Category: XFINITY Series PR

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Road America … In 27 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 4.7-mile road course, RCR has captured three victories with drivers Brendan Gaughan (2014), Paul Menard (2015) and Michael McDowell (2016). RCR has accumulated one pole award, nine top-five finishes, 11 top-10 finishes, led 89 laps and averages a starting position of 12.0 and finishing position of 12.6. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 1,297 laps of the 1,311 (98.9 percent) that they have competed.

Welcome Back, Kaz Grala … Kaz Grala will make his fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series start for RCR in the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Road America.

Bristol Review … Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 team picked up their fourth win of the season Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Points …Tyler Reddick remains the current Xfinity Series points leader.

Social Media … To keep up with the latest updates from RCR’s Xfinity Series teams, follow @RCRracing and @RCRNXS on Twitter. Updates can also be found via RCR’s Facebook Page and Instagram (@RCRracing).

Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s CTECH Manufacturing 180 at Road America will be televised live on Saturday, August 24, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Roland Chevrolet Camaro at Road America … Tyler Reddick has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Road America, but a rear gear failure took him out of the race early.

About Roland … Roland DGA Corporation serves North and South America as the marketing, sales, distribution and service arm for Roland DG Corporation. Founded in 1981 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Roland DG of Hamamatsu, Japan is a worldwide leader in wide-format inkjet printers for the sign, apparel, textile, personalization and vehicle graphics markets; engravers for awards, giftware and ADA signage; photo impact printers for direct part marking; and 3D printers and CNC milling machines for the dental CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, part manufacturing and medical industries. For more information, visit rolanddga.com.

Meet Reddick … Fans can meet Reddick when he takes part in the NASCAR Xfinity Series autograph session beginning at 11:45 a.m. local time on Saturday, August 24.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
We round out the last of three road courses races in four weeks with Road America this weekend. How are you feeling heading back to a road course after your win at Bristol?
“The win at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday night was huge for our team and brought us some good momentum. We overcame a lot of adversity in the race to come home with the victory, and we’ll need to have that same mindset to overcome the challenges that come with a road course like Road America. Last year, I had a rear gear failure that took me out of contention early, so I feel like I still have a lot to learn about how to race at Road America. From what I was able to pick up on last year, it will be important during practice to focus in on getting the maximum amount of stopping power out of our No. 2 Roland Chevrolet Camaro without upsetting the brakes too much. It’s tough to do that at Road America with the swells and bumps that are along the course in all the braking zones. It’s just something that my team and I are going to be working very hard on.”

Kaz Grala and the No. 21 HotScream Chevrolet Camaro at Road America … Kaz Grala has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start, finishing 11th at the four-mile road course last year.

About HotScream … HotScream takes two concepts, dessert and spicy food, and combines them to form a product that can only be described as ‘HotScream The Spicy Ice Cream’. By taking ice cream with its cool creaminess and incorporating a spicy swirl, HotScream has created a new taste sensation, one that almost defies one’s own senses. At first, you taste the pureness of the vanilla, followed quickly by the sweetness of one of seven flavor swirls. As you continue to enjoy HotScream, things change: You feel a warming sensation that starts in the back of your mouth, creating a rush that only can come from spicy foods. The warming continues to linger but doesn’t engulf your mouth with fire. Taking another bite, you again taste the cool, creamy vanilla and the respective flavor profile while the heat dissipates, only to come back time and time again. HotScream is currently available at ACME Markets, Big Y, select ShopRites, Stop & Shop and 400 Walmart locations from Maine to Texas. For more information, visit HotScream.com.

Meet Grala … Grala will be available for fans to meet during Saturday’s Xfinity Series autograph session, taking place in Victory Lane at 11:45 a.m. local time.

