Category: XFINITY Series PR

Justin Haley Notes:
First Career Start at Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)

Kaulig Racing Notes:
Best Start at Dover International Speedway: 8th (Spring 2018)
Best Finish at Dover International Speedway: 10th (Fall 2018)

Quotes:
“We had a really strong run at Talladega, but we’re moving on to Dover – one of my favorite tracks. It’s a 1-mile track. This weekend, we are supporting autism with this awesome colorful paint scheme. Each puzzle piece represents the autism spectrum and the diversity of the people who are living with autism. I am really excited to go to Dover, again, it’s one of my favorite tracks—a place I’ve run really well at in the past. I won a championship there (NASCAR K&N East Series), so I’m excited to get this No. 11 car back on track and see how we do!”

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 .

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

Dover Xfinity Stats

2 starts

Best Finish: 8th (Fall 2018)

2019 Season Stats

9 starts, 2 top-five and 7 top-10’s

Notes:

– Nemechek and the No. 23 team will utilize chassis no. 222. This chassis was raced three times in 2018. Twice by Spencer Gallagher once at Dover International Speedway in the Spring (start: 4th/finish: 5th) and the other at Homestead-Miami Speedway (start: 17th/finish: 17th). The other by Johnny Sauter at Dover International Speedway in the Fall (start: 11th/finish: 6th).

– Nemechek is currently tied with Chase Briscoe for the first-place spot in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points; both competitors have 295 points.

Quotes:

“I enjoy Dover a lot. It takes an athlete to get around that place. It’s brutal on the body and mentally, similar to Bristol. You have to train to get your body and mind ready to go 200 miles around that place. GMS Racing was really strong at Dover last year. Spencer (Gallagher, driver) finished in the top-five and then Johnny (Sauter, driver) followed that up in the Fall with a sixth-place finish. I hope we can continue that strong finish streak and maybe even get Maury (Gallagher, owner) into Winners Circle.

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. 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.

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Dover International Speedway
RACE: Allied Steel Buildings 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 2019

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s best finish at Dover International Speedway is third, in the fall 2012 event.
• Dover is a good track for Annett, as his average finish of 13.4 is tied for third best among all the tracks the NASCAR Xfinity Series competes on. Only Bristol Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway top that mark.
• This weekend, Annett will return to the familiar Pilot Flying J paint scheme for the event on the one-mile concrete oval.
• Annett and his No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet team are already qualified for the NXS Playoffs by virtue of the victory at Daytona International Speedway.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier is the defending winner of the spring NXS race at Dover. Last May he led 104 laps on his way to the victory.
• In 16 NXS starts at the 1-mile concrete oval, the Illinois native has one win, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
• Allgaier has only finished outside of the top five once in his six starts with JRM at the track. He also leads current Xfinity Series regulars in laps led at “The Monster Mile” (146).
• In 42 career NXS starts on 1-mile tracks, Allgaier has two wins (Phoenix 2017, Dover 2018), 12 top fives and 25 top 10s, with 397 laps led.

Zane Smith
No. 8 PatientPop Chevrolet
• Zane Smith will make his first NXS start at Dover on Saturday afternoon.
• PatientPop, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based company providing a complete practice growth platform that delivers measurable improvements for medical providers, returns to the No. 8 as primary partner for the second time this season.
• Smith recorded a sixth-place finish in his most recent NXS start at Richmond Raceway in April.
• In seven starts on tracks between one and two miles in length in the ARCA Racing Series, Smith earned four topfives and four top 10s.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Switch Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his second NXS start at Dover this weekend.
• In his lone NXS start at the one-mile oval, Gragson scored a seventh-place finish after qualifying in the second position.
• In two starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series at Dover, Gragson has led 60 laps, earned one pole and recorded a best finish of ninth.
• In five career NXS starts on tracks ranging between one and two miles in length, Gragson has one top-five and three top 10s, with a best finish of third coming at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2019.

Driver Quotes
“After winning the pole at Talladega and leading laps with a chance to win again, we’re excited to be heading to one of my best tracks at Dover. We were so fast at Talladega, and in exactly the right place to be in contention for the win. We’re hitting our stride with the No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet, and I am looking to continue logging good finishes on the way to the Playoffs. Our cars are fast off the trailer, and we’re building for the summer run in a really good way.” – Michael Annett

“Dover is a track that is very much its own entity, it’s so different. Everybody talks about Bristol and Dover and how much of a comparison there is, but there really isn’t. The speed that you’re carrying in the banking and the amount of banking that you’ve got, it’s incredible how forceful it is on the body. For us, it’s all about making sure your car can live and not doing anything to put yourself in a bad position to get your car torn up. We were fortunate enough to win there last year, so hopefully we can have another strong race this weekend and get our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevy to Victory Lane.” – Justin Allgaier

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to the track this weekend with our PatientPop Chevrolet. We had a really solid run our last time out in Richmond and I feel like Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and I are continuing to learn more and more each time we get out on the track. Hopefully we can continue that learning this weekend and come home with another strong finish.” – Zane Smith

“I really like racing at Dover. It’s such a fast track that keeps you on the edge all the time. I feel like I learned a lot here last season after qualifying on the front row and finishing in the top 10. Hopefully we can build off of that notebook this weekend with our Switch Chevrolet and be in contention for the victory all day long on Saturday. It should be a fun day for sure.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Dover: In 59 NXS starts at Dover International Speedway, JR Motorsports has scored three wins, 19 top-five and 34 top10 finishes. Brad Keselowski scored the organization’s first victory at “The Monster Mile” in May 2009 with Regan Smith and Justin Allgaier following suit in October 2015 and May 2018, respectively.
• Comcast Cares Day: JRM drivers Zane Smith and Noah Gragson will be participating in Comcast Cares Day at the Greater Dover Boys and Girls Club on Friday afternoon from 5 – 7 p.m. EST.
• Dirty Mo Media T-Shirt Giveaway: If you spend $88 or more at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer this weekend, you will receive a free Dirty Mo Media T-shirt (while supplies last – shirt is not available for purchase).

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Talladega Superspeedway
Race 9 of 33 – 300.58 miles, 113 laps
April 27, 2019

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Tyler Reddick*
2nd, Gray Gaulding*
3rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
4th, Chase Brisco*
5th, Austin Cindric*
17th, MATT MILLS
18th, BRANDON JONES
19th, VINNIE MILLER
20th, MAX TULLMAN
21st, CODY WARE
26th, JEFFREY EARNHARDT
36th, CHAD FINCHUM
37th, JOEY GASE
*non-Toyota driver

Supra driver Christopher Bell was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) event at Talladega Superspeedway as he finished third.

Bell took his turn at the front of the field twice for 16 laps and will qualify for next week’s Dash-4-Cash at Dover International Speedway to compete for $100,000.

Fellow Toyota teammates and Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Brandon Jones (18th) and Jeffrey Earnhardt (26th) both were near the front throughout the event, but circumstances shuffled Jones to the rear on the closing laps and an incident with four laps remaining ended the day early.

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 3rd

How difficult were the closing laps of the race with everyone jockeying for position?

“It’s a lot of blocking and listening to your spotter. Speedway racing and especially defensive racing whenever you’re up front at speedways is my weakness. To get out of there with a top-four and be in the Dash-4-Cash next week is something I’m really proud of and that was what we had circled. Obviously, we want to win, but to be able to get a top-four and know that we have a shot at $100,000 next week at Dover is something I’m smiling ear-to-ear about.”

How do you feel about your chances to win at Dover next weekend?

“Can we go tomorrow? Please.”

How intense was the racing?

“It definitely wasn’t the ride-around session we had at Daytona so that was a lot of fun. Very intense moments – I thought I was going to crash a couple times. I hope the fans got their money’s worth there.”

What was going through your head during the red flag?

“Just top-four, I just wanted to run top-four so bad. I know going to Dover that we were going to have an excellent shot at winning the race so really wanted to be in that Dash-4-Cash.”

How do you balance being aggressive to win versus taking it too far and risking a wreck?

“It’s all a delicate balance. You can keep making moves and trying to win the race or get crashed really easily. The 2 (Tyler Reddick) car was really fast. Obviously, RCR (Richard Childress Racing) has a really strong speedway package. They probably deserve to win, but we’re going to beat them next week.”

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

Finishing Position: 18th

How were you able to come back from the spin on lap eight of the race?

“I told these guys, we’re never out of the fight. We had that spin, the way this tri-oval is, it has that transition in it and I was just right in that spot trying to make too many moves. I learned that lesson really quick and never got back on that transition. All in all, these guys did really good all week. They never lost composure and just had another unfortunate day at the end of it. That’s a lot of confidence for us that we can have a mishap like that where we can have something like that happen and come back to stay on track.”

Was the plan of the race to stick with your teammates as much as possible?

