Category: XFINITY Series PR

STEWART-HAAS RACING|
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Martinsville 250

Date: Oct. 28, 2023
Event: Martinsville 250 (Round 32 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval)
Format: 250 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/130 laps)
Note: Race extended six laps past its scheduled 250-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Sammy Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 4th / Finished 4th, Running, completed 256 of 256 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 3rd / Finished 19th, Running, completed 256 of 256 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (4th with 4,000 points – Advanced to Championship 4)
● Riley Herbst (13th with 870 points)

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his career-best ninth top-five of the season and his second top-five in seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Martinsville.
● Herbst has only finished outside of the top-10 twice at Martinsville.
● This is Herbst’s fourth straight top-five. He finished fourth on Oct. 7 on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval, won Oct. 14 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and finished second last Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
● Herbst finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and 10th in Stage 2 to earn one more bonus point.
● This is the third time in four fulltime Xfinity Series seasons that Custer has advanced to the Championship 4. He advanced in his previous two fulltime seasons in 2018 and 2019, both resulting in runner-up championship finishes.
● Custer finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine bonus points and eighth in Stage 2 to earn three more bonus points.
● Custer led once for one lap to increase his laps-led total at Martinsville to 6.

Race Notes:

● Justin Allgaier won the Martinsville 250 to score his 23rd career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Martinsville. His margin over second-place Sheldon Creed was .032 of a second.
● There were 15 caution periods for a total of 101 laps.
● Twenty of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

Sound Bites:

“It’s just Martinsville and everybody is just desperate. It’s just one of those deals. The No. 18 is trying to get his way in. The 2 is trying to get his way in. Everybody is just trying to get all that they can get, and we had nowhere to go. The 21 got spun and I had nowhere to go, and we all stopped there. I saw Austin trying to fire up his car and I was like, ‘I’ve got to get going here,’ so I put it in reverse to try to get across the start-finish line. I’m sorry Doug Yates. We were not easy on his engine today, but luckily, he builds great engines that are very durable, and it ran great today. I can’t thank my No. 00 Haas Automation guys enough. They’ve worked so hard and just have gotten better and better throughout the year. I’m so glad that this is over. All throughout that red flag my heart was beating out of my chest. I was just wondering what was going to happen, but it’s just amazing to be in the Championship 4 and have a shot at it. I can’t thank Tony Stewart, Gene Haas, Haas Automation, Ford Performance, Roush Yates Engines, and everybody at the shop enough. It has been awesome to get this deal better. I think we’ll have something for them at Phoenix.” – Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang

“Man, that was a wild ending. Overall, we just couldn’t get the handling right on our No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. We struggled all day and just couldn’t get it perfect, but we were able to avoid some of that chaos and make it to the end of the race. That’s really what you have to do at Martinsville. If you keep yourself in the race and out of trouble, you’ll have a shot at a good finish. I think we did just that, and we were able to keep our top-five streak going. I’m excited to head to Phoenix and hopefully continue this strong run.​” – Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the schedule is the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Phoenix Raceway. It is the seventh and final race of the Xfinity Series playoffs. The race begins at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Dead On Tools 250 | Saturday, October 28, 2023

Cole Custer, driver of the 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, advanced to the Championship 4 in dramatic fashion on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. He spoke about the chaotic final lap afterwards.

COLE CUSTER, 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang – “It’s just Martinsville and everybody is just desperate. It’s just one of those deals. The 18 is trying to get his way in. The 2 is trying to get his way in. Everybody is just trying to get all they can get and we had nowhere to go. The 21 got spun and I had nowhere to go and we all stopped there. I saw Austin trying to fire up his car and I was like, ‘I’ve got to get going here,’ so I put it in reverse to try to get across the line. I’m sorry Doug Yates. We were not easy on his engine today, but luckily he builds great engines that are very durable and it ran great today. I can’t thank my guys enough. They’ve worked so hard and just have gotten better and better throughout the year. I’m so glad that this is over. All throughout that red flag my heart was beating out of my chest just wondering what was gonna happen, but it’s just amazing to be in the final four and have a shot at it. I can’t thank Tony Stewart, Gene Haas, Haas Automation, Ford Performance, Roush Yates Engines, everybody at the shop has just been awesome getting this deal better and better. They’ll have one coming. I think we’ll have something for them at Phoenix.”

WERE YOU ANTICIPATING THAT LEVEL OF CHAOS? “No. You’re just hoping it goes smooth. At the start of the race we were overheating the motor and then the volts started going down, and then radio one went out under that red flag, so we had to switch to radio two, so just a lot of little things that get your heart rate up a little bit, but we were able to stay calm and do what we needed and get to the final four. I’m really proud of the day we put together. We got really good stage points, came from behind and still got in.”

