Category: XFINITY Series PR

COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST
Nashville NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: Tennessee Lottery 250 (Round 17 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, June 29
• Location: Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
• Layout: 1.333-mile, concrete oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EDT on USA/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• The last time Cole Custer visited Nashville, he was celebrating his 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series title during the annual NASCAR Champion’s Week celebration in December. This weekend, he returns to the Country Music Capital of the World as the Xfinity Series points leader looking for his first win of the 2024 season in Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. With 13 top-10 finishes this season, including each of the last four races, Custer is showing signs he’s closing in on that elusive victory. In last Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speeday in Loudon, Custer was the driver to beat. He started from the pole after Friday qualifying was cancelled due to weather. Then, starting Saturday’s race on wet-weather tires, he led the field five times for a race-high 114 laps, his first laps led at New Hampshire in the Xfinity Series. In the closing laps, Custer was in the lead by a more than two-second margin over second-place Christopher Bell before the race’s final caution that closed up the field. In the previous 50 laps, Custer managed to hold onto the lead through four restarts, but on the fifth and final one, Bell was able to get around Custer, going three-wide with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sheldon Creed. Custer fought valiantly before ultimately finishing third.
• This Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 will mark Custer’s second Xfinity Series start at Nashville. In his first start last June, he earned a ninth-place finish after qualifying on the pole. He has two starts outside of the Xfinity Series at the 1.333-mile, concrete oval, both coming in the NASCAR Cup Series in June of 2021 and 2022, which resulted in finishes of 30th and 26th, respectively.
• Nashville proved to be kind to Custer in the series’ most recent race last June. The native of Ladera Ranch, California appeared to be on his way to his second victory of the season after scoring his third pole of the season. He led the opening 13 laps and finished second in each of the opening two stages. He went on to lead three more times for a total of 32 laps. In the final stage, he was racing for the lead with A.J. Allmendinger when he dropped back to ninth as a result of pit strategy and late-race restarts that did not go his way.
• Win and you’re in. That’s the mentality when it comes to racing for a coveted spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. With 10 races left before the playoffs kick off Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Custer is sitting in a solid spot to make the 12-driver postseason field. As the regular-season driver championship leader with a 15-point lead over second-place Chandler Smith and a 205-point advantage over the top-12 playoff cutline, the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion is confident he can point his way into the playoffs. Still, the driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse would not only like to secure his spot with a race win, but also earn the regular-season championship that not only comes with a trophy but an additional 15 playoff points.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst has his eyes set on Music City as he heads to Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. As a native of Las Vegas, Herbst should feel right at home in Nashville. The capital of Tennessee may be best known as Music City, but its bright lights and lively nightlife have earned it another nickname – “Nashvegas.” The fact that Nashville’s 1.333-mile, concrete oval is an intermediate-style track makes Herbst feel even more at home. His history at intermediates is strong. His first career Xfinity Series victory came on the 1.5-mile oval of his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway last October, and prior to that his best career Xfinity Series results came at intermediates – a pair of second-place finishes, in February 2020 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and July 2020 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. He’s since added runner-up finishes in June 2023 at Nashville, October 2023 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, this past April 20 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, and two weekends ago at Iowa Speedway in Newton. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse heads to Nashville riding the momentum of his runner-up finish at Iowa, followed by last weekend’s hard-fought eighth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, where he started fourth, finished third in the opening stage, then showed his perseverance in the final stage by fighting his way back into the top-10 after pit road issues dropped him back in the field. It was his third top-10 in the last four races.
• Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 will mark Herbst’s fourth race at Nashville, having finished inside the top-10 in his previous three starts. Herbst’s best finish at the track came last year, when he started fifth for the scheduled 188-lap race and finished second, just 1.323 seconds behind race-winner A.J. Allmendinger. During the 2022 race at the track located some 40 minutes east of downtown Nashville, Herbst won his second career pole and finished third behind race-winner Justin Allgaier and runner-up Trevor Bayne. In his first start at the track in June 2021, he rallied for a solid top-10 finish from the 20th starting position.
• Not only will Herbst race on Saturday, he’ll also hop behind the wheel of the No. 15 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing in Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville. It will mark his third Cup Series start of 2024 and his seventh overall. He’s earned two top-10s in seven starts – a career-best of ninth last October at the 2.66-mile, behemoth Talladega oval, and 10th in his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2023 Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He became just the fourth driver to score a top-10 in all three of his NASCAR national series debuts. While five of his prior Cup Series starts have come on superspeedway-style tracks, he made his first start on an intermediate on May 5 with Rick Ware Racing at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where he finished 35th.
• Monday marked one year since Herbst began working with crew chief Davin Restivo, who first climbed atop the pit box for the No. 98 team last June at Nashville. Herbst had been working with Richard Boswell as his crew chief since his arrival at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021, while Restivo was an engineer for the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Cup Series team and the crew chief for Aric Almirola’s June 2023 Xfinity Series win at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, just two weeks prior to moving to the No. 98 team. In their first weekend together, Herbst and Restivo collaborated on the second-place finish at Nashville. While bad luck found them in the following weeks, they made steady progress and ultimately earned Herbst’s first career Xfinity Series win in October at Las Vegas. Though not part of the 2023 Xfinity Series playoff field, the No. 98 team earned more points than any other team during the Round of 8.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Last year at Nashville, you were strong out of the gate by being fast in practice and winning the pole. You’ve shown speed this year and already have won two poles this season, not including your front row starts from rained out qualifying session. What are your expectations for this weekend?

