Category: XFINITY Series PR

AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Iowa Speedway | Hy-Vee PERKS 250

Fast Facts
No. 15 AM Racing Team:
Driver: Hailie Deegan
Primary Partner(s): AirBox
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt Lucas
Spotter: Michael Fisher
Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. X-1028
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 Hy-Vee PERKS 250 at Iowa 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.

Giving You Peace of Air: For the 15th time in 2024, AirBox will serve in a major partnership role on Deegan’s No. 15 Ford Mustang in Saturday afternoon’s Hy-Vee PERKS 250 at Iowa 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 Iowa Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Hy-Vee PERKS 250 will mark Deegan’s inaugural Xfinity Series start at the 0.875-mile nestled in Newton, Iowa.

Deegan, however, does own one prior ARCA Menards Series start at the Midwest short track. During her full-time campaign in the developmental series owned by NASCAR, Deegan finished 18th after qualifying fourth in the 2020 running of the Shore Lunch 150.

After running inside the top-10, Deegan suffered a mechanical failure with her David Gilliland Racing team, which led to an 18th-place effort in her lone Iowa Speedway start.

Hailie Deegan NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 15 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 12 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 42 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.

Sonoma Raceway | Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 Race Recap: The 14th race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season kicked off in Sonoma, Calif. on Saturday, June 8.

Flying the Viva Tequila Seltzer colors for the first time this season, Deegan started her No. 15 Viva Tequila Seltzer Ford Mustang from the 37th position.

Despite starting the third Xfinity Series road course deep in the field, she was making progress during Stage 1 of the event. However, her advancement would be stalled when her Ford Mustang suddenly lost power.

The team was able to push her No. 15 AM Racing Ford Mustang to the garage, where the necessary engine repairs were made with Deegan returning to the track, seven laps down.

For the remainder of the race, Deegan would fight through the adversity and finish the race in the 32nd position at the checkered flag.

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

He will be crew chief for his 107th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday and his first at Iowa Speedway.

In his previous 106 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 Iowa Speedway: “Definitely heading to Iowa Speedway hoping our recent bad luck is over with.

“We’ve had some speed, just not the finishes to showcase for it.

“It’s been a while since I’ve raced at Iowa Speedway, but I really enjoyed racing there in the ARCA Menards Series in 2020. We had a fast car then and I know my AM Racing team will bring me a fast No. 15 AirBox Ford Mustang this weekend.

“We just need a little luck to be on our side, and hopefully, we can bring home a satisfying finish.”

Race Information:

The Hy-Vee PERKS 250 (250 laps | 218.75 miles) is the 15th of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2024 schedule. An extended practice begins on Friday, June 14, 2024, from 3:35 – 4:25 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Saturday, June 15 from 11:05 p.m. – 12:00 p.m. with the 38-car field set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 2:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. ET) with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Central).

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.

TRACK – Iowa Speedway (0.875 mile short-track)
NXS RACE – HyVee Perks 250 (250 laps / 218.75 miles)
TUNE IN – USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 3:30 p.m. (ET)

Sam Mayer

No. 1 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet

Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 14

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 6

Top 10s: 7

Laps Led: 62

Avg. Finish: 17.1

Points: 11th

• Sam Mayer heads back out to the Midwest to Newton, Iowa for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Iowa Speedway on Saturday.
• The young driver has two previous ARCA Menards Series starts at the .875-mile short track where he has earned one top-five and one top-10 finish with a best of second coming back in 2020.
• In 21 starts on tracks of this nature, Mayer has tallied eight top-five and 11 top-10 efforts. His best is second, coming earlier this season in Martinsville after dominating the race.
• The red-and-plum colors of JR Motorsports partner Roto-Rooter are back this weekend in Iowa to ride on Mayer’s No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro.

