedway package instead of an intermediate, so that’ll throw a curveball in for us. No one really knows what to expect from it, yet. Still, the time I’ve had on this track not only in the Xfinity Series but also the Cup Series should help me. I have previous knowledge that I can use while we prepare. We also have an entire practice session on Friday, which will help us get our No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse better for the race. On top of all that, we’re riding a wave of momentum from the past few races that should help the team’s confidence heading into the weekend. I’m excited to get back on the oval at Indianapolis and hopefully contend for the win.”

The win at Pocono last weekend must make you feel like a weight is off your shoulders as you have now locked yourself into the postseason. Does your perspective change now as you head into the final seven races of the regular season?

“It does a little bit. You’ve got that postseason playoff spot locked in, which is a big deal. It allows you to try more things and take more risks to try to get more wins. There’s not this weight of points racing on your shoulders to try and make it into the playoffs. Still, we also want to keep this regular-season points lead through the checkered flag at Bristol. It’s not even about the title of regular season champions, it’s that 15 extra playoff points. It could make or break you in a round. They carry over until the final race and if you happen to have a bad race during the playoffs, it could save you from being eliminated. We’re going to have to do some juggling, but it’s definitely not as stressful as it was prior to getting the win at Pocono.”

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

While you have four prior starts on the Indianapolis road course, Saturday’s race will mark your first on the historic 2.5-mile oval. How do you feel heading into this weekend?

“Excited is an understatement. This was one of the tracks that I was so excited to run when I got into the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Then they changed it to the road course for my 2020 rookie season, and I was honestly bummed about it. We had some strong runs on the Indianapolis road course, but there’s something about getting to run on the historic oval that makes a driver excited. You grow up as a race fan and see all the history surrounding that layout of the track – who wouldn’t want to run it and possibly win there. It’ll be a struggle to learn the track quickly, but we do have a full session of practice on Friday to help. I know my No. 98 Monster Energy team will provide me with a fast car, so I’m excited.”

With only seven races to go in the regular season, you’re 72 points to the good of the Xfinity Series playoff cutline. What is your outlook on keeping and growing that points gap to secure your spot in the playoffs?

“A win would obviously solve everything, but we have to look at the situation we’re in and move on from there. We have to protect that points gap if we don’t want to be in the same position we were last year that led to us not making the playoffs. I don’t want to have to go through that again. So for right now, we’re going to go for stage points and strong finishes, but if the opportunity for a win comes, we’re also not going to pass that up. We’ve had so much speed this year, but the finishes haven’t always been there. I think we would be first or second in points had it not been for those bad finishes. Hopefully, we’ll have a good run at Indianapolis to help us move closer to securing our spot in the playoffs.”

JR Motorsports Team Preview
TRACK – Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
NXS RACE – Pennzoil 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)
TUNE IN – USA, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 3:30 p.m. (ET)

Sam Mayer

No. 1 – Huck’s Market Chevrolet

Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 19

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 10

Laps Led: 118

Avg. Finish: 15.7

Points: 10th

• Sam Mayer heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series start on the famed 2.5-mile oval configuration.
• In 20 starts on oval tracks measuring greater than two miles in length, the Franklin, Wis. native has earned four top-five and seven top-10 efforts, with a best of second coming last season at Pocono Raceway.
• Huck’s Market is back on board the No. 1 Chevrolet with Mayer for its third appearance at The Brickyard.
• After the 19th race of the regular NXS season, the driver of the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet currently sits 10th in the NXS point standings and is locked into the playoffs with seven races remaining in the regular season.

Sam Mayer

“I am super excited to run the oval at Indy for the first time in my career. I love coming to this track and we have run really well on the road course in the past, so I am anxious to see how we can do on this historic oval. Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and the guys continue to unload rocket ships every weekend for me and I have complete confidence that we can keep the momentum going this weekend at The Brickyard.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 Jarrett Chevrolet

Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 19

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 6

Top 10s: 11

Laps Led: 517

Avg. Finish: 13.5

Points: 2nd

• Justin Allgaier is a former winner on the hallowed ground of Indianapolis, taking the checkered flag on the oval in 2018.
• Overall, in six career NXS starts at the legendary oval, Allgaier has scored three top fives and three top 10s to accompany the 2018 victory.
• The Illinois native also scored a runner-up finish in the most recent NXS event on the 2.5-mile rectangular oval after leading for 24 laps.
• This weekend marks the return of Jarrett Logistics onboard Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet for the fourth time this season.