“I think we’ll be fast. This track is one that has a lot of speed in it and I hope we can capitalize on it. While I only have one start there in the Xfinity Series, we had a strong run last season. We probably could’ve gone for the win had our pit strategy not been off, but it’s just one of those instances where we have to put a perfect race together in order to find victory lane. We’ve been so close. Riley (Herbst, teammate) did well there in his prior three starts, so I’m definitely going to be leaning on him, still. I think the Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series program will have a good run at Nashville as long as we can stay out of trouble. This program has won two poles in the three races run there, so we’re not lacking in speed. Hopefully we can put it all together on Saturday.”

You’re sitting in a good place to make the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs with the points lead over Chandler Smith and sitting 205 points to the good of the cutline with 10 regular-season races to go. How much pressure would it take off to get a win this weekend in Nashville?

“It would take a lot of the pressure off. Right now, we’re focused on winning, but points racing is always in the back of your mind. You can’t just forget about it, because you don’t want to point your way out of the playoffs, either. Ultimately, a win would put everything to rest and put some ease in our minds. We could race for more race wins and stage wins at that point. We have to balance it all at this point, though. In a perfect scenario, we would’ve won by now, but that’s not the reality. I’m confident that this team can get it done again, though. Hopefully we can do it this weekend at Nashville.”

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You should feel right at home in “Nashvegas” this weekend after growing up under the neon lights of Las Vegas. How excited are you to get back to Nashville Superspeedway after finishing second last year and third the previous year?

“I’m pumped to head back to Nashville again. The city itself is so much fun, but so is the racing at the superspeedway. I don’t know how to describe it, but the track works with my style of racing. This is a race that I had circled on the calendar for this summer after three very strong years at Nashville. That first year we ended up 10th, then in 2022 we finished third, and last year we were second. We keep trending upwards at Nashville, and hopefully that proves to continue to be true this weekend. A win there would be so cool, especially with the double-duty weekend. It can be a difficult track, for sure, due to how slick it can get in the summer heat, but you just have to put together a great race and be there at the end. No mistakes, fast pit stops, and speed in the racecar. Hopefully, we can see all of that this weekend.”

This weekend will mark your third start of the 2024 season in the NASCAR Cup Series. How do these select starts not only help you in the Xfinity Series, but also help you in furthering your career and experience?

