Category: XFINITY Series PR

Toyota Racing – Brandon Jones
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Charlotte Motor Speedway – May 23, 2019

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brandon Jones was made available to the media in Charlotte:

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

What’s it like to have your team owner voted to the Hall of Fame and are you any more motivated to win now?

“It’s pretty cool to be able to drive for a Hall of Famer. I’ve had the chance before in my career as well. Coach (Joe Gibbs) definitely deserves it. I love racing for this team. I love racing with him as well. We need to get a win. We need to knock that off to try to get one for Coach.”

What makes Charlotte Motor Speedway unique?

“Charlotte is funny. I feel like every time we come back here, the heat and the winters break it up some. It’s almost kind of like Iowa (Speedway). You come back and you have a new bump, you have a new seam every single we time come. That changes it up a little bit. They’ve also been adding the PJ1 to the second and third groove so using that to your advantage and learning how to use that some helps. That’s always a challenge when you come here.”

How do you handle the track when there is a new bump or a new seam?

“You have to watch other people and you have to mess up in practice. I think that’s what you use practice for is you have to search around for that stuff. You see one of the best, Kyle Busch, doing that all the time in practice. He’s searching around and looking at that stuff, putting himself in bad situations to learn what he’s got to do for the race.”

Do you figure any of that stuff out in the race as well?

“Yeah, some of that stuff that doesn’t come to you in practice, for sure. You’ve got to figure out what’s hurting you in the race. Sometimes you hit a seam and you’re like oh, I didn’t feel that one in practice. Yeah, for sure. There’s always things that you’re constantly learning throughout the race.”

Do you feel like this year is going better than last year?

“Way better. I feel like last year we honestly had a good year with some bad luck here and there. We were close to winning Bristol. I had a pole in Dover. We had a lot of speed last year. Moving forward with Jeff Meendering (crew chief), I think he’s actually brought a lot of good to the table. He’s been with obviously different manufacturers and different teams as well. There’s just a bunch of knowledge now that’s been kind of tossed around and added to the bunch. I think we’ve upped our game to top fives now. I think that’s kind of where we’re at currently. Here and there at our best tracks, we’re searching for wins.”

How important were these two off weeks for you and the team?

“It helps kind of get the team regrouped. You try not to lose sight of how well we have been running. We can get some cars ahead at the shop a little bit. I was fortunate enough to run with KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) at Kansas there in their Tundra, so that was kind of a good little filler for our off week. I think that went well too – it was a top five, so it kind of got my confidence built back up some on the race track.”

Are you running where you should in the middle of the race?

“Yeah, I think that one thing that Jeff Meendering does really well is constantly builds on the car the entire race. We start out probably in the 10th-place spot and work on it until the very end and then finally get ourselves in the top-five, top-four spot. I think that’s where we’ve been doing a really good job executing on these races. We’ve just got to now figure out how to get a little more speed at the beginning of the day to get better at the end.”

What are your expectations over these next few races?

“We’re going to try some new stuff at Pocono (Raceway) going forward. A lot of guys have been known to shift at that track some, so I think – I’ve never done that before, but I think we’re getting beat doing that some so we’re going to try some different things like that, different styles. I’ve already changed a lot of stuff in my cockpit to try to become better as well. We’re just going to keep working on it. I think that at the very end of the year we’re going to be where we need to be.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Thursday, May 23, 2019
EVENT: NASCAR XFINITY Series Media Availabilities

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 PPG Ford Mustang – SUNDAY GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION WITH THE INDY 500 AND COCA-COLA 600, BUT THIS IS A BIG WEEKEND FOR YOUR SERIES AS WELL. “We get to kick off the greatest weekend in motorsports. Sunday does have its day for the greatest day in motorsports, but we get to get all of the race fans and everyone who has the weekend off to get excited for racing. A lot of people do barbeques and cookouts and watch a lot of racing this weekend, so I’m excited to be a part of that and hopefully kick it off on the right foot.”

YOU NO DOUBT HAVE SOME GOOD MEMORIES OF INDIANAPOLIS. WHAT WILL THIS WEEKEND LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? “I’m going there on Sunday. I’ll get to do the XFINITY race on Saturday and then figure out what it takes to win on that day and then when I get out of the car all hot and sweaty I’ll drive over to the airport and get on a plane to go to Indy and enjoy the race as a fan. It has been different the last year or so being a driver with Team Penske at the Indy 500, watching the race and being more a part of the team than I probably have been in the past, so that’s been a cool dynamic, but obviously it’s more of a family event for us. My brother is in town and my mom and my dad will obviously be there. It’s kind of one of those things that has been a family occasion for us, so getting to be able to go and do that will be great. If my career path works out the way I want it, maybe I won’t get to go to the Indy 500 as much, but so far it’s been a lot of fun to be able to do that.”