Justin Allgaier

“It’s great to be going back to the oval at Indianapolis. This is such a special place. I grew up watching races here and to be able to have the opportunity to go to Victory Lane again on the oval definitely means a lot. Hopefully our Jarrett Chevrolet will be just as strong as we have been throughout this season and we can put ourselves where we want to be in the end. If we can do that, I see no reason why we won’t have the opportunity to kiss the bricks come Saturday afternoon.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 TMC Chevrolet

Smith 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 19

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 3

Top 10s: 10

Laps Led: 55

Avg. Finish: 16.1

Points: 11th

• Sammy Smith’s first visit to Indianapolis was last year on the road course. Although this is his second trip to IMS, he will now tackle the 2.5-mile speedway for the first time.
• According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Smith ranks second among all drivers in quality passes throughout the 2024 season with 764.
• Smith heads to Indianapolis off the heals of a top-10 finish last weekend at Pocono, a ninth-place effort which marks his best finish of the season on tracks two miles or greater.
• Smith additionally will be running double-duty this weekend as he will be competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday evening.

Sammy Smith

“I haven’t run the Indy oval yet so I’m looking forward to racing in a place with so much history. It’s going to be a busy weekend with us also running the Truck at IRP Friday night, so I’m grateful for my teams for bearing with me as I split my time between both tracks. We had a good car last weekend, we just needed more green laps to be able to put our original strategy to the test. I’m hoping we can carry that into this weekend for a good turnout with TMC.”

Brandon Jones

No. 9 Menards / Pennington Chevrolet

Jones 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 19

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 5

Laps Led: 20

Avg. Finish: 19.1

Points: 14th

• Brandon Jones has made four career starts on the 2.5-mile oval at IMS in the NXS and has finished inside the top 10 each time. His best finish of sixth came during his last race on this configuration in 2019.
• In 56 starts on tracks measuring greater than two miles, the 27-year-old Georgia native has eight top-fives, 24 top-10s and had paced the field for 168 laps.
• Pennington, a provider of lawn and garden products created with industry-leading innovation and excellence for over 70 years, will be making its first appearance at IMS on the hood of Jones’ No. 9 Chevrolet this weekend.

Brandon Jones

“I am looking forward to being back on the oval at Indy this weekend. I have had some great runs here in the past, so I am confident that we will have speed and hopefully be in contention to run up front. This No. 9 team is putting in the work to make sure I have a great car this weekend and I am ready to get them the finish they deserve.”

Carson Kvapil

No. 88 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet

Kvapil 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 5

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 3

Top 10s: 3

Laps Led: 38

Avg. Finish: 8.4

Points: 30th

• In a season of firsts, Carson Kvapil will make his first attempt at historic IMS in the NXS. It will be his sixth career NXS start.
• Kvapil will be seeking his fourth top-five result on Saturday at The Brickyard. In his starts so far this year, the second-generation driver has second-, fourth- and fifth-place finishes.
• The 21-year-old driver will jump to a speedway over two miles in length for the first time, taking on the 2.5-mile oval track. The largest track he has competed on thus far in the NXS is Darlington (1.366 miles).
• In 11 starts as a crew chief in the NXS, Andrew Overstreet has led his drivers to seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

Carson Kvapil

“Getting to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a big deal. It’s a big place, really has a lot of history to it. We’ll have a fast Clarience Technologies Chevrolet Camaro, thanks to Andrew (Overstreet) and the No. 88 team, and I look forward to my first laps at IMS.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway a combined 25 times in the NXS since its first trip there in 2012. In those starts at the 2.5-mile speedway, the organization has recorded two wins, 10 top-fives and 15 top-10s, with an average finish of 12.6.

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, July 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET.

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Explore the Pocono Mountains 225
Date: July 13, 2024

Event: Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 (Round 19 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)

Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 8th / Finished 1st, Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 18th / Finished 11th, Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (1st with 716 points)
● Riley Herbst (7th with 560 points, 156 out of first)

Victory Notes:

● Cole Custer’s victory at Pocono marked SHR’s 26th Xfinity Series victory, its first of the season, and its third at Pocono.
● This was SHR’s 102nd overall victory (69 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins, six non-points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins, 26 Xfinity Series wins and one ARCA Menards Series West win)
● This was Custer’s 14th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and his 13th with SHR.