“Honestly, the cars are so different now that you can’t really carry anything over between the two series, other than just getting more seat time. Back in the day, it used to help a lot because the cars were similar, minus the higher horsepower in the Cup Series. Now with the NextGen cars, it’s just a lot different. The cars are nowhere near the same. Still, these are not only chances for me to learn a track but to showcase what I could do in those cars. Kansas didn’t go how we wanted, but it was also a good chance for me to learn how to drive a NextGen car on something other than a superspeedway. It was a new challenge for me, and honestly as the race went on, I was able to show more speed. By that point, though, we were already a couple of laps down, so the results didn’t show. My dream is to race on Sundays, so I’m thankful to Rick Ware Racing and Monster Energy for a chance to get these select starts this season to continue to develop and learn the NextGen car.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger started 22nd, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Sci Aps 200 was canceled due to weather.
• As the field made its pace laps, the cars came down pit road to follow suit with NASCAR’s damp weather protocol, to put wet condition tires on. While doing that, the No. 16 team made a track bar adjustment and cleaned the windshield. Upon re-entering the track, Allmendinger radioed that he had too much grip. A competition caution fell on lap 11 as the weather departed, allowing teams to put slick tires on. Allmendinger restarted 11th and advanced two positions until the caution fell on lap 29 for a stalled car. Restarting ninth, the field was brought under caution once again, this time after the No. 98 drove into the back of Allmendinger who inadvertently spun the No. 48. With six laps to go in stage one, the No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy restarted fifth. Gaining one more spot to earn seven stage points, Allmendinger finished the stage in fourth.
• Allmendinger was considerably pleased with his No. 16 and stated that the car was rolling in the center well but was too free on exit. Pitting for tires, fuel and a tear off, he started stage two from the 21st position. As the stage proceeded, Allmendinger worked his way up to 13th before he radioed, “That’s all I’ve got, just no speed.” Blocked in by the No. 1 and No. 2, Allmendinger had trouble advancing, but managed to find something to gain one position and finish stage two in 13th.
• Maintaining his grievances, Allmendinger continued to inform his team that he lacked “raw speed” and that he needed more turn in the center. Bringing the No. 16 to pit road for service, the Campers Inn RV team put on four tires and topped off on fuel. Starting the final stage 11th, Allmendinger settled in for the final 100 laps of the event. Prior to green flag pit stops, the No. 16 was running lap times comparable with the top-eight cars, all while running 12th. During his green flag pit stop, Allmendinger took four scuff tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment. The caution flew with 12 laps to go, and Allmendinger was instructed to drive through the wreck. Unscathed and restarting 11th with six laps to go, Allmendinger maintained to finish the Sci Aps 200 in 11th.

“It was a tough day for our No. 16 team. We had a great car early on, but as the race continued, we lost mechanical speed and the handling went. We will continue to push through, and we’ll keep working hard for the finishes we deserve.” – AJ Allmendinger  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen started 28th, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Sci Aps 200 was canceled due to weather.
• The field began the race on wet-weather tires. The first caution of the day came out on lap 11 for a competition caution for the entire field to switch to slick tires. The No. 97 team took four tires and fuel, gaining seven positions on pit road and returning to the field in 17th place with 29 laps remaining in stage one. With 15 laps to go in the stage, the team opted to pit under caution to inspect the brakes and put on scuff tires used for one lap in Friday’s practice. Van Gisbergen crossed the green-and-white checkered flag to end stage one in 24th place.
• The No. 97 WeatherTech team pitted during the stage break caution for four new tires, fuel, and adjustments. Van Gisbergen battled throughout the stage and held onto his position, finishing it in 24th.
• Van Gisbergen pitted under the stage break caution for new tires, fuel & adjustments, starting Stage three in 18th. The No. 97 battled in the top 20 through the first 50 laps in the stage, reaching 17th. With 50 laps remaining in the race, the No. 97 team pitted under green for four tires and fuel. Van Gisbergen ran his fastest lap (31.207 seconds) of the race with 36 laps remaining. The first caution of the stage came out with 32 laps remaining, and Van Gisbergen opted to pit under yellow to get four scuffed tires, restarting 16th. Van Gisbergen took the checkered flag in 19th.

“It’s so crazy going into a race and never seeing the place before. Struggled a bit on the wets, but once we got back on the slicks, it was good. Had some fun, learned and got better and better every stage. Feeling pretty competitive on ovals, looking forward to next week.” – Shane van Gisbergen  