KAZ GRALA QUOTE:
How do you think your background in road course racing will help you prepare for this weekend’s race at Road America?
“I’m ready and eager to get back behind the wheel of the No. 21 HotScream Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Road America. I grew up racing on road courses, so the month of August is always my favorite month of the NASCAR season. Even though the rest of the field is already warmed up with Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio under their belt, I’m hoping my road course background will help me get up to speed quickly and contend for the win this weekend. I don’t have a ton of experience at Road America, but I felt pretty competitive there last year, so I have a lot of confidence that our RCR team will have a strong showing.”

Justin Haley Notes:
First Start at Road America in NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Only Current NXS Driver to Finish in the Top-10 at all 1.5 Mile Tracks in 2019

Kaulig Racing Notes:
Best Start at Road America: 7th (2018)
Best Finish at Road America: 7th (2017)

Quotes:
“We just got back from Bristol, and unfortunately, we had a really fast car but blew our motor running in 3rd. There was nothing we could do, but we brought a really fast Kaulig Racing Chevrolet to the track, which is our goal this weekend at Road America – our third road course race of the season. I will have teammate, AJ Allmendinger, back and I will be in this beautiful LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing. I will be pulling double duty again this weekend with the sports car and the Xfinity car, so hopefully I can bring home two wins and a win for the Kaulig Racing guys. Road courses are my thing and hopefully that will shine this weekend at Road America.”

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 .

Timmy Hill Ties Career-Best Seventh-Place Finish at Bristol

Supra drivers collect both stage wins with Kyle Busch leading a race-high 137 laps

BRISTOL, Tenn. (August 16, 2019) – Supra driver Timmy Hill drove to a hard-fought seventh-place finish in a race of attrition for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday night.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Bristol Motor Speedway

Race 22 of 33 – 159.9 miles / 300 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Tyler Reddick*
2nd, Chase Briscoe*
3th, John Hunter Nemecheck*
4th, Jeremy Clements*
5th, Austin Cindric*
7th, TIMMY HILL
11th, BRANDON JONES
13th, SHANE LEE
14th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
20th, JOEY GASE
23rd, CJ MCLAUGHLIN
29th, KYLE BUSCH
31st, TOMMY JOE MARTINS
37th, ERIK JONES
*non-Toyota driver
#Toyota Playoff driver

Timmy Hill drove his No. 61 Supra to a seventh-place finish, tying a career-best result

Supra drivers collected both stage wins with Brandon Jones winning Stage 1 and Kyle Busch taking Stage 2.

Busch led a race-high 137 laps (of 300) before retiring from the race at the conclusion of Stage 2.

TOYOTA QUOTES

TIMMY HILL, No. 61 Toyota Tsusho Toyota Supra, Motorsports Business Management

Finishing Position: 7th

Talk about getting your best career-finish on a non-superspeedway track?

“Like you said this is my best finish other than a superspeedway. Seventh matches my best. Bristol has always been a great track for me and I’m glad we could put on a great finish here. MBM (Motorsports) and HRE (Hattori Racing Enterprises) came in collaboration for this race. I’m glad to have Toyota Tsusho on board with us. They gave me a great Supra. One that I could have a lot of fun with. Bristol is one of those tracks where you just have to keep your fenders clean, which we were able to do all night. I didn’t make any mistakes. I’m happy for these guys because they gave me a fun car to drive and we came home with a great finish.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Menards/SoleusAir Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 11th
How did your race go?

“It was excellent, really. I felt like that was our race to win. I don’t know if we cut a tire or it sounds like the sidewall itself separated, so it might just be a tire failure there. I know the 7 (Justin Allgaier) had the same issue pretty close to the same time we did. I hate it for the guys, but that was a really fast Supra that we had this weekend. Soleus was on the hood this weekend with us, that was a new sponsor coming on for us, so it’s cool to see that change on the hood. We have another road course, so I’m looking forward to going there.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem-HtPG Refrigeration Products Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 14th

Three laps down, but a 15th-place finish.

“Tonight was obviously disappointing getting caught up in that early crash. We learned that we had a really, really fast race car. Would’ve had a shot at it if we didn’t wreck.”

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

Finishing Position: 29th

Did you have any warning of what was going to happen?

