Category: XFINITY Series PR

STEWART-HAAS RACING
The LiUNA!

Date: March 2, 2024
Event: The LiUNA! (Round 3 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Race Winner: John Hunter Nemechek of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 1st / Finished 2nd, Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 11th / Finished 5th, Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

SHR Points:

● Riley Herbst (3rd with 121 points, 27 out of first)
● Cole Custer (5th with 99 points, 49 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his first top-five of the season and his fourth top-five in eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas.
● Custer has never finished outside of the top-12 at Las Vegas in his NASCAR Xfinity Series career.
● This was Custer’s second straight top-three at Las Vegas. He finished third in October.
● Custer’s second-place finish bettered his previous best finish at Las Vegas – third, earned in September 2018 and October 2023.
● Custer finished fifth in Stage 1 to earn six bonus points and ninth in Stage 2 to earn two more bonus points.
● Herbst earned his first top-five of the season and his second top-five in 10 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas.
● This was Herbst’s third straight top-10 at Las Vegas. He finished eighth last March and won in October.
● Herbst finished fourth in Stage 1 to earn seven bonus points and third in Stage 2 to earn eight more bonus points.

Race Notes:

● John Hunter Nemechek won The LiUNA! to score his 10th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Las Vegas. His margin over second-place Custer was 4.360 seconds.

● There were four caution periods for a total of 22 laps.
● Only 13 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Austin Hill remains the championship leader after Las Vegas with a 22-point advantage over second-place Chandler Smith.

Sound Bites:

“Hats off to my team. There was a point in the race where I didn’t know what to do. It was loose. It was tight. It was just kind of a handful, and we had to manage it. They kept working on it all day, and I think the track came to us a little bit and they just did a great job. I can’t thank everybody enough on our team for fighting so hard. Everybody at Production Alliance Group, I wish we could have gotten a Ford Mustang Dark Horse in Victory Lane, but hopefully we can get them next week in Phoenix.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang

“I feel like we probably should have finished second or third. We were definitely a third-place car all day and then we got better than the 81, but then I probably struggled a little bit coming to my green flag stop, and then the lapped traffic was just absolutely out of control. Everybody had to deal with it, but I felt like I was always stuck behind a slow car and fought our way back to fifth and I just kind of buried myself.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 on Saturday, March 9 at Phoenix Raceway. The race begins at 4:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Las Vegas – The LiUNA!

 AJ ALLMENDINGER

No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger qualified third for The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Allmendinger battled the handling in his No. 16 Action Industries Chevy for the duration of the opening stage. Allmendinger finished in sixth and the team made adjustments under the stage break to help the entry in the corner.
• In the second stage, Allmendinger told crew chief, Alex Yontz, the adjustments helped the rear of the car, but he needed an adjustment to help with center turn off. The No. 16 finished stage two in fifth place and the team made an air pressure adjustment to help Allmendinger going into the third stage.
• Allmendinger restarted the third stage in sixth place. On the restart, Allmendinger missed a shift and fell back to 11th. He quickly rebounded while fighting a tight race car and went on to finish in sixth place.

“I put us behind on the last restart there. This is such a track position race and when we got behind, there was just too much of a gap. The car was fast the last run, I just needed to be a little bit better. Early in the season we’re focused on learning and seeing where our cars are at. Proud of our team and our effort this weekend. We’ll keep pushing to get better.” – AJ Allmendinger  

JOSH WILLIAMS

No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

Josh Williams qualified 32nd for The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

• Williams gained four positions by the first caution, which came out on lap eight. He restarted in 26th on lap 14 and began quickly rolling past traffic into an 18th-place stage one finish.
• Williams brought the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy Camaro down pit road during the stage break for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment to tighten the car. He began stage two in 13th on lap 54 but lost three positions on the restart. Williams passed the No. 26 for 15th with three remaining in the stage but fell back to 16th, where he’d finish it.
• Williams pitted for tires, fuel, and an air pressure and wedge adjustment during the final stage caution. He rolled off on lap 97 in 17th. Just after passing the No. 27 for 16th, the yellow flag flew on lap 124. Williams brought the No. 11 down pit road under yellow for tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to free back up the Chevy. He restarted 16th with 72 laps to go, eventually moving into 14th. The No. 11 stayed on track during the green-flag pit cycle, and Williams obtained the lead with 20 laps to go. He pitted on lap 190 for fuel only, cycling into 14th. He took the checkered one lap down, finishing in 14th place.