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams started 17th, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Sci Aps 200 was canceled due to weather.
• After making one pace lap, NASCAR called all competitors down pit road to change to wet weather tires. After a 15-minute delay, Williams took the green flag and subsequently gained one spot over the first 11 laps. The caution came out to allow teams to change to slick tires, and after the No. 11 crew changed tires and added fuel, Williams fell to 22nd for the lap-17 restart due to being boxed in at his stall. He lost one position during the short green flag run before a stalled car on track brought out the yellow on lap 29. Williams stayed out and restarted in lap 33 in 19th, but another yellow came out on lap 36. He pitted for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and restarted in 29th with six laps to go in stage one. He finished the stage in 25th.
• Williams rolled for the second stage from 11th on lap 52 but lost eight spots on the restart lap. He continued to fall down the order, leaving him to finish the all-green middle stage in 25th.
• Williams pitted for tires, fuel, and a set of track bar and wedge adjustments during the stage break. He restarted in 22nd on lap 98 and made it to 21st by the time the yellow flag waved once again on lap 102. Firing back off in 21st on lap 106, Williams coasted there until the green flag pit cycle, stopping on lap 159 from 10th. He cycled out in 29th, and the caution came out shortly after on lap 168 while Williams was running in 28th. Restarting with 26 to go in 25th, he gained two spots before the yellow was displayed again two laps later. He pitted for tires, fuel and wedge and track bar adjustments, taking the green from 26th on lap 182. A wreck ensued in front of Williams, and he narrowly avoided it, leading to him restarting from 21st with 12 laps to go. Multiple start-and-stop cautions occurred over the remaining laps, ensuring the race ended in overtime. Williams crossed the line in 24th.

“We struggled really bad all day finding the right balance. All we can do is hope that we improve at the next one. Nashville’s a fun track, and I think we’ll do well there.” – Josh Williams  
 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Sci Aps 200

Date: June 22, 2024
Event: Sci Aps 200 (Round 16 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Note: Race extended three laps past its scheduled 200-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Sam Mayer of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 1st / Finished 3rd, Running, completed 203 of 203 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 4th / Finished 8th, Running, completed 203 of 203 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (1st with 589 points)
● Riley Herbst (6th with 478 points, 111 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his 13th top-10 of the season and his fourth top-10 in five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at New Hampshire.
● This was Custer’s fourth straight top-10. He finished sixth June 1 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway, ninth June 8 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, and sixth last Saturday at Iowa Speedway in Newton.
● Custer has only finished outside the top-10 once in the Xfinity Series at New Hampshire.
● Custer finished third in Stage 2 to earn eight bonus points.
● Custer led five times for 114 laps – his first laps led at New Hampshire.
● Herbst earned his seventh top-10 of the season and his second top-10 in four career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at New Hampshire.
● This was Herbst’s third top-10 in the past four races. He finished 10th June 1 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway and second last Saturday at Iowa Speedway in Newton.
● Herbst’s eighth-place finish bettered his previous best finish at New Hampshire – 10th, earned in July 2021.
● Herbst finished third in Stage 1 to earn eight bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Christopher Bell won the Sci Aps 200 to score his 18th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at New Hampshire. His margin over second-place Sheldon Creed was .254 of a second.

● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 58 laps.

● Twenty-nine of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Custer remains the championship leader after New Hampshire with a 15-point advantage over second-place Chandler Smith.

Sound Bites:

“That was hard racing at the end. I hate it for us and our guys. I felt like we had that one. We had the best car all day and to have it ripped away with one lap to go is just heartbreaking. Our guys brought a really fast Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse. That was one of the best cars I’ve had in the Xfinity Series. Man, it sucks. I am going to replay that one in my head of what I could have done differently. You get put in those late-race cautions six times, or however many there were, and eventually, it is not going to go your way. There are definitely some things I can look back on and see what I could have done differently. That one really stings. I really wanted that one.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“It’s just frustrating. I feel like we had a really good No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse at multiple times during the race, but we just lost so many spots on pit road. Luckily, we were able to bounce back for a top-10. We need to minimize the mistakes if we want to find victory lane again. We go to Nashville next week, which is one of my better tracks, so I’m looking forward to that.​” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Tennessee Lottery 250 on Saturday, June 22 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. The race begins at 5 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

BELL REMAINS PERFECT, WINS FOURTH XFINITY SERIES RACE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE
Christopher Bell, Sheldon Creed complete a Toyota 1-2 finish

LOUDON, N.H. (June 22, 2024) – Christopher Bell and Sheldon Creed battled with race leader Cole Custer at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on the final overtime restart, and it was Bell that came out on top. The Oklahoma-native earned his fourth Xfinity Series victory at New Hampshire, in as many starts, as he remains perfect at the track. Bell starts fourth in tomorrow’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

The 20 team, led by crew chief Tyler Allen, has now won four times this season with four different drivers (John Hunter Nemechek, Aric Almirola, Ryan Truex and Bell).

In second, Creed came close to his first Xfinity Series victory as he earned his record-tying 10th runner-up finish.

Corey Heim (10th) battled back from a mid-race extended pit stop to earn his first career back-to-back top-10 finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The Toyota Development Driver finished a career-best third at Iowa Speedway one week ago. For his team, Sam Hunt Racing, it was the first set of consecutive top-10 finishes of the 2024 season.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Race 16 of 33 – 211.6 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL

2nd, SHELDON CREED

3rd, Cole Custer*

4th, Justin Allgaier*

5th, Carson Kvapil*

10th, COREY HEIM

15th, CHANDLER SMITH

23rd, JUSTIN BONSIGNORE

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

Four-in-a-row. How did it happen?

“That was 100 percent just circumstances there. I really did not do a very good job on the start and got a terrible launch and that allowed Sheldon (Creed) to get into second, and Sheldon ended up getting Cole (Custer) loose off of (turn) four and I had Sheldon’s left rear, and I was able to get to the bottom of three-wide with our Mobil 1 Toyota. (Turns) One and two I felt really good at the bottom, so I felt like I was in a good spot, but that was a hard one for sure. Cole did a good job getting control of the race and getting the lead and he just drove away the third stage. It is never over till it’s over, though.”

How is it hard to battle on that restart but keep it clean?

“You see the end of these races all the time, and they get to where they are not very clean, but fortunately, everyone that I was running around did a great job of racing very respectfully, I love it. That is what it is all about. I try to treat everyone with as much as respect as possible because you never know what is going to happen. I think we saw a great clean race there again.”

SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

Can you talk about that finish?

“Overall, good day. I’m proud of everyone with our group at Joe Gibbs Racing and everyone at Toyota. We made our car better all day. It was a little rough on rain tires, but as soon as we got dries on it, we got our Supra better and better. Just stayed in the hunt all day. I wasn’t great on the short run, but I felt like we could compete at times. Just stayed in it, worked hard at it and came home second again.”

COREY HEIM, No. 26 Yahoo Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

How was your race?

“Overall, it was a solid day for us. I think we had a top-10 car and was able to finish top-10 with it – short of a few spots that we probably deserved, but I think we stayed pretty stagnant throughout the race, struggled on the long runs but would fire off really well with our Yahoo GR Supra. I’m super proud of Sam Hunt Racing and Toyota Racing for all their efforts. These last two races have been really solid, and excited to continue building on it. Just have a couple of things to work on throughout the race to get us a couple spots better so we can go for wins, but overall, just proud of our performance.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 28 electrified options.

Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed to creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s U.S. operating sites.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
NXS Post Race | Saturday, June 22, 2024

UNOFFICIAL FORD FINISHING RESULTS

3rd – Cole Custer

6th – Ryan Sieg

8th – Riley Herbst

17th – Matt DiBenedetto

28th – Blaine Perkins

32nd – Kyle Sieg

33rd – Hailie Deegan

Cole Custer, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 3rd)

“That was hard racing at the end. I hate it for us and our guys. I felt like we had that one. We had the best car all day and to have it ripped away with one lap to go is just heartbreaking. Our guys brought a really fast Haas Automation Ford Mustang. That was one of the best cars I’ve had in the Xfinity Series. Man, it sucks. I am going to replay that one in my head of what I could do differently. You get put in those late-race cautions six times, or however many there were, and eventually, it is not going to go your way. There are definitely some things I can look back on and see what I could have done differently. That one really stings. I really wanted that one.”

Ryan Sieg, No. 39 Sci Aps Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 6th)

“It was a really good day for the Sci Aps Ford. It wasn’t the best handling but we made the best of it and got it better all day. Grip off on exit, everyone struggled and we were one of them. We adjusted right and picked the right lines and got up through there at the end and we were able to get a top-10 in sixth. We just needed one more spot, but it was all in all a good day.”

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
New Hampshire Motor Speedway; June 22, 2024

Track; New Hampshire Motor Speedway– Oval (1.058-miles)
Race: SciAps 200; 200 Laps –45/45/110; 211.6 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Saturday; June 22, 2024 3:30 PM ET
TV: USA Network (USA), and the NBC Sports App
Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN) – Check Local Listings for affiliate, and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
Social Media: Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport; Facebook, Instagram, and X

Jeb Burton – No. 27 Bommarito.com/ Coble Enterprises
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- New Hampshire Motor Speedway

News and Notes:

• Practice; After NASCAR technical inspection on Friday afternoon, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) would be broken into two groups for a pair of 20-minute practice sessions. Unfortunately, rain showers in the area would cancel practice and teams would move directly into NXS qualifying for the SciAps 200.