NEMECHEK MAKES XFINITY SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP 4
Sammy Smith comes close to title berth after first pole, career-best laps led

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 28, 2023) – John Hunter Nemechek locked his position into the Championship 4 after the second stage of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Martinsville. Nemechek who leads the series in wins, top-fives and top-10 finishes, will battle Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer and Sam Mayer for the championship.

Sammy Smith looked like he was going to clinch his own Championship 4 berth much of the afternoon as the Iowa-native started from the pole for the first time and led a career-high 148 laps. In a wild overtime finish, Smith advanced to the third-place position to lead Toyota, but come up just short of his first title race.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Martinsville Speedway
Race 32 of 33 – 131.5 miles, 250 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Justin Allgaier*
2nd, Sheldon Creed*
3rd, SAMMY SMITH
4th, Riley Herbst*
5th, Josh Berry*
15th, MYATT SNIDER
18th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
28th, KAZ GRALA
31st, CONNOR MOSACK
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

SAMMY SMITH, No. 18 Pilot Flying J/Pringles Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

Can you walk me through the closing laps?

“They were telling me that he wasn’t going to make any enemies. I asked him if he was going to choose the top, and he said he wasn’t going to do that. I had a good run on him and he went to block me down to the bottom. He didn’t want to make any enemies, but I’m really frustrated right now. He definitely made one. I’m not going to let that one go, and we will see how things go.”

Will this carry over to Phoenix?

“I won’t carry it over. I wish he would have raced me with more respect – knowing that if he’s not going to do anything, I wasn’t planning on wrecking him like the 2 (Sheldon Creed) and the 21 (Austin Hill) did. Just thanks to Pilot Flying J, TMC, Allstate Peterbilt Group and Pringles for being on the car this weekend. We will move on to Phoenix.”

How do you come to terms on not making the Championship 4?

“Very frustrating, because I think we did everything right. It’s just kind of typical for this race for what it brings, and we just have to move on to next week.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 18th

What happened on those closing laps?

“A bunch of carnage. Guess that is Martinsville. I know the 21 (Austin Hill) turned down on the 2 (Sheldon Creed) getting into (turn) three, and it was on from there. I really don’t know what happened. All I know is I hit the wall with the right front tire, and then there was a bunch of carnage on the front straightaway and caught on fire. Last time we were on fire here, we were in victory lane – wish we were in victory lane – but all that matters is we advanced and are headed to run for a championship in Phoenix.”

Is that just Martinsville last lap, everybody knows they have to win to get in?

“Everyone is going to go for broke – win to get in, whatever it takes. It definitely sucks to not have a good finish coming out of here, but on the bright side we are racing for a championship next week in Phoenix.”

Did locking in early help give you a chance to run for the win?

“Yeah, for sure – we were going to try to lock in early, and then go for the win, and that’s what we tried to do – just came up short.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).

Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Martinsville Speedway; October 28, 2023

Track; Martinsville Speedway– Oval (0.526-Miles)
Race: Dead On Tools 250; 250 Laps –60/60/130; 131.5 Miles
Date/Broadcast: October 28, 2023 3:30 PM/ET
TV: USA Network and the NBC Sports App
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)- 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- Martinsville Speedway

News and Notes:

• Practice; After the completion of NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) technical inspection Friday afternoon, the field of 39 NXS cars would be split in two groups for a pair of 15-minute practice sessions. Scheduled in Group 2 alongside his teammate, Jeb Burton would record a fast lap of 20.797 at 91.052 mph on Lap-12 of his 19-lap session placing the State Water Heaters Chevrolet Camaro SS 27th fastest overall.

– Starting Position; At the conclusion of practice, teams would be given ten minutes to make adjustments, change tires, and add fuel prior to moving into qualifying to determine the starting order for Saturday’s Dead On Tools 250. In 2023, short-track qualifying would consist of a single round of single car qualifying for two laps. During practice Burton would encounter a mechanical issue and the No. 27 crew would need to go behind the wall to make repairs forfeiting its qualifying position. Relying on an Owner’s Point’s professional Burton will line up Outside Row 19 for Saturday’s Dead On Tools 250.

– Martinsville Speedway Stats; Making his seventh NXS start at Martinsville Speedway, Burton holds an average finish of 18.2 in six previous starts. Capturing a career best 4th place finish in October of 2020. Burton holds a 95.5% lap completion rate with 1468 laps completed of the attempted 1537. In April’s Call 811 Before You Dig 250 Burton would qualify in the 31st position and fight thru the field the entire day to come away with a 14th place finish. Last season’s (2022) Dead On Tool’s 250 would see Burton qualify in the 11th position and avoid all the carnage to finish right where he started in the 11th spot. In six starts Burton has one Top-5 finish, and four Top-15 finishes at Martinsville Speedway.