Sam Mayer

“Super-pumped to head back to Iowa this weekend. I ran really well here a few years back in an ARCA car and I am excited to have my first Xfinity start here now and see how the track feels after the repave. We have had some great runs on the road courses lately but I am ready to get back to a short track and race to get back to Victory Lane.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture / Precision Build Chevrolet

Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 14

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 4

Top 10s: 7

Laps Led: 473

Avg. Finish: 14.6

Points: 4th

• Justin Allgaier is a previous winner in the cornfields of Iowa, having gone to Victory Lane in June of 2018 after leading for a race-high 182 laps.
• Overall, Allgaier has scored four top fives and 12 top 10s to accompany the 2018 win in Iowa.
• In his NXS career on short tracks, the Illinois native has earned a combined six wins, 28 top fives and 46 top 10s in 75 starts. Allgaier’s most recent short-track victory came in the fall of 2023 at Martinsville Speedway.
• This weekend in Iowa, Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet will feature a co-branded effort between BRANDT Professional Agriculture and Precision Build.

Justin Allgaier

“I’m really looking forward to our return to Iowa this weekend. This has always been one of my favorite tracks and it’s great to be going back there. JRM was always really strong here and I see no reason why we won’t have that same speed again when we unload for practice on Friday. Hopefully we can have a smooth weekend and be fighting for the win on Saturday with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture / Precision Build Chevrolet.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 TMC Chevrolet

Smith 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 14

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 2

Top 10s: 8

Laps Led: 50

Avg. Finish: 16.9

Points: 12th

• Sammy Smith heads to his home state this weekend for his first NXS start at the Iowa short-track.
• Smith has eight starts on tracks less than one mile in length and of those he has tallied two top fives and five top 10’s with an average finish of 10.1.
• The No. 8 JRM Chevrolet will carry TMC as the primary as the company headquarters are based in nearby Des Moines.

Sammy Smith

“It’s going to be pretty special to be racing at home this weekend. We’re going to have a lot of friends, family and partners here, so hopefully we can go out and have a strong run on Saturday. Not only are we in my backyard, but we’re also in the home of TMC, so we’re definitely looking forward to a good weekend.”

Brandon Jones

No. 9 Menards / PELONIS Chevrolet

Jones 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 14

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 5

Laps Led: 20

Avg. Finish: 19.3

Points: 14th

• Brandon Jones will return to Iowa this weekend where he made his first NXS debut in 2015. Overall, he has made 10 starts at the .875 mile track earning one top five and three top 10s.
• In 46 starts at tracks measuring less than one mile in length, Jones has seven top fives and 17 top 10s, including a win at Martinsville in the Spring of 2022.
• The 27 yr. old GA. native has four previous Craftsman Truck Series starts at Iowa, earning two top-five and two top-10 finishes.
• PELONIS, a trusted brand in home comfort for over 25 years, will be making their first appearance of the season on the hood of Jones’ No. 9 Chevrolet this weekend.

Brandon Jones

“After two weeks on road courses I am eager to go to Iowa this weekend and be back on an oval. This No. 9 team has been working hard to make sure we unload a fast car on Friday. I have had some luck at short tracks in the past, so I am hoping we can start turning this season around by putting this Menards Chevrolet in Victory Lane.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Iowa Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Iowa Speedway a combined 58 times with the NXS since its first trip there in 2009. In those starts at the 0.875-mile short-track, the organization has recorded three wins, 15 top-fives, and 36 top-10s, with an average finish of 11.0.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, June 15 from 8:45 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. CT.

COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST

Iowa NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: Hy-Vee Perks 250 (Round 15 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, June 15
• Location: Iowa Speedway in Newton
• Layout: .875-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• After back-to-back road-course top-10 finishes, Cole Custer is ready for a new challenge on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule as the series returns to Iowa Speedway in Newton for the first time since 2019. The driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse showed his speed and resilience in the two road-course races on the West Coast – June 1 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway and last Saturday at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. At Portland, Custer qualified fourth and ran in the top-five for a majority of the day until problems on pit road dropped him well outside the top-20 in the final stage. Through his savvy driving skills, Custer was able to manueuver his way to his 10th top-10 of the season and the Xfinity Series points lead. At Sonoma, the No. 00 team struggled in qualifying and started the race 12th. He wasted no time climbing his way into the top-10, however. While he would forego bonus points in favor of track position to end the first stage, he finished fifth in the second for six bonus markers. A spin during the final stage put Custer back in the pack once again, but he drove his way up through the field for the second week in a row to secure a ninth-place finish, his 11th top-10 on the season, and kept his lead in the driver standings. He rolls into Iowa with a 12-point lead over second-place Austin Hill. Custer hopes his strong history at Iowa will not only help keep his points lead, but continue to extend it with 12 races to go until the Xfinity Series Playoffs begin Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
• Saturday’s Hy-Vee Perks 250 will mark Custer’s seventh Xfinity Series start at Iowa. Of his six prior starts, the Ladera Ranch, California native finished in the top-10 four times, including a runner-up finish from the pole in June 2019. He finished 1.756 seconds behind race-winner Christopher Bell. In July 2018, Custer led a race-high 104 laps after qualifying second, but again running second to Bell on a restart with nine laps to go, Custer made contact with the wall, but he managed to fight his way to a ninth-place finish. Custer earned finishes of fifth and fourth, respectively, in the July 2017 and June 2018 races. In addition, he has eight starts outside of the Xfinity Series at Iowa – three in the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series, one in the ARCA Menards Series, and four in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He was victorious in his August 2013 K&N Pro Series East start, when he started on the pole, led all 150 laps, and bested second-place Eddie MacDonald by 2.679 seconds. Custer’s best Truck series effort was his runner-up finish in June 2016, when he finished just .431 of a second behind race-winner William Byron. Custer has never finished outside the top-11 in any of his starts outside of the Xfinity Series at Iowa.
• Short-track racing has been a strong suit for Custer and the No. 00 team of late. With Iowa returning to the Xfinity Series schedule, the series now has five short-track races – tracks less than a mile in length, where Custer has posted three top-fives and five top-10s in six outings. He finished third at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in March 2022 and eighth this past March, fourth from the pole after leading 109 laps at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway last October, fifth at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in March 2023 and 10th there this past April. Custer has excelled at other tracks where NASCAR’s short-track package is used, including Phoenix Raceway, where he earned the Xfinity Series championship with his victory in the Championship 4 finale last November, and qualified on the pole before finishing 12th in last year’s March race. In the team’s most recent Iowa outing in July 2019, Custer qualified sixth, but an accident ended his day on lap 160 of 250 run that day. But his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Chase Briscoe captured the win, besting runner-up Bell by 1.069 seconds. It was the organization’s first win at Iowa.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• In June 2018, a 19-year-old Riley Herbst made his Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway in Newton in head-turning fashion. The Las Vegas native qualified an impressive ninth and finished an equally impressive sixth. Fast forward six years, he is now one of four drivers who have scored a top-10 finish in each of his maiden races in each of NASCAR’s top-three series. Herbst finished eighth at Gateway Raceway near St. Louis in his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on June 23, 2018, the weekend after his first career Xfinity Series race and top-10 at Iowa June 17, 2018. Herbst’s NASCAR Cup Series debut resulted in a ninth-place finish in the February 2023 Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Now a veteran of 156 Xfinity Series races in the midst of his fifth-fulltime season in the series, the young driver who carried his family name from the deserts of Nevada to the asphalt tracks of NASCAR returns to the site of his first career Xfinity Series start.
• The Hy-Vee Perks 250 will mark Herbst’s third career start at Iowa in the Xfinity Series. He followed up his strong sixth-place effort in his series debut in June 2018 by qualifying fourth for the second of the two Iowa races on the schedule in July 2019. Still running a limited Xfinity Series schedule, Herbst finished finished 13th. Herbst has an additional three starts outside of the Xfinity Series at Iowa – a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race that netted a 15th-place finish in July 2019, and two in the ARCA Menards Series. Best of his ARCA outings was a 12th-place effort in July 2017. The last time Stewart-Haas Racing and the Xfinity Series competed at Iowa in 2019, Chase Briscoe scored his second career victory behind the wheel of the No. 98 Ford Mustang.
• Herbst’s sixth-place finish in his Xfinity Series debut on the .875-mile Iowa oval in June 2018 was a sign of things to come. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse has come to excel on short tracks throughout his five fulltime seasons in the series. Of his 22 short-track starts – eight at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, seven at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, five at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, and two at Iowa – Herbst has six top-fives, 14 top-10s, and has led 33 laps. His success was evident during the previous two seasons. In the four races at tracks less than a mile in length in 2022, Herbst scored three top-fives and one other top-10, starting with his fifth-place run that April at Richmond. He the finished sixth and third in the spring and fall races at Martinsville, and fifth in the September race at Bristol. In 2023, he added a top-five and another top-10 at those tracks – eighth in the September race at Bristol and fourth in the October race at Martinsville. In this year’s back-to-back race weekends at Richmond (March 30) and Martinsville (April 6), Herbst was running well inside the top-10 before late-race developments took him out of contention at both events.

