Category: XFINITY Series PR

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

• Event: Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 (Round 31 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Oct. 26
• Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway
• Layout: 1.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 4 p.m. EDT on CW/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• “Stone Cole” Custer returns to the site of his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win sporting a sleek, new NXT on CW paint scheme on his No. 00 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Saturday’s Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Similar to his paint scheme at Kansas Speedway on Sept. 28 to kick off the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, Custer’s No. 00 hot rod will showcase several of the NXT on CW’s championship-winning wrestlers. Launched by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, NXT has aired weekly since 2012 and features the brightest young talent in sports entertainment. Nearly 90 percent of the participants in last year’s WrestleMania were developed under the NXT banner. Led by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, NXT is popular with younger audiences. WWE Superstars, including Roman Reigns, Seth “Freakin” Rollins and Charlotte Flair, have come up through NXT, a series similar in concept to the Xfinity Series where rising stars attempt to climb their way to the elite level of their sport. Many NXT Superstars have gone on to WWE’s main roster and performed on the biggest stage. This weekend, Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang will once again highlight four of the NXT’s Superstars – NXT Women’s champion Roxanne Perez and Trick Williams on the hood, and NXT Women’s North American champion Kelani Jordan and NXT champion Ethan Page on the quarter panels. The No. 00 Stewart-Haas team will also host Perez, Williams, and Tony “The Don” D’Angelo at the track for their first NASCAR race this weekend at Homestead along with Jordan who attended the Xfinity Series playoff opener at Kansas. Custer made a guest appearance on Tuesday night’s episode of NXT on CW, where he showed off a few wrestling moves of his own. Watch Custer’s highlights from the show HERE.
• Saturday’s race at Homestead will mark Custer’s sixth Xfinity Series start at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval. He finished first, second and second there in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 season finales, respectively after finishing 17th in his Xfinity Series debut there in 2016. His 2017 win came from the second starting position, and he led 182 of the 200 race laps en route to the checkered flag. It was his milestone first in the Xfinity Series driving the No. 00 Ford Mustang. Custer’s runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019 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 all but one lap he’s been able to 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 in 2016, he started second and finished 10th.
• Last year at Homestead, Custer looked to be on his way to another Homestead victory after qualifying on the pole for the second-to-last race in the Round of 8. He led 114 of the 200 race laps and gained 18 valuable bonus points by finishing first in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2 before a blown tire forced him to pit from the lead on lap 151. After the tire change, he resumed deep in the field and one lap down, but his perseverance and sheer determination enabled him to climb his way back up to 13th. While it wasn’t the win that would’ve locked him into the Championship 4, Custer and the team did take advantage of a good points day as he left the race above the Championship 4 cutline holding down fourth in the playoff standings.
• 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.
• The CW is America’s fifth major broadcast network and is available to 100 percent of U.S. television households. The CW delivers primetime entertainment programming and more than 500 hours of sports programming annually, including LIV Golf, ACC football and basketball, Pac-12 football, “Inside the NFL,” WWE NXT and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The free, ad-supported CW App is widely available on all major platforms. The CW App is home to The CW’s primetime programming, live streaming of LIV Golf tournaments, and a library of entertaining film and television content. The CW is 75 percent owned by Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), a leading diversified media company and the largest CW affiliate group. For more information about The CW, visit www.cwtv.com.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team head to Saturday’s Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with their eyes on the prize – another win on the 2024 season. Last Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Herbst started seventh for the 201-lap event. He scored a total of 10 stage points with his third-place and ninth-place stage finishes, respectively, and battled for a top-10 spot in the final stage as the team struggled with the handling of the No. 98 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. He was able to lead once for four laps to increase his laps led at his hometown track to 107, and Herbst showed his persistence as he passed several cars in the closing laps to bring home a seventh-place result. It was his fourth straight top-10 at Las Vegas and his 13th top-10 of the 2024 season. He now heads to a track where he followed up his first career win last season with a strong runner-up finish as the highest finishing non-playoff driver.
• The Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 will mark Herbst’s sixth career start at Homestead, where his best finish of second came last October in the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang – just a week after his first career victory at Las Vegas. In the final laps of last year’s race, Herbst was closing the gap between himself and leader Sam Mayer before ultimately finishing just .227 of a second behind in the runner-up position. He’s now on a mission to finish one spot better and join his teammate Cole Custer as an Xfinity Series winner at Homestead. In October 2023, Herbst finished an impressive eighth. He was 11th in the February 2021 race after back-to-back top-10s there in a 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. In addition to Custer’s win at the track in the No. 00 car, 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.
• Herbst has nothing to lose and everything to win in the final three races of the season and his final races with the Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series program. With the team shutting down at the end of the 2024 season, Herbst looks to up his Xfinity Series career win total. He currently has two wins, both coming with Stewart-Haas in the No. 98 Ford Mustang. The final three races are at three of his best tracks on the circuit. Consistency has been key for the No. 98 Monster Energy driver at Homestead. He has never finished outside the top-11 in five previous career starts on the 1.5-mile South Florida oval. The next race, Nov. 2 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, comes at a track where Herbst has finished outside the top-10 just three times in eight starts, with a best finish of third in October 2022, which he followed up with a fourth-place finish last October. And the season concludes Nov. 9 at Phoenix Raceway, where Herbst drove to best finishes of fourth in both 2021 races and again in both of the 2023 races there. He has also finished outside the top-11 just three-times in 10 career starts.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 NXT on CW Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You’re heading to the second race of the Round of 8 and you’re inside the top-four, 16 points above the Championship 4 cutline, after your eighth-place finish last Saturday at Las Vegas. After the drama coming to the checkered flag at Martinsville last season, do you feel like you have to win at Homestead to make it to the next round?

“I don’t think we’re in a place where we have to win, but you never know what could happen at these next two races. The No. 00 team has had a ton of speed in the playoffs, including last weekend where we led laps. 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 on points alone. There’s no reason why we can’t be in a good position on points to make it to the Championship 4, but a win this weekend at Homestead would just make the nerves a lot easier heading into Martinsville. I was so nervous last year heading into that race because you never know what could happen there. You obviously want to win before then to help ease your mind, but you also want to look at the bigger picture and build a points cushion. We almost won at Homestead last year had it not been for that blown tire, so I know we can do it again.”

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 and for myself. You saw that with the strong run we had built last year and then Riley (Herbst, teammate) finishing second. Having my first win at Homestead was big, obviously, but also we’ve been consistently racing for the win at that track without fail. We’re always in the fight to win no matter the season, it seems like. I think our team overall just has a good package for this track and intermediate tracks. Hopefully, that remains true this weekend, as well. Homestead is a place that I’ve always been comfortable at 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, so I’m excited to head back there and try to find victory lane again.”

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

With only three races left in the regular season, how do you approach them as they’ll be the last for the No. 98 team and your last with Stewart-Haas Racing?

“It’s bittersweet. Obviously, I’m excited for the future, but this has been my home for the past four seasons. These crew guys are like my family and they’ve watched me grow from that first season. I want to do everything I can to add another win to the No. 98 banner before the end of the season. The history has been so rich with this number, and to be able to be a part of it has been amazing. I’m sure we can get another one before the final checkered flag. We’re not approaching anything differently than before, but with no championship to battle for anymore, we’ve got nothing to lose and everything to win. Who’s to say we can’t go out and win the final three races? I want to end on a strong note with these guys and I know we can find victory lane again before the year is over.”

Homestead has been a strong track for you. Coming off a strong run 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, especially with how strong our intermediate program has been in the past. At the same time, we take it one race at a time because anything can happen in these races. Homestead is an intermediate track, but it’s still different from Las Vegas or one of the other ones. I’ve run well at Homestead in my career, including that runner-up finish last year. At the same time, it’s a good track for a lot of people in the Xfinity Series, including my teammate Cole Custer. Everyone is going to run their best there, especially with seven guys still vying for three spots in the Championship 4. I’m hoping that we can take the notes from last year to run up front this weekend. We’ve had the speed all year, so now it’s just about having a perfect weekend. I have no doubt in my mind that we can contend for the win.”

JR Motorsports Team Preview
TRACK – Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
NXS RACE – Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 4:00 p.m. (ET)

Sam Mayer

No. 1 – 10X Health Chevrolet

Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 30

Wins: 3

Top 5s: 8

Top 10s: 12

Laps Led: 224

Avg. Finish: 18.1

Points: 7th

• Sam Mayer heads back to Homestead-Miami Speedway for his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 1.5 mile oval. The young driver is the defending race winner.
• Last season, Mayer drove his way to the Championship 4 by winning this event leading 46 laps including the final one on his way to Victory Lane.
• Mayer will head into the second race of the Round of 8, 23 points below the cutline to make the final round in the NXS Playoffs.