Featured Partners

• 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, Twitter and Instagram.
• God’s Pit Crew; In May of 1999, Randy and Terri Johnson were moved to action when they watched the horrifying reports of the devastation caused by the largest tornado in recorded history in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Wanting to help, but living halfway across the country in Virginia, they borrowed trucks and trailers to deliver three loads of supplies to those whose needs far outmatched their own. Little did they know when they began their journey that it was that trip to Oklahoma that would change the trajectory of their lives. In bringing hope to people in desperate need, they found their calling. Soon after, the non-profit crisis response organization known as God’s Pit Crew was born.

Parker Retzlaff – No. 31 FUNKAWAY
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Martinsville Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, X, Instagram

• Practice; After the completion of NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) technical inspection Friday afternoon, the field of 39 NXS cars would be split in two groups for a pair of 15-minute practice sessions. Scheduled in Group 2, Parker Retzlaff would record a fast lap of 20.754 at 91.240 mph on Lap-4 his 31-lap session putting the FUNKAWAY Chevrolet Camaro SS 18th fastest overall.

– Starting Position; At the conclusion of practice, teams would be given ten minutes to make adjustments, change tires, and add fuel prior to moving into qualifying to determine the starting order for Saturday’s Dead On Tools 250. In 2023, short-track qualifying would consist of a single round of single car qualifying for two laps. In his two laps Retzlaff would lay down a fast lap of 20.152 at 93.966 mph placing the No. 31 FUNKAWAY Chevrolet 10th overall. Retzlaff will line up Outside Row 5 for Saturday’s Dead On Tools 250.

• Martinsville Speedway Stats; Saturday’s NXS Dead On Tools 250 will mark Retzlaff’s third NXS start at Martinsville Speedway. During April’s Call 811 Before You Dig 250 Retzlaff would lay down a 4th place qualifying effort and run a clean race all day enroute to a 11th place finish. During his debut at Martinsville in 2022 (April), Retzlaff would qualify in the 20th position and race a smart race to an impressive 12th place finish in just his third NXS start.

Featured Partner

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

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.

Toyota Racing – Sammy Smith
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 27, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Sammy Smith was made available to media after winning the pole for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Martinsville Speedway on Friday. It is Smith’s first career NASCAR pole award.

SAMMY SMITH, No. 18 Pilot Flying J/Pringles Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Can you walk us through that lap?

“Yeah, it was a good lap. That first lap was a little bit off. I had a little bit of lock up, so I tried to adjust that a little bit and was able to get the pole there on the second lap. I kind of knew that second lap, going in, was going to be faster. Just kind of needed to get heat in the tires with it being colder right now. I feel like we have a really good Pilot Flying J, Pringles Supra for tomorrow’s race. I feel like practice was good, qualifying was good. Just have to go execute tomorrow.”

What was the key exiting off pit road to start your qualifying lap?

“I don’t think anything special – you just have to go hard to get heat in the tires, and it seemed like a lot of guys, their first lap – their fastest lap was the first lap, so I kind of knew I needed to get heat in the tires, and not make too big of a mistake on that first lap, and then my second lap was going to be faster.”

What did you learn from the Spring race here?

“I’ve been here a couple of times in the Xfinity car and a couple of times in a late model. This year – the first race – I learned a lot, what I need to do to my car, where John Hunter (Nemechek) and Cole Custer were running. I feel like they were the best two cars all night. I think we learned a lot with what we needed to do. I feel good going into tomorrow.”

How does facing a must-win situation narrow the strategy plans for tomorrow?
“I think there is really no strategy for us. We just have to go out and win. I feel like that is the biggest thing for us. I feel like we can do that. I feel like we need to do whatever it takes.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).

Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway | Dead On Tools 250

Fast Facts
No. 25 AM Racing Team:
Driver: Brett Moffitt
Primary Partner(s): AM Technical Solutions (AMTS)
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Joe Williams Jr.
Spotter: Tony Raines
Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. 1028
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines
Driver Championship Point Standings: 15th
Team Championship Point Standings: 17th

Notes of Interest:

Stretch Drive: After spending the past several seasons as a full-time team in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, AM Racing is set to close the first chapter of its inaugural journey in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season with driver Brett Moffitt for the entire 33-race tour continuing with Saturday afternoon’s penultimate Dead On Tools 250 race at the famed Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

The race signifies the 14th race of the second half of the 2023 Xfinity Series season for the Statesville, N.C.-based organization. It continues the stretch drive for NASCAR’s secondary national series, with just two races remaining on its calendar.