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

You are one of the few drivers in the Xfinity Series field who has a lot of experience at Iowa with six prior starts there. What does it mean to have that experience, despite some recent repaving at the track?

“It definitely gives you somewhat of a leg up on the competition when you have that notebook already built on a track. Still, this track has changed since the last time we were there. They repaved parts of the track and, like we saw at Sonoma, that can change handling more than anyone could imagine. I think my previous experience will still help us a lot, though. The No. 00 team has been bringing fast cars each and every weekend, so I think between that and my experience there, we’ll be good. There’s a full practice session on Friday to help us figure it out, but I don’t think you can count us out this weekend.”

In the past two seasons, you’ve been strong on short tracks in the Xfinity Series. You haven’t finished outside the top-20 and earned three top-fives and four top-10s in six short-track starts. What are your expectations for the weekend?

“While I have a lot of experience at Iowa, there’s still a good bit of unknowns with the partial repave. What was once a worn-out track will have some spots that are completely new. We’ve been strong on short tracks these past two seasons, so I know Stewart-Haas can perform well at Iowa. We won the last race at the track in 2019 with Chase (Briscoe, driver), so hopefully we can pick up right where we left off. I’ve come close a few times, but we just needed that little bit more. That was a different time with a different group of guys, though. I’m excited to see what my current team and JT (Jonathan Toney, crew chief) can bring me this weekend. Hopefully, we’ll have the speed and be there at the end. Our win is coming.”

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

It’s been five years since you last raced at Iowa in the Xfinity Series. What do you expect this weekend, and how do you think it’s changed since 2019?

“Iowa will kind of be an unknown. A lot of us have raced it in the past and it was a really fun, worn-out racetrack back then. Now, they’ve repaved sections of the track, so we don’t know how it’ll handle compared to then. That could change it a lot. Still, we have an entire practice session on Friday to get our car just right, which is great. These are rare, so we’ll use them to our advantage. This will be the first one on a true short track in a while, as well. I love short-track racing, so I think this will just make our car that much better by qualifying and race time. We’ve had speed on short tracks without a 50-minute practice session, imagine how much better we can be with that extra time. I’m excited to head back to Iowa. I loved this track when it was on the schedule, so when NASCAR added it back this season, I had it circled on the schedule.”

Iowa was the site of your Xfinity Series debut back in 2018. Does it add extra meaning to try to win at these tracks that have a special memory in your career?

“It does. It gives you an extra incentive to want to win at those tracks. You want to win everywhere, but tracks that hold that memory are even more important to a driver. I got a chance to highlight my skill in the Xfinity Series at Iowa back in June 2018 and it’s been a roller-coaster of a career. I’ve seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but I’m proud of my journey from that debut. Iowa was where it all started for me, and now to be there all these years later as a winner and as a series regular, it’s great. I want to be able to go back and win there to make another good memory there. I think we’ll have a good chance this weekend.”

MOORESVILLE, NC, June 11, 2024 – NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Patrick Emerling today announced he has partnered with Hoker Trucking for Saturday’s HyVee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway.

“Hoker Trucking is excited to partner with the Patrick Emerling team for the HyVee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway,” said Hoker Trucking owner Jeff Hoker. “This will be our first time sponsoring an Xfinity Series driver, and we are excited to be part of such a great event on a track in our home state of Iowa.”

Hoker Trucking is an over the road trucking company based in Dixon, IA that services many large customers with several different types of equipment. They also offer a logistics division, Hoker Logistics, to help customers move freight that Hoker is unable to handle with their own capacity. Hoker Trucking has been in business 24 years and is a family owned and operated company.  As always, they are looking for drivers for all aspects of their business from short haul to over the road. For more information, please go to hokertrucking.com

In addition to its partnership with Emerling, Hoker is a big supporter of the local racing scene. Hoker is a proud sponsor of Justin Kay Racing, Chris Simpson Racing, Brian Shirley Racing, Bobby Pierce Racing, Ricky Thornton Jr. Racing, Jason Feger Racing, Timmy Current Racing, Gordy Gundaker Racing, and Jake Lund.

“I’m stoked to be able to race at Iowa this weekend in front of a sold-out crowd! It’s a cool track, and with my roots in modified racing, I love short tracks,” said Emerling. “I have a great partner this weekend in Hoker Trucking. They’re big supporters of local racing, so it’s exciting to bring them into the top tiers of NASCAR.”

Additionally, Emerling will welcome back season-long partners SimForge, which sells sim racing equipment and accessories, and Frontline Optics, a San Diego sunglass brand owned by a retired fire fighter.

The green flag drops for the HyVee Perks 250 on June 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The 250-lap race will be broadcast live on USA, PRN and SiriusXM.

For more information on Patrick Emerling, visit https://www.patrickemerlingracing.com/ or follow him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PatrickEmerling07), X (https://twitter.com/PatrickEmerling) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/patrickemerling/). 

Shane van Gisbergen wins the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 at Sonoma Raceway

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen and his WeatherTech team won their first pole award of the season earlier Saturday afternoon and started the 79-lap event in Sonoma from the first position. Van Gisbergen held on to the lead from drop of the green flag and lead every lap in stage one. Under the stage one break, the WeatherTech team hit pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments.
• With varying pit strategies at the end of stage one, Van Gisbergen restarted the second stage in seventh on lap 25. With his WeatherTech Chevrolet feeling better this run, Van Gisbergen cracked the top five by lap 30. Continuing to run the fastest lap times during the stage, Van Gisbergen ended the stage in second on lap 45.
• Following a trip to pit road under the stage two caution break, Van Gisbergen restarted the final stage in fifth. The caution flag waved just after the restart with Van Gisbergen scored in fourth. Staying out under the caution, the WeatherTech team restarted fourth on lap 56. Van Gisbergen took over the second spot on lap 57 and then took over the lead with 10 laps remaining, ultimately crossing the finish line and earning his second-consecutive win.

“What a great day! I’m so thankful to WeatherTech, Chevrolet, all the men and women at Kaulig and Trackhouse racing for the support. It wasn’t easy, but we battled all day and ultimately came home with the win!” – Shane van Gisbergen  

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger qualified fourth for the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250.
• On lap one, Allmendinger took over third place. By lap five, Allmendinger was running fifth reporting his No. 16 Celsius Chevy was loose. When the first stage ended on lap 20, Allmendinger was running second, earning nine stage points. The team came to pit road during the stage break for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment.
• Allmendinger restarted the second stage in 13th place. Early in the run, Allmendinger reported his race car was loose. Allmendinger came to pit road under green from 13th place on lap 42 for a scheduled green flag pit stop. Crew chief, Alex Yontz, called for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. Allmendinger finished the second stage in 34th place.
• After the field came to pit road, Allmendinger restarted the third stage in third place. The No. 16 took second place on the restart and maintained that position as the caution came out the first lap back green. Allmendinger restarted in second on lap 55 and fell to third by lap 56. The caution came back out on lap 66; Allmendinger was scored in third. The team stayed out and restarted on lap 69. On the first lap green, Allmendinger spun after contact with the No. 18 and fell back to 25th place. The No. 16 finished in 17th place.

“We didn’t have the speed we needed to go win the race. We fought really hard to put ourselves in position to make the most out of our day until we were spun at the end. Proud of my team for their effort all week to get this car race ready.” – AJ Allmendinger  

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams qualified 28th for the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250.
• Williams began a slow march forward by picking off three cars in as many laps. His progress slowed as the segment progressed, but after moving into 23rd on speed, he finished stage one in 17th after multiple frontrunners pitted.
• Williams came down pit road for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment during the stage caution. He restarted in 21st on lap 24 and once again began methodically marching through the field, taking 17th on lap 38. After another set of green flag pit stops made by some front runners, Williams took the second green-white-checkered flag running in 12th.
• Williams pitted for tires, fuel and a minor trackbar adjustment, and after a quick stop from the Alloy Employer Services pit crew, he rolled off for the final stage in 11th on lap 49. On the restart, Williams was involved in a race-ending wreck, forcing him to retire the No. 11 Chevy Camaro. He finished 37th.