“I wanted to do that from the beginning and Jeffrey (Earnhardt) was up there as well with us the entire day. There were some points where I was trying to work with them pretty good too, but coming down to two or three to go, you try to start doing moves that will help you win the race. They did a great job all day long and we all ran up front. I think our superspeedway program with these Supras is really getting good.”

JEFFREY EARNHARDT, No. 18 iK9 Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 26th

How strong was your race car and what happened in the accident with four laps to go?

“We had a really fast Supra all weekend. I didn’t think we were the best in practice, but I knew we knew which direction we needed to be to be fast. Qualifying showed that – it wasn’t as strong as Daytona, but it still was a solid effort by the guys in qualifying there. We had a good car at the stop. We pitted and took two left sides and thought we might have been struggling a little bit there. Then we got shuffled towards the back, which I thought was a good thing because it gave us the opportunity to practice some stuff and really learn how to be able to execute a pass well. It showed there at the end, we had a really fast, strong car and we were playing our cards right. The 22 (Austin Cindric) got into the side of us and it went all to crap from there. Four-wide is doable here at Talladega, but it’s not ever any fun. We just got sucked around. We were a little loose all day long, which is good as long as it’s a manageable loose. Once you get four-wide and everyone is so tight on you, it’s hard to keep it under you. It’s unfortunate. I know we were going to have a good shot to win that thing. We were setting ourselves up good and that’s what it takes at these places is to be there at the end and be ready to execute when the opportunity comes. These guys made it possible for me to do that. Just unfortunate it played out the way it did and we’ll go get them in Charlotte. Just unfortunate.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Friday, April 26, 2019
EVENT: MoneyLion 300 – Post Race

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
(4th) Chase Briscoe
(5th) Austin Cindric
(32nd) Cole Custer

CHASE BRISCOE, NO. 98 Nutri Chomps Ford Mustang

Finished: 4th

“We were making a ton of moves. I don’t usually have any fun on these superspeedways but that right there was a blast. There are so many things I wish I would have done different there at the end. Overall, we were up front the whole day and it felt like I was one of the only guys that could make moves and was trying. I haven’t been the greatest superspeedway racer but I feel like I made up a lot of ground today. I am looking forward to going to Daytona now and more importantly trying to win $100,000 next week.”

“For awhile I didn’t think anybody was going to make moves with me. I kept trying the bottom and nobody would go. Finally Allgaier pulled down there and we were able to go from 18th and 19th all the way to the lead. I think you could do that everywhere. Everyone gets in the rhythm of running the top and trying to be careful but we came here to race so that is what we tried to do.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang

Finished: 5th

“Congrats to Tyle and those guys on winning the Dash 4 Cash. I am glad I was able to do my part and give him the push on the restart. The bottom lane fizzled out pretty hard there and I was side drafting for the life of me to try to do damage control at that point. To come away with a top-five is a good day in the MoneyLion 300. I wish I would have been able to win it for those guys. They have a lot of people here supporting me and rooting for Joey tomorrow in the Cup race.”

HOW ABOUT THE CONTACT WITH CUSTER EARLIER? “If you are referencing the contact with the 1 car on tbe backstretch, it was just a bump-draft gone wrong I guess. I was trying to push the 1 and got him a little sideways and sent him to the outside wall. Obviously not my intention but it is part of this racing. You can’t redo it or undo it. It wasn’t on purpose. We will move on.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Jacob Companies Ford Mustang

Finished: 32nd (Accident on lap 94)

WHAT HAPPENED? “I don’t even know. I was running on the top and the 1 got turned into me and we were just riding there. It sucks. We had a good run going. We were running third and you put yourself in a good spot at the end of a race and you still get wrecked. That is Talladega. It was a fun race. We were racing hard, it just sucks that we are coming back on the trailer.”

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway
RACE: MoneyLion 300 (113 laps / 300.58 miles)
DATE: Saturday, April 27, 2019

Michael Annett
No. 1 TMC Transportation Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s first start for JR Motorsports at Talladega Superspeedway in 2017 gave him his best finish in six NXS attempts on the 2.66-mile track, a seventh-place showing.
• Annett will carry TMC Transportation colors at Talladega.
• Annett will be seeking to keep his restrictor-plate winning streak intact this weekend. The Iowa native won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, the only other plate track on the schedule so far.
• Annett and his JRM team are already qualified for the NXS Playoffs by virtue of the victory at Daytona, and he sits seventh in points after eight races with a victory, two topfive and five top-10 finishes.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Hellmann’s / Walmart Fight Hunger Spark Change Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier heads to Talladega as one of four contenders for the $100,000 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash prize.
• In eight NXS starts at Talladega, Allgaier has three top-five and six top-10 finishes. He’s led 63 laps at the track, including 35 circuits in his most recent start last year when he drove to a third-place finish.
• The 32-year-old driver has the highest driver rating among current full-time NXS drivers at Talladega (96.9).
• Earlier this season, Allgaier finished second at fellow traditional restrictor-plate track Daytona International Speedway.

