Category: XFINITY Series PR

TRIO OF SUPRA TOP-10S IN LAS VEGAS
Harrison Burton Earns Second Straight Top-Five

LAS VEGAS (February 23, 2020) – The trio of Joe Gibbs Racing Supra drivers earned top-10 finishes in Sunday’s rain postponed NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 2 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Chase Briscoe*
2nd, Austin Cindric*
3rd, Ryan Sieg*
4th, Noah Gragson*
5th, HARRISON BURTON
6th, BRANDON JONES
9th, RILEY HERBST
21st, CHAD FINCHUM
26th, TIMMY HILL
29th, MASON MASSEY
34th, STEPHEN LEICHT
*non-Toyota driver

· Harrison Burton (fifth) was the top Toyota Supra finisher in Sunday’s postponed NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

· Brandon Jones (sixth) and Riley Herbst (ninth) also claimed top-10 results at the 1.5-mile track.

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 5th

What did you learn this weekend?

“A lot, you know mile-and-a-halves are not necessarily my strong suit just for the fact I haven’t run them as much as I have short tracks growing up and all that. Just trying to learn it and get better at it. Felt like my team executed well today better than we did yesterday. We worked better as a team today. That was good to learn from what we did on Saturday, get a chance to look back at it and now have a better result because of it. Felt pretty good about it. Not what we wanted, obviously we came here to win and didn’t quite make that happen. I think we’re building momentum and hopefully we’ll be a force to wreckon with soon.”

What was this race like for you?

“We really fought free all weekend here. Couldn’t get it to not be loose. The last run I was thinking I was going to be in good shape there after our green flag stop. We had a really good green flag stop, I think we passed the 10 (Ross Chastain) on pit road there or something and we caught the 7 (Justin Allgaier) and it felt really loose then that last run. Just unfortunate we couldn’t get it tightened up. My guys did everything in the books to tighten my car up and we couldn’t get it tighter. Really proud of the DEX Imaging Toyota Supra team. They did a good job all weekend. It is my first time here in the Xfinity car and learning that, a top-five is good and we can move on with some momentum from that.”

How do you feel about your start to the season?

“Yeah, we started good. To get out of Daytona in one piece and with a good points day and then to come here and get stage points in every stage and finish with a top-five is good. Good, not great. I think I expect to win and I expect my team expects me to win, so I’m still working and you can never be satisfied in this sport, it will come back to bite you and the winner is going to have to work hard to win again next week. You have to be the best every weekend in this sport to be good and we’re working towards that.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Menards/Jeld-Wen Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

How challenging was this race?

“Couldn’t really pass tonight. You saw a lot of guys complaining about being loose. We were one of them. I’d get huge runs on guys, I was so much faster than those next three cars. As soon as I’d get back to the 20’s (Harrison Burton) bumper, I mean, it was like a patch of air. Almost like you’re in jet-wash. Get your car and really shoot it up the race track. There were a couple times when I was full locked to the right trying to save it. We have to figure out how to be better in traffic. I have to do my part there and I think we have some improvements on the cars to do. All in all, I want to win these races, that’s my expectations now. The car’s not tore up, it’s almost a top-five so we have some good tracks coming.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 9th

How are you feeling after today’s race?

“We were happy to come away with a top-10. I thought we were a fifth or sixth place car. We were too loose in the start of stage two and I overadjusted with Dave (Rogers, crew chief). We were too tight there at the end and lost track position.”

What was your biggest challenge in the race?

“Track position, when we were in clean air, we had pretty good lap times. Just me being inexperienced, I couldn’t get through traffic as well as other people. I over dialed the car too tight there towards the end.”

How does it feel to have a top-10 at your home track?

“It was cool. I would have liked to have a better showing back at home, but it’s good to walk away with a top-10.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

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

Toyota Racing – Riley Herbst
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

LAS VEGAS (February 21, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Riley Herbst was made available to media at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

RILEY HERBST, No. 18 Monster Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

What do you expect out here in Las Vegas?

“I expect to learn. I expect to for our 18 Monster Supra to have good speed. I have been here before in a truck and Xfinity car, so looking to carry on that experience and hopefully to run towards the front.”

What are the Xfinity cars like at Las Vegas?

“It’s pretty cool because the Xfinity cars you can move around a lot. As you can see, last year, Kyle (Busch) had to race his way up through the field quite a few times so he got to use the fence and kind of showed his hand to everybody. Then, in the Fall race last year, people started going to the fence earlier and earlier. I think you’ll see tomorrow, I think you’ll see a lot of people go to the wall early.”

