Category: XFINITY Series PR

COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST

Las Vegas NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: The LiUNA! (Round 3 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, March 2
• Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Layout: 1.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EST on FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer, the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, heads to Saturday’s The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ready to conquer the first true intermediate track on the 2024 schedule. After back-to-back superspeedway-style races to kick off the season, Custer couldn’t be happier to head to the 1.5-mile oval in the desert. Luck was not on Custer’s side during the previous two stops on the tour where potential race-winning performances were ruined late in each race – Feb. 19 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, where he finished 13th, and last Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished 16th. At Daytona, the Ladera Ranch, California native was racing toward the front of the pack with his teammate Riley Herbst when a multicar accident collected him and forced him to pit road. At Atlanta, he was racing in the top-10 when he ran out of fuel coming to three laps to go in the race. He’s hoping to turn his luck around as he and the team roll the dice at Las Vegas this weekend.
• Returning to Custer’s No. 00 SHR Mustang in 2024 is Production Alliance Group (PAG). Tustin, California-based PAG is a premium live-event and creative development company. Its creative works can been seen at concerts, award shows, sporting events, and corporate events. From the lights to the sound and everything in-between, PAG is the creativity and execution behind it all. Coincidentally, it was in victory lane after the 2019 Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, that the PAG-SHR relationship began. Custer first met company president and CEO Dale Sahlin there, the two kept in touch, and PAG ultimately decided to increase its presence within NASCAR via SHR’s Xfinity Series program.
• Saturday’s The LiUNA! will mark Custer’s eighth Xfinity Series start at Las Vegas and his 16th overall. He has seven NASCAR Cup Series starts at the track and a lone Craftsman Truck Series start. In his seven previous Xfinity Series starts at the track, he’s never finished outside the top-12, and he qualified on the pole for three consecutive races prior to his return to the Xfinity Series last season – September 2018, and the March and September races in 2019 – all of which resulted in top-10 finishes. His best finish at Las Vegas is third, earned in September 2018 and in his most recent outing there in October. Custer’s Truck Series outing at Las Vegas in October 2016 resulted in a third-place finish from the third starting position driving the No. 00 entry for JR Motorsports.
• Prior to Saturday’s race, Custer will stop at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute in Las Vegas, where he’ll join a training session with up-and-coming fighter Merab Dvalishvili, who is coming off a massive win at UFC 298 in Anaheim, California. His teammate Herbst participated in a similar training session in 2022, and now Custer will learn how the UFC athletes train and invite Dvalishvili out to the track to see him race. It’s the latest of Custer’s sports crossover events. Since he was crowned the 2023 Xfinity Series champion Nov. 4 at Phoenix Raceway, the 26-year-old driver has attended Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes National Hockey League games, and a New Orleans Saints National Football League game to promote the Xfinity Series and his championship.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst is heading home for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The newly minted 25-year-old Monster Energy driver grew up in the Entertainment Capital of the World before moving to North Carolina at the age of 17. The Herbst family name is well known in Las Vegas motorsports circles due to its competitiveness in another form of racing particularly popular in the Desert Southwest. His grandfather Jerry, uncles Tim and Ed, and father Troy are all Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame inductees as championship-winning off-road racers. While Herbst has been continuing to pursue his dream of racing fulltime in the NASCAR Cup Series like his West Coast childhood heroes, he’s made appearances in the off-road racing world – in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Baja 1000 events. In his most recent Baja 1000 last November, Herbst drove the second and middle leg of the journey and ended up sharing the victory in the Trophy Truck Spec class with his Terrible Herbst Motorsports co-drivers Troy Herbst and James Dean.
• Herbst is looking to defend his first career Xfinity Series victory at Las Vegas last October as he heads back to his hometown this weekend. He qualified eighth for that race but was sent to the rear of the starting grid for unapproved adjustments made to his Ford Mustang prior to the race. From there, a determined Herbst mounted a charge toward the front, finishing Stage 1 in 10th-place, then passing teammate Cole Custer on the final lap of Stage 2 on his way to his second career stage win. Herbst then dominated the final stage, leading 102 of the final 111 laps and taking the checkered flag 14.959 seconds ahead of runner-up John Hunter Nemechek. Herbst’s margin of victory was the third largest in the Xfinity Series since Ford driver Jeff Burton bested Michael Waltrip by 10.493 seconds in the October 2002 race on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway oval. Herbst’s margin of victory was also the largest by a first-time Xfinity Series winner since Mike McLaughlin beat Mike Wallace by 23.280 seconds in the June 1995 race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
• Saturday’s race will be Herbst’s 10th career Xfinity Series start at Las Vegas. He has four top-10s in his nine previous starts at the 1.5-mile oval, including his first Xfinity Series win last October at his hometown track. He also finished eighth in last year’s March race, preceded by back-to-back ninth-place outings in September 2019 and February 2020. In addition, the No. 98 team has now won three races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With Chase Briscoe behind the wheel, the No. 98 team swept both Xfinity Series races there in 2020. Briscoe started second, led a race-high 89 laps, and beat runner-up Austin Cindric by 2.874 seconds in the February race. He backed up that victory in September by qualifying on the pole, leading a race-high 164 laps, and beating runner-up Noah Gragson by 1.370 seconds.
• Herbst looked to be on his way to victory lane once again last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After qualifying fourth for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, he immediately shot to second at the start. He finished second in the first stage and third in the second stage. With three laps to go in the race and gambling on fuel along with a majority of the field, Herbst was attempting to make a move on leader Jesse Love. But the Monster Energy driver, as well as his teammate Custer, both ran out of fuel and were forced to pit. Herbst returned to the track one lap down and salvaged a 15th-place finish.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang

The last time the series raced at Las Vegas, SHR dominated the race with you winning Stage 1 and your teammate Riley Herbst taking home his first career win. What are your expectations for this weekend after the speed you’ve shown at the end of last season and so far this year?

“Vegas is definitely a track that both of the SHR Xfinity Series teams has had circled on their calendar after last year. We were just so strong there in October, and our cars were super fast. I’m really looking forward to heading back there this weekend and really getting the season going. After the success that Riley (Herbst, teammate) had there last year and the speed that we had, it’s one that I personally am really looking forward to. Our mile-and-a-half package was so strong last season, so we’re hoping to see that again this weekend.”

Las Vegas is the first true intermediate track on the 2024 schedule. How have you prepared for intermediate tracks this season after they were a strong point for the team in 2023?

“I think overall at the intermediate tracks, we know as a team that we have a really good package. So it’s all about going over the details we had last year and being just a little, tiny bit better. Sure, you don’t want to overthink it. You’re always going to try and make things better and better every time you go. I think we have a really good chance this weekend. We should be able to just cross all of the ‘T’s’ and dot all of the ‘I’s’ and have a fast car at Vegas.”

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

You’re heading back home and to the site of your first career Xfinity Series victory in your most recent race there. How are you feeling heading to a track where you not only scored that long-awaited win, but also dominated?

“I’m pumped. Not only am I going home, but I’m also going to a track that means the world to me. I started my racing career just next to the big track at the Las Vegas Bullring. That win last October meant everything. I had waited so long for it and, honestly, it just made it that much more meaningful to get it at my home track. There’s definitely confidence going into this race, not only from me, but from the entire No. 98 Monster Energy team. We’ve had speed at every race since then, and I know we can go out and contend for the win again. We still have to do everything right, but I’m confident in this team.”

Does it add any extra pressure to you knowing that you’re the defending winner at Las Vegas?

“Yes and no. We put pressure on ourselves every week to go out and win, and to us this is just another race weekend to get to victory lane. With that said, I know people are going to be watching and seeing what we do this weekend just because of how fast we were last year. We can only do the best that we can do, but obviously we’ve had a strong intermediate program the past few years, especially in 2023. Obviously, you hope to see that same success but nothing is guaranteed. I’m excited to go home, though, and see what we’ve got this year. Like I’ve said before, I’ve never been so excited for a season and intermediate tracks like Vegas are where the season really gets started.”

STEWART-HAAS RACING
RAPTOR King of Tough 250

Date: Feb. 24, 2024
Event: RAPTOR King of Tough 250 (Round 2 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 163 laps, broken into three stages (40 laps/40 laps/83 laps)
Note: Race extended six laps past its scheduled 163-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Jesse Love of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Jesse Love of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 4th, Finished 15th / Running, completed 168 of 169 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 11th, Finished 16th / Running, completed 168 of 169 laps)

SHR Points:

● Riley Herbst (3rd with 74 points, 28 out of first)
● Cole Custer (12th with 56 points, 46 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his second straight top-15 of the season and his fifth top-15 in eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta.
● Herbst finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine bonus points and third in Stage 2 to earn eight more bonus points.
● Custer finished seventh in Stage 2 to earn four bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Austin Hill won the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 to score his eighth career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season, and his third at Atlanta. His margin over second-place Chandler Smith was .106 of a second.

