Category: XFINITY Series PR

Lexington, N.C. – (September 10, 2019) –Veteran driver Elliott Sadler will close out his 24-year NASCAR career behind the wheel of a well-known Sadler family paint scheme redesigned by team Kaulig Racing and partner Nutrien Ag Solutions, honoring his racing legacy. The tribute look that Sadler’s No. 10 Chevrolet will sport in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, September 14 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was designed to resemble his first stockcar paint scheme from 1993.

“I thought all of the surprises in my driving career had come to an end, until Kaulig Racing showed me my first ever Late Model paint scheme on the No. 10 car this weekend for what will be my final race of the year,” Sadler commented. “I’m so thankful to Nutrien Ag Solutions for allowing me to drive this car. This is the perfect paint scheme for me, personally, this weekend. It’s going to be a lot of fun to strap in one last time at a fast place like Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”

To make the weekend even more complete, Kaulig Racing’s team president Chris Rice will serve as Sadler’s crew chief, just as he did in the early 1990’s when the duo claimed the South Boston Speedway track champion title in 1995, along with multiple victories beginning in 1993.

“It’s so awesome to have Nutrien Ag Solutions allow us and join us in running this special paint scheme from Elliott’s original stockcar days,” Rice expressed. “This paint scheme means so much to not only Elliott, but to his parents Herman and Bell, his family, myself, and various other fans throughout his career. We won tons of races with this paint scheme, and thanks to Nutrien Ag Solutions, Matt Kaulig and all of those at Kaulig Racing, we have the opportunity to go out and try to win one more.”

Although Nutrien Ag Solutions and Sadler have only been partnered together since 2018, the roots of their relationship have grown just as deep as those between farming and racing.

“Elliott has been a great partner to us,” said Brent Smith, Vice President of Marketing + Innovation at Nutrien Ag Solutions. “Our growers and team here have followed his career, and we’re proud to stand with him as he leads the field on the track for the last time. We look forward to continuing our relationship as he fully embraces the next stage of his life and career.”

To catch Sadler’s final NASCAR race and his tribute Chevrolet on track, tune in to NBCSN at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 14.

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by CEO and owner of LeafFilter Gutter Protection®, Kaulig Capital and Kaulig Media, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively, finishing seventh (2016), 11th(2017) and 12th(2018). Maintaining their technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, Kaulig Racing™ has come to be one of the top-competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Kyle Busch claims victory in the Indiana 250
Busch scores fourth Indiana 250 win and 96th Xfinity Series win of his career

SPEEDWAY, IND. (September 7, 2019) – Kyle Busch drove to his fourth victory in his seventh NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season at the Indiana 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race 25 of 33 – 250 miles, 100 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, KYLE BUSCH
2nd, Justin Allgaier*
3rd, Noah Gragson*
4th, Jeb Burton*
5th, Justin Haley*
6th, BRANDON JONES
9th, AUSTIN HILL
18th, JOEY GASE
19th, STEFAN PARSONS
24th, TOMMY JOE MARTINS
29th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
33rd, CHAD FINCHUM
*non-Toyota driver

• Kyle Busch earned his fourth win of the season and 96th of his career this afternoon at the Indiana 250.

• It was Busch’s fourth Indiana 250 victory in eight events.

• It was Toyota’s series-leading 10th win of the season.

• Brandon Jones earned his third Playoff point of the season with his stage one win. He finished sixth for this 12th top-10 finish of the season.

• NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series regular Austin Hill finished ninth in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut

VICTORY LANE QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Combos Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st

How were you able to overcome both tight and loose conditions in the car to win?

“We just didn’t have the grip in traffic. Our car was really, really fast in a straight line and could pass some of those guys down the straightaways. Even if I botched the corner, it seemed like I could pass them back. Different situations with some of those guys. The 7 (Justin Allgaier) was really good. He was really smart and played a great race. We were just faster and fast enough there at the end in order to make sure that we stayed in front of those guys. Real proud of the effort and certainly want to thank Big Machine Vodka, Big Machine Label Group for being on my stuff there and partnering with the track here this weekend. Also want to thank the fans, apprecaite their support. Of course this Combo’s Supra – these guys and everybody on this team did a great job. It’s pretty cool to win here in Indy any time. We’ll take it.”