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his first victory of the season and his second victory in six career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Pocono.
● Custer has only finished outside of the top-10 once at Pocono in the Xfinity Series.
● Custer has earned six top-10s in the past seven races.
● Custer finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine bonus points and won Stage 2 to earn 10 more bonus points and one playoff point.
● Custer led two times for 25 laps to increase his laps-led total at Pocono to 122.
● Herbst earned his 12th top-15 of the season and his fourth top-15 in five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Pocono.
● Herbst has only finished outside the top-15 once at Pocono in the Xfinity Series.
● Herbst finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and fourth in Stage 2 to earn seven more bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Cole Custer won the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 to score his 14th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season, and his second at Pocono. His margin over second-place Justin Allgaier was .670 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 30 laps.
● Thirty-one of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Custer remains the championship leader after Pocono with a 51-point advantage over second-place Allgaier.

Sound Bites:

“This means so much. These guys have worked so hard this year and just haven’t gotten that final result. It’s awesome to get it here at Pocono. This is such an awesome race track that is hard to win at. I can’t thank all of them enough. An unbelievable car. Doug Yates gave us awesome Roush Yates horsepower. Ford, we got a win in the Ford Mustang Dark Horse finally. We’re pumped about that. We’re ready to try to carry this into the playoffs. I couldn’t be here without Gene Haas and everyone at Haas Automation and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing. It is an awesome day.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“We really did have a fast No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. We did what we had to do. Run up front, get stage points. In the final stage though, the green flag pit road penalty killed our day. I hate it for my guys because this was a mistake on my part. We were a top-five car, and I think we could’ve contended for the win. Luckily, we were able to recover for an 11th-place finish. We’ll move ahead to Indianapolis.” –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 Indianapolis 250 on Saturday, July 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race Quotes
Pocono Mountains 225 | Pocono Raceway
Saturday, July 13, 2024

UNOFFICIAL FORD FINISHING RESULTS

1st – Cole Custer
11th – Riley Herbst
12th – Ryan Sieg
20th – Kyle Sieg
24th – Matt DiBenedetto
27th – Josh Berry
29th – Mason Massey
34th – Blaine Perkins

• Cole Custer won the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225, his 14th victory in 162 NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
• This is his first victory and 15th top-10 finish in 2024.
• This is his second victory and fifth top-10 finish in six races at Pocono Raceway.
• Custer leads the point standings by 51 points over Justin Allgaier.

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 1st)

VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW

“This means so much. These guys have worked so hard this year and just haven’t gotten that final result. It is awesome to get it here at Pocono. This is such an awesome race track that is hard to win at. I can’t thank all of them enough. An unbelivable car. Doug Yates gave us awesome Roush Yates horsepower. Ford, we got a win in the Ford Mustang Dark Horse finally. We are pumped about that. We are ready to try to carry this into the playoffs. I couldn’t be here without Gene Haas and everyone at Haas Automation and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing. It is an awesome day.”

NORMALLY AT A TRACK LIKE THIS YOU DON’T THINK OF BEATING AND BANGING, BUT YOU HAD TO DO THAT WITH THE RESTART WITH FOUR TO GO, WHAT WAS THAT BATTLE LIKE? “You never know what you are going to get. You just don’t know how they are going to push on the restarts, if you are going to get the push or they are. It didn’t work out well on the front stretch but we had such a great car that we were able to rebound from it. Justin (Allgaier) is such an awesome guy to race with. He races hard but we were able to race clean with each other and it is awesome to get wins like that.”

YOUR TEAM ASKED YOU WHAT YOU NEEDED AND YOU SAID CLEAN AIR. WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THIS CAR AND TEAM AND COMMUNICATION TODAY? “It is unbelievable. JT and these guys, like I said, they have been working so hard. I have told people that we are the points leader but I have never been so frustrated being the points leader because we hadn’t gotten a win yet. To get that, and everything these guys have done to bring a really fast piece here means a lot and I think we can really take it to them in the playoffs.”

POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

YOU RACE WITH JUSTIN A LOT, YOU KNOW HOW RESPECTFUL HE IS. I THINK HE PROBABLY WOULD SAY THE SAME ABOUT YOU. I ASSUME THERE WASN’T ANY WORRY ABOUT ANY ROUGH DRIVING AT THE END OF THE RACE, BUT YOU GUYS WERE PRETTY CLOSE AND YOU WERE RACING PRETTY HARD. WHAT WAS THAT BATTLE LIKE FOR YOU?