Is Las Vegas a tough track for you?

“I liked it. It kind of reminds me a little bit like Kansas. I’ve liked these two tracks – they race well and put ono a good show for the fans as well.”

How much do you lean on Kyle Busch?

“I lean not only on Kyle (Busch), but my other teammates and Christopher Bell. We kind of wear out their phones and pick their brains, me, Brandon (Jones) and Harrison (Burton) with how young we are and we’re trying to get better every day.”

Have you done anything here being it’s your hometown?

“I got to come home a few days early, so I was getting caught up with my family. We went to dinner the last few nights. Now we’re focused on racing.”

What will practice look like for you?

“We’re going to wait a few minutes just because we’re out in the desert and the dust settles super, super fast. Going to let the track brush off a little bit and then we’re going to go out and record some laps. It’s kind of a weird situation. I’ve never been in one of these one hour, 20-minute practice session, so we have to use our time wisely. We also have to communicate very well. We only get one set of tires, so it’s going to be a bit of a challenge, but we’re looking forward to it.”

How important is the one practice session?

“It’s huge. Like I said, we only have one so it’s now or never to get it dialed in. We have qualifying tomorrow morning and hopefully we’ll get to qualify and race tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.”

Do you feel pressure being a local driver?

“Last year, when I ran the truck and Xfinity races, I felt pressure up here when I came home. Now I’m relaxed and having fun and pretty loose. I got to see my friends and family, so I’m out there like a normal weekend.”

Do you feel you can step in and be one of the dominant vehicles in the series?

“We definitely have the team. I have Dave Rogers on top of the pit box and he’s one of the best in the business. We have the team and the cars to win. Everybody has put the pieces together and we have what we need and now it’s my job to go and capitalize on the opportunities that we have because people have left the series.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Friday, February 21, 2020
EVENT: Boyd Gaming 300 Media Availability

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang – RAIN IS EXPECTED TOMORROW.  HOW DOES THAT CHANGE HOW YOU LOOK AT PRACTICE TODAY?  “I think for us the biggest change in practice for this year is that we only get one set of tires and we have only one practice session.  For us, it definitely prioritizes things to make sure we’re getting base hits and making sure we’re at least close enough.  Obviously, if the rain comes, I think we have enough adjustability in the car to be able to make the necessary changes.”

NOT KNOWING WHEN THIS RACE WILL START HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR DAY AT THE TRACK?  “Ready to go as always.  I’ve been waiting for this weekend for a while.  It’s a great track.  It’s a great weekend.  The fans really love this place.  There is obviously a lot to do in Las Vegas, but I’m really excited to put on a good show and really kick off our year.”

YOU SAID LAST WEEK THAT THE SEASON STARTS AT LAS VEGAS.  “Yeah, I was really proud of the performance we had last fall in Las Vegas.  We has about everything go wrong in that race, but we showed a lot of speed and a lot of promise with a brand new package, so we’ve improved upon that package since then and improved our cars over the offseason, so has everyone else, but we get to see where everything stands here on the west coast swing.”

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO DISTINGUISH YOURSELF FROM YOUR COMPETITORS THIS SEASON?  “More playoff points than everybody else makes my life a lot easier.  That’s what my mindset is this entire season and that’s getting regular season points, being a points contender for that, and then trying to make it to where the second round of the playoffs isn’t so much of a round of perfection, whereas a good, solid race can really propel us in a Championship 4 spot.”

ONLY ONE PRACTICE TODAY.  HOW MUCH DOES THAT COUNT WHEN YOU QUALIFY IN THE MORNING?  “I think our qualifying changeover doesn’t change a whole lot, but our unload speed and how our car drives off the truck is gonna be really critical for this kind of practice setup and the other races that we have this same scenario.  I think it gives rookies a great opportunity to have double the tires, but for us unloading strong starts at the shop.  Our guys have put in a lot of hard work and I’m looking forward to seeing where we’re at.”