How does it feel to have 96 wins in the Xfinity Series and possibly a shot at 100 wins next year?

“Hopefully we can go five-for-five and we can make it 101 and hang up our hat.”

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Combos Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How were you able to overcome both tight and loose conditions in the car to win?

“We just didn’t have the grip in traffic. Our car was really, really fast in a straight line and could pass some of those guys down the straightaways. Even if I botched the corner, it seemed like I could pass them back. Different situations with some of those guys. The 7 (Justin Allgaier) was really good. He was really smart and played a great race. We were just faster and fast enough there at the end in order to make sure that we stayed in front of those guys. Real proud of the effort and certainly want to thank Big Machine Vodka, Big Machine Label Group for being on my stuff there and partnering with the track here this weekend. Also want to thank the fans, appreciate their support. Of course this Combo’s Supra – these guys and everybody on this team did a great job. It’s pretty cool to win here in Indy any time. We’ll take it.”

How does it feel to have 96 wins in the Xfinity Series and possibly a shot at 100 wins next year?

“Hopefully we can go five-for-five and we can make it 101 and hang up our hat.”

What was going on with the race car during the race when you were concerned about the issues?

“We had short-pitted the first segment essentially with 10 (laps) to go or whatever. Then we long-ran the second stage so there was 40 laps on the tires and they were just smoked. The right-front was really bad and wasn’t feeling very good. Wasn’t sure if it would make it to the end. It was actually starting to vibrate a little bit as well too. Come to find out, I knew it had cords showing and it did. I was just trying to keep it together and keep it on the race track and not knock the wall down. Fortunately, that all happened and I was able to make it to the end of that stage break, get some more tires and go after them again.”

Did you feel the short run at the end would be beneficial to you?

“Absolutely. The short run there at the end, we were really fast on the straightaways, had good straightaway speed. Was still pretty good in three and four. The 7 (Justin Allgaier) behind me was definitely beating me in turns one and two, no question. Just having that straightaway speed as much as we did, the run that he would get from the tow from the package that we have just wasn’t enough. He couldn’t do anything with it. He never got close enough to make a move out to try to get by us. Overall, it played right into our hands there at the end. Two laps more and he probably would have got us. We weren’t very good in turn one all day.”

What was your view of the incident between the 20 and the 2 with eight laps to go?

“The 20 (Christopher Bell) car just snapped around. I don’t remember how close the 2 (Tyler Reddick) car was, it looked like the 20 did fine. It looked like he was trying to turn down to the bottom and I don’t know if he got tight with his car and then he had wheel in it so the 2 was kind of inching by and then that pulled him around. I would imagine that’s kind of what happened, but overall, just one of them deals. That’s happened to me before. It just happened a corner earlier. One year I had Sam Hornish Jr. on my outside and got sucked around. That can happen and I took the inside on the final restart. I was debating it the whole, entire time trying to figure out if I wanted top or bottom. I couldn’t really decide so then I went to the bottom. We’ll just see what happenes and if we can hold him off.”

How crucial was the push from Jeb Burton on the final restart?

“Anybody that was behind you, you had to rely on them. You can’t win these races by yourself anymore, you have to rely on those that are around you. Jeb (Burton) obviously did a really good job with the restart coming up through the gears. He actually timed the push really well and it helped us. It propelled us to where we were able to score the victory.”

How does it feel to be so close to 100 Xfinity Series wins?

“It’s cool. Maybe some people with discredit that and say that it’s not so cool. We’re doing it and fortunately Joe’s (Gibbs, team owner) given me the green light to run the five races I can run next year. We had another Kyle Busch rule come down a couple weeks ago so we’ll get our five and hopefully we can clean them out and I’ll be 101 when it’s all said and done.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 1st Foundation Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

Talk about the contact with the 22 (Austin Cindric).