“I wouldn’t call that a momentum killer. I mean, we went from 28th up to 11th halfway through the race. We were gonna have a good day. [Crew chief] Kevin Walter and our pit crew did a great job with the adjustments.” – 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
Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250

Date: June 8, 2024
Event: Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 (Round 14 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (1.99-mile, 10-turn road course)
Format: 79 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/25 laps/34 laps)
Race Winner: Shane van Gisbergen of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 12th / Finished 9th, Running, completed 79 of 79 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 15th / Finished 13th, Running, completed 79 of 79 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (1st with 509 points)
● Riley Herbst (7th with 403 points, 106 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his 11th top-10 of the season and his second top-10 in two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Sonoma.
● This was Custer’s second straight top-10. He finished sixth last Saturday at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway.
● This was Custer’s second straight top-10 at Sonoma. He finished sixth in the Xfinity Series’ inaugural race last June.
● Custer has never finished outside the top-10 at Sonoma.
● Custer finished fifth in Stage 2 to earn six bonus points.
● Herbst earned his eighth top-15 of the season and his second top-15 in two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Sonoma.
● Herbst has never finished outside the top-15 at Sonoma.
● This was Herbst’s second straight top-15. He finished 10th last Saturday at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway.
● Herbst’s 13th-place finish bettered his previous best finish at Sonoma – 15th, earned in the series’ inaugural race last June.
● Herbst finished 10th in Stage 1 to earn one bonus point.

Race Notes:

● Shane van Gisbergen won the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 to score his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season, and his first at Sonoma. His margin over second-place Sheldon Creed was 1.323 seconds.
● There were four caution periods for a total of 14 laps.
● Twenty-eight of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Custer remains the championship leader after Sonoma with a 12-point advantage over second-place Austin Hill.

Sound Bites:

“Overall, it was just a really hard-fought day. I think we had the speed to run top-five, but we got spun late and we didn’t have it all work out for us. I’m really proud of us that we came back for a ninth-place finish. We had to go to the back twice and then figure it out. So it was a hard-fought day for our No. 00 Haas Automation team with a decent finish. I wish we had a little more out there, but the race didn’t work out the way we wanted, and we found some bad luck. On to the next one though.​” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“Sonoma is always tricky, but I feel like we just struggled to get everything right this weekend. I was just loose the entire race, and we couldn’t get our handling just right. On top of that, we had several mistakes on pit road that cost us a lot of spots. We were able to recover for a top-15 finish, but we need to minimize the mistakes if we want to compete for wins. I’m glad that the road courses are done for a few weeks, and we can go back to some intermediate tracks that I really enjoy. We’ll learn from this and keep moving forward.” –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 HyVee Perks 250 on Saturday, June 15 at Iowa Speedway in Newton. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CREED FINISHES SECOND IN SONOMA
Scores fifth top-five result of season

SONOMA, Calif. (June 8, 2024) – Sheldon Creed scored a second-place result in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Creed made his way through the top-five late in the race in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 GR Supra to earn the runner-up result, marking his fifth top-five finish of the season. The California-native, who is searching for his first Xfinity Series victory, earned his ninth career second-place finish in the series.

Ty Gibbs ran in the top two for much of the race, leading 26 laps and winning stage two, before being involved in an on-track incident on lap 49 that collected a number of cars, including Gibbs’ Toyota GR Supra. The damage suffered ended Gibbs’ day early.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Sonoma Raceway
Race 14 of 33 – 157.21 miles, 79 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Shane Van Gisbergen*
2nd, SHELDON CREED
3rd, Sam Mayer*
4th, Austin Green*
5th, Austin Hill
7th, CHANDLER SMITH
8th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
15th, ED JONES
35th, TY GIBBS
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

SHELDON CREED, No. 18 MRC Construction Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

Early unscheduled pit stop, but you were able to battle back to finish second. Can you talk about your race?