HOW DO THESE CARS HANDLE ON THIS TRACK?  “The spring race is definitely more of a track position race because it is a lot faster, it’s harder to follow.  When we were here in the fall it was over 100-degree temperatures and right now it’s 50 degrees or whatever, so that temperature swing is a massive speed difference, so making sure the balance of the car is good for those loads, but I’m excited. It’s a fun race.  I don’t think we’re gonna move around quite as much as what we saw in the fall race, but I still think we’ll work our way up.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC CONTINUED — YOU’RE A TALLER GUY ON THE CIRCUIT.  AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO RYAN DO YOU GUYS TAKE DIFFERENT PRECAUTIONS TO MAKE YOUR COCKPIT SAFER BECAUSE OF YOUR HEIGHT?  “When you’re tall, bigger, wider, whatever, it limits room in the car and the less room that you have to move around is safer, so the guys at Team Penske – Dave Kenny and all the group that puts a lot of effort into that.  I’ve never had any incident in a stock car, knock on wood, that I’ve really had any adverse effects.  I had a pretty big hit in the XFINITY race on Saturday and I’m 100 percent, so it’s obviously a testament to what NASCAR does and they’ve got a whole team that does that.  As a group of drivers and teams and owners we’ll sit down every year in Daytona and talk about what safety improvements have been made, and it’s impressive the work that group does and NASCAR throughout the season and throughout the winter to really improve what as a driver you might not have even thought was relevant until they bring up that information, so the summary of that is there are a lot of people doing a lot of hard work behind the scenes.”

WOULD YOU HAVE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR HEIGHT?  “For me, all my height is in my legs, so anything for me is just packaging my legs inside the car and making sure my back is on the correct angle, making sure my hips are in the right spot, but otherwise those are the biggest precautions I’ve had to take.  I’ve never had any back issues or anything like that.  We saw here with Austin Theriault in the truck race a couple years ago he had a back issue because of a crash and I think the NASCAR community learned a lot about that and how to position a driver and where the placement of the legs and back and how all that connects.”

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’VE IMPROVED THE MOST?  “I think knowing what’s normal.  I think that’s the biggest challenge.  It’s a hard challenge to describe because what was normal for me is so foreign to what makes a race weekend what your priorities are – how do you get the most out of the car?  Where does getting the most out of the car matter?  And where is your head at supposed to be for race day, so that’s somewhere I’m pretty comfortable with on both sides of the spectrum, whether I’m racing a sport car somewhere or racing a stock car.  So I feel pretty confident about that and feel pretty confident that that disadvantage has become an asset for me, so I think that’s where my strengths have come in and I think this year it’s about racing the race tracks and execution for our team.”

WILL YOU GO BACK TO THE EAST COAST AFTER THIS RACE?  “Yeah, I’ll go back every week.  My home is there and I don’t have much going on anywhere else.  I can go work out.  I can go play at the go-kart track if I want.  My dog is at home, so I’d rather just go home.”

IT’S HARD FOR THE TEAM, BUT HOW IS IT FOR YOU?  “The teams will come back as well.  The cars will stay out here obviously.  That’s the big thing.  I think the west coast swing is a big haul on the truck drivers and their families.  I’ve gotten close to some of those guys, not just the guys on my team but the guys I’ve worked with in the past and it’s a long stretch for those guys and their families and coming right after Daytona, especially with the turnover the Cup guys had, but, yeah, for me, it’s just another race weekend – just a longer flight.”

SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway | Boyd Gaming 300

Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Ray Black Jr. (@RayBlackJr.)
Primary Partner(s): CDA High Risk Training
Crew Chief: Jason Miller

Ray Black Jr. Las Vegas Starts: Five previous NASCAR Xfinity starts from 2016 to 2019 with a track-best finish of 11th (2019). Qualified a track-best 20th in both Xfinity Series events in 2019.

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro

Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No: 717; competed last spring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an 11th place finish by Black.

Engine: Pro-Motor Engineering (PME)

Follow on Social Media: For more on Ray Black Jr. visit RayBlackJr.com, like him on Facebook (Ray Black Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@RayBlackJr) and Instagram (@RayBlackJr).

Ray Black Jr. Pre-Race Quote:

“After our strong run at Daytona, I’m looking forward to getting to Las Vegas and keep our momentum rolling.

“We had a strong showing last year and I hope we’re able to do more of the same with our No. 07 CDA High Risk Training Chevrolet Camaro.”
No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Team:

Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Core Development Group | EAT SLEEP RACE
Crew Chief: Patrick Donahue

Joe Graf Jr. Las Vegas Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his Las Vegas Motor Speedway debut in Saturday afternoon’s Boyd Gaming 300.

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro

Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No: 708; competed last fall at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Gray Gaulding at the helm, earning a seventh-place finish.

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quote:

“After our bad luck at Daytona, I’m determined to get to Las Vegas and get back on track. Patrick (Donahue) and the guys have worked hard preparing our No. 08 Core Development Group | EAT SLEEP RACE Chevrolet Camaro and I’d like to have a strong recovery from Daytona and give us a boost for the remaining races on the West Coast Swing.”

Race Information:

The Boyd Gaming 300 (200 laps | 300 miles) is the second of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2020 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., Feb 21 from 11:35 a.m. – 12:55 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 22 beginning at 10:05 a.m. The 36-car field will take the green flag shortly after 1:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Pacific).

About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing has been a developmental hub for drivers looking to climb the ranks. Led by owner and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team has fielded entries in either the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

Coming off a successful 2019 Xfinity campaign, SS GreenLight Racing looks to build further momentum with their two-car program in 2020 with rookie driver Joe Graf Jr. and series’ veteran Ray Black Jr.

Haley Eyes the Top Spot in Points Leading into Las Vegas

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
RACE: Boyd Gaming 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020
Broadcast Information – TV: 4 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 3:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J / American Heart Association Chevrolet
• Michael Annett heads back to Las Vegas Motor Speedway with some momentum on the 1.5-mile desert oval. In this race last season, Annett logged a top-five finish that could have been a top-four had JRM teammate Noah Gragson not pipped him at the finish line on the final lap.
• In his last five starts west of the Mississippi River—three on 1.5-mile tracks–Annett has earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 9.4.
• The 1.5-mile tracks on the schedule have seen Annett post six top-five and 21 top-10 finishes in his career. Four of his record-tying six top-five finishes in 2019 came on 1.5-mile speedways.

Daniel Hemric
No. 8 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
• Daniel Hemric makes his JRM debut with the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend in Las Vegas. It’s his first NXS race since 2018.
• In 66 previous starts in the NXS, Hemric earned 23 top fives, 39 top 10s and qualified for the Championship 4 in both 2017 and 2018.
• In seven combined starts across NASCAR’s three major touring series at Las Vegas, Hemric has scored one top five and three top 10s.
• This weekend marks the first primary race of 2020 for South Point Hotel & Casino with the No. 8. South Point also partnered with Hemric during his 2018 NXS campaign.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson captured his first career NXS win last weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
• Now he heads to his hometown of Las Vegas, where Gragson holds an average finish of 4.5.
• In 2019, Gragson earned a top-three effort in the first event at LVMS and did not finish worse than sixth in either race.
• Gragson notched three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 10 starts at 1.5-mile facilities in 2019 competition.
• This is the second race for Bass Pro Shops, TrueTimber and Black Rifle Coffee Company on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier has 11 NXS starts at Las Vegas, with five top fives and nine top 10s. His average finish of 8.5 at the 1.5- mile facility is his best among all tracks on the circuit, narrowly beating out Phoenix (8.6).
• In 165 starts on tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length, the 33-year-old driver has five wins, 45 top fives and 96 top 10s.
• Allgaier’s most recent victory on a 1.5-mile track came in 2017 at Chicagoland Speedway.
• After the season-opening event, Allgaier is tied for second in playoff points earned after winning Stage Two at Daytona.

Driver Quotes

“Our Pilot Flying J/American Heart Association Chevrolet has been very fast on 1.5-mile tracks, and we were very good at Las Vegas last year. We doubled up on stage points in both races and raced in the top 10 all race long. After having a really fast Camaro at Daytona, I am eager to see what it will do out West.” – Michael Annett

“We may not have had the finish we wanted last weekend in Daytona, but we had a fast BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevy and that makes me excited for the rest of the season. Las Vegas is a track that has been good to me and this No. 7 team. We’ve led laps and I feel like we have come close to winning, so I’m really looking forward to getting there and seeing what we can do this weekend.” – Justin Allgaier

“I’m really optimistic heading to Las Vegas. I am looking forward to knocking the rust off since it’s been a while since I’ve been in an Xfinity Series car. It’s incredible to see how family-oriented JR Motorsports is and its culture. They’ve welcomed me with open arms, and that gives me a lot of confidence going to Las Vegas. We’ll have South Point Casino on our Chevrolet this weekend, a long-time partner of mine. That’s a lot of things adding up toward a really good weekend.” – Daniel Hemric