“I held him tight for sure, but it’s my job to do that and it’s his job to control his car at the same time. All-in-all, we had a great day. The Toyotas were really fast all day long. Qualifying we were 1-2-3. I thought this was the car to win the race, but with the contact, it was very difficult to get back up there. Even with the damage, we past a couple at the end there, so I was really impressed there. I’m really proud of this team that is behind me. I would not want to be with anyone else going into this Playoff.”

You’ve never finished outside of the top-10 here at the Brickyard. What’s so good for you here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

“I don’t know, but I love it though. That’s a pretty good streak to keep alive. I love coming to this track; the history is awesome. It’s tough to race at. You have to time your runs right, and be smart about when you are going to pass guys. I learned a bunch. I watched a few guys with a lot of experience, so I have some stuff to build on for sure.”

AUSTIN HILL, No. 61 AISIN Group Toyota Supra, Motorsports Business Management

Finishing Position: 9th

First start in the Xfinity Series and you come home ninth. Talk about your day.

“This is a fun series; I had a blast today. Car was a little off. We were a little loose all day. We really had to fight through that. All the guys back at the shop did a heck of a job to bring a fast piece. We had a few things go our way. The last restart, the outside line got rolling really good. I was able to pick up a few spots. I can’t thank everyone enough, AISIN, Toyota and TRD. This Toyota Supra was pretty good today. Wasn’t expecting a top-10 for my first time out, but I will take it for sure.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem-Parker Hannifin Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 29th

Are you okay after that hard hit into the wall?

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m very thankful for the SAFER barriers, that’s for sure. Out of all my crashes, all my NASCAR crashes, that definitely takes the cake.”

What were you feeling in the race car when it wiggled?

“I don’t exactly know what happened, but I just know both of us had the throttles buried going off into two and I just slid up on the inside of him.”

Did you feel like you could see the checkered flag in the closing laps?

“Eight laps is a long time around this place so it was far from over. Proud of everyone on this Rheem team. They did a really good job, brought a really fast Supra. We’re going to Vegas next week, which has been pretty good to us and fast – hopefully we can win one there.”

# # #

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 38 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 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.

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 ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXZ)
Saturday, September 7, 2019

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES POST RACE

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
7th – Cole Custer
8th – Chase Briscoe
27th – Austin Cindric

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang — FINISHED 7th

“It was frustrating out there for sure. Our Ford Mustang was really fast, especially on the long runs. We just couldn’t get it to go on the restarts. Every single time it seemed like something would go wrong in front of us and we would get stacked up. My first couple of restarts were good and after that it just seemed like waiting for something to go wrong on the next one. We had a fast car, it is just frustrating when we should have been competing for a win. We will take a no-damage race and move on to the next one.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 98 Ford Performance Mustang — FINISHED 8th

“It was a frustrating day because we started off and weren’t very good from the get-go and we had to keep working on the balance over and over again. It felt like every time we made some gains we would end up having a bad pit stop and cost ourselves position. I don’t know. There at the end, it felt like we were pretty good. I just couldn’t get anything going. Everytime I made a move I couldn’t get anyone to go with me. I don’t know. Just nothing went out way today. It felt like this was probably honestly our worst race we have had in about four or five months. Hopefully we can get to Vegas and kind of go back to where we were.”

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
RACE: Indiana 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019
Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s best NASCAR Xfinity Series finish at Indianapolis came in 2012, when he finished sixth. The Iowa native has a pair of top-10 results in his four starts on the 2.5-mile oval.
• Annett’s No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will carry an homage to the drivers who keep America supplied from coast-to coast as part of the Pilot Flying J’s Driver Appreciation promotion.
• Already qualified for the NXS Playoffs with his season opening victory at Daytona, Annett is currently eighth in series points and riding a streak of 10 top-10 finishes in the past 15 races.