WHEN YOU GO THERE DO YOU HAVE THE BEST CREDENTIALS? “No doubt. The best credentials and the best people to surround myself with. It’s cool to be able to BS with a guy like Helio Castroneves before the race and before he goes out to try and win his fourth Indy 500. Stuff like that is pretty invaluable. If you ever had a book on my life, there would be a lot of highlights from stuff like that.”

WHERE DO YOU WATCH THE RACE? “I’m not gonna divulge too much of my secret location on where I watch the race from the infield because it is the most perfect spot to watch the race, but I can see all the front straightaway, start-finish line, the pylon, the Pagoda. There’s a TV screen right in front of me and you can see all the way through turn one and two, so it’s the perfect spot.”

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO FIND THAT SPOT? “I found it about four years ago. I’ve been going since I was two years old, so finding that spot was pretty key and I do a lot to make sure that spot is blocked and guarded off because I do get there quite early in the morning.”

DO YOU MOVE TRASH CANS? “Pretty much. I’ll move trash cans and use zip ties so people are very discouraged of going there and it usually works out.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC CONTINUED — HOW COMFORTABLE DO YOU FEEL IN THE INDY GARAGE? “Pretty comfortable. It’s somewhere I’ve grown up around. I remember holding my mom and dad’s hands walking down Gasoline Alley before the race, which is pretty cool, but some of my favorite stuff is just being able to sit on the grid. The four of us will just sit on the pit wall and watch the world go by and watch everyone who passes by and says hey. It’s kind of the anticipation. You see the crews and drivers trying to not show how nervous they are to go run a race like that. It’s kind of been a family experience for us.”

WHAT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF RUNNING THIS RACE AND THEN GOING THERE? “Obviously it would be awesome to kick off this weekend for Team Penske with a win. That’s the goal every weekend, but it would be cool to show up at Indy after just winning your first XFINITY race, but we’ve got a lot going for us this weekend. We’ve got to focus on how to get our cars to drive well in the heat of the day here and probably cooler practice conditions, and it will be a whole different day on Sunday and just get to relax and enjoy myself.”

WOULD YOU LIKE TO RUN THE INDY 500/COCA-COLA 600 DOUBLE SOME DAY? “It would be awesome, no doubt. I don’t think any driver would shy away from that, at least they shouldn’t. Obviously, to get the experience to be able to do that right one day would be really cool and it would be great if there was a Ford I could drive in both of those, but it would definitely be a bucket list thing for me to do if I ever had the opportunity.”

HAVE YOU MADE THAT CLEAR TO YOUR DAD? “I’ve got a little ways to go before I bring up that.”

HOW HAS THIS FIRST FULL YEAR WITH TEAM PENSKE GONE SO FAR? “Not bad. I think we’ve probably been one of the more consistent cars on the grid and it’s paid dividends for us as far as points go and as far as finishes go and as far as experience for me goes. Being able to come back to a few tracks for a second time and really apply what I learn has helped, and I think this is one of those tracks that I’ve circled on the schedule that probably didn’t go as well as I wanted it to last year running with the 12 car. I’ve put a lot of that burden on me, just not being able to prepare ourselves well in practice on a day like today where it’s not gonna be near as hot as the race, not gonna have near as much sun on the track, so those are all things that I can really apply this weekend to kind of show growth, if you will. I’m looking forward to Saturday. I think it’s gonna be a challenge for a lot of us being able to keep up with track conditions, being able to have the car set up well for the conditions to start the race and then to keep up with the track compound and how it wears away.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC CONTINUED — WHAT HAVE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES BEEN? “I’d say our strengths have been the short tracks and that being said that means some of the bigger tracks haven’t been as strong for us or at least some of the tracks that are more high grip, high speed, so this is a track that we’re hoping to kind of make some gains on heading into the summer. We’ve got a lot of different variables coming up with Pocono and Michigan and Chicagoland, and then you’ve got Kentucky, so we’ve got some good trial runs for us to understand that. For me, it’s been solid but frustrating because we’ve been solid. That’s a good reason to be frustrated, but we can run fourth to sixth every weekend no matter what we do, however much we execute. That’s great. I think that shows a lot of growth from me because that’s something I really struggled with at this point last year, but as a team we want to win. This is a great opportunity for me to go out and compete for a championship. I’ve had races like Richmond that are really encouraging and where I maybe overachieved and finished second or take the lead, but it’s important to figure out how to get race-winning speed each weekend.”