“Well, I mean, Justin, like you said, he’s the epitome of a clean racer but hard. I mean, he’s going to give you all he’s got and it’s not going to be easy, but he’s going to be clean, he’s not going to make stupid mistakes usually, and it’s awesome to race with Justin because he’s, I think a Cup level talent, he just never had the right opportunity but, he’s just a first-class racer and to be able to race with him and everybody in this series, I think us getting our first win this year really shows how hard this series is at this point. So it’s definitely awesome to win against great competitors.”

DID IT TAKE LONGER THAN YOU THOUGHT TO GET YOUR FIRST ONE?

“Yes. At the end of the day, we as a program, we think we can go win every weekend and we just haven’t done that this year for whatever reason. We’ve been close a lot of times, we just haven’t been able to finish the deal and today, to have such a fast race car, all our guys did a great job and to finally seal the deal means a ton.”

BACK IN 2019 YOU HAD YOUR FIRST WIN HERE, BUT HOW MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL IS THIS WIN HERE TONIGHT COMPARED TO THAT FIRST TIME AROUND?

“Oh, I mean, both were huge and both honestly were pretty exciting. Pretty late race cautions and things like that. So, honestly, whenever you get a win here is such a big deal because this is a hard track to win at. It’s a hard track for the teams to get the car right. It’s a hard track for the drivers to figure out and do their jobs. So you have to have the whole package here. And to have it all work out twice is amazing. And teams bring their best stuff here. It’s a really aero-sensitive racetrack. Horsepower means a lot. So you’re going to bring your best stuff here. And winning here really shows where your program is. And hopefully, you can carry it into playoffs.”

NOT ONLY IS THIS THE FIRST ONE FOR YOU AND FOR SHR, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST ONE IN XFINITY FOR FORD AFTER A VERY LONG WAIT, AND YOU GUYS HAVE COME VERY CLOSE. SO HOW GREAT IS IT, NOT ONLY FOR YOU, BUT FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO GET THE MONKEY OFF THE BACK?

“Oh, it’s huge. Honestly, going into the year, we wanted to be the first ones to win with the Mustang Dark Horse. We were close, but just weren’t able to make it happen earlier in the year. But to get a win with the Mustang Dark Horse is huge and huge for Ford. They’re just such a great company with Edsel and the whole Ford family. Everybody there makes you feel right at home. It’s awesome to really be in their corner and really muscle out a win for them.”

YOU’VE BEEN THE POINTS LEADER FOR THE LAST SEVEN RACES. YOU HAVE A 51-POINT LEAD. INCHING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON, ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT POINTS NOW OR IS IT JUST GO ALL OUT FOR A WIN?

“Yes and no. I mean, it made you feel really good when you didn’t run the best and still had a points lead. But at the end of the day, we’re here to win. That’s what we’ve got to focus on. That’s what the name of the game is. You have to win. That’s where the most bonus points are. That’s what it’s all about. So finally making that happen means a ton for our team and going into the playoffs. To win that regular season championship means a ton too. If we can hang on to that, the bonus points there will be huge. So we want it all though. We want to win and win the regular season championship.

WOULD YOU SAY THIS FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON IS A STATEMENT OR AN AUDITION IN ANY WAY OR JUST ANOTHER GREAT WIN?

“You audition every weekend in the Xfinity series, you know, that’s what this series is really. Everybody in this series is looking at how to get to the next level. So the more you can win, the more you can win championships, the more you can show that you can go out there and compete against the best, that’s speaks volumes. So I think we definitely have shown what we can do. We just got to try and piece everything together.”

I TALKED TO YOUR DAD, OBVIOUSLY A VERY HAPPY MAN OUT ON PIT ROAD, AND HE ASSURED ME YOU WILL HAVE A RIDE FOR NEXT YEAR. HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THE WIN IN XFINITY HELPS YOUR PROSPECTS TO GET THAT CUP RIDE NEXT YEAR?

“It doesn’t hurt. Whenever you win, it’s definitely helpful. But at the end of the day, we don’t have anything for sure next year. It’s just you try and win as many races as you can and usually that works out for drivers. But you know, you try to go out there and do all you can. Try to do your homework during the week and work with your team to bring the fastest stuff you can. If you do enough things right and do the little things right usually things work out.