“I don’t even know how many second places that is – number nine or something? I don’t know – I guess I just had a silly set of tires that blistered – had an unscheduled stop there and had really good adjustments. I knew we were really good the second half of stage two, and stage three after that first caution came out. Just knew I had a really fast car after the first few laps. I want to thank everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – I had a really fast MRC Construction Toyota GR Supra. I really want to say thank you to MRC Construction for coming on board this weekend, Mike Avila (owner) and his family – thank you guys. I don’t know – I don’t want to say that we need more laps, because I know the 97 (Shane van Gisbergen) probably wasn’t going his hardest at the end, but I just wish maybe I could have started on the front row with him and wasn’t part of the chaos there. I wheel-hopped into the 16 (A.J. Allmendinger) – so I know an apology doesn’t do much, but that is not what you want to do – wheel hop into your competitors and take them out and ruin their day. We will move on to Iowa next week and keep trucking along.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 QuickTie Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

How were you able to come back and finish seventh with so much damage to your car?

“To be honest with you, this No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra is just bad fast. It was bad fast, especially there at the very end. Got that damage after that wreck when we went three wide, that put us behind the eight ball. Then got wrecked right after I went to the back there and that really put us behind the eight ball, but that caution kind of saved us and we were able to march forward pretty quickly. I can’t say enough about everybody on this group today. We had adversity right from the get-go with our tachometer. It somehow got goofed up and our pit road lights weren’t right. With everything that happened on the track today, we were still able to have a decent stage points day and a decent finish and a really solid car even though it was torn up. Super proud of everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing and looking forward to Iowa.”

TY GIBBS, No. 19 Starkey/Soundgear Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 35th

How frustrated are you to be out of the race early after how fast your car was in today’s race?

“It’s definitely frustrating for sure. I don’t really know what happened. I haven’t really seen a good replay. I know somebody spun out and everybody just booked it and held it wide open. We caught up in that and got hit like six or seven times after that. It’s just unfortunate, but we had a great car. I feel like I learned a lot. Thank you to Starkey and Soundgear and the Sawalich family for letting me run this race, and Toyota and Monster Energy. Definitely not the most ideal way to end it, but I feel like we were really solid and wish we could stay out there and had a shot to win, but that’s just the way it goes.”

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.

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Sonoma Raceway; June 8, 2024

Track; Sonoma Raceway – Road Course (1.990-Miles)
Race: ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250; 79 Laps –20/25/34; 156.95 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Saturday; June 8, 2024 5:00 PM PT (8:00 PM ET)
TV: Fox Sports 1 (FS1), and the FOX 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 FVP/ Bommarito.com
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Sonoma Raceway

News and Notes:

• Practice; After clearing a soft NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) technical inspection on Friday morning, Jeb Burton would take the No. 27 FVP/ Bommarito.com Chevrolet to the 1.990-mile newly repaved road course of Sonoma Raceway for a scheduled 50-minute practice session. In his first laps around the picturesque Northern California road course, Burton would record a fast lap of 77.657 with an average speed of 92.252 mph on Lap-11 of his 11-Lap session placing the Virginia driver 24th of the 39 cars entered for the NXS ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250.

– Starting Position; Immediately after the conclusion of Friday’s 50-minute practice session, NXS teams were given 2-hours to prepare for NXS technical inspection prior to NXS ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250 qualifying Saturday at 12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET). In 2024, road course qualifying would consist of two rounds of group qualifying with the first round consisting of 15-minutes of the field split in two groups with the fastest five cars in each group moving onto the second round for a 10-minute session to determine the pole sitter. With 39 cars entered, one car will miss the race. Burton is scheduled to go out on track in Group B at 12:50 PM PT (3:50 PM ET). Qualifying will be shown in its entirety LIVE on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) starting at 12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET).

– Sonoma Raceway Stats; Saturday’s ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250 will mark Burton’s second career NXS start at Sonoma Raceway. In his lone start last season (2023), Burton after starting in the 30th position would finish 26th completing all 79 of the possible 79-laps.

Featured Partner

FVP; Launched in 2005, FVP is built on a commitment to quality and delivered with unmatched service. FVP products are specifically engineered to provide OE quality that is equal or superior in performance to national brands at a competitive price.