Jeb Burton
No. 8 State Water Heaters Chevrolet
• Jeb Burton returns to the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend at Indianapolis.
• In four previous starts for JRM in 2019, Burton has scored one top five and three top 10s with a best finish of fifth coming at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
• Burton has previously made two starts in the NXS at Indy, with his most recent start coming in 2017.
• Through the first 24 races of 2019, the No. 8 Chevrolet has recorded five top fives and 16 top 10s among nine drivers.
• The team’s best finish of second came at ISM Raceway in March.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Switch Chevrolet
• Following a top-10 finish last weekend in Darlington, Noah Gragson has locked his place in the 2019 NXS Playoffs. The 21-year-old driver is currently seventh in the championship standings with just two races remaining before the playoffs begin.
• Gragson will make his first NXS start at Indianapolis this weekend.
• In seven previous starts on tracks greater than two miles in length in the NXS, the Las Vegas native has recorded two top fives and three top 10s, with a best finish of second coming at Michigan earlier this season.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Suave Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier is the defending winner of the Indy NXS race. He led 41 laps on his way to the victory last year.
• In five NXS starts at the 2.5-mile track, the Illinois native has one win, two top fives and two top 10s.
• Allgaier has 56 NXS starts on tracks two miles or greater in
length. He’s earned one win, 13 top fives and 28 top 10s.
• Allgaier has already secured a spot in the NXS Playoffs. He currently sits fourth in the standings with two races left in the regular season.
• The 33-year-old driver has eight straight top-10 finishes and 16 overall on the season.

Driver Quotes

“Indianapolis is a huge part of racing’s history, and winning there means you are a part of it. We’ve run well on 2.5- mile tracks this year, with the victory at Daytona, but haven’t had the finishes we deserved at the others. The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs are starting soon, so the key this weekend is to make sure we have our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet on point to make a good beginning when they do. Big thanks to all the truck drivers who keep us going as a country, and we’ll be driving in appreciation of all that they do.”– Michael Annett

“Winning last year at Indy really meant a lot to me and I can’t wait to get back there this weekend. Our No. 7 team has been working hard and we’ve been competitive, but we are ready to get back to Victory Lane. With how strong we’ve been as an organization at Indy, I have confidence that our Suave Men team can be there at the end this weekend with another shot at kissing those bricks.” – Justin Allgaier

“I’m ready to get back behind the wheel of this State Water Heaters Chevrolet for JR Motorsports this weekend in Indy.  I’ve always liked going there and I feel like we will have a great chance this weekend with Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and everyone on this No. 8 team. I can’t wait to see what we can do.” – Jeb Burton

“This weekend will be my first time heading to Indianapolis, so I am really looking forward to getting on the track on Friday. JRM has always brought fast Camaros to Indy, especially with this rules package, which gives me a lot of confidence heading into the weekend that we will unload with that same speed with our Switch Chevrolet. It’s going to be unique for sure but I can’t wait to turn some laps on a track with as much history as Indy.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates

• JRM at The Brickyard: JRM enters this weekend at Indianapolis as two-time victors and defending race winner, with William Byron and Justin Allgaier taking the checkered flag in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Overall, in 21 NXS starts at the hallowed speedway, JRM has recorded two wins, seven top fives and 12 top 10s. Allgaier’s victory in 2018 was also a one-two finish for JRM, with teammate Tyler Reddick coming home in second.
• Allgaier Media Availability: JRM driver Justin Allgaier will be stopping by the media center at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for media availability on Friday, Sept. 6 at 3:30 p.m. EST.
• JRM Souvenir Autograph Session: JRM teammates Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Indianapolis on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 9:30 – 10 a.m. EST; while teammate Michael Annett will be stopping by from 11 – 11:30 a.m. EST.
• Allgaier, Burton, Gragson NXS Autograph Session: Teammates Justin Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Noah Gragson will be participating in the NXS autograph session in the East Chalet #8 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. EST.
• Annett Team Chevy Appearance: JRM driver Michael Annett will be stopping by the Team Chevy Display at 12 p.m. EST on Friday, Sept. 6.

John Hunter Nemechek, No. 23 Fire Alarm Services Chevrolet Camaro

Indianapolis Xfinity Stats

One start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Best Finish: 25th (2018)

2019 Season Stats

24 starts, 4 top-five’s and 12 top-10’s

Notes:

– John Hunter Nemechek and GMS Racing will utilize chassis no. 219 this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This chassis has been ran twice this season by Nemechek once at Bristol Motor Speedway (start: 10th/finish: 5th) and lastly at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (start: 17th/finish: 36th).

Quotes:

“Indianapolis is a hard track to figure out. It’s fast, the track is large and the turns are flat. The turns are unlike any of the other venues we go to on the NASCAR circuit which makes it a unique place to race at. I am hoping that we have gotten all of the bad luck out of the way these past couple of races and can get rolling on a good streak with only two races until the Playoffs start.”

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with drivers Brett Moffitt and Sheldon Creed, and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with John Hunter Nemechek. The team also expanded their competition to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, as well as in the ARCA Racing Series with Sam Mayer and super late models with Toni Breidinger. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 NGOTS Championship and has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net/

SOCIAL MEDIA

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Race Report

Track: Darlington Raceway
Race: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200
Date: August 31, 2019

___________________________________________________

No. 12 BODYARMOR Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 1st (Third-career pole)
Stage 1: 2nd
Stage 2: 1st
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 147/147
Laps Led: 50
Driver Point Standings (behind first): N/A

Notes:

Ryan Blaney scored his third career Xfinity Series pole and finished third in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway. The driver of the BODYARMOR Ford Mustang made his second and final Xfinity Series start of 2019 and led 50 laps on the day.

Blaney led the opening 15 laps of the 45-lap Stage 1. He would give up the lead to Tyler Reddick on lap 16 reporting his BODYARMOR Ford was going to the loose side. He would hold position and bring his No. 12 Ford home in the second position in Stage 1.

Blaney would pit under the Stage 1 caution for four tires, fuel and multiple adjustments. Blaney would restart Stage 2 from the second position and go into a spirited battle with Reddick for the lead over the next 68 laps. He would eventually pass Reddick for the lead on lap 85 and lead the final five laps to win Stage 2.

Under the Stage 2 caution, Blaney would pit for four tires, fuel and additional adjustments reporting the BODYARMOR Ford was still on loose side but improved from the first run. Fast service by the crew would get him out in the lead.

Blaney would regain the lead on lap 94 and begin to pull out a sizable advantage. He would soon report the BODYARMOR Ford was heading to the tight side. Blaney would give up the lead to Hamlin on lap 120 before the final caution of the day on lap 134.

Blaney would lose one spot on pit road on his final stop, restarting third on lap 137. Try as he might he would come home in the fourth position. After the No. 18 car failed post-race technical inspection, Blaney would be awarded a third-place finish.

Quote: “We didn’t start out great. I thought I was free and got it tightened up the second stage and was pretty good. I was able to get by the No. 2 on the long run. I thought on the long run I was pretty good. We tightened it up there for the last stage because I was still kind of loose, but I should have known the track was going to get tighter. Our adjustments kind of worked against us and I was just way too tight there the last run. It was nice to have the lead there at the start of the third stage and just kind of ride around and I was riding around and trying to save my stuff, and it was time to go. The No. 18 got to us and I couldn’t go. I was tight and let him get by us and I couldn’t start on the front row for the last restart, and that was kind of a short run to be able to do anything, so that stinks. But we just didn’t quite keep up with the track good enough.”

___________________________________________________

No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 9th
Stage 1: 11th
Stage 2: 10th
Finish: 10th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 147/147
Laps Led: 0
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 5th (-204)

Notes:

Austin Cindric and the No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang had an uneventful Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday afternoon, finishing in the 10th position. With the 10th place finish, Cindric and the No. 22 MoneyLion team remain fifth in drivers’ standings, 204 points behind leader Tyler Reddick and 32 points behind fourth-place Justin Allgaier.