● There were four caution periods for a total of 23 laps.
● Only 14 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Hill remains the championship leader after Atlanta with a 17-point advantage over second-place Sheldon Creed.

Sound Bites:

“Not a good ending. We thought we were good on fuel, but obviously that wasn’t the case. That’s how the fuel mileage game goes though, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t. Our No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang was fast all day, so it’s a bummer. At the end, it looked like we had a shot at the win. We’ll take it and head to Vegas next week.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

“I felt like it was a solid day. We had put ourselves in a good position, but we just missed it by a little bit on the fuel mileage. That final stage turned out to be a big fuel mileage race. Just needed that little bit more and a few more laps of fuel. So we had ourselves set up to get a solid finish, but it just didn’t work out the way we wanted. We’ll move on to Vegas.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the The LiUNA! on Saturday, March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race begins at 5 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Dominate at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Rookie Driver Wins Pole, Two Stage Wins and Leads 157 Laps Before Late-Race Caution Relegates Team to 12th-Place Finish

Finish: 12th
Start: 1st
Points: 5th

“Congratulations to Austin Hill and the No. 21 bunch. We had a great run today in the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet. We just ran out of fuel at the end of the race. I’m not going to question reality on why the caution was so long at the end of the race and if we could have made it if that didn’t happen, or if I could have saved a little bit more fuel while leading the race. I was trying hard to save fuel throughout the final stage, but I did not want to get taken advantage of with 16 laps to go when I wasn’t expecting it. I tried to stay aggressive and, obviously, there was no way we were going to pit at the end of the race. On the restart, once I got to third gear the engine died, and then I got it to go again and then it died again. It’s frustrating, but we had a really fast Whelen Camaro. I want to thank everybody at RCR and ECR for bringing really fast cars. It was a short week and my guys worked their guts out. We are going to be very motivated this week.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Earn Back-to-Back NASCAR Xfinity Series Wins with Dramatic Late-Race Win at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Hill Leads NASCAR Xfinity Series Point Standings

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

“I was thinking that we were down and out. I was thinking that the No. 2 Chevrolet would win and I thought ‘hey, if I can’t win, let my teammate win, that’s great for RCR.’. We were riding there in fourth or fifth position and I was saving fuel. My crew chief, Andy Street, and my spotter, Derek Kneeland, were talking on the radio about how much fuel to save. We came to the restart and I was sloshing it around. We got through the gears and when I went to shift from third to fourth gear, I actually stumbled and the No. 81 car hit me really hard and woke it back up. I had enough fuel to complete the lap. My teammate ran an awesome race. To be a rookie and lead that many laps – he should be sitting here in Victory Lane right now. He just ran out of fuel. When you’re leading the line you can’t save as much fuel as I could, and that’s ultimately what did him in. It’s so awesome to win here at my home track again. It’s our third win here, and it’s the 50th Anniversary of Bennett Transportation & Logistics. I can’t thank Bennett enough. It’s their home track too – their headquarters are only 15 minutes down the road. Man, what a race. Thank you to all of my guys on the No. 21 team, everyone at RCR and ECR and Chevrolet. It feels good to be in Victory Lane.” -Austin Hill

FOUR TOYOTA TOP-10’S IN ATLANTA
Chandler Smith, Sheldon Creed start their seasons with consecutive top-five finishes

ATLANTA (February 24, 2024) – Chandler Smith came just one spot short of winning at his home track this evening in NASCAR Xfinity Series action at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Talking Rock, Georgia-native backed up his fifth place run at Daytona with a runner-up finish in a green-white-checkered ending. His teammate, Sheldon Creed, also delivered back-to-back top-five runs to start the season with a fourth-place finish. Joe Gibbs Racing added a third Supra inside the top-10 with Ryan Truex finishing in ninth.

Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) and Jeffrey Earnhardt also had a strong run with an eighth-place finish. For SHR, it is their best finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, while for Earnhardt, it was his best run since a seventh-place finish for SHR at Nashville Superspeedway in June 2022.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap|
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race 2 of 33 – 251.02 miles, 163 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Hill*
2nd, CHANDLER SMITH
3rd, Shane van Gisbergen*
4th, SHELDON CREED
5th, Parker Retzlaff*
8th, JEFFREY EARNHARDT
9th, RYAN TRUEX
32nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

What’s your big takeaway from today’s race and seeing the pit strategy pay off at the end, even if it may have been frustrating at the time?

“I wasn’t really frustrated in the moment there. I did second guess it for a minute there as I thought I had saved a lot of fuel and didn’t think a lot of guys were going to take the gamble and come down. But I don’t know if we just ran more caution laps than what everyone was anticipating at first. My crew chief, Jeff Meendering, did an amazing job making the last-minute pit call there. Looks like we dragged everyone else down pit road with us when we went. So, no, I’m really happy with how our results were coming out of here with the No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra, which was as fast as Xfinity 10G internet today. So, looking forward to going to Las Vegas with two top-fives on superspeedways.”

What’s it mean for you to get a good result here in Atlanta and two Georgia drivers finishing 1-2?

“Yeah, that’s pretty cool. I didn’t even think about that – Georgia guys one, two. Yeah, I’m excited with two top-fives to start the season on superspeedways brings huge momentum for this QuickTie GR Supra team. Looking forward to going to Las Vegas and seeing what we can do there.”

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

Finishing Position: 4th

Talk us through your race today and what you were experiencing out there.

“The racing was really bad, to be honest. We were all funneling to the top and you can’t make a move by yourself, just no horsepower. We’re going to Michigan and Indianapolis with these packages, so hope we reconsider and don’t go like that. A great way to salvage our day on some misfortune of others. I don’t know (pause), we got a fourth there. That’s pretty good from where we were running coming to the last caution and the green-white checkered.”

JEFFREY EARNHARDT, No. 26 ForeverLawn Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

Ran in the lead pack all night and ended up with a strong top-10 finish. How was your race?

“First off, just glad to be back in a Toyota. It’s impressive what this team has accomplished over the years. I ran with these guys two years ago, and heck, I was impressed – saying they were a top-10 team then, and you see what they did at Daytona. Then we come here and back it up – that’s really impressive. Hats off to these guys for the hard work they put in. Sam (Hunt) for the team he has built. It takes a good leader to build a team this great and he’s definitely just that. Can’t thank these guys enough. I’ve got to thank ForeverLawn. They’ve had my back for a long time. It’s pretty awesome to keep them. The people they are, the people surrounding me – you can’t say enough about it. You wish you could get every sponsor to be like them. Can’t thank them enough. We’ve got so many great partners that have been with us for a long time – just happy to get them a good run tonight.”

RYAN TRUEX, No. 19 Toyota Outfitters Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 9th

Strong run all night, and still ended up in the top-10 despite running out of fuel. Can you talk us through your race?

“We did everything right. Coming to two to go, a caution came out and it killed us. I was running second about to come to the white, right where I wanted to be with enough fuel and we rode around under caution. I lined up to the 2 (Jesse Love) to push him, and as soon as I got to him, he ran out of fuel and killed our lane. I got freight trained. Sheldon (Creed) got to my bumper coming to the checkered – we were actually rolling the top pretty well, and then I ran out of gas coming into (turn) three. It wouldn’t have mattered either way. We did everything we could – we ran inside the top-five the entire race and nothing to show for it is kind of a bummer.”

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.

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Atlanta Motor Speedway; February 24, 2024

Track; Atlanta Motor Speedway–Oval (1.540-Miles)
Race: RAPTOR King of Tough 250; 163 Laps –40/40/83; 251.02 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Saturday; February 24, 2023 5:00 PM ET
TV: Fox Sports 1 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 State Water Heaters
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Atlanta Motor Speedway

News and Notes:

• Practice; No practice is scheduled for Saturday afternoon’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS).

– Starting Position; With no practice scheduled, NXS teams would spend Friday afternoon going thru technical inspection prior to putting cars on the track for Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 qualifying. Similar to the past two seasons, AMS would once again use superspeedway qualifying consisting of two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Putting down his lap 13th in the order, Burton would log a lap of 32.796 at 169.045 MPH placing the No. 27 State Water Heaters Chevrolet 25th on the board. Failing to move on to Round 2, Burton will start the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 inside Row 13 in the 25th position at 5 P.M. ET Saturday afternoon.

– Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats; Saturday NXS RAPTOR King of Tough 250 will mark Burton’s eighth NXS start at AMS. In seven previous starts, Burton holds an average finish of 13.4 with a 99.9% lap completion rate completing 1156 laps of the possible 1157. Burton has two Top-10 finishes with a best of second coming in 2021 after starting 11th. Burton has finished in Top-25 in all of his seven starts at Atlanta. In his last outing at AMS in July of 2023, Burton would start in the 21st position and work his way thru the field to finish in the 13th spot.

Featured Partner

State Water Heaters; State Water Heaters is a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters. For more than 60 years, State Water Heaters has built dependable, long-lasting water heaters for commercial and residential applications. State remains fixed on manufacturing durable products that last longer. For more information, visit StateWaterHeaters.com or follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Parker Retzlaff – No. 31 FVP/Bommarito.com
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Atlanta Motor Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

• Practice; No practice is scheduled for Saturday afternoon’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS).

– Starting Position; With no practice scheduled, NXS teams would spend Friday afternoon going thru technical inspection prior to taking the track for qualifying to determine the starting order for Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250. Similar to the past two seasons, AMS would once again use superspeedway qualifying consisting of two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Rolling off 34th Retzlaff would register a lap of 32.772 at 169.169 MPH placing the No. 31 Bommarito.com/FVP Chevrolet 24th in the running order. Failing to transfer to the second round, Retzlaff will start the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 outside Row 12 in the 24th position at 5 P.M. ET Saturday afternoon.

• Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats; Saturday afternoons scheduled NXS RAPTOR King of Tough 250 will mark Retzlaff’s 3rd NXS start at AMS. In two previous starts, Retzlaff holds an average finish of 21.5 with an 97.3% lap completion rate finishing 323 laps of the possible 332. Last July Retzlaff would earn a 16th place finish after starting the Alsco Uniforms 302 in the 20th spot. In his debut at AMS in the spring of 2023, Retzlaff would cut a tire down in Turn-2 and be shuffled back in the pack in the late going before being taken out by another competitor to retire nine laps from the finish and would be credited with 27th place.

Featured Partners

• FVP; FVP is a leading supplier of maintenance products and accessories for the automotive industry. Their products are designed to deliver the quality and performance that drivers and technician’s demand. See all FVP has to offer by visiting them online at FVPParts.com
• Bommarito Automotive Group; A primary supporter of Jordan Anderson Racing, 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.

Jordan Anderson – No. 32 EasyCare
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Atlanta Motor Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

• Practice; No practice is scheduled for Saturday afternoon’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS).

– Starting Position; With no practice scheduled, NXS teams would spend Friday moving thru NASCAR technical inspection before taking to the track for the first time in qualifying to determine the starting order for Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250. Similar to the past two seasons, AMS would once again use superspeedway qualifying consisting of two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Making his lap second to last, Anderson would encounter a mechanical issue and shut down the No. 32 exiting Turn-2. Logging no time Anderson would be required to use an Owner’s Provisional and will start in the 38th position outside Row 19.

• Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats; Coming off a fourth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) last Monday night part-time driver Jordan Anderson will look to make his second start at AMS Saturday in the NXS RAPTOR King of Tough 250. In his lone NXS start in 2017 Anderson would start in the 26th position and retire just two laps in and be credited with a 39th place finish. In the Craftsman Truck Series action Anderson has hold seven starts at AMS with an average finish of 24.9 with a best of 18th coming in March of 2022.

Featured Partner

• EasyCare; Since 1984, EasyCare has been helping some of the most successful dealerships in the nation drive results in their stores with a full suite of F&I products, forward-thinking training, dealership development, consultative participation programs, and a best-in-class claims experience. EasyCare has the only F&I products named a “MotorTrend Recommended Best Buy” for franchised dealers and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. For more information about what EasyCare has to offer, visit EasyCare.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.

AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway | RAPTOR King of Tough 250

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-077
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines
RAPTOR King of Tough 250 Starting Position: 19th

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 night’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta (Ga.) 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 first time in 2024, AirBox will serve as the primary marketing partner of

Deegan’s No. 15 Ford Mustang in Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta (Ga.) 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.

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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 Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats: Saturday night’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 will mark Deegan’s inaugural Xfinity start at the 1.54-mile speedway.