Brett Moffitt
No. 8 ISM Connect Chevrolet
• Defending NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Champion Brett Moffitt will make his JR Motorsports debut this weekend in the NXS at Talladega.
• This weekend will be Moffitt’s third-career start in the NXS after having made two previous starts at his home track of Iowa Speedway in 2012 and 2017, respectively.
• Moffitt recorded a 17th-place finish in his lone NGOTS start at Talladega in October 2018.
• Moffitt is currently ranked fifth in the NGOTS championship standings on the heels of three top-five and three top-10 finishes through five races.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Armour Vienna Sausage Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his second career NXS start at Talladega this weekend.
• Gragson earned a fourth-place finish in his lone NXS start at the famed superspeedway in this event last season.
• The Las Vegas native has also made two previous starts in the NGOTS at Talladega, recording a best finish of 13th in October 2018 after being collected in a multi-car incident on the final lap while battling for the race lead.
• Gragson currently sits 10th in the NXS championship standings through eight events.

Driver Quotes
“The last time we raced on a restrictor-plate track, we ended up in Victory Lane, and I can definitely see us getting there again this weekend at Talladega. We’ve been strong on these kinds of tracks, and our whole team, from (crew chief) Travis Mack on down, we’ve had the strategy to win several times this season. I’m pleased that we’ll have TMC Transportation on the car this weekend, too.” – Michael Annett

“This is a big weekend for our team and for our sponsor. First off, we’re running for a chance at that $100,000 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash prize. Second, we have “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” on our Chevy, a campaign that Hellmann’s and Unilever strongly support. We want to run well for them, but we also would like to make it to Victory Lane for Brenda Jackson. She was part of the heart and soul of this race team and we can’t think of a better way to honor her memory than by going out there and winning the race this weekend.”– Justin Allgaier

“I can’t wait to get to Talladega this weekend to make my first start for JR Motorsports with this No. 8 ISM Connect Chevrolet. It’s a really cool opportunity to get to drive for JRM. They have always had a really strong program, especially on the restrictor-plate tracks and it’s an honor to have a chance to work with Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and everyone on this team. Hopefully we can have a smart day, avoid all the potential trouble out there, and be in contention for the win on Saturday.” – Brett Moffitt

“Talladega will be a battle this weekend for sure. Having one race under my belt here in the Xfinity Series is definitely a positive and hopefully we can back up last year’s finish this season with our Switch Chevrolet. I just need to be smart in the lead pack to make sure that we are there at the end. If we do that, I feel like we have a great opportunity to get JRM back to Victory Lane.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Talladega: In 33 NXS starts at Talladega Superspeedway, JR Motorsports has scored two wins, 11 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Regan Smith earned the organization’s first victory at the 2.66 mile superspeedway in 2013 with Elliott Sadler following suit in 2016.
• Fight Hunger. Spark Change.: On the hood of Justin Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega, “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” is a joint campaign among Walmart, Sam’s Club, Feeding America and member food banks to raise awareness and combat the issue of hunger, which affects one in eight Americans. Shoppers can participate in the campaign, which runs until May 20, by purchasing a participating item in-store or online, including Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise, or donating on Feeding America’s website at www.feedingamerica.org/walmart. More information can be found here.
• Dirty Mo Media T-Shirt Giveaway: If you spend $88 or more at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer this weekend, you will receive a free Dirty Mo Media T-shirt (while supplies last – shirt is not available for purchase).

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Race Report
Track: Richmond Raceway
Race: ToyotaCare 250
Date: April 12, 2019

No. 22 LTi Printing Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 5th
Stage 1: 7th
Stage 2: 2nd
Finish: 2nd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 250/250
Laps Led: 7
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 4th (-63)

Notes:

Austin Cindric equaled his career-best NASCAR Xfinity Series career finish Friday night at Richmond Raceway. Cindric scored a second-place finish, his second top-10 in three races at Richmond and his sixth top-10 finish in 2019. The second-place finish also qualifies Cindric and the No. 22 LTi Printing team for the third Dash-4-Cash race at Talladega Superspeedway and the opportunity to collect at $100,000 bonus.