“I messed up in practice, then I messed up in qualifying, but I knew it would be a learning experience figuring out Kaulig’s cars. Thanks to [crew chief] Kevin Walter and the rest of the No. 11 crew, it ended up being a really good day and something to build off of going into Phoenix.” – Josh Williams  

SHANE van GISBERGEN

No. 97 Focused Health Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen qualified 25th for The LiUNA at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• The first caution flag of the afternoon waved on lap nine with Van Gisbergen maintaining his position in 25th. Staying out, Van Gisbergen restarted 25th on lap 14. On Lap 30 Van Gisbergen suffered mechanical issue which relegated the Focused Health team to a 37th-place finish.

“Tough one all weekend. We just had the little things go wrong all weekend. I felt like I was getting more comfortable as the laps went on and then unfortunately we had an issue. The good thing about this is we get to go racing again next week!” – Shane van Gisbergen  

 
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 made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and added a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. In 2024, the team will once again field two, full-time entries in the NCS and continue to field three, full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

NEMECHEK DELIVERS VEGAS XFINITY TRIMUPH
Chandler Smith adds to season-opening strong performance with third straight top-five

LAS VEGAS (March 2, 2024) – After coming up just one spot short last fall, John Hunter Nemechek was not to be denied in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, scoring his first win of the season after leading nearly half of the race. It was Nemechek’s 10th Xfinity Series victory, and first in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The North Carolina native won at the track in 2021 in the NASCAR Truck Series.

Joe Gibbs Racing put up a dominate performance with Nemechek and Xfinity Series regular Chandler Smith, who combined to lead 173 of the 200 laps in the event. Smith, who won the first two stages, added his third consecutive top-five finish to open the season to move up to second in the point standings.

Aric Almirola was scored 12th in his NASCAR Xfinity Series return to Joe Gibbs Racing, while Corey Heim followed a top-five finish in the NASCAR Truck Series last night with a top-15 run in his season debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 3 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
2nd, Cole Custer*
3rd, CHANDLER SMITH
4th, Austin Hill*
5th, Riley Herbst*
12th, ARIC ALMIROLA
13th, COREY HEIM
26th, SHELDON CREED
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Safeway/Albertson’s Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How did you get this win?

“I’ve got to give a big shoutout to all of these guys on this 20 team from Joe Gibbs Racing. It’s awesome to come out here and win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with our limited starts, our goal is to win as many as we could. Nothing else matters. Congrats to Tyler (Allen). He’s the new crew chief on the 20 car – his first win as a crew chief. Our spotter, Ryan Blanchard, his first win as well. I have to say hello to Aspen and Penelope back at home. Sadly, there are not here to celebrate, but Taylor is, so we will go celebrate in victory lane. It feels so good to win here in Las Vegas.”

Second-place in the fall, but a win today. How does that feel?

“We definitely worked hard for this one. We were good, but we weren’t great. Tyler (Allen), all of the guys on the 20 team just kept adjusting on it. Hats off to them. They made this Toyota GR Supra faster every single time that we made a pit stop. It continued to get faster, faster and faster. The Safeway Toyota GR Supra looked good, proud to have all of the brands that we do, all of our partners – feels good to come back and win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and to do it here in Vegas – I’ve been so close, so many times with Joe Gibbs Racing, so to finally get it done, it feels really good.”

What was the difference in that final stage?

“Great adjustments by the guys. Figured out some things on my end, which was awesome. We executed pit road really good. The pit crew did a really good job – just executed the last stage when we had to do it. It went green. It feels great to be here in victory lane.”

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

Finishing Position: 3rd

What happened there towards the end of the race after such a strong first two stages?