DO YOU TRY NOT TO ASK YOUR DAD ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW?

“We try and just keep it a little bit separate. You have to work with that dynamic, but at the end of the day it’s up to Gene Haas and what Gene wants to do. I really respect Gene and what he’s done in this sport. And he’s been a great owner. I think it’s awesome to get Gene trophies and wins. So I’m just really thankful to have the support from him.”

WHAT DID YOUR DAD SAY TO YOU AFTER THE RACE?

“He was excited. Whenever you see your family member win and be able to win with a family member is huge. And for our team too, I mean, obviously it’s not been the easiest year for Stewart-Haas, with everything that’s gone on. So to finally muscle out a win is huge to have that kind of benchmark and kind of perk throughout the year. So hopefully we can keep carrying this and maybe carry a little bit of momentum on the Cup side and see those guys get up there because I know that they’re gaining on it, it seems like. So, hopefully be able to take all our cars stronger in the playoffs.”

WE SAW A LOT OF ACTION TODAY OUT ON THE TRACK. DO YOU ANTICIPATE WE’LL SEE SOME OF THAT TOMORROW AS WELL?

“Oh yeah. It was fun today. There was so much strategy that went on and the restarts made it crazy But that Cup package, it’s all about dirty air and how it really packs the field up and makes it really hard to drive. So they’re they’re going to be two and three wide four wide at times. It’s a package that kind of promotes you have to go where they’re not. So I’m sure it will be a lot of chaos tomorrow.”

DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO CATCH JUSTIN IF HE WAS SAVING GAS?

“I didn’t know what the situation was, honestly. I knew that I think he was going to stretch it, but I didn’t know where he was at on the racetrack. I’d have to re-watch the race. I have no idea how to answer that question, honestly, because I don’t know how much time we were within him or anything. I was going to go as hard as I could. I think we were going to have a good shot at it. It was going to be close.”

WHEN YOU’RE RACING A DRIVER THAT THERE’S A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE YOU BOTH MIGHT BE IN THE FINAL FOUR TOGETHER. IS THERE ANY I’VE GOT TO WIN TO JUST SHOW THAT I’M GOING TO BE THE GUY TO BEAT?

“Yes and no. At the end of the day, I’m just going to go try to go out and try and win no matter what it is, you know, whoever I’m racing. But I feel like that definitely speaks volumes when you’re able to win against good competitors. I think we had a tire advantage on Justin also there, if I remember right. So he had a little bit of a disadvantage there, but it was a hard race, and I’m really happy with how fast our car was. When we were able to get in clean air, we could really put some distance on him. So it was a cool day.”

CAN YOU JUST TAKE US THROUGH THAT LAST RESTART, HOW IT PLAYED OUT, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE BATTLES YOU HAD, NOT ONLY WITH JUSTIN, BUT WITH WILLIAM, BATTLING BACK AND FORTH FOR THE LEAD THERE.

“Yeah, it was really fun racing with William, you know, because he doesn’t race these cars all the time, so you could tell he was really fast. There were a few situations where I was like, man, I don’t know if that’s going to stick. You know, he’s not used to driving these cars every weekend, but he’s always an awesome guy to race with because he’s at the top of the sport right now. He’s one of the best, so to be able to race with him hard and have great competitors like that is awesome. It’s just such a crapshoot, honestly. On the final restart, you don’t know who’s going to get the best push and how it’s all going to work out. So you go in there and try and hope for the best that you’re going to have the lead off turn one, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. So we just had to keep our cool, and we had a fast enough car to recover from it.”

YOU NOW HAVE YOUR FIRST VICTORY OF THE SEASON IN THE BAG. YOU’RE ALSO LEADING THE XFINITY SERIES POINTS. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO CARRY THIS MOMENTUM THROUGH THE NEXT 14 RACES AND WIN BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS?

“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing. I think we do a great job as a team of communicating and doing the little things right. I think progressively just getting ourselves better and better and better. It’s easy when you’re not running how you need to to just start throwing things at it, but I feel like we did a great job of finding the root issues and how we go about our weeks and how we go about our pre-race stuff. So that’s a testament to our team. We just have to keep communicating how we do and keep fixing the little problems we have and we’ll be right there.”