The MoneyLion Ford Mustang started the race from the ninth position and settled inside the top-10 for most of the first 45-lap first stage. Cindric radioed to crew chief Brian Wilson his MoneyLion Ford was extremely tight and fell to 11th just before the end of the first stage. Wilson called for adjustments during the first scheduled stop including track bar and air pressure to aid his tight Ford.

Cindric would restart eighth after a stellar stop by the MoneyLion crew, gaining three positions on pit road. Shortly after the green flag waived to restart the race, the third caution slowed the pace once more on lap 53 with Cindric scored in seventh. Over the course of the second stage, the 20-year-old remained in the top-10 to score a 10th place finish at the end of the second stage on lap 90. During the caution, Cindric communicated that his Mustang was better, but needed more turn.

Once again, the driver of the MoneyLion Mustang restarted eighth after another fast stop by his crew. The Mooresville, N.C. native maintained position for several laps, eventually falling to the 10th position. The race saw its last caution on lap 133; with a short dash to the finish the field came to pit road for final adjustments and fresh goodyear tires.

With 10-laps remaining in the race, Cindric restarted ninth on the bottom lane. As the cars picked up speed, racing into the first turn, Cindric was pinned on the bottom falling to the 11th position.

Unfortunately, the young driver was not able to make up the track position before the checkered flag flew and would be scored with an 11th-place finish. After post-race tech the No. 18 of Denny Hamlin was disqualified. As a result, Cindric was credited with this 17th top-10 finish this season.

Quote: “Plenty of things to write down in the notebook after today. Glad to run all the laps and come home clean today in our MoneyLion Ford Mustang. Was cool to honor the Captain this weekend with our throwback scheme and gain some experience at this track.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Saturday, August 31, 2019
EVENT: Sport Clips VFW 200, Darlington, SC.

COLE CUSTER WINNER’S PRESS CONFERENCE

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang – HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WON THE RACE AND HOW DOES IT FEEL UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES? “It’s a really strange feeling, obviously. You don’t want to win them that way, but it is what it is. We all play by the same rules. Was that the deciding factor? No, with everything he won the race but it is what it is. We get the points. We get the money and we get everything, including the trophy so we’ll take it.”

HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WON? “I was just standing by the hauler and everybody started going around the tech shed and I got a call from my crew chief. He was standing about 15 feet away from me and he was like, ‘They’re too low.’ And so it was pretty crazy. And then you’re just praying you make it through tech, so it was a strange way to win that’s for sure.”

YOU’VE DONE WELL ON TIRE-EATING TRACKS ALL YEAR. “Yeah, those are places I’ve been comfortable at ever since I started. We’ve obviously had really fast cars. I mean, Mike has given me really fast cars to work with at these tracks and pretty much every single weekend, so without the team – I think our pit crew did an awesome job today and everybody at Roush Yates Engines, and everybody at the shop, it was just a perfect day, really.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WON OR IS IT THE KIND OF WIN YOU SEE IN THE STANDINGS? “More a win that you see in the standings and everything. It’s cool that we won. You’ll take the trophy and the points and everything, but you want to win them. We want to be the first one to the start-finish line, but it’s cool to win it this way too. It’s all upside I guess than finishing second.”

IS BUCKSHOT STILL HERE? “He left. We were walking back to the garage and he said, ‘I’m gonna head out.’ So it sucks that he’s not here. I Stone Colded two beers and got a picture near the car, so I wish he was there for that. That kind of sucks, but we’ll still take it.”