“We just over adjusted a little bit. We tried to stay ahead of the race track. I feel like the track definitely freed up, and we went that same direction thinking it was going to tighten up. You live, and you learn, but I’m extremely proud of the effort that we brought here this weekend. Our QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra was as fast as Xfinity internet, and we showed that. We were pretty dominate, and we just over adjusted. I’m happy that a Joe Gibbs Racing car still won, so congratulations to John Hunter (Nemechek).”

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

Finishing Position: 13th

How was the race for you?

“Up-and-down day for us. I feel like we were consistently a top-15 car, at times, a top-10, but track position seemed to be the name of the game. Our GearWrench Supra was good throughout the day. I feel like right there at the end, we got it right where we needed it, unfortunately, a little bit, too little, too late for us, but we know what we need to do going forward, but solid p13 today.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th 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 26 electrified options.

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
The LiUNA | Saturday, March 2, 2024

Ford Finishing Results
2nd – Cole Custer
5th – Riley Herbst
7th – Ryan Sieg
15th – Hailie Deegan
20th – Kyle Sieg
31st – Blaine Perkins
33rd – CJ McLaughlin

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Hat’s off to my team. There was a point in the race where I didn’t know what to do. It was loose. It was tight. It was just kind of a handful and we had to manage it. They kept working on it all day and I think the track came to us a little bit and they just did a great job. I can’t thank everybody enough on our team for fighting so hard. Everybody at Production Alliance Group, I wish we could have gotten a Ford Mustang Dark Horse in Victory Lane, but hopefully we can get ‘em next week in Phoenix.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I feel like we probably should have finished second or third. We were definitely a third-place car all day and then we got better than the 81, but then I probably struggled a little bit coming to my green flag stop, and then the lap traffic was just absolutely out of control. Everybody had to deal with it, but I felt like I was always stuck behind a slow car and fought our way back to fifth and I just kind of buried myself.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 Sci Aps Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was pretty good, but we just got a little bit behind on our adjustments throughout the race. We got better, but just needed more earlier. We’d lose track position and that got us behind. Once you lose it, it’s really hard to get back. We got some of it, but that’s about what we had. We got as much as we could, especially when we had a bit of an issue with the clutch on pit road. That didn’t slow us down because I figured out how to get it better off pit road, so it was a good job with our Sci Aps Ford. It was fast. It’s a learning experience. Matt and I are still learning each other, so it’s all a work in progress.”

HAILIE DEEGAN, No. 15 AirBox Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Vegas is one of those tracks that every time I come here I always feel comfortable come race time. I feel like when it comes to practice and qualifying there are always highs and lows, but Joe worked on this thing and got it really good for the race. We kept fine-tuning it and the went back and forth freeing it up and tightening it up, just trying to find the perfect balance of what we needed, but I felt like it was a pretty good, clean race. I made a few good moves. We had good pit stops all race and made good adjustments, so I really couldn’t ask for more.”

YOUR CAR SEEMED TO COME TO LIFE THE SECOND HALF OF THE RACE? “We just kept fine-tuning it and getting it better and better, keeping the speed in it and just trying to be there at the end of runs and not just the beginning. Having that long run speed is something we kept working on and I feel like we did pretty good with that.”

Toyota Racing – Aric Almirola
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

LAS VEGAS (March 1, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Aric Almirola was made available to the media prior to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday.

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 19 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

What’s it been like being a mentor for some of the younger drivers at Joe Gibbs Racing?

“It’s been rewarding, honestly. I’ve talked a lot about this in the offseason, in interviews and things that I’ve done, but I haven’t really had an opportunity to practice what I was preaching, and now that I have, it has been really rewarding to take that transition from the last several years of serving myself as a professional athlete and a competitor in NASCAR and trying to get to the top, and once I got to the top, trying to stay there and establish myself. It was very self-serving, everything about what I did was about how do I make myself better, how do I advance my career, everything revolved around me. To come to this next chapter, this next season of life where I have the opportunity to invest in others and serve others and try and help them achieve their goals and dreams, while helping Coach (Joe Gibbs) and the entire race team has been very rewarding.”

Can you talk about how things have changed since Milwaukee 2007 with Joe Gibbs Racing?

“I was hurt. I was deeply hurt at Milwaukee when I had to get out of the race car. Looking back on it, I understand. I still don’t like it, but I understand. It was in Milwaukee. The CEO of Rockwell Automation was there. He didn’t really understand racing, and all he knew that Denny Hamlin was their driver, and he was sitting on the pit box and wanted him in the car. I think for me I was pretty hurt by that, and that I didn’t really see a real opportunity for me to grow my career at Joe Gibbs Racing. They had just signed Kyle Busch to come over to replace J.J Yeley, so I didn’t see where there was a path for me to go Cup racing at Joe Gibbs Racing. At the same time, Mark Martin called me and said, I want you to share this car with me, which was very appealing to a 22, 23-year-old kid to go share a car with Mark Martin and learn from him, so I went and talked to J.D. (Gibbs) and Coach (Joe Gibbs) at the time was going back and forth with the Redskins. He had just gone back to coach the Redskins, but would still come back after the football season, so that was kind of the summertime, and I remember meeting with Coach and J.D. – I still had a contract to be at Joe Gibbs Racing, and so I asked them to let me out of my contract with Joe Gibbs Racing to go do that opportunity with Mark Martin, and I remember plain as day, J.D. said, absolutely, I want what is best for you. When I hired you here, I wanted what was best for you and I hoped it would be at Joe Gibbs Racing for your entire career, but I’m not going to hold you back from an opportunity like this, the only thing I will tell you, is that I hope you come back, and here I am 16 years from that time, back. I think that is just a testament to the Gibbs family. I have pictures, I was going through them the other day, I put one out on social media of J.D. coming to Richmond to watch me in my first race, which met the world to me, but I have other pictures of when I left and when I was driving the Army car with Mark Martin, when I was driving for Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. in the Xfinity Series, I have pictures of me and J.D. on pit road, laughing together and sharing a moment together, him coming to give me a hug. He came to my wedding. I wasn’t driving for Joe Gibbs Racing anymore. I got married in 2010, and J.D. was at my wedding. I just always had a great relationship with the Gibbs family, and on a professional side, Milwaukee hurt, but from a personal side, they have met a lot to me. When Coach called me and asked me to come back home to Joe Gibbs Racing, and that is exactly how he phrased it, it was kind of a no brainer for me that this felt right. I’m excited about that and being able to finish out my chapter at where it started. Not a lot of people get that opportunity, so I think that is really special to have that opportunity to do that.”

What are your expectations on getting in-and-out on a part-time basis?

“I would expect to be very competitive. They are competitive race cars. Their race cars are some of the best in the Xfinity Series garage, but I think too, you have to be realistic and I’m doing this on a part-time basis and I’m going against all of these drivers and teams that do it each and every week – it’s going to be really hard. You take Cup guys. You take William Bryon, and all of these guys – they go run super late model races, and they run a handful of them a year, they don’t go and win and dominate, because they are going against the best super late model racers and those guys do it, week-in and week-out. It’s really challenging to go and compete against anybody when they are at the top of their game and they are doing it every week, so I realize that is going to be a challenge. It is not a shoo-in that I’m going to win every time that I climb in a Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity car, there is a lot of good teams, there is a lot of good young drivers and talented guys that are coming up through that series and they do it every week. Every week when they get in the car and fire off for practice, they know exactly what to expect out of the race car, where I’m going to kind of be feeling it out. I haven’t drove a Xfinity car on an oval in a long, long time. I think for me, it will come, but I might be a little slower to get up to speed in practice. I probably won’t qualify as good, and halfway through the race, it will probably all start to click.”

Can you talk about the wind and how it will affect the racing this weekend?

“I don’t recall a time when I’ve been at a track when it’s been this windy. I believe I was here years ago and it was 20 plus mph. Jimmie Johnson and I thought it would be a great idea to go for a bike ride between practice and qualifying and we rode our bikes out of the tunnel and went north on that rode out behind the race track, and I remember we were going like 30 mph that way, and when we turned around to come back, we were like pedaling for all we were worth and going like six mph, and it was an absolute grind, and we finally ended up having to call his bus driver to come pick us up, because we weren’t going to make it back in time to make it for qualifying. That was a pretty windy day, but I don’t think the race that weekend was very windy. I don’t recall a time where we’ve been at a race track, and it’s been this windy. It will be a challenge just because you will have these random gusts of wind that will challenge the balance of your car and then you won’t know if you have a flat tire or if your handling is going away or if it was just the wind, so it will just cost more unknowns and question marks and it will be harder for you to hit your marks as a driver to be precise and consistent because the wind is not going to be consistent. It is not going to be a steady 30 mph, constantly, it is going to swirl, it is going to gust, so yeah, it is going to present some challenges.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th 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 26 electrified options.

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

AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway | The LiUNA NASCAR Xfinity Series Race

Fast Facts
No. 15 AM Racing Team:
Driver: Hailie Deegan
Primary Partner(s): AirBox
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Joe Williams Jr.
Spotter: Michael Fisher
Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. X-006
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines

Notes of Interest:

Sophomore Journey: On the heels of 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 The LiUNA NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.

The Statesville, N.C.-based team plans to expand its footprint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to also run two cars throughout the season with its 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 have won races in the West Series, doing so in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, respectively.

Deegan, 21, arrives on the scene at AM Racing after a stint in 2023 driving for ThorSport Racing.

Giving You Piece of Air: For the second time in 2024, AirBox will serve as the primary marketing partner of Deegan’s No. 15 Ford Mustang in Saturday’s The LiUNA NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Las Vegas (Nev.) 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 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 and manufactures products that meet the stringent new ventilation standard, ASHRAE Standard 241.

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 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s The LiUNA NASCAR Xfinity Series Race will mark Deegan’s second Xfinity start at the 1.5-mile speedway.

In her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Las Vegas, Deegan finished a track-best 13th after starting 20th in the 2022 edition of the Alsco Uniforms 302 for SS-GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt.

Deegan also has four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Her track-best result occurred during the 2021 Bucked Up 200 when she steered to a 28th-place finish after starting 30th for David Gilliland Racing (now TRICON Garage).

Hailie Deegan NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, Deegan has a career-best 13th-place finish after starting 20th for SS-GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in October 2022.

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

AM Minute: It was a quiet weekend for the Statesville, N.C.-based team.

The ARCA Menards Series team is gearing up to join AM Racing’s Xfinity Series team for next Friday night’s General Tire 150 on March 8, 2024.

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

Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway | RAPTOR King of Tough 250 Race Recap: The second race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series kicked off without a hitch on Saturday, Feb. 24.

After a strong 19th place qualifying effort aboard her No. 15 AirBox Ford Mustang, Deegan hovered inside the top-20 for a majority of the race and appeared headed towards her first career top-10 NASCAR Xfinity Series finish, but her Ford Mustang ran out of fuel in the closing laps – leaving the team with a frustrating 27th place finish.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams Jr. is Hailie Deegan’s crew chief.

He will be crew chief for his 134th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday and his ninth race at the southeastern Nevada race track.

In his previous 133 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), eight top-five and 30 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 Las Vegas Motor Speedway: “I am really upbeat about returning to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. I had a really good showing in my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2022 and I’m confident that my AM Racing team is going to bring me a fast No. 15 AirBox Ford Mustang that is going to give me an opportunity to match or better that finish.

“It’s been a little bit of a rocky start to the season, so I am hoping we can go to Las Vegas this weekend and turn things around on the West Coast.”

Race Information:

The LiUNA NASCAR Xfinity Series Race (200 laps | 300 miles) is the third of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2024 schedule. A twenty-minute practice is slated for Fri., March 1, beginning at 3:35 p.m. Qualifying will immediately follow, beginning at 4:05 p.m. The field will take the green flag on Saturday, March 2, shortly after 2:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. ET), with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Performance Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (PT).

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.