– Starting Position; Following the conclusion of the cancelled 20-minute practice session, NXS teams would have ten minutes to make adjustments, change tires, and fill the car full of Sunoco race fuel before moving directly into qualifying for the Saturday’s SciAps 200. In 2024, Intermediate sized tracks would use a single round of single-lap single-car qualifying to determine the starting lineup. As rains would continue to fail over NHMS qualifying would ultimately be cancelled, and the starting lineup would be decided by the rule book based on the NXS Qualify Metric based on the driver points, owner points, last race finish and fastest lap of last race. With a score of 24.050, Burton will start the SciAps 200 from the 20th position outside Row 10.

– New Hampshire Motor Speedway Stats; Saturday’s NXS SciAps 200 will mark Burton’s fourth NXS start at NHMS. In three previous starts, Burton holds an average finish of 17.0 with an 87.5% lap completion rate logging 530 laps of the possible 606. Burton’s best NHMS finish would come last season where he would finish in the 7th position after starting 20th. To date Burton has paced NXS field for 16 laps at NHMS.

Featured Partner

• Bommarito Automotive Group; A primary supporter of Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, Bommarito Automotive Group is celebrating over 50 years in the St. Louis marketplace, the Bommarito Automotive Group currently operates 20 automotive franchises throughout every St. Louis neighborhood led by president John Bommarito and the over 900 dedicated team members. Bommarito is recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as Missouri’s No. 1 selling automotive group and is currently ranked 52nd in the nation. What once started as a vision to have one Bommarito vehicle in every driveway, is today a reality thanks to the ‘Where Price Sells Cars” mission.

For more information on the Bommarito Automotive Group, visit them online at Bommarito.com, and follow their social channels on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Parker Retzlaff – No. 31 FUNKAWAY
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

• Practice; After NASCAR technical inspection on Friday afternoon, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) would be broken into two groups for a pair of 20-minute practice sessions. Unfortunately, rain showers in the area would cancel practice and teams would move directly into NXS qualifying for the SciAps 200.

– Starting Position; Following the conclusion of the cancelled 20-minute practice session, NXS teams would have ten minutes to make adjustments, change tires, and fill the car full of Sunoco race fuel before moving directly into qualifying for the Saturday’s SciAps 200. In 2024, Intermediate sized tracks would use a single round of single-lap single-car qualifying to determine the starting lineup. As rains would continue to fail over NHMS qualifying would ultimately be cancelled, and the starting lineup would be decided by the rule book based on the NXS Qualify Metric based on the driver points, owner points, last race finish and fastest lap of last race. With a score of 25.000, Retzlaff will start the SciAps 200 from the 24th position outside Row 12.

• New Hampshire Motor Speedway Stats; Saturday’s SciAps 200 will mark Retzlaff’s second career NHMS start. Last season in his debut, Retzlaff would start in the 13th position and would lose a right-rear tire on Lap-190 causing the No. 31 FUNKAWAY Chevrolet to spin in Turn-1 and make heavy contact with the outside wall. Unable to continue Retzlaff would be credited with the 31st position after the conclusion of the 200-Lap affair.

Featured Partners

• FUNKAWAY; Headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, FunkAway is a line of odor elimination products that removes the horrible effects of bad smells. Guaranteed to work on clothing, shoes, gear, pet products, car interiors and more, FunkAway allows customers to renew and refresh, rather than throw away. To learn more about FunkAway, visit Funkaway.com and connect on Instagram and Facebook. #FUNKINFAST31

About Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport is a NASCAR team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group President, John Bommarito. Established in 2017 the organization is fueled by an incredible, close-knit team of employees, fans, and sponsors with a focus on integrity in the pursuit of excellence. Our goal is to embrace the journey we’re on and to never give up – whether on the track, in the pits, or in life. Every single team partner, and fan of ours, is what keeps our race cars running strong and our team performing at the highest level.

WELCOME, N.C. (June 20th, 2024) – The Steele Group returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 22nd as the primary sponsor for Anthony Alfredo. Anthony and the number 5 Our Motorsports team are currently 14th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff points standings.

This will be the second consecutive season that The Steele Group is represented on Anthony Alfredo’s NASCAR Xfinity Series car, this time featuring Anchor Advisors and Reshoring Initiative.

When asked about the growing relationship, Anthony Alfredo said “It is awesome to represent a brand focused on building back American manufacturing. We also are featuring the Green Beret Foundation on the car again in an effort to raise awareness for their cause of supporting Green Berets and their families. New Hampshire is the closest to a home track I have on the national circuit, so I certainly look forward to competing for a win in front of a lot of friends and family thanks to The Steele Group and their associated partners.”

The Steele Group provides full-life cycle commercial real estate solutions for the world’s most innovative organizations around the US and internationally. From strategic master planning, to tenant consulting, incentives, capital markets and project management, The Steele Group enables its clients to achieve optimal employee performance and operational efficiency by harnessing the power of real estate.

“At The Steele Group, we are committed to supporting American manufacturing and our nation’s heroes,” said Steele Divitto, Founder and CEO of The Steele Group. “Partnering with Anthony Alfredo and the Green Beret Foundation allows us to champion both of these causes on a national stage. We’re excited to compete at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, close to home, with the support of Anchor Advisors and Reshoring Initiative. Together, we’re driving awareness and making a difference.”

Anchor Advisors is a specialized project management firm, with expertise in advising advanced manufacturing, life science and corporate office tenants and owners. The team is comprised of industry experts – from DOD to preconstruction, engineering to biotech. Anchor Advisors is built on long-term relationships, forged through exceeded expectations with everything we do. No matter the scale, our staff brings deep experience and knowledge to every project. Anchor’s experience covers a wide range of built-to-suit, ground-up development and commercial tenant improvement projects. Anchor Advisors defines, builds, and maintains facilities while providing operational support to free up internal resources.

The mission of the Reshoring Initiative® is to bring good, well-paying manufacturing jobs back to the United States by assisting companies to more accurately assess their total cost of offshoring, and shift collective thinking from offshoring is cheaper, to local reduces the total cost of ownership. We are a nonprofit organization and offer a number of free tools to advance our mission.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will begin on June 22nd, 2024, at 3:30 PM ET. Fans can watch the race live on USA or listen to the radio broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.

AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
New Hampshire Motor Speedway | SciAps 200

Fast Facts
No. 15 AM Racing Team:
Driver: Hailie Deegan
Primary Partner(s): Viva Tequila Seltzer
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt Lucas
Spotter: Michael Fisher
Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. X-1058
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines

Notes of Interest:

Sophomore Journey: After a successful rookie campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last season with driver Brett Moffitt, AM Racing will embark on its sophomore journey in 2024 with driver Hailie Deegan for the entire 33-race tour, continuing with Saturday afternoon’s SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The Statesville, N.C.-based team hopes to expand its footprint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series by running two cars throughout the season with its partial No. 25 AM Racing entry.

Future Focused: Last October, AM Racing announced that Hailie Deegan joined the family-owned operation to pilot the team’s No. 15 Ford Mustang in a multiyear agreement.

Deegan, a native of Temecula, Calif. has been a staple in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series for the past three seasons but will embrace her rookie season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as part of the Ford Performance program.

Deegan grew up racing off-road and on dirt but transitioned to competing on asphalt in 2016 to pursue a career in stock car racing. She began that transition in 2018 in the ARCA Menards Series West (previously NASCAR K&N Pro Series West). She became the first female driver to win races in the West Series, doing so in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, respectively.

Deegan, 22, arrives at AM Racing after a stint driving for ThorSport Racing in 2023.

Welcome Back: For the first second this season, AM Racing and Deegan welcome Viva Tequila Seltzer as the primary marketing partner for the team’s No. 15 Ford Mustang for the series’ lone trip to the “Magic Mile.”

New Hampshire Motor Speedway continues the new partnership between Viva Tequila Seltzer and the family-owned AM Racing team that will include several primary partnerships in Viva’s inaugural Motorsports journey.

Founded in July 2020 by three former college athletes in Boston, Massachusetts, Viva Tequila Seltzer redefines indulgence with its creation of a healthier tequila-based seltzer. Rooted in health and wellness, Viva offers flavors like Huckleberry, Elderberry, Watermelon and Grapefruit.

Each can is just 88 calories, zero carbs and zero sugar, while being gluten-free, keto-friendly, vegan, paleo, non-GMO, and kosher.

Stemming from a shared passion of athletics, the founders desired a drink that fit their active lifestyles without compromising taste.

The result is a premium product that doesn’t make you sacrifice your diet while being awesomely refreshing.

Come See Me: Hailie Deegan will attend two Viva Tequila Seltzer appearances near Loudon, N.H., promoting their second race with AM Racing this season.

On Friday, June 21, Deegan will visit The City Tobacco & Beverage Center (621 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, NH 03874) from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET.

The next morning on Saturday, June 22, she’ll appear at The Common Man (910 Suncook Valley Hwy S Epsom, NH 03234) from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET.

Giving You Peace of Air: For the 16th time in 2024, AirBox will serve in a major partnership role on Deegan’s No. 15 Ford Mustang in Saturday afternoon’s SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

In 2017, AirBox was established to focus on building the world’s best air purifiers for indoor occupied spaces. This coincided with people starting to wake up to issues with indoor air quality. With new challenges to air cleanliness, such as COVID-19 and wildfire smoke, people are looking for effective and proven solutions to ensure they receive cleaner air, at last.

Their history in delivering clean air systems and services gives them an expertise that is unmatched. AirBox uses some of the most effective air filtration technologies that exist with Certified HEPA and Advanced Molecular Adsorption. Coupled with their Indoor Air Quality Assessment, AirBox is the total solution for all indoor air quality needs, ensuring their customers meet and exceed current and future ventilation standards.

Today, AirBox filtration systems are used across the country, purifying the air and capturing harmful irritants to create healthier, safer spaces. They’ve become the trusted choice for hospitals, educational centers, offices, warehouses, construction zones, public assembly, sports facilities, and more.

They’re proud to build all products to the highest standards in the USA at their North Carolina production facility. Every day, AirBox is working hard to give the American people the safer learning, working, and living environments they deserve — helping people breathe easy and live better.

Hailie Deegan NASCAR Xfinity Series New Hampshire Motor Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will mark Deegan’s inaugural Xfinity Series start at the 1.058-mile track nestled in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Hailie Deegan NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, Deegan has a career-best 12th-place finish after starting 31st for AM Racing at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April 2024.

In addition to her 15 Xfinity Series starts, she has achieved 70 ARCA Menards Series starts, including three wins and 69 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts to her credit.

Thanks For Your Support: With 45 percent of the 2024 Xfinity Series season complete, AM Racing and Hailie Deegan would like to thank their marketing partners for their support: AirBox, Flying Circle, Klutch Vodka, Mechanix Wear, Monster Energy Drink, Mobil 1, Viva Tequila Seltzer and WIX Filters.

Iowa Speedway | Hy-Vee PERKS 250 Race Recap: The 15th race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season kicked off in Newton, Iowa on Saturday, June 15th.

Flying the AirBox colors in the series’ return to Iowa since the 2019 season, Deegan started her No. 15 Ford Mustang from the 33rd position after Mother Nature washed out qualifying earlier in the day.

From the drop of the green flag, Deegan worked hard throughout the race to combat track position and grip.

At the checkered flag, she had climbed eight positions to capture the 25th position.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Matt Lucas is Hailie Deegan’s crew chief.

He will be crew chief for his 108th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday and his fifth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

In his previous 107 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected two wins, 22 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes.

Follow on Social Media: For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and X | Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

For more on Hailie Deegan, please visit hailiedeegan.com, like her Facebook page (HailieDeegan4), or follow her on Instagram (@hailiedeegan), YouTube and X | Twitter (@hailiedeegan).

Hailie Deegan Quoteboard:

On New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “I am very thankful to have Viva Tequila Seltzer back on board with us at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. We endured some bad luck at Sonoma in their partnership debut, but together we are focused on redeeming ourselves on Saturday afternoon.

“I am making my New Hampshire Motor Speedway debut this weekend, but I look forward to the challenge and look forward to the opportunity to accelerate to one of our strongest finishes of the season.”

Race Information:

The SciAps 200 (200 laps | 211.6 miles) is the 16th of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2024 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, June 21, 2024, from 4:05 – 4:40 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 4:45 p.m. The 38-car field is set to take the green flag on Saturday, June 22, 2024, shortly after 3:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Performance Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

About AM Racing:

AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.

Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.

The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its eighth year of competition.

The team has named Hailie Deegan, Christian Rose, and Austin Wayne Self as their primary drivers for the 2024 Xfinity, ARCA Menards Series, and Dirt Modified seasons, respectively.