“No, it just all of a sudden started about five, six laps before the stage ended. Coming off the corner I got back into the gas and it broke and just tried to limp it home and that was all she had. Tough day for our Juniper Supra. It was really, really fast. It was really, really good. We’re always good here, so it’s nice to have a solid run, but man, these guys have had a bad month and I was hoping to get them a win to get them back in the owner’s deal, but just not meant to be. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

ERIK JONES, No. iK9 Stars and Stripes Toyota Supra, XCI Racing

Finishing Position: 37th

What was your view of what happened?

“It looked like the 00 (Cole Custer) got squeezed in the wall and kind of started a chain reaction. It’s unfortunate it’s that early in the race to be pressing. It’s a tough situation. I wasn’t really making any bold moves and there was some bold moves being made up ahead. It kind of is what it is. We had a good car. The iK9 Supra was probably going to be in contention tonight. I would have loved to be on up there and race with Kyle (Busch). I think we probably could have put a good show on. It’s unfortunate. We took out some good cars and we’re not going to have a chance to do that.

What happened to take you out of the race?

“I haven’t really seen. I guess it sounds like the 00 (Cole Custer) got in the wall and into the 20 (Christopher Bell). It’s really unfortunate. The iK9 Supra was good. I know we were making our way up to where we belonged. Unfortunately, the product of kind of starting farther back. We got squeezed up in the wall. Racing deal. I hate it happened so early. They scattered on the track and I didn’t really have anywhere to go. It’s unfortunate. Like I said, we had a fast car and really nowhere to go when you get in that situation. Wish we could’ve ran all night, but it is what it is.”

# # #

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 (NXS)
Friday, August 16, 2019
EVENT: Food City 300, Bristol, TN. (Qualifying)

Ford Finishing Results:
2nd – Chase Briscoe
5th – Austin Cindric
22nd – Cole Custer
36th – Joey Logano

JOEY LOGANO, No. 12 Snap On Ford Mustang – “Typical Bristol crash. You see them wrecking in front of you and you’re on the brakes as hard as you can and they just keep piling in and you can’t stop quick enough. Some of that comes from a poor qualifying effort and from that you get caught up in things. I thought we were OK. Even saying that we were still up to seventh or eighth. We weren’t that far back from starting 19th. We were picking our way through there, but it just happens.”

HOW FAST DOES IT HAPPEN? “The worst part is you see it happening and you think, ‘I’m plenty good,’ that you’re gonna be able to slow down in plenty of time and before you know it you’re there and you’re in it. All you want to do is hit rewind for a second and slow up a little sooner, but it’s all you can do. It’s just part of it. I just really would like to have seen where we were gonna run. I thought we were pretty good in practice. We made some good gains on that car and I thought we were gonna be decent, but unfortunately we’ll never know.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang – “It’s just been a tough few weeks. We were really fast starting out that race. I felt like we could keep up with Kyle and everybody. We would have had a great shot to win, but guys that don’t deserve to be out there cut our day short. I can’t thank my guys enough for working on the car hard and everything. We definitely gained more points than what it was if we didn’t’ go back out, so we’ll just go onto the next one, but it’s really frustrating. I really wanted to win here. We brought a really fast car.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 98 Ford Performance Ford Mustang – YOU FINISHED SECOND BUT DON’T LOOK TOO HAPPY. “We had such a good Ford Performance Mustang and that last restart I just didn’t fire off good. I was really, really loose getting in and then I would get really tight and those last five laps it finally started coming to me and I was definitely running him down and just ran out of laps. That one stings. You don’t get very many opportunities to win at a place like Bristol and I just really want to win here bad and at that point it felt like we had a Mustang to do it, but just didn’t get it done.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang – WERE YOU A FIFTH-PLACE CAR ALL NIGHT? “Yeah, I’d say we were maybe a little better, but I never got on the outside for a restart the entire night. They mean a lot here, especially when maybe our short run wasn’t the best, but we had a great car after about 30-40 laps – the fastest car on track kind of deal, but didn’t have the track position to quite use it well enough. Congrats to Tyler. He’s a good friend of mine. I’m glad to see him win again, but I want it. It’s great to be on the pole here and great to come away with a top five. It’s a great day for the guys, so we’ll move onto Road America and see if we go for three on the road courses.”