Future Focused: With AM’s inaugural Xfinity journey set to continue in the Old Dominion, the team has chosen veteran driver Brett Moffitt to lead the team’s campaign from the driver’s seat aboard the No. 25 Ford Mustang.

Moffitt, a native of Grimes, Iowa, hails numerous starts across all three of NASCAR’s National Series, including the 2018 Truck Series championship with Hattori Racing Enterprises.

Moffitt, 31, arrived at AM Racing after a stint at Our Motorsports.

Partner Intel: The Statesville, N.C.-based team will sport the signage of AM Technical Solutions on the No. 25 Ford Mustang for the 32nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season.

Headquartered in Austin, TX, AM Technical Solutions (AMTS) was founded in 1994.

AM Technical Solutions is a Global Architecture, Engineering & Construction firm specializing in the high-tech markets. AMTS has managed over $20B of global capital projects for over 170 different customers in 24 countries and across five continents.

Thanks For Your Support: With more than 93 percent of the 2023 season complete, AM Racing and Brett Moffitt would like to thank their associate marketing partners for their support: AIRBOX Air Purifier, CForce Bottling Company, Flying Circle, Kreuz Market, Lane Frost Brand, Mechanix Wear and Mobil 1.

Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Martinsville (Va.) Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Dead On Tools 250 will mark Moffitt’s sixth start at the famed 0.526-mile paperclip oval.

He has delivered one top-10, three top-15 and four top-20 finishes in his previous five efforts. His track-best result occurred during the 2023 spring edition of the Call811.com Before You Dig 250 when Moffitt steered to a track best of ninth after starting 16th for AM Racing.

In addition to Xfinity, Moffitt also has two NASCAR Cup Series and six NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts at Martinsville.

Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Speedway Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a short track, Moffitt has made 14 starts throughout his career, earning three top-10 finishes. He also holds an average finishing position of 18.8.

Brett Moffitt NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 115 career Xfinity Series starts, Moffitt has earned three top-five and 31 top-10 finishes, including a second-place outing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2021. During that tenure, he also holds an average finishing position of 17.8.

He earned AM Racing a career-best Xfinity Series qualifying effort of fourth earlier this year at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.

In addition to 115 Xfinity Series starts, he has achieved 45 NASCAR Cup Series and 93 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts to his credit.

Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway | Contender Boats 300 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Brett Moffitt and the AM Racing team chased their ninth top-10 finish of the season in the final intermediate race track of the season.

The AM Racing team unloaded with speed in their No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang. After a strong practice, Moffitt qualified his No. 25 AM Racing Ford Mustang sixth.

From the drop of the green flag, the team showcased they had a car capable of contending for their second top-five finish of the season after finishing fifth in Stage 1. Unfortunately, early in Stage 3, Moffitt was an innocent victim in a restart accident that prematurely ended the team’s day and a frustrating 35th-place finish.

In 31 races this season, Moffit has delivered one top-five, nine top-10s, 16 top-15s, 20 top-20s, and an average finish of 17.9.

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

He will be crew chief for his 130th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon and his seventh race at Martinsville Speedway.

In his previous 129 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 Brett Moffitt, please visit BrettMoffitt.com, like his Facebook page (Brett Moffitt Racing), or follow him on Instagram (@brett_moffitt_racing) and X | Twitter @brett_moffitt.

Brett Moffitt Quoteboard:

On Martinsville Speedway: “I am looking forward to returning to Martinsville Speedway this weekend and the opportunity to build on our team’s top-10 finish in the spring. Martinsville is definitely a track about rhythm and finesse.

“Martinsville is also a fun race track if you can keep up with the handling and handle the (race) traffic.

“Joe (Williams Jr., crew chief) has a good notebook, and we look to build on that during practice and qualifying and hope that we can execute over 250 laps on Saturday afternoon and deliver our 10th top-10 finish in the penultimate race of the Xfinity Series season.”

On The 2023 Season: “It is hard to believe that just two races are left in the Xfinity Series season. I’d love to close it out with a pair of top-10 finishes with our AM Racing team.

”We have showcased speed the last couple of weeks, just suffered a lot of bad luck. Hopefully, that bad luck is over, and we’ll put us back in the top-10 on Saturday afternoon, where we know we belong.

“I am ready to end the year on a high note!”

Race Information:

The Dead On Tools 250 (250 laps | 131.5 miles) is the 32nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, October 27, 2023, from 5:05 p.m. – 5:40 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows. The 38-car field will take the green flag the next afternoon, Saturday, October 28 shortly after 3:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

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 seventh year of competition.

The team has named Brett Moffitt, Christian Rose and Austin Wayne Self as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity, ARCA Menards Series and Dirt Modified seasons respectively.

RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway | Dead On Tools 250

Fast Facts
No. 38 RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr.
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Steve Addington
Spotter: Joe Campbell
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines
Driver Championship Point Standings: 23rd
Team Championship Point Standings: 30th

Notes of Interest:

Settled In: After spending the last three seasons with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (2020 – 2022), Joe Graf Jr. moved to RSS Racing during the offseason, where he’ll spend the majority of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season competing for the Sugar Hill, Ga.-based team.

In addition to RSS Racing, Graf will also compete in a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule, driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Saturday afternoon’s race from Martinsville (Va.) Speedway signifies the 14th race of the second half of the 2023 Xfinity Series season. It continues the stretch drive for NASCAR’s secondary national series, with just two races remaining on its calendar.

Welcome Aboard: Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing welcome Bucked Up as the primary partner of the team’s No. 38 Ford Mustang for Saturday afternoon’s Dead On Tools 250.

The annual fall Martinsville Speedway short track race marks the 32nd race of the 2023 Xfinity Series season and the fourth race of the year where Bucked Up’s colors have flown with Graf.

A long-time partner of Joe Graf Jr. since the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Bucked Up will utilize the penultimate race of the season to promote its full line of products.

Bucked Up is a sports nutrition and lifestyle brand focused on helping all athletes and individuals achieve their health and fitness goals. Offering over 500 different products ranging from supplements and energy drinks to apparel and accessories,

Bucked Up is committed to providing customers with the best products available. Dedicated to using

high-quality ingredients and non-proprietary blends, Bucked Up’s pre-workout is the No. 1 best-selling product in its class.

The brand’s products are now offered in over 25,000 stores worldwide, including Walmart, Amazon, GNC and Vitamin Shoppe.

Things Are Getting Hot: For Saturday afternoon’s anticipated 250-lap thriller, the team and Bucked Up welcome Hot Spot convenience stores as a major associate marketing partner.

Hot Spot is the newest retailer to offer Bucked Up.

R. L. Jordan Oil Company is a family-owned and operated business headquartered in Spartanburg, SC. They currently operate 41 Hot Spot convenience stores, 10 Hottie’s Kitchens, 2 Hardees, 7 Subways and 8 Hunt Brothers Pizza Shops in North Carolina and South Carolina.

The company grew out of a small country store in Franklin, North Carolina. Gas 4 Less was the first gasoline station in the area to offer high-quality, unbranded gasoline.

Hot Spot continues to serve its customers by constructing and operating state-of-the-art fueling facilities, convenience stores, and branded food stores. Presently, Hot Spot management is focusing on maintaining and enhancing a competitive edge in the markets they serve.

A dedication to innovation and a desire to offer great products at competitive prices has always been our goal.

Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 93 percent of the 2023 Xfinity Series season complete, Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing would like to thank their associate marketing partners: ArmsList.com, AVOID, Bass Reaper Bait Company, Bucked Up Energy Drink, CoverSeal, EAT SLEEP RACE Apparel, fgrACCEL, G-Coin®, GTECHNIQ, JACOB Companies, Lefcourt Brothers Racing, Love Motorsports, Model Electronics, ShopRite and Wawa for their continued support.

Catch Him On The Dial: Before Joe Graf Jr. straps into his No. 38 Bucked Up Ford Mustang on Saturday, the RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers driver will be featured on “The Frontstretch” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90, with host Pat Patterson on Saturday morning, October 28, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET.

Graf will also spotlight a commercial featuring Bucked Up in several spots throughout the weekend, including the complete four-hour program on Sunday, October 29, 2023.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Martinsville Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Dead On Tools 250 will mark Graf’s seventh start at the historic 0.526-mile paved oval.

In his previous six Martinsville efforts, he delivered a track-best of 15th during the fall edition of the 2021 Dead On Tools 250 after starting 32nd driving for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Short Track Stats: At tracks classified as a short track, Graf has competed in 18 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 25.2 and an average result of 24.8.

Joe Graf Jr. NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 124 career Xfinity Series starts Graf has earned five top-10 finishes, including a seventh-place outing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2023. During that tenure, he also holds an average finishing position of 25.7.

He earned a career-best Xfinity Series qualifying effort of fifth in 2020 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with SS GreenLight Racing.

With Joe Gibbs Racing, he earned his non-superspeedway career-best qualifying effort of 11th at Kansas Speedway in September 2023 and most recently at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in October 2023.

Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway | Contender Boats 300 Race Recap: In his final start of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing aboard the No. 19 Wawa Toyota Supra, Graf was able to pick up the pace considerably from practice to qualify a non-superspeedway career-best 11th and battled a loose race car throughout the race to challenge for a top-10 finish in Stage 3.