“I always look forward to coming back to Las Vegas because it allows me to visit with family and friends. It adds a little pressure because I want to perform in front of my hometown crowd, but coming off the win in Daytona and our streak of runs here, I feel like the No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro could be celebrating in Victory Lane for the second straight week.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Las Vegas: In 44 NXS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports has one win, 16 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes. Mark Martin earned the organization’s first victory as an NXS team in this event in 2008.
• JRM Media Availabilities: JRM driver Daniel Hemric will be stopping by the media center at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, Feb. 21 at 10:45 a.m. PST. Teammates Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will follow suit immediately after Hemric at 11 a.m. PST.
• JRM Autograph Session: JRM teammates Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Las Vegas on Friday, Feb. 21 from 2 – 2:30 p.m. PST.
• Daniel Hemric Autograph Session: JRM driver Daniel Hemric will be signing autographs in the midway at the South Point Display on Friday, Feb. 21 from 4 – 4:30 p.m. PST.
• Celebrating American Heart Month: The No. 1 Chevrolet is running a special paint scheme this week and next in Fontana in honor of American Heart Month. Pilot Flying J is proud to unite with its guests across the country to support the American Heart Association “Life is Why We Give™” campaign in their mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives by raising awareness and inspiring heart healthy lifestyles for our team members, guests and their loved ones.

Chastain Looks to Earn Kaulig Racing its First Downforce Win

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Race Report
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Race: NASCAR Racing Experience 300
Date: February 15, 2020

No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 15th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 5th
Finish: 25th
Status: Accident
Laps Completed: 113/120
Laps Led: 0

Driver Point Standings (behind first): 16th (-26)

Notes:

Austin Cindric and the No. 22 MoneyLion team were in contention to win Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona International Speedway until the young driver was swept up in a multiple car accident just seven laps from the finish. Cindric was credited with a 25th-place and leaves Daytona 16th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings.

Cindric started 15th in the 120-lap, 300-mile race and ran inside the top-10 for the entire first 30-lap stage. He was credited with a sixth-place finish at the conclusion of Stage 1. He was running third and aggressively made a move to win the segment on the last lap but he was shuffled to sixth place, scoring four stage points. He pitted during the stage caution for two tires, fuel and restarted eighth when the race went green on lap 35.

Cindric was running in fifth position at the time of the third caution on lap 39. The driver of the MoneyLion Mustang would move up to second position by lap 45. Cindric was nudged in the left-rear by Ross Chastain as the two battled for position. The No. 22 Mustang wiggled but Cindric maintained control and crossed the finish line in fifth-place – racking up five more stage points. Crew chief Brian Wilson made the call for two tires when the pits were opened during the stage caution. Good work on pit lane by the MoneyLion team moved Cindric up to second-place for the restart on lap 66.

During the next run, Cindric settled into fourth position as the field formed a single-file train until lap 81 when the leaders made a scheduled green flag stop for fuel-only. The green flag pit cycle was completed with 20 laps to go, with Cindric in fourth position.

Cindric was running fourth when a three-car accident brought out for the fifth caution on lap 109. The race went green on lap 113, setting up a seven-lap scramble for the win. Jeb Burton’s car got loose at the entrance to Turn 3 and collected Cindric, triggering a 13-car pileup and ending Cindric’s afternoon.

Quote: “Everyone is trying to make moves happen. It’s Daytona. Everyone is in a pack and pushing hard. The 98 (Chase Briscoe) jumped up in front of the pack. Noah Gragson then jumped in front of the top lane and that really compressed us. I thought I gave Jeb Burton the right push at the right spot in the bumper. We had a fast MoneyLion Ford Mustang. We ran up front all day and just could never get Chase and I synced up to where we could help each other.”

Myatt Snider Kicks Off 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Season with Pole and Strong Run in the No. 21 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro Before Mid-Race

Finish: 33rd
Start: 1st
Points: 30th

“It’s a shame we had to tear up such a fast TaxSlayer Camaro. I saw someone try to clear themselves and thought I had it cleared, but he came up at the very last second and caught me in the left rear. I’m not sure what people were thinking there. Even though it wasn’t the end we were hoping for, it was good to start off my relationship with Richard Childress Racing with a pole and to lead laps at Daytona. I have to give thanks to everyone who made this possible this weekend, especially Richard Childress, TaxSlayer, and my crew chief, Andy Street. They all put together a phenomenal race car and it was a fantastic opportunity for me, but it’s a shame I got caught up in somebody else’s mess. That’s just racing at Daytona. You try and make it through everything and hope you’re there at the end, but sometimes it doesn’t happen.” -Myatt Snider