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Bristol Motor Speedway
RACE: Food City 300 (300 laps / 159.9 miles)

Broadcast Information – TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 7 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 Bristol Motor Speedway came in 2011, when he finished sixth.
• Annett is on a roll at the .533-mile oval, having logged two consecutive finishes in the top 10. Annett was seventh in this race last year and eighth in the spring this season. He has six top 10s overall in 14 starts.
• Annett has completed all but 15 laps in 14 starts on the concrete oval at BMS (99.6%).
• Annett will be back in the familiar Pilot Flying J livery at Bristol, which is close by the company’s headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn.

Jeb Burton
No. 8 LS Tractor Chevrolet
• Jeb Burton returns behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend at Bristol.
• In three 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 six starts at Bristol across NASCAR’s three major touring series, earning a best finish of 11th in 2014 in the Truck Series.
• This will be the second primary race for LS Tractor on Burton’s No. 8 Chevrolet. Based out of Battleboro, N.C., LS Tractor is one of the fastest growing tractor companies in North America.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Switch Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his second NXS start at Bristol this weekend.
• The Las Vegas native earned a ninth-place finish in his first NXS start at “Thunder Valley” in April of this year.
• In five career starts on short tracks in the NXS, Gragson has earned two top fives and four top 10s, scoring a best finish of second at Richmond Raceway in April 2018.
• Gragson also has two previous starts at Bristol in the Truck Series, earning a best finish of ninth in 2018.
• Gragson currently sits 134 points above the 12th and final playoff position with five races remaining in the regular season.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Bristol was the site of Justin Allgaier’s first career NXS win. He went to Victory Lane in the spring of 2010 after starting 30th and leading 27 laps.
• In 17 total NXS starts at Bristol, the Illinois native has one win, eight top fives and 10 top 10s, with 351 laps led. The 351 laps led are the second most of any track at which Allgaier has led, trailing only Iowa (449).
• Earlier this year, Allgaier led 138 laps on the short track before a mechanical issue forced him to retire early from the race during the final stage.
• Allgaier currently sits fourth in the NXS point standings with five races left in the regular season.

Driver Quotes

“After two weeks of turning left and right, it’s good to get back to a track that I know well and run well at this weekend in Bristol. It’s always great to run in front of so many people from Pilot Flying J, and the headquarters are over in Knoxville. We’ve had good finishes the last two times out here and as a team, we are running well overall. We’re in the playoffs, and it’s all about building for them at this point in the season.”– Michael Annett

“Man, I’m ready to get back to Bristol. I felt like we had the car to beat there in the spring, but we ended up having an early end to our day. That one that still really hurts, so I’m definitely wanting to get back there and see if we can get this BRANDT Professional Agriculture Camaro to Victory Lane. We’re getting closer to the playoffs and we’re looking to get as many bonus points as we can. A win this weekend would definitely help with that.”– Justin Allgaier

“I can’t wait to get to the track on Thursday with this No. 8 LS Tractor Chevy. We have had some great runs each time out this year and I know that we can do that again. Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and I have had some solid communication and I feel like we have a really good plan heading into Friday. I’m ready to get going and give everyone at LS Tractor and Alsco a show.” – Jeb Burton

“I’m looking forward to getting to Bristol this weekend and improving on everything we learned here in the spring. We had made a lot of gains throughout the first race here and I am confident that we will continue to find speed once we hit the track on Thursday. We still have a lot of momentum on our side right now and hopefully we can continue that and come home with another strong run on Friday night.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates

• JRM at Bristol: In 68 NXS starts at Bristol, JRM has recorded one win, 19 top fives and 42 top 10s. Brad Keselowski netted the organization’s lone victory at “Thunder Valley” in August 2008 after starting 37th and leading the final 24 laps en route to the win. The 37th-place starting position is the deepest in the field a winner has ever started for JRM.
• JRM on Short Tracks: In 212 NXS starts on short tracks, JRM has scored eight wins, 60 top fives and 126 top 10s. Brad Keselowski earned the organization’s first short track win at Bristol Motor Speedway in August 2008 with Justin Allgaier taking the most recent checkered flag at Iowa Speedway in June 2018.
• JRM Souvenir Autograph Session: JRM teammates Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson and Jeb Burton will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Bristol on Thursday, Aug. 15 from 3:45 – 4:15 p.m. EST.

John Hunter Nemechek, No. 23 Midnight Moon Moonshine Chevrolet Camaro

Bristol Xfinity Stats

2 starts, 1 top-five & 1 top-10

Best finish: 5th (2019 – Spring)

Bristol Truck Stats

5 starts, 3 top-five’s, 5 top-10’s & 104 laps led

Best finish: 3rd (2015, 2017 & 2018)

2019 Season Stats

21 starts, 3 top-five’s and 11 top-10’s

Notes:

– John Hunter Nemechek and GMS Racing will utilize chassis no. 216 this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS). Nemechek has piloted this chassis four times in the 2019 season. ISM Raceway (start: 13th/finish: 9th), Richmond Raceway (start: 11th/finish: 8th), Spring – Iowa Speedway (start: 6th/ finish: 8th) and Fall – Iowa Speedway (start: 14th/finish: 3rd).

– Nemechek will be competing in both the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) at BMS. Nemechek will compete in his normal NXS No. 23 entry under the GMS Racing banner, as well as in the No. 8 Berrys Bullets Chevrolet Silverado for NEMCO Motorsports. Nemechek’s last Truck Series race and was scored at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2018 where he finished seventh.

– The Midnight Moon Moonshine colors will be represented on Nemechek’s No. 23 entry for the first time this season. This partnership helps promote Midnight Moon’s introduction of a limited-edition, augmented reality label which comes to life to tell the story of Junior Johnson’s moonshine bust and arrest through the “Midnight Moon AR Experience” app, available from the App Store or Google Play.

– At the end of July, Nemechek went to Chattanooga, TN to help Bristol Motor Speedway officials honor Chattanooga Police Officer Joseph Coleman and to award him with the BMS Neighborhood Heroes program honors after saving a 4-month-old baby that had stopped breathing. Officer Coleman will be honored during the pre-race of the Bass Pro Shop NRA night race.

Quotes:

“Saying that I am excited for Bristol this weekend is an understatement because I am pumped. Every chance that I get to run a Truck and Xfinity race in one weekend, I am all over it. I fully believe that the more seat time you get, the better. Discipline, experience, and survival at Bristol are crucial because the track is fast, tempers flare, and you have to stay out of trouble to come out on top.”

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.

Justin Haley Notes:

Second Career Start at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Best Start at Bristol Motor Speedway: 11th (Spring 2019)
Best Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway: 7th (Spring 2019)
Only Current NXS Driver to Finish in the Top-10 at all 1.5 Mile Tracks in 2019

Kaulig Racing Notes:

Best Start at Bristol Motor Speedway: 11th (Spring 2019)
Best Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway: 7th (Spring 2019)

Quotes:
“We just wrapped up our Mid-Ohio debrief! It was a solid weekend for us – we moved up to eighth in points from 10th, which is awesome! It’s always good to keep climbing up that playoff ladder. We are going to Bristol this weekend – the Last Great Colosseum. We were actually really fast the last time we were there. It’s a high-banked short track, and we have speed on the high banks. I’m looking forward to bringing back that speed this time. It’s a night race under the lights. It’s always one of my favorites when we get a night race and have that experience with all the fans. I’m really excited to race Friday night!”

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 .