The FVP brand started with competitively priced OEM quality batteries, filters, and radiators for cars, trucks and specialty vehicles. FVP now proudly offers a full line of batteries for all of your automotive, RV, boating, commercial and lawn & garden needs. FVP also offers a wide array of condensers, hub assemblies, motor oil, oil filters, cabin air filters, fuel filters, transmission filters, antifreeze, DEF, and chemicals. At FVP, customer service representatives are part-smart and they understand exactly what your customers need. REACH FOR WHAT WORKS.

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

• 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- Sonoma Raceway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

• Practice; Upon the completion of the soft NXS technical inspection on Friday morning, Parker Retzlaff would bring his No. 31 FUNKAWAY Chevrolet onto the newly repaved 1.990-mile road course of the Sonoma Raceway for the first time with a 50-minute practice session. In his first laps around the road course situated in the hills of wine country, Retzlaff would record a fast lap of 77.027 at an average speed of 93.006 mph on Lap-17 of his 17-lap session placing the Wisconsin driver 16th of the 39 cars entered for the NXS ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250.

– Starting Position; After the conclusion of NXS practice on Friday, NXS teams would be given 2-hours to prepare for NXS technical inspection prior to NXS ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250 qualifying Saturday at 12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET). In 2024, road course qualifying would consist of two rounds of group qualifying with the first round consisting of 15-minutes of the field split in two groups with the fastest five cars in each group moving onto the second round for a 10-minute session to determine the pole sitter. With 39 cars entered, one car will miss the race. Retzlaff is scheduled to go out on track in Group B at 12:50 PM PT (3:50 PM ET). Qualifying will be shown in its entirety LIVE on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) starting at 12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET).

• Sonoma Raceway Stats; Saturday’s ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250 will mark Retzlaff’s second career start at Sonoma Raceway. Last season Retzlaff would start in the 16th position and encounter a transmission issue on Lap-21 ending his day early. At the end of the 79-laps Retzlaff would be scored in the 38th position.

Featured Partner

• 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

Austin Green – No. 32 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview-
Sonoma Raceway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

News and Notes:

• Practice; After completing NXS technical inspection on Friday morning, Austin Green would take his No. 32 3Dimensinoal.com Chevrolet onto the 1.990-mile road course of the Sonoma Raceway for the first time in NXS competition with a 50-minute practice session. In his first laps around the road course in a stockcar, Green would record a fast lap of 76.900 at an average speed of 93.160 mph on Lap-19 of his 22-lap session placing the No. 32 13th of the 39 cars entered for the NXS ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250.

– Starting Position; Immediately after the conclusion of Friday’s 50-minute practice session, NXS teams would be given 2-hours to prepare for NXS technical inspection prior to ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250 qualifying Saturday at 12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET). In 2024, road course qualifying would consist of two rounds of group qualifying with the first round consisting of 15-minutes of the field split in two groups with the fastest five cars in each group moving onto the second round for a 10-minute session to determine the pole sitter. With 39 cars entered, one car will miss the race. Green is scheduled to take to the track first in Group A at 12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET). Qualifying will be shown in its entirety LIVE on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) starting at 12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET).

– Sonoma Raceway Stats; Saturday’s ZIP Buy Now, Pay Later 250 will mark Green’s first career NXS start at Sonoma Raceway and third career NXS road course race (Circuit of the Americas 2024, Portland International Raceway 2024).

Featured Partner

• 3Dimensional.com; The 3-Dimensional Services Group, consisting of 3-Dimensional Services, 3-Dimensional Services Europe, Urgent Plastic Services and Urgent Design & Manufacturing, provides rapid manufacturing services that allow them to engineer and build functional prototype parts and low-to-medium volume production parts up to 70% faster than industry standards. Our capabilities include virtually all manufacturing processes, including: CNC machining, stamping, laser cutting and welding, plastic injection molding, robotic and spot welding, waterjet, hydroforming, tube bending, vibration welding, casting and pattern fabrication, RIM tooling, SLA, and SLS rapid prototyping, to name some. Learn more about 3Dimensional Services by visiting them online at 3Dimensional.com

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.