THREE SUPRA TOP FIVES AT DAYTONA
Harrison Burton Kicks Off Xfinity Series Season with Runner-Up Result

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 15, 2020) – Three Toyota Supras finished in the top five in the 120-lap season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race at Daytona International Speedway.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Daytona International Speedway
Race 1 of 33 – 300 miles, 120 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Noah Gragson*
2nd, HARRISON BURTON
3rd, TIMMY HILL
4th, Chase Briscoe*
5th, BRANDON JONES
14th, VINNIE MILLER
20th, CHAD FINCHUM
21st, JOSH BILICKI
31st, MATT MILLS
32nd, RILEY HERBST
35th, AUSTIN HILL
*non-Toyota driver

• Harrison Burton kicked off his full-time NXS season with a runner-up finish at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

• Burton was pushed to the finish by fellow Supra driver Timmy Hill who finished the race in the third position – his career-best NXS result.

• Brandon Jones also claimed a top five for Toyota with a fifth-place result.

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

Let’s hear about today.

“We had a good day. We fought back from a lot of adversity. We got damage. My team did a good job repairing it. We kind of still couldn’t poke through the hole like we needed too, but the 66 (Timmy Hill) got lined up behind me. Noah (Gragson) got out front about a car and a half and I thought ‘He might be in trouble here’, but then the caution came out. Just really proud of our guys. We had a tough day. I think that there were a couple times in the race that we were down and out, and our guys clawed it out. I was proud of that effort.”

If not for the caution, did you have enough of a run?

“Yeah, I thought so. I was just happy to be in that position to have a run and have a shot at it. There were a couple times that we about got wrecked and we missed it by an inch. My buddy John Andretti had my back out there. That was cool. It sucks that I couldn’t win for him and his family. We were close, but not quite all the way.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

Great day. Second consecutive top five to start the year.

“Yeah, I think we had the car to win this race this afternoon. It was really about positioning yourself – it always is when it comes to a track like this. We had a great company day. Harrison (Burton) was up inside the top five with us, as well. He did a really good job as well. I wish I could have finished out that little bit at the end there to see what it would have ended up like. I thought that outside lane – making that move to go up there – was the right call.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 32nd

Were you cleared there and just didn’t have enough space or what happened there?

“No. Coming to stage end, I went up to – I think it was the 9 (Noah Gragson) on the outside – get up the final side draft and came back down and somebody was there. It sucks. Move on to go back home to Vegas next week and we’ll go from there.”

Were you sticking to the strategy? We you pretty good in position there?

“Yeah, I thought we were running good. Got shuffled back a few times – pit strategy, things of that nature. Made our way back up to, I don’t know, probably the top six or seven and then time to go get stage points and went to go side draft and when I came back down there, I don’t know who was there, but baely got us. It’s a bummer. Sorrry for everybody out there.”

AUSTIN HILL, No. 61 AISIN Group Toyota Supra, Hattori Racing Enterprises

Finishing Position: 35th

What happened in that crash?

“It always seems like any time at a superspeedway that we try to play it safe and try to make it to the end, something like this happens. I kind of knew better. I should have been aggressive. That’s what we do in the Truck Series and it normally pays dividines to us and we get good finishes out of it. That’s just something that we kind of put ourselves in a bad position – or I put us in a bad position – kind of being back there. The 1 (Michael Annett) got loose and started spinning. I was checking up. I knew he was going to come back up the track and then the 08 (Joe Graf, Jr.) just out of nowhere comes in. I don’t know where he thought he was going, but I guess he didn’t know where the brake pedal was. He was all mad at me when he got out, and was telling me to use my head. I don’t know what he was talking about because he had plenty of time. He could have lifted out of the gas, used the brakes. There was no reason we should have been double file right there. We should have gotten single-filed out and been able to both make it through the crash. Yeah, it’s tough to swallow. Having such a good run last night in the truck race, and I was hoping for a decent finish. I wasn’t expecting to go out there and light the world on fire and win or anything, but I was hoping for a nice, solid finish for all of our sponsors: AISIN, United Rentals, just everybody that lets me do what I love to do. Our Supra was pretty good. A little tight all day, but we will move forward and go to the next one.”

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