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
RACE: B&L Transport 170 (75 laps / 169.35 miles)

Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET
on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier heads to Mid-Ohio as the defending race winner. He led eight laps en route to the victory last year.
• In four NXS starts at Mid-Ohio, the 33-year-old driver has one win, two top fives and three top 10s.
• Over his last five starts on road courses, including his thirdplace finish at Watkins Glen last week, Allgaier leads all NXS drivers with two wins (Mid-Ohio and Road America), four top-five finishes and an average finish of 4.6.
• The Illinois native currently sits fourth in the NXS point standings, 147 markers behind the leader and a solid 208 points ahead of the 12th and final cutoff spot for the playoffs.

Michael Annett
No. 1 TMC Transportation Chevrolet
• Annett will celebrate his 250th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start this weekend at Mid-Ohio.
• Annett comes to Mid-Ohio on a run of nine top-10 finishes in his last 11 NXS starts, including three top fives and a best finish of third at Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway.
• Annett has completed every lap in competition at MidOhio over his three starts on the 2.258-mile road course.
• Michael Annett’s best NASCAR Xfinity Series finish at MidOhio Sports Car Course came last year, when he finished 18th.

Regan Smith
No. 8 Fire Alarm Services Chevrolet
• Regan Smith makes his return to JRM this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet at Mid-Ohio in a Fire Alarm Services paint scheme reminiscent of the same he drove to victory at Dover International Speedway in 2015.
• Smith has previously made 102 starts in the NXS for JRM, tallying a
total of six victories, 27 top fives, 73 top 10s and a runner-up
finish in the 2014 championship standings.
• Smith is also a former winner at Mid-Ohio in the NXS, going to
Victory Lane in this event in 2015 while piloting the No. 7 for JRM.
• Joining Smith this weekend will be the return of the Arvada, Colo.
company Fire Alarm Services to JRM.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Cessna Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his first start at Mid-Ohio and his second on a road course in the NXS this weekend.
• The Las Vegas native earned a ninth-place finish in his road racing series debut last weekend in Watkins Glen.
• In two previous starts on road courses in the Truck Series, Gragson has earned one top five and two top 10s.
• Gragson has also made a combined 10 starts on road courses in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, scoring four wins, five top fives and seven top 10s. Gragson most recently visited Victory Lane in the K&N Pro Series West earlier this summer at Sonoma after starting second and leading 24 laps en route to the win.

Driver Quotes
“Finishing eighth at Watkins Glen was a really good day for the No. 1 team, and we’ll carry some momentum into MidOhio this weekend. We were able to pick up our best career finish at Watkins Glen, and we can do the same this weekend at Mid-Ohio. This stretch of races can really help us out in the playoffs, as the Roval is the second race of the Round of 12, and anything we can learn here will help us to advance. Glad to have TMC Transportation back on our Chevrolet Camaro this weekend too.”– Michael Annett

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Mid-Ohio. It’s a challenging road course, but we were able to bounce back from spinning in last year’s race to get our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Camaro to Victory Lane, so I’m confident we can go there and contend for the win again. Jason Burdett (crew chief) made great calls in the pits last weekend at Watkins Glen and we were able to come home with a solid top-three finish. Our goal is to continue that positive momentum through this road-course stretch.”– Justin Allgaier

“I’m thrilled to be back in the car for JR Motorsports, especially at a road course where I’ve already won. My background is at road courses — I just love it. Mid-Ohio is challenging, but I know with Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and the entire No. 8 team, we have a shot to get that Fire Alarm Services Chevy into Victory Lane..” – Regan Smith

“We’re definitely looking to keep this momentum going we’ve had all summer this weekend in Mid-Ohio. I really feel like this time of year is where we can really make a move because of how comfortable I feel on road courses. We were able to come away with a good run despite some adversity last week in Watkins Glen and I am really confident that we can have an even better run in Mid-Ohio, despite having never been there before. It’ll be an interesting weekend for sure and I am ready to get it going.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates

• JRM at Mid-Ohio: In 18 starts at Mid-Ohio, JRM has amassed two wins, six top fives and 10 top 10s. Regan Smith scored the organization’s first victory in 2015 with Justin Allgaier following suit in this event last season. Both drivers started seventh en route to their victories.
• JRM on Road Courses: In 101 NXS starts on road courses, JRM has scored four wins, 24 top fives and 51 top 10s. Ron Fellows and Regan Smith earned the organization’s first two road course victories at Montreal in 2008 and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2015, respectively, while Justin Allgaier went to Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio and Road America last season.
• Allgaier Media Availability: JRM driver Justin Allgaier will be stopping by the media center Mid-Ohio for media availability on Friday, Aug. 9, at 3:15 p.m. EST.
• JRM Souvenir Autograph Session: JRM teammates Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson and Regan Smith will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Mid-Ohio on Friday, Aug. 9 from 6 – 6:30 p.m. EST.
• Allgaier, Gragson NXS Autograph Session: Teammates Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will be participating in the NXS autograph session in the Mid-Ohio Driver/Crew Chief Tent on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 10 – 10:45 a.m. EST.

John Hunter Nemechek, No. 23 Chevrolet Accessories Camaro

Mid-Ohio Xfinity Stats

Nemechek’s first start at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

2019 Season Stats

20 starts, 3 top-five’s and 11 top-10’s

Notes:

– John Hunter Nemechek and GMS Racing will utilize chassis no. 212 this weekend at Mid-Ohio. This chassis was ran last year by Spencer Gallagher (start:20th/finish: 8th).

– Nemechek sits fourth in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year running, 22 points behind Justin Haley in third place.

Quotes:

“I’m excited about getting to Mid-Ohio this weekend. I feel like we made some gains last weekend at Watkins Glen and I learned a lot in my first Xfinity road-course race. I think that Mid-Ohio is more of a technical road-course and will fit my driving style a little better than Watkins-Glen. I am just hoping for a solid finish and to gain some points so that we can get back on track.

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/

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Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Watkins Glen International
Race 20 of 33 – 200.9 miles, 82 laps
August 3, 2019

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Cindric*
2nd, AJ Allmendinger*
3rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
4th, Justin Allgaier*
5th, Ryan Blaney*
18th, BRANDON JONES
24th, STANTON BARRETT
29th, TOMMY JOE MARTINS
32nd, KYLE BUSCH
33rd, CHAD FINCHUM
35th, JOEY GASE
*non-Toyota driver

· Christopher Bell was the highest-finishing Supra driver with a third-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race at the road course at Watkins Glen International on Saturday.

· Bell started from the fourth position and led two laps of the 82-lap event on the New York road course.

· Fellow Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch started from the pole and led a race-high 21 laps before a suspension issue took him out of the race on lap 36.

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 3rd

How did you save the car on that final restart?

“I just got lucky. For whatever reason it decided to come back around instead of turning into the fence so that was really good. We had a really good Rheem Supra. It was really fast and obviously with Kyle (Busch) being as good as he was, we knew our package was really good here so it was just a matter of me figuring it out. If I could have just been a little bit better, I think we could have got them.”

How was your race overall?

“It was really good. We were really competitive and I think our cars are really fast. Kyle (Busch) was obviously the class of the field so that showed where Joe Gibbs Racing’s road course program is and I was able to compete, which is good. I still just have to get better.”

Did you feel you had a better chance for the win after Kyle Busch broke and went to the garage?

“Once he (Kyle Busch) broke, we were all kind of right there. That was good, but ultimately whenever Kyle qualifies a second-and-a-half faster than you, I have to get better. I have to get quicker and up to his speed.”

Is this a success knowing that road courses aren’t your strong suit?

“I feel good. If you would have told me I was going to run third before the race, I would have been really happy. Ultimately, I still have to get a lot better on these things. Kyle (Busch), we’re in the same equipment and he was a lot faster than me. I know I’ve got a lot of room to improve and just thankful that I get to drive really fast race cars.”