Graf succeeded and backed up his recent top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway with his third top-10 run of the year at Homestead by taking the checkered flag 10th and on the lead lap.

The former ARCA Menards Series winner will return to RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers for the final two NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway respectively.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow monthly.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Steve Addington is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will be crew chief for his 295th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon and his fourth race at the iconic short track in the Old Dominion.

In his previous 294 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected 11 wins, 10 poles, 68 top-five and 118 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has three teammates at RSS Racing.

Veteran Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 39 Sci Apps Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 29 RSS Racing Ford Mustang and CJ McLaughlin returns to steer the No. 28 Sci Apps Ford Mustang.

Ryan Sieg is set to make his 333rd career Xfinity Series start overall and seventh at Martinsville.

Kyle Sieg is poised to make his 49th career Xfinity Series start and second at Martinsville.

CJ McLaughlin is set to make his 39th career Xfinity Series start and second at Martinsville.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on TikTok (@JoeGrafJr), X | Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on RSS Racing, please like them on Facebook (RSS283839) and follow them on Instagram (@rss283839) and X | Twitter (@RSS283839).

Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:

On Martinsville Speedway: “I have always enjoyed competing at Martinsville Speedway. In my last few trips to Martinsville, I have had really fast race cars, even if I don’t have the finishes to show for it.

“It’s essential to make sure that with Martinsville’s characteristics, you can utilize the top lane as much as you can, especially when you are trying to carry momentum off the corners. Like most short tracks, track position is critical to staying out of trouble.

“Staying on the lead lap is also super important, too. It will be warmer than it traditionally is during the fall Xfinity Series race at Martinsville, so I am curious to see if that comes into play during the race weekend. With this being a cut-off race for the Championship 4, too, you never know what to expect, but it should be an excellent race for the fans.

“It’s been a little bit of a bumpy ride with my RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers team the last couple of races, but fresh off a top-10 finish at Homestead, I’m eager to bring some good mojo back to our No. 38 Bucked Up Ford Mustang team and have a good showing on Saturday afternoon.”

On The 2023 Season: “The end of the season is nearly here, and I am working hard between my responsibilities with RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers Racing to ensure I can give 100 percent behind the wheel.

“I want to make the most of these last two weekends. I need to stay focused, communicate with my team, and utilize the knowledge I’ve gained over the past three years to recover and end the season on a high.”

Race Information:

The Dead On Tools 250 (250 laps | 131.5 miles) is the 32nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, October 27, 2023, from 5:05 p.m. – 5:40 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows. The 38-car field will take the green flag the next afternoon, Saturday, October 28 shortly after 3:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

About RSS Racing:

RSS Racing fields multiple entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series led by mainstay driver Ryan Sieg.

RSS Racing has competed in NASCAR events since 2009 from its headquarters in Sugar Hill, Ga.