Qualifying for the 250-lap race was rained out on Friday afternoon and the starting line-up set per the NASCAR rule book, giving the driver of the LTi Printing Ford Mustang the fifth-place starting position.

Cindric maintained his position in the top-five from the drop of the green flag, running lap times comparable to the race leaders. But as the laps ticked away in Stage 1, the balance on the No. 22 Mustang faded. He briefly fell back to the 10th position before the first caution on lap 66 gave the team an opportunity to make adjustments. Cindric restarted 10th on lap 70, with five laps remaining in the first segment. He battled his way through traffic over the final four miles to claim a seventh-place finish when Stage 1 concluded on lap 75.

Cindric restarted seventh when the race went green on lap 81. A few laps later the Mooresville, N.C., native worked his way into the top-five. He radioed to crew chief Brian Wilson that the LTi Printing Ford was better than earlier in the race, but the handling still needed to improve. Cindric was up to fifth position when the third caution slowed the pace on lap 128, allowing him to pit for four tires and another round of adjustments.

The race resumed on lap 137, 13 laps from the finish of Stage 2. Cindric lined up 10th for the restart but diced his way through traffic, battling his way to the second position before a caution on lap 143. Cindric stayed on the track during the yellow and restarted second with five laps to go in the segment, holding firm to the position during the dash to the finish of Stage 2.

With the threat of rain in the area, Wilson also chose not to pit during the following stage caution. Cindric restarted second when the race went green on lap 160, where he would settle in until the sixth caution waved on lap 213, setting up a round of pit stops for the leader. Speedy pit work by the LTi Printing team allowed Cindric to restart third on lap 218.

With 30 laps remaining, the seventh and final caution slowed the pace. On lap 227, Cindric grabbed the lead from Cole Custer on the restart and held the top spot for the next seven laps. But Custer was able to rally, and slipped by Cindric to take the lead for the final time on lap 231.

With the second-place finish at Richmond, Cindric now has 10 top-five finishes and 19 top-10 finishes in 42 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts. He remains fourth in the driver point standings, 63 points behind leader Tyler Reddick.

Quote: “It is great to get LTi Printing an awesome finish here at Richmond and to be able to capitalize on short run speed tonight. I’ve experienced all spectrums all three of my races here. We will come back here in the playoffs for an important race in the first round with a good notebook. Congrats to Cole and those guys. I tried my best on that restart to hold him off but they were obviously the class of the field. We had some fun and got some points and now we will move on to Talladega for the MoneyLion 300. That will be a big one for me. I would love to win that race and the Dash for Cash at Talladega.”

Tyler Reddick Collects Sixth Top-Five Finish of the Year Despite Power-Steering Issues at Richmond Raceway

Finish: 4th
Start: 2nd
Points:1st

“Wow, what a battle by my No. 2 Anderson’s Maple Syrup team today to claim our fifth-consecutive top-five finish at one of my most challenging tracks. Our car was ok in practice this morning, but we lacked what we normally have for speed and handling. Part of that is also Richmond Raceway just being such a challenge for me to drive. In a sense, we lucked out with qualifying being rained out and were able to start second thanks to our owner points position. Once we went green, I lacked the drive off I needed to really be able to contend and pass people on the track. About halfway during Stage 2, the power steering went out in our Camaro, and that didn’t help the situation. We never gave up and kept fighting for every spot we could. The car actually started feeling the best it did all day late in the final stage, despite the lack of power steering, and I was able to start driving up through the field a little easier. I’m so proud of this team for finishing fourth and qualifying for our third straight Dash 4 Cash week at Talladega Superspeedway.” -Tyler Reddick

Kaz Grala Has Strong Showing at Richmond Raceway in
No. 21 Hot Scream Chevrolet

Finish: 14th
Start: 38th
Points: N/A

“We were a yo-yo for sure. We started in the back when rain canceled qualifying, but the opening stage went really well and we passed a lot of cars with the No. 21 Hot Scream Chevrolet Camaro. We were definitely a top-five car, which was pretty good and I was excited about that. Unfortunately, on one of those late restarts I just got into Turn 1 and rolled through with everyone else, lost the nose and tagged the No. 9 car. It was a frustrating end to the day, but it was a really solid day and something we can build off. We gambled a bit near the end of the second stage, but I think it all played into our favor. The Hot Scream Chevrolet Camaro was really good tonight, especially on the long run – that’s all you can ask for. It is tough with a part-time schedule, because you have to go for it at the end and can’t give anything up, but there is a fine line there as well. I will have to settle down and be a little more patient even when I’m not in the seat every week. I am really looking forward to our next race together. I feel like crew chief Justin Alexander and I now have great communication and we definitely had the car dialed in tonight. I think we can do big things moving forward.” – Kaz Grala