Deegan does, however, have three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Her track-best result occurred during the 2023 FR8 208 when she steered to a 12th-place finish after starting 32nd for ThorSport Racing. She also holds an average track finish of 23.0.

Hailie Deegan NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In two 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 two 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 busy weekend for the AM Racing team at the “World Center of Racing” last weekend.

In addition to the team’s NASCAR Xfinity Series team being in action, the team also participated in the ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona on Friday night with sophomore driver Christian Rose aboard the No. 32 West Virginia Tourism Ford Mustang.

Rose qualified 19th and recovered from a midrace spin to earn a strong fourth-place finish at the checkered flag. The result was a career-best for Rose on a superspeedway and a continuous wave of momentum for the family-owned team dating back to the fall of 2023.

Veteran leader Ryan “Pickle” London returned as crew chief for the full 20-race season.

The ARCA Menards Series resumes action at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on Fri., 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.

Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway | United Rentals 300 Race Recap: The 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series kicked off with the postponed United Rentals 300, originally scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, but finally took the green flag on Monday, Feb. 19, following the completion of the Daytona 500.

Deegan qualified her No. 15 Klutch Vodka Ford Mustang on time in the 28th position but was collected in an early race accident on Lap 22, which regulated her to a disappointing 37th place finish.

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

He will be crew chief for his 133rd NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday night and his eighth race at the 1.54-mile track nestled in Hampton, Ga.

In his previous 132 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 Atlanta Motor Speedway: “We are definitely heading to Atlanta Motor Speedway looking to rebound. It was disappointing to start the season the way we did, but we are staying focused and ready to have a solid finish with our No. 15 AirBox Ford Mustang on Saturday night and have some momentum for Las Vegas next weekend.”

On 2024 Season Outlook: “I am very optimistic about my rookie season. The AM Racing team has worked incredibly hard to assemble a good group of people who want to see me succeed and put together strong results from the start of the season to the checkered flag at Phoenix in November.

“I am focused and I believe I am ready.”

Race Information:

The RAPTOR King of Tough 250 (163 laps | 251.02 miles) is the second of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2024 schedule. The field will take the green flag Sat. Feb. 24, 2024, shortly after 5:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Performance Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

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.

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

• Event: RAPTOR King of Tough 250 (Round 2 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Feb. 24
• Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Layout: 1.54-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EST on FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer, the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, is focused on his second consecutive superspeedway-style race during Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 1.54-mile oval was reconfigured prior to the 2022 season and racing there now resembles what takes place on the behemoth 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway layouts. Atlanta’s banking in the corners was increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees, the track width was reconfigured to vary from 55 feet to 40 feet, and the entire track was repaved with fresh asphalt. The goal of the project was to recreate the kind of pack-style racing at Atlanta that fans enjoy at Daytona and Talladega, which Custer exceled on in the 2023 season. It’ll be the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford driver’s sixth outing on the reconfigured oval after contesting both NASCAR Cup Series events there in 2022 and the July 2023 race, as well as both Xfinity Series races there last year.
• Saturday’s race at Atlanta will mark Custer’s sixth Xfinity Series outing at the track. Best of his previous five was his runner-up finish from the pole qualifying position after leading two laps on the old configuration in February 2019. He finished third on the new configuration last July. He has only finished outside the top-12 once at Atlanta. Best among Custer’s six Cup Series appearances at Atlanta was his ninth-place finish in July 2022, which came on the new configuration. He also has one start there in the Craftsman Truck Series, which resulted in a 17th-place finish from the sixth starting position in February 2016.
• Custer’s defense of his 2023 Xfinity Series championship looked to be off to a strong start during Monday’s rain-delayed season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He was fourth fastest overall and the fastest Ford driver in Friday’s practice session, then made quick work of drafting his way to the front from his 17th-place starting position with help from teammate Riley Herbst when the race went green Monday at 9 p.m., following the Daytona 500. Custer finished fourth in the second stage to earn seven bonus points and led once for six laps in that stage. But on a restart from the second row with 12 laps to go in the race, Custer’s moves toward the lead were foiled when he got collected in an incident with several other cars. He rebounded for a 13th-place finish in the closing laps.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst hopes to keep the momentum rolling in Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and celebrate his birthday in victory lane. The Las Vegas native, who turns 25 on Saturday, finished sixth in Monday’s rain-delayed season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. After qualifying 10th on Saturday, the No. 98 Monster Energy driver spent a majority of the first stage running in the top-10. He finished sixth in Stage 2 and led twice in the final stage for a total of eight laps. Herbst looked to have a shot at the win when he restarted second with 12 laps to go and emerged the leader as the race went back to green. But it was ruled Herbst jumped the restart and he was assessed a pass-through penalty just before a timely caution flag flew, which required him only to take his place at the tail end of the field – in 18th – on the ensuing restart with three laps to go. He made rapid forward progress from there and avoided mayhem on the final lap to salvage his first top-10 finish of the season.
• Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 will mark Herbst’s eighth career Xfinity Series start at Atlanta and his fifth on the reconfigured layout. When Xfinity Series drivers competed on the new layout for the first time in March 2022, it suited Herbst well as he finished fourth – his best result in four Atlanta starts at the time. He followed that with a ninth-place result when the series returned to the track in July 2022. In last season’s first of two events at Atlanta, he earned a fifth-place finish in the March event, leading 11 laps along the way and competing for the win before getting tangled up in an incident while crossing the finish line. Herbst’s sixth-place finish in the March 2021 race was the best of his three Xfinity Series outings on the old Atlanta surface.
• Dating back to his fourth-place finish at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval on Oct. 7, 2023, Herbst has yet to finish outside of the top-10 in the Xfinity Series. He ended his 2023 season with five straight top-fives, including his first career victory at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 14. Since then, he also co-drove to the win in the Trophy Truck Spec class of the Baja 1000 off-road race in November. In addition, he made his fifth start behind the wheel of a Cup Series car in Monday’s 66th running of the Daytona 500. While he finished 24th in the main event, he showed flashes of brilliance in its leadup. Herbst was 12th in single-car qualifying on Wednesday, then led three times for seven laps in his Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying race Thursday before being caught up in a multicar accident.

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

You’re transitioning from the traditional superspeedway at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to the newly-renovated superspeedway-style track at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The racing at both are now similar, but they’re still so different as Atlanta is just a 1.54-mile in length. Talk about the difference and how you prepare for that as a driver.

“I think when you look at Daytona versus Atlanta, you know, Atlanta just has so much more handling come into play and you have to worry a little bit more about how well your car handles in the track or on the track. At Daytona, it’s all out all the time. It’s just a different battle. At the same time, the runs can come very fast because the track is more condensed. It really makes it a fast-paced race where everyone is on their toes. It’s different, but still similar to superspeedways. It honestly makes it very exciting. Can’t wait to get there with our No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang.”

Typically when NASCAR has come to Atlanta in the past, it’s been a hot, slick weekend. Atlanta in February is a different story. Does that affect the racing at all from a driver’s perspective?

“I don’t know if the temperature affects what you’ll do as a driver, but I think it will probably determine which lanes will work and which ones don’t on the track. It’ll mostly affect what you do with the car. As a team, you might trim the car out more and go all out on if you want to have speed. Or you could opt to have a little more handling in your car. Honestly, I think you’ll see the trade off this weekend of which team went for what adjustments.”

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

You’ve performed well at Atlanta since the reconfiguration. What is it about the new layout that suits you?

“I don’t think it’s anything in particular. It’s definitely more akin to a superspeedway now, which have been one of my strongest types of tracks since joining SHR in 2021. This track just drives so much faster now. I saw it the first year when we had an issue and I went a couple of laps down. By the end of the night, I recovered all of those laps and finished inside the top-10. There’s definitely the unpredictability of superspeedway-style racing that comes with the reconfiguration, but it makes me excited to to there. Despite the penalty last week at Daytona, we were able to come back and finish in the top-10. I think the No. 98 Monster Energy team has what it takes to go for the win at Atlanta.”

After your sixth-place finish at Daytona, you haven’t outside the top-10 in the Xfinity Series since before the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval last October. How does that help your confidence as you head to each race?

“We’ve been on a roll. Both cars in the SHR Xfinity Series program have been fast since last year, so it’s exciting to see that carry over into a new season. The competition is stacked in this series with a lot of good drivers to compete against. The fact that we’re able to consistently run in the top-five and top-10 was all we wanted several years ago. I’m proud of how far this team has come. There are always going to be hurdles, but I think the No. 98 team has proven that we can persevere through it. Hopefully, we can keep digging and bring home our first win of the season, too. We’re here to win, and I think the competition sees that.”