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

• Event: Martinsville 250 (Round 32 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Oct. 28
• Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
• Layout: .526-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer and the No. 00 Haas Automation team head to Saturday’s Martinsville 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway determined to defend their spot in the Championship 4 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs in the final race of the Round of 8. Custer arrives at the .526-mile, paperclip-shaped oval third in the standings, three points above the top-four cutline. He’s tied in points with fourth-place Austin Hill – each with 3,113 – but currently owns the tiebreaker. Justin Allgaier is the fifth-place driver in the standings with 3,110 points. A victory Saturday would lock Custer, Hill or Allgaier, or by their fellow Round of 8 competitors – second-place John Hunter Nemechek, sixth-place Sammy Smith, seventh-place Chandler Smith, or eighth-place Sheldon Creed – into the Championship 4 finale Nov. 4 at Phoenix Raceway, leaving the third and fourth positions in the standings to be decided on points. Sam Mayer locked himself into the Championship 4 with his victory last weekend at Homestead. Custer’s Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Riley Herbst, a non-playoff competitor, scored his first career Xfinity Series victory in the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas, his home track.
• Custer appeared to be headed to victory lane last weekend at Homestead after qualifying on the pole and leading a race-high 114 laps. But a flat tire and subsequent contact with the wall cost him the lead with 48 laps to go and forced him to come down pit road. He was able to salvage a 13th-place finish and protect his spot in the Championship 4. This weekend, Custer looks for another strong run and to finish the job at Martinsville, where he qualified on the pole and finished third in April. Ideally, he’d love to put all the points talk to rest by winning his first Martinsville Grandfather clock trophy on his way to chasing the championship trophy at Phoenix.
• Saturday’s Martinsville 250 marks Custer’s second Xfinity Series start at Martinsville, his first coming in April. He also has a dozen previous outings at the track – six apiece in the NASCAR’s Cup Series and Truck Series. His best Cup Series finish there was 13th in October 2020. Best of his six Truck Series starts there 2014 through 2016 was his fourth-place run from the pole after leading a race-high 96 of 200 laps in the October 2015 race. That came while driving the No. 00 JR Motorsports entry, which he also drove to a seventh-place finish from the third starting position in the October 2016 race, in which he led 17 laps.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst has been on a roll since he scored his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win Oct. 14 at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After his milestone victory, the 24-year-old Monster Energy driver ran in the top-10 for a majority of last weekend’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where in the closing laps he passed second-place John Hunter Nemechek, then chased down leader Sam Mayer all the way to the checkered flag, finishing in the runner-up position just .227 of a second behind. Herbst now heads to Martinsville on a three-race top-five streak that started with his fourth-place finish Oct. 7 on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. This is the first time in his career that he’s scored top-five finishes in three consecutive races in the Xfinity Series. He’s also matched his career-best eight top-fives in a season, earned first in 2022, and has led a career-high 148 this season. His previous best of 57 laps led came in his first season with SHR in 2021.
• The Martinsville 250 will mark Herbst’s seventh Xfinity Series start at Martinsville. Four of his six previous starts there resulted in top-10 finishes. Prior to last October’s third-place run, in which he fought valiantly for the win over multiple late-race restarts, he posted a pair of sixth-place finishes at the .526-mile, paperclip-shaped oval – in October 2020 and April 2022. Herbst was running solidly in the top-10 in the series’ previous race at Martinsville in April, but was forced to retire 28 laps from the finish after getting caught up in an incident.
• Herbst has come to excel on the short tracks in the Xfinity Series, which became evident last season. In addition to his sixth- and third-place finishes at Martinsville in the spring and fall races of 2022, respectively, he added a fifth-place finish in the April race at Richmond and a fifth-place finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September. Saturday night’s race at Martinsville will mark Herbst’s 17th on a short track in the Xfinity Series. His first career short-track start resulted in a sixth-place finish in June 2018 at Iowa Speedway in Newton. Since then, Herbst has added 11 top-10s. He appeared to be on his way to his first career Xfinity Series victory this past April at Richmond (Va.) Raceway where, after leading 27 laps, he was spun by another car that relegated him to a 23rd-place finish.

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

Homestead was a strong race for you until bad luck got in the way and took away your chance at a win. Still, you were able to defend your spot in the Championship 4 and move up to third in the standings. What do you feel like you need to do this weekend to compete for a championship at Phoenix?

“I think, going into Martinsville, we just have to keep doing what we’ve done all year. We’ve made our cars better and better throughout the year, and we’ve really grown as a team. Going into this weekend, you have to take it one step at a time, to be honest. You can’t get ahead of yourself. Some things probably aren’t going to go your way at some point during the day. That’s how things go in this sport. Nothing is guaranteed. You have to move on and maximize the day the best you can. Hopefully, we can do just that with the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang.”

You only have one career Xfinity Series start at Martinsville, but a good bit of experience there in the Cup Series and the Truck Series. What will it take this weekend to bring home a Grandfather clock?

“Martinsville is always a crazy race. That’s pretty much the only guarantee when heading there. You have to go there and make sure you keep your head on straight during the first two stages. From there, it’s just a matter of maximizing everything that you can in that final stage and knowing what you have to do. You have to understand your situation with your car and with the points. We had a fast Ford Mustang in the spring, and we’re doing little things to make it that much better for the second race. Hopefully, we’ll go out there and have a solid day. I think we can be in the thick of things at the end.”

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

You’ve had three straight top-five finishes, including your first career Xfinity Series win two weekends ago at Las Vegas. Safe to say the No. 98 Monster Energy team is bringing confidence to Martinsville this weekend?

“It definitely gives us confidence. Winning at Las Vegas was everything. It’s a day that I had wished for and, when it finally came, it was even better than I could’ve imagined. Even though each track and each race is different, I think that win just proved that we can go out there and compete for victories. Even last weekend at Homestead, we were there at the end when it mattered. We were close, but ultimately it’s showing what this team can do. While we may not be in the playoffs, we’re not just going to fade to the back of the pack. Every weekend is a new opportunity to race for a win. You have to take the NASCAR season one race at a time.”

Martinsville is thought to be such a difficult track, but you’ve performed well there, earning four top-10 finishes in six starts. How do you approach Saturday’s race?