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Friday, April 12, 2019
EVENT: ToyotaCare 250 Post Race

COLE CUSTER, MIKE SHIPLETT & JOE CUSTER RACE WINNING TEAM PRESS CONFERENCE

YOU WERE SAYING THIS AFTERNOON THAT YOU MIGHT BE PEAKING AS THE SEASON GOES ALONG, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU MIGHT BE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE BASED ON TONIGHT:

COLE CUSTER: “Yeah, we have always had speed everywhere we have gone so far. I think we get better as the race goes on and we make adjustments and then when we come back to some of these tracks a second time we will be even better. We have the speed right now and I think we can get even better but we are definitely doing things right at this moment.”

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THE $100,000? “I don’t know. I wish I could say that I had something to put it towards that is cooler than a townhouse. It is good. I have never won one before so it is a really cool thing that Xfinity does. It is one of the coolest things that we do in this sport, to be able to race for 100-grand. That is huge for all our teams and the drivers. I don’t know exactly what I am going to do with it yet, but we will figure it out.”

AFTER STAGE 2 YOU CAME OVER THE RADIO AND WERE SAYING YOUR WINDSHIELD WAS SOAKING WET. NOW THAT THE RACE IS OVER, WAS IT REALLY RAINING THAT HARD OR WERE YOU EXAGGERATING? “It was pouring man. I don’t know how we even made it through the first corner, honestly.”

HOW MUCH MOMENTUM DO THESE EARLY SEASON WINS GIVE YOU? “It is huge. We have always won later in the year. I think when you get a win earlier in the year it takes a lot of stress off because you know your team can win and you are doing things right and it is just a matter of perfecting it. It just takes the stress off to be able to go out there and be aggressive and keep the momentum going and build up points for the playoffs.”

HOW MUCH URGENCY DID YOU FEEL TO GET THE LEAD BACK WHEN CINDRIC TOOK IT? “When we first took it after one of those cautions when we restarted eighth I was urgent because I knew whoever got to the lead first it was probably going to be their race. That last restart I tried something a little different and it didn’t work out. I knew I had like 25 laps but then it started raining a little and I didn’t know if we would even make it to the end so I knew I had to get by him quick. I was able to work the top on him there at the end. We just had a great car. I think we had the best car out there at the end.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH CHRISTOPHER BELL THIS SEASON? “I think we are right there. We need to be a little bit better and I think we are going to get better as the year goes on as me and Mike work together and we go to these tracks for a second time. We get our cars better throughout the races. We just need a little bit more but we want to beat the 20 guys. Christopher is a great driver and Gibbs is a great organization but we have the capability of being the best team out there, so that is our goal.”

HOW DO YOU APPROACH TALLADEGA NOW? ARE YOU GOING TO BE AGGRESSIVE? “Talladega is different than anywhere. You have to go there and be aggressive. We have two wins now so we can kind of do what we want. You have to be aggressive and make the big moves and save some of it for the end. Also you have to make those moves to be comfortable with it at the end. It is a matter of keeping it up front and out of trouble but on that edge of being aggressive but not too aggressive.”

HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE FORECASTING WEATHER?

MIKE SHIPLETT, CREW CHIEF: “Every time I told him it was going to rain he drove fast so I just kept telling him it was coming. I don’t know. Everyone wakes up in the morning and looks at the weather man report and it may say it is going to rain and it could be sunny. Seems you have a 50-50 chance. As you look at the radar there was a big blob of green coming and then it would dissipate a little bit and then you get in the little window. We were trying to calculate and they were saying it was five miles out so we were trying to figure how many laps that would be. We kept telling him it was going to be 20 laps or 15 laps and he kept driving fast. If it rained it rained and if it didn’t, it didn’t. It didn’t matter in the end.”

CHASE BRISCOE SAID EARLIER HE WAS REALLY LEANING ON YOU HELPING HIM THIS YEAR AS TEAMMATES. WHAT KIND OF HELP HAS IT BEEN FOR YOU THOUGH TO HAVE HIM? “It is all positive having a second car and being able to bounce information and driving notes off of each other and stuff like that. It won’t be a negative in any kind of way. I think it will get better as the year goes on and everyone gets more used to working with each other and everything. It has all been good. No setbacks. I think it will get better as we go.”