Late Model Standout to Make First Career Start at Richmond in March

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb.29, 2024) – Champion Late Model driver Andrew “Bubba” Pollard will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut next month with the support of Rheem Manufacturing and JR Motorsports, the team announced today.

The 37-year-old Senoia, Ga., native will drive the No. 88 Rheem Chevrolet for the team owned by NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick, and Kelley Earnhardt Miller in the March 30 NXS race at Richmond Raceway.

Pollard, a perennial contender in the Snowball Derby in Pensacola, Fla. year after year, has gone to Victory Lane in more than 100 Late Model races in his career, including the prestigious All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and most recently at Speedfest for the third time. Next month’s event at Richmond will mark the veteran short track ace’s first attempt in an NXS machine and his first at the racy 0.750-mile oval.

“I’m very excited,” Pollard said of his upcoming start. “I really don’t know what to expect as it’s all very new to us, but I’m very thankful for the opportunity that Rheem and JR Motorsports have given me. I hope we can make the most of it. I’ve never had any laps at Richmond and I haven’t driven an Xfinity car, so it’s all going to be new.”

The future of the sport is one that relies on drivers earning their way to the top levels, and both Rheem and JRM understand the importance of an opportunity like this for one of the top Late Model racers in the nation.

“JR Motorsports has grown so much over the years,” said Earnhardt Miller, CEO of JR Motorsports. “But the core of what we do, from our championship-winning Late Model team to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, is to produce championship drivers and team personnel. Bubba Pollard is a great example of that sort of progression, and we’re proud to support him alongside a great partner in Rheem Manufacturing.”

Rheem Manufacturing, founded in 1925, is currently the only manufacturer in the world that produces heating, cooling, water heating, pool & spa heating and commercial refrigeration products and the largest manufacturer of water heating products in North America.

“Bubba Pollard represents everything that’s good about racing from the sport’s grass roots to the highest levels, said Ed Raniszeski, Rheem motorsports executive. “What’s so admirable about Bubba and others like him is their lifetime investment in quality performance, professional dedication, doing things right, and giving it their best all the time, even when they think no one is watching. That’s why Rheem, the Earnhardt and Miller families as well as many others are thrilled to give Bubba the chance he’s earned and deserves to show others what we have been watching in amazement for years.”

Pollard recognizes the efforts of both Rheem and JRM in bringing new drivers from the grassroots to NASCAR’s top divisions.

“Dale and Kelley and Rheem have a history of giving guys like me opportunities to race at the next level, opportunities that normally wouldn’t happen,” Pollard said. “I have a lot of respect for them for how much they offer to drivers like me. It’s pretty cool to be part of it. You never know what might happen in the future.”

To prepare for his race at Richmond, Pollard will compete in the ARCA Menards Series event at Five Flags Speedway in Florida to get acquainted to a heavier stock car. Following his race at Richmond, Pollard has a full short-track schedule in both Super Late Models, as well as races in the zMAX CARS Tour set for 2024.

Pollard’s NXS debut at Richmond behind the wheel of the No.88 Rheem Chevrolet for JRM is scheduled to go green on Saturday, March 30 at1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 23rd year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also owns seven titles in regional Late Model divisions with consecutive championships in2022-23 and a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

ABOUT RHEEM MANUFACTURING:

Founded in 1925,Rheem Manufacturing is a global leader committed to delivering innovative products that save energy and support a more sustainable future. Rheem is the only manufacturer in the world that produces heating, cooling, water heating, pool & spa heating and commercial refrigeration products, and is America’s#1 water-heating brand with products available in more than 80 countries. Paloma Co., Ltd. of Nagoya, Japan, acquired the iconic Rheem brand in 1988, and today the company’s portfolio of premium brands include Rheem®, Ruud®, Friedrich®, Raypak®, Sure Comfort®, WeatherKing®, Eemax®, Richmond®, IBC™,Intergas®, Splendid®, Solahart®, EverHot®, and MHG™, as well as commercial refrigeration brands Russell®, Witt®, ColdZone® and Kramer®, which are part of the Heat Transfer Products Group (HTPG®) division.

MOORESVILLE, NC, February 28, 2024 – NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Patrick Emerling announced today his partnership with three companies aimed at supporting first responders when he hits the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend: Frontline Optics, American Fire Brigade and Williams Key.

Frontline Optics is a retired firefighter-owned sunglasses brand based out of San Diego. They manufacture durable, affordable sunglasses for first responders and supporters of the first responder community. A portion of each sale is donated to the First Responders Children’s Foundation, which provides assistance to the children and families of first responders killed or injured in the line of duty. Order your “Sunglasses Designed with the Frontline in Mind” at https://frontline-optics.com/ and follow Frontline Optics on Instagram (@frontlineoptics) or Facebook (@frontlineopticseyewear).

“We are excited for the opportunity to sponsor Patrick and the SS-GreenLight Racing team on a national stage and hope to raise some awareness for our brand and the mission behind our products to the NASCAR community,” said Frontline Optics founder Mike Ettenberg.

American Fire Brigade was created by an American Navy Veteran and current firefighter to entertain the fire front and share the humor that embodies all first responders. The brand sells real deal off-duty fire slayer apparel for all, even those who “almost” signed up for the job. Apparel that tells a story, even if it’s bull. Get your “Smart Ass Fire Apparel” at https://americanfirebrigade.com/ and follow them on Instagram (@americanfirebrigade).

The Williams Key is an emergency entry tool that was developed by a firefighter in Los Angeles to gain quick access to doors on the scene of emergency calls. It’s fast, efficient and causes no damage. It works well on gates with anti-vandal plates, elevator control rooms, commercial utility doors, and many other outward swinging metal and wood doors. There is also a heavy-duty shove-knife built in to allow for the piercing of wood trim on the frame of a residential inward swinging door. Learn more at https://williamskey.com and https://www.facebook.com/thewilliamskey.

“Williams Key, Inc is grateful to be a part of supporting Patrick’s team and the NASCAR vision of uncompromising American spirit,” said creator and founder Trevor Williams.

“First responders are a special breed. They sacrifice a lot to keep our communities safe no matter the risk, yet they manage to keep a sense of humor and humility,” said Emerling. “I am proud to partner with Frontline Optics, American Fire Brigade and Williams Key. I can’t wait to have them out to the track!”

Additionally, Emerling will welcome back season-long partners Southern Tier Security (https://www.southerntiersecurity.net/), a watch patrol company based in Olean, NY, and SimForge (https://simforge.in/), which sells sim racing equipment and accessories.

Emerling finished 17^th in the United Rentals 300 race at Daytona International Speedway on February 19 after several lengthy rain delays. Handling issues contributed to a frustrating 33^rd place finish in the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24. Emerling is hopeful that Lady Luck will be on his side in Las Vegas.

In addition to his duties with SS-GreenLight, Emerling will be competing full-time in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour with car owner Rich Gautreau. He finished fourth in the Tour’s season opener at New Smyrna Speedway on February 10.

The green flag drops for the The LiUNA! at 5:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 2. You can watch the race on FS1 or listen live on PRN or 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/).

JR Motorsports Team Preview
TRACK – Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval)
NXS RACE – The LiUNA! (200 laps / 300 miles)
TUNE IN – FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 5 p.m. (EST)

Sam Mayer

No. 1 Club Car Chevrolet

Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 2

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 0

Top 10s: 0

Laps Led: 0

Avg. Finish: 23.5

Points: 20th

Sam Mayer returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway coming off an 11th-place finish after a hard-fought battle at Atlanta last Saturday.

In five starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, the Franklin Wis. native has tallied one top-five and three top-10 efforts with his best finish of fifth coming in his most recent start at Vegas in the fall of last year (2023).

Within the young driver’s 23 starts on tracks measuring 1.5 miles in length, Mayer has one win (Homestead 2023), six top fives and 13 top 10s. Mayer’s victory at Homestead last season propelled the JRM driver into the Championship 4 for the first time.

The 20-year-old will carry his third new partner of the season into Las Vegas with Club Car riding on board the No. 1 Chevrolet.