WHAT TYPE OF GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE SUMMER STRETCH? “Obviously to build off the tracks we’re going back to for a second time and apply what I’ve learned from those experiences and to find some speed and continue that consistency. It’s very important and very important to get Playoff points and the only way you can do that is to win stages and to win races, so I’d like to make my life as easy as possible coming into the Playoffs because I’ve done it without any Playoff points and it isn’t any fun. I’ve done it twice. It’s not fun, so trying to get that preparation ahead of time is pretty crucial for me.”

LS Tractor featured on No. 8 Chevrolet with Jeb Burton in Michigan and Bristol

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 22, 2019) – LS Tractor USA, one of the fastest growing tractor companies in North America, will be joining JR Motorsports as a primary partner for the No. 8 Chevrolet and driver Jeb Burton in the NASCAR Xfinity Series events at Michigan International Speedway (June 8) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 16), the team announced today.

Founded in 2009 in Battleboro, N.C., LS Tractor offers sub-compact, compact and utility tractors made from steel that provide the greatest loader lift capacity of any tractors in their class. To date, there are roughly 400 LS Tractor dealers in the United States and Canada that have sold close to 50,000 tractors across North America.

“LS Tractor has done a great job expanding its brand presence and we’re pleased to give them additional market exposure this season,” said Joe Mattes, JRM vice president of marketing. “They’re a company from right here in North Carolina that we’re proud to represent. They have a good relationship with the Burton family and I know Jeb will give it his all in the No. 8 car. It’s only a matter of time until we see that group in Victory Lane.”

In addition to the two primary events, LS Tractor will be featured as an associate partner on Burton’s Chevrolet Camaro beginning this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as in races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sept. 7), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 2) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 16).

“Everyone here at LS Tractor is excited to support Jeb and JRM this race season,” said Amanda Clark, LS Tractor marketing manager. “The Burtons are such avid supporters of LS Tractor that this is not just a partnership for us – it’s the kind of mutual support that builds great futures. We look forward to seeing Jeb in Victory Lane and in the fields on his LS Tractor, many times over.”

Burton has been one of six drivers to wheel the No. 8 Chevrolet for JRM in 2019. In his only NXS start to date this season, Burton drove the No. 8 entry to a top-five finish at Texas Motor Speedway. Overall, the team has recorded two top-five and seven top-10s through the first 10 races of the season.

“I can’t say thank you enough to LS Tractor for coming on board our No. 8 Chevrolet,” said Burton. “It means a lot to have the support of a company as strong as LS Tractor and I can’t wait to get to the racetrack and contend for victories with them on our Camaro. We are going to give it everything we have.”

Catch Burton and the entire JRM team in action at this Saturday, May 25, in the Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway which airs at 1 p.m. EST on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

ABOUT LS TRACTOR:
While the LS Tractor name may be new to you, we’ve been building tractors for over 35 years. Our company began as part of the well-respected LG Group, a brand with a worldwide reputation for quality and customer satisfaction.

LS Tractor USA, and its tractor manufacturing parent LS Mtron, are member companies of the LS Group, among the largest corporations in South Korea with annual sales of $30 billion. The LS Group has more than 100 subsidiaries and offices operating in over 25 countries around the world.

LS Mtron has won numerous design awards and has earned a reputation for building top quality, high value tractors. As a result, exports have been growing over 30% per year, making it one of the fastest growing tractor companies in the world. With nearly 50,000 tractors sold in North America, we continue to build the business on a strong foundation of high quality and customer service.

To meet the rising demand of our high-quality, high value tractors, we have built a state-of-the-art engine manufacturing facility as part of our plans to increase annual tractor production capacity to 200,000 units by 2020.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver and winner of 50 NASCAR-sanctioned races. Now in its 18th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports races in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it won championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also competes in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional late model divisions. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Charlotte Motor Speedway
RACE: Alsco 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, May 25, 2019

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Memorial Day Chevrolet
• This weekend, Annett will carry a patriotic Pilot Flying J paint scheme for the Memorial Day weekend event on the 1.5-mile oval.
• Michael Annett’s best NASCAR Xfinity Series finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway is 10th, achieved in 2012 and 2013.
• Annett ranks sixth in quality passes, green-flag passes and laps run in the top 15 at Charlotte, according to NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics.
• Annett and his No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet team are already qualified for the NXS Playoffs by virtue of the victory at Daytona to open the season.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise & Ketchup Chevrolet
• In 16 NXS starts at Charlotte, Justin Allgaier has three top five and eight top-10 finishes with 14 laps led. His best finish of third came in the fall of 2010.
• Two years ago, the Illinois native earned the pole in the spring event at the 1.5-mile track.
• This season on tracks measuring a mile-and-a-half in length, Allgaier has a best finish of third (Atlanta).
• The Illinois native earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile tracks in 2018 and paced the field for 97 laps.
• The 32-year-old driver currently sits fifth in the NXS point standings, 114 points outside the lead.