“Martinsville is all about being smart and staying out of trouble. Qualifying well helps as it’s harder to drive your way up through the field on these short tracks. We had a strong run building there back in the spring, but bad luck forced us to retire early. Prior to that, though, we’ve had strong runs there with the No. 98 Monster Energy team. It’s a difficult track, for sure. There’s a lot of beating and banging but, if you’re smart, then you can come out on top and bring home the Grandfather clock. I don’t think you can count us out for this weekend, either, given our momentum and my history at Martinsville. We just have to pace ourselves and keep our heads on straight when things ultimately get heated on the track.”

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Martinsville Speedway
RACE: Dead On Tools 250 (250 laps / 131.5 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023

Broadcast Information – TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 3 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet

• Sam Mayer became the first driver to clinch a spot in the
  Championship 4 with last weekend’s win at HomesteadMiami Speedway.
• The young driver has won four times this season, including
  two of the last three races. His average finish in those
  events is 2.3.
• Mayer has four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the .526- mile short track of Martinsville, scoring two top-five and three top-10 efforts.
• In 14 starts on tracks measuring 1 mile and under, Mayer has five top-fives and eight top-10 finishes, with his best of third coming at Richmond in the spring of 2022.

Josh Berry
No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATV’s Chevrolet

• Josh Berry returns this weekend to the site of his first career NXS victory, which came in the spring of 2021. On that day, he led 95 laps after starting 29th.
• In five starts on the .526-mile oval, Berry has the win, two top-five and two top-10 finishes and has led 162 laps.
• An acknowledged ace on short tracks, Berry has one win, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 14 starts and has led a total of 226 laps.
• Bass Pro Shops, TRACKER Boats & ATVs returns to the No. 8 Chevrolet for this weekend’s event.

Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards/Delta Faucets Chevrolet

• Brandon Jones has one win, three top fives and five top 10s in six starts at the .526-mile paperclip. Jones was in the race lead during a green-white-checkered finish at this race last season before being spun from behind, ultimately finishing in the 23rd position.
• Additionally, Jones started 12th and won the spring race last season. At the spring race this season, Jones started 10th and finished fifth to earn his first top-five finish with JRM.
• With only one finish outside the top 10 at Martinsville, Jones holds an impressive average finish of just 8.2, which ranks as his second-best average finish in the NXS. It’s also the track where he has led the most laps in the series.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Hellmann’s Chevrolet

• Justin Allgaier enters the third and final race in the Round of 8 in the NXS Playoffs just three points away from qualifying for the Championship 4.
• In six previous NXS starts at Martinsville, Allgaier has scored three top fives and five top 10s, with a best finish of second coming in this event in 2020.
• In this race last year, Allgaier, needing to race his way into the Championship 4, started sixth and came home with a fifth-place finish, securing his spot in the championship event at Phoenix the following week.
• In his NXS short-track career, Allgaier has amassed five wins, 26 top fives and 44 top 10s in 72 starts.

Driver Quotes

“It feels really good to be able to head into Martinsville knowing we are already locked into the Championship 4, but that does not stop the hard work. I really enjoy Martinsville and short tracks in general, so I am excited to get back there. We are going to buckle down and take the momentum we gained from the Homestead win to hopefully put ourselves in contention for another solid finish this weekend.” – Sam Mayer

“We’ve been in this position before and I have all the confidence in the world in Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and everyone on this Hellmann’s Chevrolet. Martinsville has been a strong track for us since its return to the schedule and I know we will be just as quick again this weekend. We just need to be smart all day long and keep the fenders on our JR Motorsports Camaro. If we can do that, then I feel extremely confident that we will accomplish what we have set out to do.” – Justin Allgaier

“It’s always good to come back to Martinsville knowing I’ve won here before, and the fact that it was my first NXS victory is pretty cool. We’ve run well here, led a lot of laps, but we haven’t had the best luck there lately. The goal this weekend is to run at the front, have a good, solid day and be contending for the win at the end. That would be a great weekend for me and the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops team here.” – Josh Berry

“Martinsville is a track that I have been able to get around really well every time we have raced there. We won the spring race last season and almost had the win in the fall. Jason (Burdett, crew chief) and this entire Menards/Delta Faucets team have been building great cars, which is showing by our results as of late. We had a good run at Martinsville earlier this year, and hopefully we can do that again and finish the job this weekend.” – Brandon Jones

JRM Team Updates

• JR Motorsports at Martinsville: JR Motorsports has made a combined 26 starts at the famed ”Paperclip.” Over the course of those starts at the .526-mile oval, the organization has taken home two Grandfather Clocks and recorded 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. The most recent win at Martinsville for JRM came during the 2021 season when the No. 9 team needed a win to race for a Championship and did just that.
• Martinsville Fan Stage: JRM driver Josh Berry will be at the Martinsville Fan Stage located in the fan zone on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 12:15 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT.
• Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT.