Category: XFINITY Series PR

NEMECHEK, SMITH AND GRAF JR. EARN TOP-10s at HOMESTEAD
John Hunter Nemechek stays above playoff cutline; Smith in must-win scenario

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (October 21, 2023) – At the end of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek came home with a third-place finish, keeping him 44 points above the playoff cutline heading into Martinsville next weekend. The North Carolina native earned his seventh consecutive top-10 finish and has finished in top-10 in each Homestead Xfinity Series start.

His Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates, Sammy Smith and Joe Graf Jr., both joined him in the top-10, with Smith finishing ninth and Graf tenth. To advance to the Championship 4, Smith is in a likely must win scenario at Martinsville Speedway next Saturday. Graf completed his scheduled races in 2023 with JGR on a high note with his second top-10 in six starts with the No. 19 GR Supra.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race 31 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Sam Mayer*

2nd, Riley Herbst*

3rd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

4th, Austin Hill*

5th, Dale Earnhardt Jr.*

9th, SAMMY SMITH

10th, JOE GRAF JR.

30th, KAZ GRALA

31st, CONNOR MOSACK

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

Can you assess how your race went?

“Overall, solid day. Proud of this whole No. 20 Pye-Barker Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing team. Thanks Toyota, TRD. We are still in a really good points spot going into Martinsville. Just have to go execute – solid points day today, and that’s all you can ask for. Doesn’t matter how you get to Phoenix, just that you get there.”

What kind of challenges did you overcome today to get third?

“A lot, I feel like. We had a really fast Toyota GR Supra with Pye-Barker colors on it today. Thank you to Toyota, TRD – all of our great partners. This thing was almost as fast as Xfinity 10 G, but overall, solid day for us – we had a solid points day. With the 1 (Sam Mayer) winning, it kind of took away our chance to lock it up today. Still a solid cushion behind us going into Martinsville. We won there early this year, so hopefully we can go there and have a solid day. It doesn’t matter if we win. As long as we lock into Phoenix, that is all that matters.”

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

Finishing Position: 9th

Take us through your day today.

“Yeah, it was an okay day for the No. 18 Pilot Flying J GR Supra team as we struggled a bit with balance and just needed some speed throughout the day today. I knew we had to go win either of these two races to advance, so now, have to go to Martinsville and win it – all we have to do. Do whatever it takes to win.”

JOE GRAF JR., No. 19 Wawa Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

Can you talk about what you learned today and what it means to you to achieve a top-10 finish?

“Definitely learned a lot today. I feel like we fired off too free to start the race in the short run. We were really good on the long run, but it hurt us on the short run. We needed to fire off better on restarts, so we tightened the car up, and got it better short run. I felt like we were better on the short run there at the end but gave up a little bit on the long run – just built too tight on center exit, but overall, a good day. I can’t thank the Joe Gibbs Racing guys enough and Wawa coming on board our GR Supra. I’m really happy to be here and hoping to do some more of it next year.”

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-
Homestead-Miami Speedway; October 21, 2023

Track; Homestead-Miami Speedway– Oval (1.502-Miles)
Race: Contender Boats 300; 200 Laps –45/45/110; 300 Miles
Date/Broadcast: October 21, 2023 3:00 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 Alsco Uniforms
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Homestead-Miami Speedway

News and Notes:

• Practice; After completing NASCAR technical inspection on Friday afternoon, Jeb Burton and the No. 27 Alsco Uniforms Chevrolet would take to the 1.502-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS) for a scheduled 20-minute practice session on Friday evening. Burton would run a fast lap of 33.583 at 160.796 mph on Lap-1 of his 17-lap session placing the No. 27 8th of the 40 cars entered for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Contender Boats 300.

– Starting Position; At the conclusion of the scheduled NXS 20-minute practice session, NXS teams would be given 10 minutes to change tires and fuel the car before moving directly into qualifying for the Saturday’s Contender Boats 300. In 2023, Intermediate sized tracks will use a single-lap of qualifying to determine the starting lineup. Scheduled to take to the track 25th, Burton would lay down a 34.149 at 158.131 mph placing the No.27 Alsco Chevrolet Camaro SS 28th quick at the conclusion of qualifying. Burton will start the Contender Boats 300 outside Row 14 in the 28th position on Saturday.

– Homestead-Miami Speedway Stats; Saturday’s NXS Contender Boats 300 will mark Burton’s 4th NXS start at the HMS. In three previous starts, Burton holds an average finish of 10.7 with a 99.7% lap completion rate running 577 laps of the possible 579. Burton has earned two Top-Ten finishes (2019, 2021) at HMS claiming 9th in his debut (November 2019) after starting in 18th position. In 2020 NASCAR did not race at HMS due to the Covid-10 pandemic, but in the return (February 2021) Burton would start 5th and come home with a track best 4th. 2022 would not see Burton fare as well starting in the 21st position he would come away with a 19th place finish.

Featured Partner

• Alsco Uniforms; Alsco Uniforms is a fifth-generation family-owned and -operated uniform company founded in 1889 and recognized by the prestigious Hohenstein Institute for having invented the uniform rental industry. Celebrating over 130 years of business, Alsco Uniforms provides uniform laundry services and other products that keep businesses clean and safe for all kinds of customers in the healthcare, automotive, industrial and hospitality industries. With more than 180 locations and 20,000 employees, Alsco Uniforms provides laundry rental services to over 355,000 customers in 14 countries, which makes Alsco Uniforms the largest uniform company in the world. Visit Alsco.com to learn more about how Alsco Uniforms is the industry’s best-kept secret.

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

• Practice; After the completion of NASCAR technical inspection on Friday afternoon, Parker Retzlaff and the No. 31 FUNKAWAY Chevrolet would hit HMS for a scheduled 20-minute practice session on Friday evening. Retzlaff would record a fast lap of 34.144 at 158.154 mph on Lap-1 of his 30-lap session scoring him 21st of the 40 cars entered for the NXS Contender Boats 300.

– Starting Position; As the scheduled 20-minute practice session would come to a close, NXS teams would be given 10 minutes to make adjustments before moving directly into qualifying for the Saturday’s Contender Boats 300. In 2023, Intermediate sized tracks will use a single-lap of qualifying to determine the starting lineup. Scheduled to take to the track 27th, Retzlaff would lay down a 33.463 at 161.372 mph placing the No. 31 FUNKAWAY Chevrolet Camaro SS 16th quick at the end of qualifying. Retzlaff will start the Contender Boats 300 outside Row 8 in the 16th position on Saturday.

• Homestead-Miami Speedway Stats; Saturday’s Contender Boats 300 will mark Retzlaff’s second career start at the HMS. In his debut in October 2022, Retzlaff would start in the 29th position and come away with a 16th place finish after completing 199 laps of 200 laps.

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.

AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway | Contender Boats 300

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. 006

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 Contender Boats 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The race signifies the 13th race of the second half of the 2023 Xfinity Series season for the Statesville, N.C.-based organization. It kicks off the stretch drive for NASCAR’s secondary national series, with just three races remaining on its calendar.

Future Focused: With AM’s inaugural Xfinity journey set to continue just outside the “Magic City,” 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 31st 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 90 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 Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Contender Boats 300 will mark Moffitt’s third start at the Southern Florida 1.5-mile speedway.

He has delivered one top-10 finish in his previous two efforts. His track-best result occurred during the 2021 spring edition of the Contender Boats 250 when Moffitt steered to a Homestead best of seventh after starting sixth for Our Motorsports.

In addition to his previous two Xfinity Series races, the popular driver also owns three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts at Homestead and two NASCAR Cup Series starts driving for Front Row Motorsports.

Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Speedway Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a speedway, Moffitt has made 56 starts throughout his career, earning one pole and 19 top-10 finishes. He also holds an average finishing position of 15.6.

Brett Moffitt NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 114 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 17.6.

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

Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway | Alsco Uniforms 302 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, Brett Moffitt, and the AM Racing team chased their ninth top-10 finish of the season in the penultimate intermediate race track of the season.

With new partner Lane Frost Brand on board, Moffitt qualified his No. 25 Lane Frost Brand Ford Mustang 27th and despite making contact with the outside wall early in the race, Moffitt and the AM Racing team continued to work their ill-handling race car to post a respectable 24th place finish at the checkered flag.

In 30 races this season, Moffit has delivered one top-five, nine top-10s, 16 top-15s, 20 top-20s, and an average finish of 17.3.

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

He will be crew chief for his 129th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon and his fifth race at the 1.5-mile facility in the second-oldest city in Miami-Dade County.

In his previous 128 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 Homestead-Miami Speedway: “It’s hard to imagine there are just three races left on the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. I am looking for a quick reset with our AM Racing team after a few frustrating races at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL and last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“I know we have the speed in our No. 25 Ford Mustangs. We have proven that all year long. We can unload strong and keep tweaking our No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang throughout practice, qualifying, and the race.

“Me and Joe (Williams Jr., crew chief) have enjoyed some prior success together at Homestead with a top-10 finish in 2021, and I’d love nothing more than to capture our 10th top-10 finish of the season on Saturday afternoon.”

On The 2023 Season: “We are just three weekends from the conclusion of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and I’d love nothing more than to close it out with a stack of top-10 finishes with our AM Racing team.

“It’s officially the homestretch and the final three races of 2023. I’d love to recover from the frustration of the ROVAL and Las Vegas and put us back in the top-10 where we know we belong

“From Homestead, it’s onto Martinsville and Phoenix. There is much to be desired over the season’s final races and to end the year on a high note.”

Race Information:

The Contender Boats 300 (200 laps | 300 miles) is the 31st of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, October 20, 2023, from 6:05 p.m. – 6:35 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows. The 38-car field will take the green flag the next afternoon, Saturday, October 21 shortly after 3:00 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.

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

• Event: Contender Boats 300 (Round 31 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Oct. 21
• Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway
• Layout: 1.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer heads to Saturday’s Contender Boats 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on a mission, first and foremost, to protect his position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. But the driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) also would love nothing better than to score a victory that would lock him into the Championship 4 two weeks early for Phoenix Raceway. Custer entered last weekend’s Round of 8 playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two points below the top-four cutline but drove to a strong, third-place finish and emerged in the top-four with a 15-point buffer ahead of fifth-place Chandler Smith. Custer qualified second at Las Vegas, won the opening stage of the race, and finished second in Stage 2 to accumulate 19 bonus points. He arrives at Homestead, a track where he’s excelled in his three previous visits, four points behind third-place Austin Hill and eight points behind second-place Justin Allgaier in the playoff standings. Current points leader John Hunter Nemechek is 32 points ahead of Custer.
• Saturday’s Contender Boats 300 marks Custer’s fifth Xfinity Series start at Homestead. He finished first, second and second in his most recent three outings at the 1.5-mile oval after finishing 17th in his Xfinity Series debut there. His win, from the second starting position, came in November 2017 after leading 182 of the 200 race laps. It was his milestone first in the Xfinity Series driving the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang. Custer followed with back-to-back runner-up finishes in the November 2018 and 2019 season finales. Both results placed him second in the final championship standings. Custer has led a total of 292 laps at Homestead in his Xfinity Series career and has completed every lap he’s run there. He has an additional four starts at Homestead outside of the Xfinity Series – three in the NASCAR Cup Series and one in the NASCAR Truck Series. His best Cup Series finish of 22nd came in June 2020. In his lone Truck Series start there, he started second and finished 10th.
• Custer isn’t the only member of the No. 00 Ford team who knows how to win at Homestead. His crew chief Jonathan Toney was lead engineer of team co-owner Tony Stewart’s drive there to the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series championship. Toney also served as an engineer for Custer during his 2017 Xfinity Series victory at Homestead.
• Custer’s drive to championship contention came after a slow start to the season. He and the No. 00 team began their turnaround with their fifth-place finish April 1 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. That was the beginning of their streak of 11 consecutive top-10 finishes. Custer scored his first victory of the season June 3 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway and added his second July 1 in the Inaugural Chicago Street Race, solidifying his spot in the 12-driver NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. He opened his playoff run with finishes of fourth at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, seventh at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, and second on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. Those strong runs easily advanced Custer to the Round of 8, which he opened with last weekend’s third-place finish at Las Vegas.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst is now a NASCAR Xfinity Series winner as he heads to Saturday’s Contender Boats 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway after scoring his long-awaited victory in last weekend’s Alsco Uniforms 302 at his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After qualifying eighth, Herbst was sent to the rear of the starting grid for unapproved adjustments made to his No. 98 Monster Energy 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 of the race and crossing the finish line 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.
• With his first career Xfinity Series win checked off his to-do list, Herbst is focused on adding more as the season winds down at three of his better tracks on the NASCAR circuit. Consistency has been key for the No. 98 Monster Energy driver at Homestead. He has never finished outside the top-11 in four career starts on the 1.5-mile South Florida oval. The next race Oct. 28 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway comes at a track where Herbst has finished outside the top-10 just twice in six starts, with a best finish of third last October. And the season concludes Nov. 4 at Phoenix Raceway, where Herbst drove to best finishes of fourth in both 2021 races and again this past March, and has finished outside the top-11 just twice in eight career starts.
• The Contender Boats 300 will mark Herbst’s fifth career start at Homestead, where his best finish of eighth came last October in the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. He was 11th in the February 2021 race after back-to-back top-10s there in the June 2020 weekend doubleheader – 10th in the Saturday race and ninth in the Sunday race.
• Herbst is driving for a team that knows how to win at Homestead. The previous driver of the No. 98 Ford Mustang, Chase Briscoe, won the second race of the 2020 doubleheader after a seventh-place finish in the Saturday race, and runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019.