Tyler Reddick Wins Stage, Leads the Most Laps En Route Second-Place Finish in myblu Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway

Finish: 2nd
Start: 6th
Points: 1st

“We had a fast No. 2 myblu Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway, just coming up a little short today. My crew chief, Randall Burnett, and the team worked really hard on our car between the practices and leading into the race today, and made some huge gains on its handling. We fired off for the race really strong and were able to take the lead pretty early in Stage 1, maintaining it all the way to the Stage win. Coming into this weekend, we had our eye on playoff points and knew we needed to collect as many as we could today. So I’m glad we were able to capitalize on that right off the bat. I felt like our car was just a little too loose at the end of the first stage. We did tighten up the car, but we were still too loose at the end of Stage 2. Unfortunately, the adjustments we made ended up being a tad too much and we slipped back at the start of final stage. We went back on our adjustments for that final 10-lap shootout but just couldn’t get back to the lead and finished second. All in all, it was a good day for us. I can’t thank blu enough for coming on board and getting into the throwback spirit with the 1980s 7-Eleven scheme honoring Kyle Petty. It’s been a lot of fun running the throwback scheme this weekend, and I hope I did everyone proud.”-Tyler Reddick

Christopher Bell Scores Top-Five Finish at Darlington Raceway

Bell and Brandon Jones Tally Supra Top 10s on Saturday Afternoon

DARLINGTON, S.C. (August 31, 2019) – Christopher Bell scored his 16th top-five finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019 with a fourth-place result at Darlington Raceway on Saturday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Darlington Raceway

Race 24 of 33 – 200 miles, 147 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Cole Custer*
2nd, Tyler Reddick*
3rd, Ryan Blaney*
4th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
5th, Dale Earnhardt Jr.*
7th, BRANDON JONES
22nd, STEFAN PARSONS
23rd, TIMMY HILL
25th, JOEY GASE
30th, CHAD FINCHUM
35th, TOMMY JOE MARTINS
38th, DENNY HAMLIN
*non-Toyota driver

Toyota teammates Christopher Bell (fourth) and Brandon Jones (seventh) finished in the top 10 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday afternoon.

It was Bell’s 16th top-five finish in 24 starts this season as he has already locked in a spot in the 2019 Playoffs.

Jones continues to remain in contention for a Playoff spot with just two races remaining in the regular season.

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 McCall’s Supply Ruud Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

I know you wanted more from your race car, but you still got a top-five finish here today.

“Yeah, that was awful. I don’t know what happened. We weren’t very good there. Very thankful that we got to work on this Ruud Supra throughout the race. We took off and I was really tight there in Stage 1. I was like okay, we can work on it here and get it a little better and then all of a sudden I was just wrecking loose the entire rest of the race. Not what we wanted at all, but really glad to be driving for this team. It was a hell of a lot of fun out there racing that 8 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) car.”

What happened between yesterday in practice, when you were showing speed, to today’s race?

“I don’t know. It was really confusing. We were really, really fast in practice. As good as anybody. Not going to say that we were the best car, but we were as good as anybody and then dropped the green flag and I was super tight, so that kind of concerned me a little bit, but I felt like we could work on it getting better and the rest of the race I was just really loose. I missed something. I don’t know.”

After being taken out of this race so early last year, what was your takeaway this year?

“It’s an awesome race track. It’s really cool. You can really – it’s really narrow, but you can get different lines. Moving just different, small things make a big deal here. That was pretty cool to figure out. I just wish I could have been more competitive.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Mojo Outdoor / iK9 Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

Talk about your run today at Darlington.

“Today went, honestly, really, really well. I had a great qualifying effort. That was a good spot for us to qualify at here. It’s a really tough place to lay a quick lap time down, so it was a great start to the day. I had fun in that first stage getting to race Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. when he came back there. A good time for sure. Just kind of a little bit sloppy on my end on pit road for whatever reason, just didn’t see the sign really well and missed the first one. The second one, we had to come around the 2 (Tyler Reddick) all day, which was hurting us a little bit as well there too. All in all though, running top-four lap times the majority of the race.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 38th

How good is your Cup Series car for tomorrow’s race?

“I thought it was pretty decent. I thought we had a top-three or four car today in practice. Who knows how it’s all going to play out. Certainly I thought we gave ourselves a chance with the handling of the car. We need it to fall right for us. I don’t think we had the fastest car, but certainly I think that when handling comes into play, we should be up front.”

# # #

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Saturday, August 31, 2019
EVENT: Sport Clips VFW 200, Darlington, SC.

Ford Finishing Results:
2nd – Cole Custer
4th – Ryan Blaney
7th – Chase Briscoe
11th – Austin Cindric

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 BodyArmor Ford Mustang – “We didn’t start out great. I thought I was pretty free and got it tightened up the second stage and was pretty good. I was able to get by the 2 on the long run. I thought on the long run I was pretty good. We tightened it up there for the last stage because I was still kind of loose, but I should have known the track was gonna get tighter. Our adjustments kind of worked against us and I was just way too tight there the last run. It was nice to have the lead there at the start of the third stage and just kind of ride around and I was riding around and trying to save my stuff, and it was time to go. The 18 got to us and I couldn’t go. I was really tight and let him get by us and I wasn’t able to start on the front row for the last restart, and that was kind of a short run to be able to do anything, so that stinks. But we just didn’t quite keep up with the track good enough.”

DID YOU LEARN SOMETHING FOR SUNDAY? “I think so. I think the race track stuff you learn, lines and things like that, so that part was helpful. I changed up my line a lot today, so I think that’s hopeful for tomorrow.”

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE RACING TODAY? DALE JR. TALKED ABOUT HOW GOOD THE DRIVERS ARE IN THIS SERIES? “Yeah, he and I talked after the race and he was like ‘Man, these young guys race the heck out of you,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah.’ There’s a lot of talent. Everybody does a good job and they’re in this series for a reason. They do a great job. There are great drivers across all three series that we’ve got even K&N and stuff like that, so there’s just a bunch of good drivers coming up and I hope he had fun today. It was cool to see him out there.”

HE GAVE CREDIT TO THESE DRIVERS FOR HOW GOOD THEY ARE. “He came back and did a really good job to run sixth today. It seemed like he kept driving up through the field, and I’m happy he had fun. I know he was talking about it yesterday when he got back in the car to practice, it’s hard to jump back into one of these things and be all the way, 100 percent good, especially with how much time he’s taken off, but I’m glad that he had a good time. I’m upset we didn’t get to race together a little bit, but overall it was a pretty fun day.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang – “I thought I had him. We were so good in one and two. I started working the bottom really good over there and I started doing that with about five laps to go, but I just couldn’t get the run off of four to get to his bumper. We were just a tick too loose, but I can’t thank my guys enough. They made the car a ton better throughout the race, but this is a track you really want to win at, I mean it’s Darlington, so finishing second two years in a row really sucks. But it was nice to give Production Alliance a good run and Buckshot, so we can take that after the month we’ve had.”

IS THERE A SILVER LINING YOU CAN TAKE TO INDY NEXT WEEK? “Yeah, for sure. This last month has been really tough on us, so I think having a solid run and having a shot to win really means a lot and we can take that.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 98 Ford Performance Ford Mustang – “My first time at Darlington and I felt like we were pretty competitive. I kept being really loose. The first run we were really good, I drove up to fourth and got up to second and as the race went on I just kept getting freer and freer. We were in a really good position there for a top three at the end and getting into my pit box on the last stop I just got way too far left and into the wall. I don’t know. It’s a pretty cool place. It’s my first time here and I love it, so I’m looking forward to coming back here.”

YOU RACED DALE JR. AT THE END. HOW WAS THAT? “Yeah, it was cool. I wanted to beat him bad. That would have been pretty cool to outrun him. We were able to for three-quarters of the day, and then there at the end when I did our pit stop deal it just put us behind. I’ve got to get a lot better, especially coming up into the Playoffs. You can’t be having little mistakes like that, but I feel like we’ve been running really good here lately. I feel like our momentum is trending in the right direction and I’m looking forward to going home next week to Indy and if we could win there, that would be the icing on the cake. That’s what we’ll try to do and get ready for these Playoffs.”