Jeb Burton
No. 8 State Water Heaters Chevrolet
• Jeb Burton will get behind the wheel of JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet for the second time in 2019 this weekend in Charlotte.
• In his first NXS start for JRM at Texas Motor Speedway, Burton started sixth and earned a fifth-place finish.
• In three previous NXS starts at Charlotte, Burton has recorded a best finish of 11th in this event in 2016.
• State Water Heaters, a leader in the water heating industry, will return to the hood of Burton’s Camaro for the second time this season in Charlotte.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Cessna Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his first NXS start at Charlotte this weekend.
• In three previous NXS starts on 1.5-mile tracks, Gragson has recorded one top-five and two top-10s with a best finish of third coming earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• In two starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series at Charlotte, Gragson has earned two top-10 finishes.
• The Las Vegas native currently ranks ninth in the championship standings, 18 points ahead of the 12th and final cutoff position.

Driver Quotes
“We’ve had some really good speed in our No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet this season on 1.5-mile tracks, and I know Travis (crew chief Travis Mack) and the guys have some for us this weekend at Charlotte. We rebounded well from Talladega with another top-10 finish at Dover, and I want to get the summer run started with another solid finish close to home at Charlotte. Memorial Day is really important to all of us, honoring those who fought to keep us free, and the Pilot Flying J paint scheme we have this weekend honors those who gave all.” – Michael Annett

“This has been a season of ups and downs for this No. 7 team so far and it definitely hasn’t been from lack of effort. After a strong run at Dover we’re looking to build off of that and continue that positive momentum at Charlotte. JR Motorsports has built a solid mile-and-a-half program and we’ve had great speed on those tracks so far this year, so our goal is to get our Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise & Ketchup Chevrolet to Victory Lane this weekend.” – Justin Allgaier

“I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of this No. 8 State Water Heaters Chevrolet for JR Motorsports this weekend in Charlotte. We had a great run our first time out in Texas and I am extremely confident that Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and I can back that up again on Saturday. It should be a really fun day for sure. I’m ready to get after it.” – Jeb Burton

“It’s going to be really cool to carry Cessna’s colors on the No. 9 Chevrolet for the first time this season and I really appreciate all of their support. We all know that Charlotte should be interesting with the temperatures being as hot as they are and with the compound they are laying down on the track. We’ve had some good runs so far this year on the mile and-a-half tracks with our JR Motorsports team and hopefully we can keep that going when we get to the track on Friday.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Charlotte: In 60 NXS starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports has scored 11 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes. Chase Elliott and Justin Allgaier hold the organization’s two pole positions at the 1.5-mile quad-oval, earned in 2014 and 2017, respectively.
• JRM Autograph Session: JRM drivers Noah Gragson, Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier, Zane Smith, Jeb Burton (along with 2002 Daytona 500 Champion Ward Burton), Ryan Truex, Adam Lemke and Josh Berry will be participating in an autograph session on the JRM campus on Friday, May 24 from 1 – 2 p.m. ET. The session is open to the first 250 people in line.
• Gragson Media Availability: Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 9 Cessna Chevrolet, will have media availability on Friday, May 24 at 2:30 p.m. ET in the CMS media center.

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

Charlotte Xfinity Stats

This will be Nemechek’s first NXS start at Charlotte Motor Speedway

2019 Season Stats

10 starts, 2 top-five’s and 8 top-10’s

Notes:

– John Hunter Nemechek and GMS Racing will utilize chassis no. 223 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This chassis has been run once this season by Nemechek at Las Vegas where he started 10th and finished second.

– Nemechek is currently second in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points, 10 points behind Chase Briscoe in first place.

Quotes:

“I am excited about getting back in the car after a couple weeks off. It gave time for myself and my team to reset and work on our equipment before this long stretch of races coming up. We changed a lot on the car this weekend for Charlotte to hopefully help find some speed and the track is going to be hotter than we anticipated. With the temperature being so hot, the track is going to be really slick and that always makes for entertaining racing. We have Fire Alarm Services back on for this weekend and it’s also NASCAR Salutes weekend which is very special to honor and remember those who have served and continue to serve this country for our freedom.”

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.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 20, 2019) – Through a sweepstakes announced today, one grand prize winner will have the chance to wave the green flag for the U.S. Cellular® 250 at Iowa Speedway and be an honorary pit crew member for JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier, who will pilot the U.S. Cellular Chevrolet Camaro SS in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 27. 