YOU AND JUSTIN ALGEIR HAVE LED A LOT OF LAPS IN THIS YEAR, BUT ONLY HAVE ONE WIN TO SHOW FOR IT. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE THE UNLUCKIEST DUO IN NASCAR RIGHT NOW?

“I don’t know. That’s a really tough question. We’ve definitely had some things not go our way. I’m not going to say I’m the unluckiest guy in NASCAR. I mean, whenever you have shots to win, I feel like I’m a pretty lucky person. So I feel like we just got to keep doing what we’re doing. I’m not going to blame luck on it. We have to make our own luck in a lot of ways. I think we made our own luck today, and we just have to keep doing that.”

WHEN YOU AND WILLIAM WERE MAKING YOUR WAY BACK TO THE FRONT AT THE END. WITH THE WAY EVERYTHING PLAYED ON THE RESTART, WILLIAM WAS NOT ABLE TO GET BY JUSTIN. WERE YOU KIND OF WATCHING IN THE MIRROR AND HOPING IT WOULD STAY THAT WAY? AND IF WILLIAM DID GET TO SECOND, HOW CLOSE DO YOU THINK HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN?

“It’s really hard to say. I mean, obviously I’m not driving William’s car, but the run before, I felt like we were able to get a pretty good lead on William, the run before. I felt confident in our car. I felt like we could beat the best out there with what we had. So once we got the lead, I just knew I just had to hit my marks, really. I was just focused on that. I don’t think it would have mattered who was behind me, honestly.”

MOORESVILLE, NC, July 10, 2024 – NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Patrick Emerling today announced he is partnering with Camelback Resorts for this Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway. This marks Emerling’s 13^th primary marketing partner in the 14 races he has run this season.

“We’re thrilled to partner with SS-GreenLight Racing and driver Patrick Emerling in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year! Race weekend at Pocono Raceway is one of the highlights of the summer, and this year we are lending a few surprise attractions to the event. We recently converted Camelbeach into “Dinobeach” by adding 40 life-sized dinosaurs, half of which are audio-animatronic – so look for a few of those to appear at the raceway,” said David Makarsky, managing director of four-season Camelback Resort. “We can’t wait for kids of all ages to race to our Pocono Mountain resort for outdoor adventures, waterslides and, and of course, the dinos. Here’s to a great race year and good luck to Patrick and car number 07!”

Nestled in the scenic Pocono Mountains, formed 400 million years ago, Camelback Resort is a year-round destination ideal for adventure-packed multi-generational family travel and experiences. With a nod to its prehistoric roots, in 2024 the resort welcomed “Dinobeach,” an animatronic exhibit of life-sized dinosaurs situated throughout the resort. The 560-acre resort includes Camelback Mountain for unsurpassed skiing, snowboarding and snowtubing; Camelback Mountain Adventures for ziplining, a treetop obstacle course and alpine mountain coaster; Camelbeach Outdoor Waterpark, Pennsylvania’s biggest outdoor waterpark; and Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark, voted regularly as one of USA Today’s top Indoor Waterparks.

Accommodations are available at Camelback Lodge, an eight-story mountain modern-designed hotel with 453 guest suites, featuring many dining choices including ski-in/ski-out restaurants, a fitness center, 20,000 square feet of flexible conference and meeting venues and 170,000 square feet of indoor adventure and entertainment space. For reservations and more information, call 1-855-515-1283 or visit www.CamelbackResort.com.

“Having grown up in Buffalo, I’ve always known the Poconos as a honeymoon destination. But Camelback Resorts redefines the region as fun for the entire family. I’m looking forward to bringing my family back here when we have time to enjoy all that their waterparks have to offer,” said Emerling. “As a huge fan of the Jurassic Park movies, I was impressed to learn that Don Lessem, an advisor on the original movie, created the dinosaurs at Dinobeach. I’m hoping to run into a couple of them at the track!”

Additionally, Emerling will welcome back season-long partners SimForge, which sells sim racing equipment and accessories, and Frontline Optics, a San Diego sunglass brand owned by a retired firefighter.

The green flag drops for the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 on Saturday, July 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on USA, MRN and SiriusXM.

For more information on Patrick Emerling, visit https://www.patrickemerlingracing.com/ or follow him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PatrickEmerling07), X (https://twitter.com/PatrickEmerling) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/patrickemerling/). 