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

You’re heading to the second race of the Round of 8 and you’ve successfully put yourself into the top-four with your third-place finish last Saturday at Las Vegas. Do you feel like you have to win to make it to the next round?

“I don’t think we’re in a place where we have to win. The No. 00 Haas Automation team has had a ton of speed in the playoffs. I think if we keep managing our races, having good races, and doing what we need to do, then we can make it to the next round. There’s no reason why we can’t be in a good position on points to make it to the Championship 4. You saw that at Las Vegas last weekend, and I think after Homestead that we could be in an even better position. You obviously want to win, but you also want to look at the bigger picture.”

You scored your first career Xfinity Series victory in November 2017 at Homestead after just missing the Championship 4. Talk about your career at Homestead and if there’s any extra confidence because of your history there.

“Homestead has always been a strong place for the Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series team. Having my first win there was big, but also we’ve been consistently racing for the win at this track. We’re always in the fight to win. I think we just have a good package for this track and on mile-and-a-halves, in general. Hopefully we continue that this weekend. It’s a place that I’ve always been comfortable with and somewhere where you really have to search around the track to find grip and figure out what line works best for your car. It’s a lot of fun for myself as a driver.”

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

You’re officially a NASCAR Xfinity Series winner. From the beginning of the season, you’ve said that winning was your goal for the 2023 season. How does it feel to finally park your No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang in victory lane?

“It feels great. To get my first victory is more than I could even imagine. On top of that, to get my first win in my hometown just meant that much more. I was in front of all the family and friends who supported me throughout the years, on top of the team that helped me keep my head up when I was down. Everybody said I can’t do it, I wouldn’t do it, that I won’t win in the Xfintiy Series, that I wasn’t good enough. I proved them wrong. I just flat out beat them. I’m proud of myself and how far I’ve come as a driver. I can’t thank Monster Energy, Stewart-Haas Racing, and the No. 98 team enough for never giving up on me. They were there for me when no one else was.”

Homestead has been a strong track for you. Coming off your win at Las Vegas, another intermediate track, does that boost your and the team’s confidence for what can come from this weekend’s race?

“It definitely gives us a confidence boost, but at the same time we take it one race at a time. Homestead is an intermediate track like Las Vegas, but it’s still different. I’ve run well at Homestead in my career, but it’s a good track for a lot of people in the Xfinity Series. I’m hoping that we can take the notes from last week and the notes from the team’s history there to run up front. I have no doubt in my mind that we can contend for the win. We just have to put another great race together.”

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Homestead-Miami Speedway
RACE: Contender Boats 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023

Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet

• Sam Mayer heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the second race in the Round of 8 on the heels of a two-race streak that includes one win and two top-five finishes.
• Mayer will be making only his second start at the 1.5-mile track after finishing fifth in this race last season.
• The Franklin, Wis. native is currently sixth in the NXS Playoff standings, 16 markers under the playoff cutline after a strong fifth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend.

Josh Berry
No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet

• Josh Berry enters this weekend at Homestead seeking victory in just his fourth start on the 1.5-mile South Florida oval.
• In three previous starts there, Berry’s best finish is 10th, earned in the spring of 2021. In this race last season, the Tennessee native finished 11th.
• Berry is also seeking his fourth win on a 1.5-mile track. His three previous wins on such circuits came at Las Vegas (2021, 2022) and at Charlotte (2022).

Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards/Pelonis Chevrolet

• Brandon Jones has made eight starts in South Beach in the NXS and has recorded two top fives and five top 10s. In his last six starts at Homestead, Jones has only one finish outside of the top 10 and holds an impressive average finish of 7.1 in that same span.
• Jones’ average finish of 9.0 in eight starts at Homestead ranks as the third-best for the 26-year-old at active tracks in the NXS.
• The Atlanta, Ga. native has finished in the top 10 in three of the last five events dating back to Kansas Speedway in September where he finished in the second position.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 hellowater Chevrolet

• Justin Allgaier enters the second race in the Round of 8 in the NXS Playoffs as the second seed, 21 points above the playoff cutline with two races remaining in the round.
• Allgaier has scored a best finish of sixth at the Miami oval, coming in this event in 2016.
• The Illinois native has been strong on mile-and-a-half tracks in 2023, going to Victory Lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and winning the pole in two of the last three 1.5-mile events.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
No. 88 Bass Pro Shops Club Card Chevrolet

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes his return to Homestead for the first time since 2020 in NXS competition behind the wheel of the No. 88 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet.
• The two-time NXS Champion came home with a fifth-place finish in that event in 2020.
• In six career NXS starts at Homestead, Earnhardt Jr. has scored two top fives and four top 10s. His best finish of second came in the 1999 season finale en route to his most recent NXS championship.
• In his first NXS start this season at Bristol, Earnhardt Jr. ran up front for much of the night, leading 47 of 300 laps.

“I am super excited to get back to Homestead this week as we had a really good run there last season. We did not have the best points day in Vegas so I am really hopeful we can pull through and have a better day in Miami. This No. 1 JRM team has worked so hard all year long and I can’t thank them enough for helping get us this far in the playoffs.“ – Sam Mayer

“Heading into this second race in the Round of 8 we know what we need to do. If we can go out and execute like we have been all season long I see no reason why we won’t be in a strong position to make our way to Phoenix with this hellowater Chevrolet. We’re ready to go.” – Justin Allgaier

“Homestead is a track where you have to be good on the high groove, and we’ll give it our best shot on Saturday. We just need some consistency in these races, and we’re working hard to achieve that. I’ve had good cars there, but not the luck that you need to compete for the win. Looking forward to having Tire Pros back with us this week and getting them into Victory Lane.” – Josh Berry

“Homestead is a track that has been pretty good to me in the past and I am really looking forward to building on the momentum from last weekend in Vegas. This Menards/Pelonis team has given me really great cars the last few weeks and this weekend should be more of the same. Hopefully we can put it all together and get another solid finish this weekend.” – Brandon Jones

“It feels good to get back behind the wheel in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports again this weekend. We had a good run going at Bristol, and we’re heading to another track I’ve always loved racing at, Homestead. I’m excited to have my buddy Johnny (Morris) and Bass Pro Shops on the car.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

JRM Team Updates:

• JRM at Homestead: JR Motorsports has competed in South Beach 54 times in the NXS. In those starts at the 1.5-mile oval, the
  organization has recorded three wins (2012, 2017 and 2022), 11 top fives and 26 top 10s. The No. 9 team is the most recent
  winner for JRM at Homestead after taking the checkered at this race last season.
• Souvenir Rig: JR Motorsports drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Sam Mayer and Brandon Jones will be at the JRM/Legacy MC
  souvenir rig on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
• Team Chevy Display: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Sam Mayer and Brandon Jones will be at the Team Chevy display
  located in the Homestead-Miami Speedway fan zone on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the following times:
• Justin Allgaier: 12:10 p.m. to 12:25 p.m.
• Sam Mayer: 1 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
• Brandon Jones: 1:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Josh Berry: 1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.