The sweepstakes, which runs May 20 through July 14, will provide the grand prize winner the chance to serve as honorary starter for the 250-lap race as well as give the winner and a guest the opportunity to be honorary pit crew members for the No. 7 JR Motorsports team. They’ll each receive an official pit crew shirt, a tour of the No. 7 team hauler, attend the driver’s meeting with Allgaier and crew chief Jason Burdett, plus sit atop the pit box for the race and more. Travel and hotel accommodations will be provided. To enter to win and to see the full sweepstakes details, visit www.USCellular250.com. The winner will be announced on or around July 15. 

“We know that NASCAR has one of the biggest fan bases in sports, and we want to provide them an exciting and fun experience for this year’s race,” said Mike Adams, U.S. Cellular’s director of sales for Iowa and Nebraska. “At U.S. Cellular, we strive to build a connection with our communities that extends beyond our business. We can’t wait for fans to see Justin in U.S. Cellular colors at this year’s U.S. Cellular 250 along with our lucky sweeps winner.” 

This marks U.S. Cellular’s first season partnering with Allgaier and its second year with JR Motorsports. Allgaier is a 10-year veteran of NXS competition and has 10 career victories in the series, including a win at Iowa Speedway last June. In 14 starts at the track, Allgaier has one win and 10 top-10 finishes, with a staggering 449 laps led. 

“I think it’s awesome the opportunity U.S. Cellular is providing the fans through this sweepstakes and I’m proud to represent a brand that does so much for this sport through its partnership with our team as well as Iowa Speedway,” said Allgaier, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the winner to be able to wave the green flag and I’m looking forward to having them with us as part of our team for the day. Hopefully they’ll get the chance to celebrate with us in Victory Lane at the end of the race.”

The U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway will air at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 27, on NBCSN. 

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver and winner of 50 NASCAR-sanctioned races.  Now in its 18^th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports races in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it won championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018.  The company also competes in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional late model divisions.  To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com. 

ABOUT U.S. CELLULAR:
U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier offers coverage where the other carriers don’t and a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. For the fourth time in a row, U.S. Cellular has the Highest Wireless Network Quality Performance, according to J.D. Power’s twice-annual U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, and 99 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE speeds. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or Facebook.com/uscellular. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Race Report
Track: Dover International Speedway
Race: Allied Steel Buildings 200
Date: May 4, 2019

No. 22 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 3rd
Stage 1: 5th
Stage 2: 6th
Finish: 6th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 200/200
Laps Led: 0
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 4th (-81)

Notes:

Austin Cindric racked up his eighth top-10 finish of the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season Saturday afternoon at Dover International Speedway. Cindric finished sixth in the Allied Steel Buildings 200, his best finish in three Xfinity Series races at Dover and has now finished ninth or better all three career starts at the Monster Mile. Cindric is fourth in the series driver standings, 81 points behind the leader.

Cindric began his day Saturday morning at Dover with a solid third-place effort in qualifying. Stage 1 of the 200-lap event was a 45-lap sprint that ran caution free. Cindric fell in line fourth at the initial start and was credited with a fifth-place finish when the segment concluded. He pitted during the stage caution for four tires and restarted seventh on lap 54.

Stage 2 was even shorter – a 38-lap dash. Cindric finished sixth when the stage concluded on lap 90. Under the stage caution, Cindric said the balance on his No. 22 Mustang was fine; he just needed the track position. He pitted on lap 94 for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. Solid work on the pit lane by the Menards/Richmond pit crew moved him up to fifth position for the restart on lap 99.

Cindric was running fifth on lap 130 when he radioed his team that once again he was loose. The third caution on lap 155 set up another round of pit stops. He made a four-tire stop on lap 156 and restarted fifth when the race went green three laps later.

Two cautions and increasingly chaotic restarts over the final 23 laps yielded mixed results for Cindric. He remained fifth following the fourth caution on lap 177, but the final restart on lap 186 wasn’t as kind. He got loose off Turn 2, and lost fifth-position to Cole Custer, dropping him to sixth at the checkered flag.

Quote: “I’d say it was a pretty quiet day for the Menards/Richmond team. I was very busy inside the No. 22 Mustang today. We had decent short-run speed but we were fairly loose on the long run. I was so loose on the final restart that I spun out but didn’t go all the way around. I’ve got some things to learn for the fall but to run quietly inside the top-five or six all day at Dover is a solid race.”

Tyler Reddick Captures Seventh-Consecutive Top-Five Finish of the Season with Third-Place Finish at Dover

Finish: 3rd
Start: 5th
Points: 1st

“This weekend was another solid weekend for our No. 2 Roland Chevrolet Camaro. It was different to start off with single-car qualifying, but we got a top-five starting spot so we were OK with that. We fired off the race a lot tighter than I expected, but also with a lack of rear grip so it was a tough balance to manage. My crew chief Randall Burnett and the team did a good job on helping with adjustments throughout the race. Right before that late-race caution with about 20 laps to go, the car really started to come to me, we just needed a little bit more. It’s awesome though to have collected another top-five this season and continue to keep our streak of earning stage points in every stage this year. We’ve got some good momentum going over at the No. 2 RCR team, and I can’t wait for us to continue at Charlotte in a few weeks.”-Tyler Reddick

Kaz Grala Shows Speed, Late Race Spin Derails Potential Top-Ten Finish

Finish: 14th
Start: 18th
Points: N/A

“It was a fun one at the Monster Mile, but unfortunately we didn’t get the finish we deserved. We had a really fast No. 21 Hot Scream Chevrolet Camaro, but we couldn’t get the track position today. We had various issues leading up to the major issue we had with the No. 23, when we spun with about 40 laps to go. We went a lap down and fought our way into the free pass position, but never caught another caution to get back on the lead lap. This team fought all day, and we had top-10 speed. I think if we ever got the track position, we could of run in the top five. It’s frustrating, but we’ll move onto the next one. I know everyone on this No. 21 team is ready and able to get the job done.” – Kaz Grala

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Dover International Speedway
Race 10 of 33 – 200 miles, 200 laps
May 4, 2019

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
2nd, Justin Allgaier*
3rd, Tyler Reddick*
4th, Cole Custer*
5th, Chase Briscoe*
7th, BRANDON JONES
15th, RILEY HERBST
16th, TIMMY HILL
21th, TOMMY JOE MARTINS
29th, JOEY GASE
30th, CHAD FINCHUM
32nd, VINNIE MILLER
37th, JOHN JACKSON
*non-Toyota driver

• Supra driver Christopher Bell earned his third win of the season, and 11th of his Xfinity career.
• Bell won his second Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus this season.
• Bell now has won two consecutive events at Dover International Speedway.

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 1st

Will this $100,000 Dash 4 Cash check help you build a Sprint Car team one day?

“That sprint car team is a long way down the road, but it’s definitely a dream of mine to have one. I just can’t say enough about everyone on this team 20 at Joe Gibbs Racing. They never quit. They keep working and over the last couple weeks we’ve had really fast race cars, but we just haven’t been able to capitalize on it. This one is really out to my pit crew. They did a great job of getting me out first there where I could control the restarts. I knew if we could get out front, we were going to be tough to beat. This one’s for everyone at Rheem, Ruud, everyone at Xfinity and all the people at Xfinity for putting up this serious money right here. This is one of the coolest trophies that we get to have – a cardboard check for $100.000.”

How difficult was it to pass on the track today as you had to take the lead with the final pit stop?

“This place, you can pass on long green flag runs and it’s one of my favorite race tracks because you can move around and kind of find different lines and get going. Over the short run, it’s pretty difficult to make it happen because there’s so much grip on the bottom. Just really thankful for everyone at Toyota and TRD too. They’re the ones that have believed in me since day one on the dirt side of things and now here we are holding up my second cardboard check. Thank you guys!”

How much better was your race car in clean air?

“It was a little bit better, but I knew we had a really good Rheem Supra from really the drop of the green flag. I was able to keep pace with them, it was just tough to pass. There’s no doubt that he (Cole Custer) was really good. Over that long run there, I felt like I could make gains on him running the top. Last time we were here, the top was really good for me, but it seemed like it rubbered up more and the top was a little less of a disadvantage. Once we got the lead – thank you to my pit crew, they did an outstanding job – it’s really special to be here.”

How do you keep your cool during the restarts in the closing laps?

“It’s tough, it’s just a matter of executing and doing your job. I’ve been struggling on restarts over the course of my NASCAR career so I’ve been focusing hard on that to get better. I feel like I did a pretty good job today.”

What are you focused on now that you’ve won so many races in the last season and a half?

“Just continuing to win. This sport is a very funny sport and you’re only as good as your last race. At this moment I just need to continue to win races and just get better and better, week in and week out. Days like today are a really good day, I didn’t feel like we had a dominant race car and we were still able to win. Those days are really hard to come by and I’m really thankful that I get to drive for such a legendary crew chief like Jason (Ratcliff).”

Do you think you could have passed Cole Custer had the race gone green to the finish?

“It was going to be close. We were pretty close together and he was starting to struggle pretty bad on the long run. It was going to be a good race for sure. Getting off pit road was going to be extremely important because it takes so long for the cars to start driving bad here, you fire off and the race track is clean, the tires have a lot of grip so there’s a lot of on-throttle time and it’s really hard to pass until you get deep into a run whenever you start seeing car difficulties. It was going to be basically, I feel like the race was going to be won by who got off pit road first and had the lead. Then it was going to be a battle for sure.”

Why do you feel you’re not as strong at restarts?

“I think a lot of it is just the air games and knowing how the air manipulates your car and stuff like that. There’s no doubt that there’s no harder restarts in the world than racing with the World of Outlaws. Those guys train you really good and it is double-file restarts over there too. A lot of it here too is just who gets the right push, who makes the right air block or placing air on different parts of the other guys cars. The air stuff is what I’ve struggled with and I think I’m getting a little bit better at it.”

Where will you put this check and how will you spend the money?

“I’ve already got the one check hanging up in my house so it’s in a pretty primo spot too. You can see it pretty easily so I need to find another spot for this check. As far as getting any of the money, I haven’t paid any attention to it yet. I’m not sure on that. Regardless of who gets the money, Joe Gibbs Racing is going to benefit from it and it’s really cool to see how Xfinity has put in a bunch of money for their teams to race for and you don’t get to race for that much money very often. If it wasn’t for a mistake on a restart at Richmond, I think we had a good shot at winning all the races.”

What made you give the checkered flag away again to a child in the grandstands?

“We get a bunch of trophies, now I have a check, a golden Miles (the Monster trophy) — a checkered flag is just a third piece of a trophy so I decided to give it to a kid. I’ve done it the last couple times and I actually saw that kid at the autograph session and he was talking to me so that’s why I picked him.”

JASON RATCLIFF, crew chief, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How important was it to get out ahead of Cole Custer on the final pit stop?

“The Gibbs pit crews are pretty phenomenal and it’s a different group this week actually, but they’re all great. We were making adjustments on the first two stops and they were breaking even so I knew on the last one that if we could just get a clean four-tire stop that they would give us a shot at it and they did. Really, that’s what won us the race. Making gains on the car, I think we were breaking even with the 00 (Cole Custer) on the long run and at times maybe a little better. Those guys had a great race car, but I knew if we could get track position that we would be able to get it done or Christopher (Bell) would anyway. It’s a good day.”

Can you talk about the development of Christopher Bell over the years?

“He came into the sport knowing how to win, there’s no doubt about that. His desire to win is so big that it gets him in trouble sometimes when he’s got a third-place car, but today at times we weren’t better than a second-place car and he was really patient and gave us good communication – good feedback. In the end, he capitalized on it. I think early on, I don’t think he would have been able to do that, but with the experience he has now under his belt, I think he’s at a point in his career where he’s learning how to take what he can from a race car. If he’s got a fifth-place car, figuring out how to finish third with it and take a second-place car and figure out how to win with it. We keep learning every week, but winning is not a problem. We just have to finish where we race every week.”

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

Finishing Position: 7th

How much did you work on the race car from yesterday to today to claim a top-10 finish?

“We fought really hard yesterday. We did not have a car at the end of practice to run where we did today. We put our heads together and we had a plan, then pretty much changed the entire thing. We threw everything but the kitchen sink at our Supra. In the race there, I think it was all about track position really, it was so tough to pass. Even at one point, I think it was the 22 (Austin Cindric) got sideways in front of me and I still got passed by him just from being so loose. We have a couple weeks off and this was a great day to rebound to get back to where we need to be. I’m looking forward to getting back with these guys, but next week I’m in a Tundra for KBM and I’m looking forward to it.”

Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Dover International Speedway – May 3, 2019

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to the media in Dover:

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

Have you experienced anything like Dover?

“The first time would have been the 2016 Truck race. It is very unique. There is not a race track out here like it. The way the transitions are from the straightaways to the corners, how narrow it is; it is a unique beast that is for sure.”

Doesn’t a real racer like you find it intriguing?

“Yeah, it is a lot of fun. It is one of my favorite race tracks we go to because it is a really fast short track. You get to hustle it. It is a mile in length, so it is not a mile and a half, but it has mile and a half speed. It is a ton of fun, and it’s a place where with Xfinity cars with the package they have you can get around them.”

Talk about qualifying.

“That is going to be a change of pace for sure. I really enjoyed the group qualifying, because I felt like it added another element. It gave you a chance to work on your car. I always loved when I could go out there and be 15th and then eighth, and then the last round steal the pole. That was something that our team had gotten really good at. Now we are just going to have a change of pace and be quickest right off the bat.

What about the composite body?

“I love them. Especially for downforce racing. You can get away with stuff a lot more like brushing up against the fence, or stuff like that. I think the composite bodies have been a huge gain in the Xfinity Series.”

When we talk about racing here at Dover, there are many descriptions of it. Diving off a cliff, a roller coaster; how would you describe it?

“It is just really fast: a mile length race track with mile and a half speeds is the best way I can describe it. I love speed and I love short tracks, so its kind of the best of both worlds.”

Does 200 laps here feel fast or long?

“I’ll be honest, it probably feels longer than it should. 200 laps is relatively a short race. It definitely does not feel short for some reason and looking at the Cup race. 400 laps; holy moly right? So ya, 200 laps should feel short, but it doesn’t for me.”

Is this a race track you enjoy?

“Dover is fun man, it’s a place — it’s a mile in length, but you have mile-and-a-half speed. It’s really, really fast and there’s not another race track out there like it. This place is the same size as Loudon, but the speeds are almost twice as much. It really is unique.”

What did you learn from last week’s race at Talladega?

“I learned that if I’m ever going to win a speedway race, I have to get a lot better at blocking. But I knew that going into too. Just keep making gains on it every time and it’s a lot easier to come from the back to the front than it is to be in the front and stay in the front at speedways.”

What do you think about single car qualifying?

“I personally enjoyed the group qualifying just because I really enjoyed the fact of using strategy to think your way through the qualifying session. Some race tracks you can go out there and run multiple laps and use strategy like that – only using one lap at the beginning or the first couple rounds and then two or three at the end. I enjoyed the strategy aspect of the group qualifying, but it’s the same for everybody.”

How would you rank the pit road here at Dover?

“I’ve heard everybody talk about green flag stops being really tough here, but unfortunately or fortunately I’ve never done that so I can’t really speak to that.”

Does it worry you that you’ve never experienced at green flag pit stop here?

“I guess that’s another product of 200 lap races, I think we can almost do 80 or 90 laps on fuel so the odds of us doing a green flag stop are very, very slim. Obviously in practice we’ll still practice it and try to get better at it. I don’t foresee that happening.”

Would you prefer not to have two weekends off?

“It doesn’t matter to me. I would rather race all the time, but other people wouldn’t so I’m going to go race no matter what. I’m going to go race whether we’re racing in NASCAR or not.”

How difficult is it to go dirt racing when you’re not racing there every week anymore?

“I definitely struggle and that’s one thing that I’ve noticed. I went to Jacksonville, Illinois last week and I go out there to qualify and I can just tell that I’m not as good at it as I used to be back when I did it full time. I hope I get to continue to run dirt stuff so that I can continue to keep my skill set sharp with it. I can definitely tell that it’s fallen off a little from where it used to be.”

How would you compare your second season in NXS versus your second year in NGOTS?

“I don’t know, I think my first year in Xfinity was greatly ahead of my first year in trucks. Our situation it seemed like, that first year in trucks it seemed like it was Team 4 versus Team 9 and we were really competitive against each other rather than working together as a team to better each other. That first year in trucks is really hard to relate to anything because I’ve never been put in that situation again. Year two in Xfinity seems to be right on par with year two in the trucks.”

Do you have a set number of races you want to win this year?

“No, I just want to be a winner. I’ve won two and I’m not happy with that so if I win four, am I going to be happy? I don’t know. I don’t have a number in my mind, I just want to be a winner.”

Are you the championship favorite right now?

“No, championship favorite is who is good at Homestead. Tyler Reddick is really good at Homestead so he’s got to be the championship favorite. Ultimately it just comes down to who has the best race at Homestead.”

Do you feel like you struggle at Homestead?

“It definitely hasn’t been my best race track, but the year I won the championship, I was really, really fast at Homestead so it gives me hope that I can do it.”

Do you feel better about your chances at Phoenix when the championship moves there in 2020?

“Statistically, I have a lot better stats at Phoenix than I do Homestead. Homestead is a great race track and it’s one of my favorites that we go to. I love Homestead and I think that’s a great place to have the final four and Phoenix is a better race track for me so I’m not going to say that I don’t wish it would go to Phoenix because that will probably better me, but I want to be good at Homestead too.”

Can you identify any weaknesses right now with the 20 car before you get to the Playoffs?

“Just finishing races, that’s kind of been my downfall every season. Ultimately if I can win races more than I crash out then I’m happy with that. I just have to continue to get better at finishing races and not taking myself out of them. And continue to win.”

Are there ways the craziness from last year with Justin Allgaier can be avoided?

“It all boils down – at Kansas, (Justin) Allgaier crashed. If I would have gotten a better restart then I wouldn’t have been beside Allgaier. At Texas, Austin Cindric wrecked me, again for the fifth time. If I would have had a better restart then I wouldn’t have been beside Austin Cindric. Just a couple things like that and same thing at Vegas this year. Tyler Reddick got loose underneath me and crashed, was that my fault? No, not at all, but if I wouldn’t have ran into the wall after I passed Kyle (Busch) then I probably am not racing Tyler Reddick on the restart. Just stuff like that, looking back at just moments where I could have changed the outcome and not put myself in positions to get wrecked.”