Sam Mayer

“I am eager to get back to the mile-and-a-half tracks as those are truly my favorite to race on. We had a really good run at Las Vegas last fall and then to go to Homestead to get that first win on a mile-and-a-half gave me a lot of confidence heading into these intermediates. I’m happy to have Club Car on board for this weekend and I hope we can have a nice finish for them or even better, get them to Victory Lane.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet

Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 2

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 0

Top 10s: 1

Laps Led: 7

Avg. Finish: 18

Points: 11th

Justin Allgaier has been strong in recent years in “Sin City,” finishing no worse than sixth in each of the last five NXS events dating back to the fall of 2021.

Overall, in 19 NXS starts at Las Vegas, Allgaier has scored 10 top fives and 16 top 10s, with an additional 277 laps led.

Four of those 10 top-fives were in the runner-up position for Allgaier, including this event last season.

In his career on tracks between 1 and 2 miles in length, Allgaier has amassed a combined 12 wins, 76 top fives and 144 top 10s in 231 starts in the NXS.

Justin Allgaier

“JRM as a whole has been really strong at Las Vegas over the past couple of years and I see no reason why that won’t continue again this weekend. Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and everyone on this No. 7 team knows what we need to do to get our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet up front throughout the day on Saturday. If we just go out and execute like we know we can, I feel extremely confident we will be in contention for the win on Saturday afternoon.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet

Smith 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 2

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 0

Top 10s: 1

Laps Led: 6

Avg. Finish: 16.5

Points: 10th

Sammy Smith only has two starts at Las Vegas thus far in his NXS career, but he has a solid average starting position of 8.5 and has finished 17th in both events.

Smith has scored one top-five and three top 10s over his last four starts on 1.5-mile tracks in the NXS, with a best finish of third coming at Texas last fall.

In 18 career NXS starts on tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length, Smith has scored one win (Phoenix 2023), three top fives and 11 top 10’s.

Through the opening two races of the season, Smith has recorded one top-10, coming this past weekend in Atlanta.

Sammy Smith

“After our first race together at Atlanta, my crew proved once again that we’re here to be competitive. They remained levelheaded even after that late-race caution that pushed us over our fuel window and got me back out in time to charge to a top-10 finish. Our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet has been strong these first two races so I’m eager to get to the intermediates and see what we can do, starting with Las Vegas.”

Brandon Jones

No. 9 Menards / Jeld-Wen Chevrolet

Jones 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 2

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 0

Top 10s: 1

Laps Led: 0

Avg. Finish: 11.5

Points: 13th

Brandon Jones has made 14 NXS starts at Las Vegas and has tallied two top-five and 10 top-10 finishes with a best of third coming during the 2019 and 2021 seasons.

Additionally, Jones has made two starts at Las Vegas in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and scored one top-five and one top-10 finish (fifth in 2015).

On tracks measuring between 1-2 miles in length in the NXS, Jones has four wins, 19 top-five and 59 top-10 finishes in a combined 133 starts.

Jeld-Wen will adorn the hood of the No.9 Chevrolet at Las Vegas this weekend, the third time in a row the company will appear on the hood at the 1.5-mile tri-oval.

Brandon Jones

“This No. 9 team has put some really fast cars on the track and up to this point I don’t think the results show that. We had some setbacks last week in Atlanta and I am hoping we can refocus as a team and put on a good show in Vegas this weekend. With a little luck on our side in ‘Sin City’ we will park our Menards/Jeld-Wen Chevrolet in Victory Lane. After all the hard work this team has put in, they deserve it.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway a combined 76 times in the NXS. In those starts at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, the organization has recorded three wins, including the first for the organization in 2008 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, 33 top fives and 51 top 10s. The average finish is 10.6. The most recent trip to Victory Lane at Las Vegas was in Oct. 2022 with Josh Berry.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Friday,

March 1 from 2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. PST.

NXS Las Vegas Autograph Session: JRM drivers Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones will be signing autographs in the Neon Garage on Saturday March 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m (PST)