Puryear Tanklines teams up with the Fort Indiantown Gap Army National Guard Training Installation and The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation to honor the Blackhawk H-60 Helicopter at the Pocono Raceway

STATESVILLE, N.C. (July 10, 2024) — The H-60 Blackhawk is a workhorse for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Blackhawk aircrafts are used daily at Fort Indiantown Gap to train warfighters how to fly, instruct, and maintain this aircraft throughout the U.S. Army. The 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade used the Blackhawk heavily in their most recent deployment in the Middle East 2020-2021, supporting thousands of troops supporting Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR).

Puryear Tanklines and Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport have teamed up to honor the “workhorse of Army aviation” with a special paint scheme mimicking the design of the iconic aircraft. The US Army has more than 2,000 Blackhawks in service. This is more aircraft by quantity than any other aircraft in the Army. When you combine all the variants of the Blackhawk, it is the largest fleet of aircraft than any other aircraft in the entire US military. It entered service in 1979 and will continue to serve in the U.S. Army for decades to come.

The special scheme also highlights a unique partnership with The Fort Indiantown Gap Army National Guard training installation and The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation (WBWF). The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation has been the lead partner to the Army National Guard for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program at Ft. Indiantown Gap for 10 years. The REPI program is administered through the Department of Defense in effort to conserve properties around military bases. These conservation efforts reduce incompatible uses around the bases such as high-density development, and offer additional indirect benefits including protecting rural culture and family legacy farms. The military services utilize non-profit partners, like WBWF, to work directly with landowners to conserve willing landowner lands. The program is truly a win-win-win for the installations, landowners, and surrounding communities.

WBWF has the privilege of working with the Ft. Indiantown Gap base and 2 others in Virginia by providing experience in natural resource sustainment, conservation, and land management. With everyone working together in concert, the military missions will be protected from encroachment while the beautiful rural landscapes will be conserved for future generations.

“On behalf of The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation and our wonderful partners of over 10 years at Ft. Indiantown Gap, I’m thrilled to see this paint scheme come together on the 27 Chevy to highlight the H-60 Blackhawk thanks to the generosity of Puryear Tank Lines. To commemorate the day, I’ll have the opportunity to attend the race along with over 50 soldiers in training at the base and cheer on the #27 and honor the brave men and women that protect our freedoms”

Puryear Tanklines has long supported military and Veteran initiatives. Since its founding in 1959, Puryear has been committed to supporting the women and men of the U.S. military. “Over the years, we’ve had numerous people work for us who were also in active reserve units,” said Ron Patterson, Director of Safety & Risk Management at Puryear Tank Lines.

Former Puryear Tanklines driver Sergeant Jeremy F. Hardison will be remembered on the name rail of the No. 27 Chevrolet. Jeremy’s passion for engineering led him to enlist in the National Guard in May 2006 to fulfill his dreams of going to college and designing aircraft. He then deployed to Iraq from 2008 to 2009. In 2011, Jeremy decided to join Puryear Tank Lines after getting referred by his dad, who has been a Puryear driver for over 20 years. In 2012, Jeremy’s unit was called to active duty in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. Tragically, on October 1, 2012, Jeremy and two other soldiers were killed when an insurgent detonated a suicide vest while they were on foot patrol in Khost, Afghanistan.

Jeb Burton is excited to get behind the wheel on what is sure to be a special weekend. “I’m so proud to honor Sgt. Hardison as well as the work done by the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. The sacrifices that the men and women make to defend our country is something that I am forever grateful for.” Jeb also serves as a board member for his father’s Foundation.

Team Owner Jordan Anderson echoes the excitement for the special scheme “We are incredibly honored to partner with Puryear Tanklines and the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation to pay tribute to the H-60 Blackhawk and the brave servicemen and women of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. This special paint scheme is a testament to the dedication and sacrifice of those who serve, and we’re excited to hit the track with this meaningful tribute and give it our all at Pocono.”

Tune into the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at the Pocono Raceway on Saturday July 13th at 3:00 PM ET. The race will be broadcast on the USA Network.

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.

About Puryear Tank Lines

Puryear Tank lines was established by Harold Puryear who began as a driver. Later he would be succeeded by Donnie Puryear then later by his son Donnie who both drove prior to leading the company. Puryear Tank Lines has always been owned and operated by former drivers. We specialize in bulk tank delivery of liquid asphalt, anhydrous ammonia, chemical tankers, dry bulk, and aggregates. As a company whose roots started in driving, we will always put the drivers’ needs first.