Sam Mayer

“I am super-pumped to get back to Homestead this weekend as this track was so good to me both times I have run there. This race last year was a turning point in our season and gave me much confidence in myself and I am more than confident that we can go out and repeat last year all over again. Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and this No. 1 team have worked so hard this entire year to get us where we are today and I am so ready to get them the result they deserve.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture / Precision Build Chevrolet

Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 30

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 8

Top 10s: 17

Laps Led: 705

Avg. Finish: 14.4

Points: 1st

• Justin Allgaier enters the second race in the Round of 8 in the NXS Playoffs as the points leader, 32 markers above the cutline.
• Allgaier has earned a best finish of sixth in 15 previous NXS starts at Homestead, coming in the 2016 season-finale.
• Overall, Allgaier has scored 13 wins, 80 top fives and 151 top 10s in 243 career NXS starts on tracks between 1 and 2 miles in length.
• This weekend in Homestead marks the return of Precision Build on board the No. 7 Chevrolet in a co-branded effort with BRANDT Professional Agriculture.

Justin Allgaier

“This whole No. 7 group is ready to go this weekend in Homestead. We had a really fast car here last year and I know that Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) will give me another strong Precision Build / BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet when we get to the track on Friday. We just need to go out and execute the way we have been and I know that we will be in a great position as Phoenix gets closer.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet

Smith 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 30

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 6

Top 10s: 15

Laps Led: 65

Avg. Finish: 15.4

Points: 8th

• Sammy Smith’s first race at Homestead in the NXS was in 2023 where he started in the top five and finished in the top 10.
• In the young driver’s NXS career he has tallied 30 starts on tracks 1-2 miles in length with one win, five top fives, and 17 top 10s.
• This season on 1.5-mile tracks, Smith’s best finish of third came at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Smith currently sits below the playoff cutline heading into the last two races of the Round of 8.

Sammy Smith

“Vegas didn’t end up the way we thought it would after qualifying fifth. We had the speed but the damage from the early incident killed our aero and we weren’t able to recover. That was a tough day for this Pilot Flying J Chevrolet team but we just have to learn from it and focus on Homestead now as we head into the last two races before the championship. We were the underdog going into Talladega and came out on top so I know this team can do it again.”

Brandon Jones

No. 9 Menards / Tuscany Chevrolet

Jones 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 30

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 8

Laps Led: 45

Avg. Finish: 19.1

Points: 14th

• Brandon Jones’ return to South Beach this weekend marks his 10th appearance at the 1.5-mile oval and his 300th career start in the NXS.
• Of his nine previous starts at Homestead, Jones has earned two top fives and six top 10s, including back-to-back runner-up finishes during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
• Jones’ average finish of 8.9 at Homestead is currently tied with Kansas for his best among all active tracks in the NXS.
• Tuscany, a company regarded for creating premium, cost-effective products including faucets, sinks, toilets, vanities and shower systems, will adorn the hood of Jones’ Camaro for the first time this season.

Brandon Jones

“I am looking forward to making my 300th Xfinity start at Homestead this weekend. This track has been good to me in the past so I am hoping to continue to build off the speed we have had these past few weeks and work towards a solid finish. I know this No. 9 team has been working hard to give me a fast car, so if we can qualify well like we have been and stay out of the mess we should be able to be up front when it counts.”

Connor Zilisch

No. 88 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet

Zilisch 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 2

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 2

Top 10s: 2

Laps Led: 45

Avg. Finish: 2.5

Points: N/A

• Connor Zilisch makes his third start for JRM and second on an oval track this weekend at Homestead.
• In his two previous starts, Zilisch has earned a victory at Watkins Glen on Sept. 14 and a fourth-place finish at Kansas Speedway on Sept. 28. That makes his average finish a stellar 2.5.
• The familiar colors of Roto-Rooter will be on the No. 88 this weekend for the young driver. It will be his first start for the legendary brand with JRM.
• In 15 starts this year, crew chief Andrew Overstreet has earned one win, five top fives and 9 top 10’s with five different drivers.

Connor Zilisch

“I am looking forward to racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend in the Roto-Rooter Chevrolet. The first two starts with JR Motorsports went about as well as they possibly could have, and with Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) and the guys, the strategy has been solid. I think Homestead will be a good venue for all of us this weekend.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Homestead-Miami Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Homestead-Miami Speedway a combined 59 times in the NXS since its first trip there in 2005. In those starts at the 1.5-mile oval, the organization has recorded four wins, 13 top-fives and 29 top-10s, with an average finish of 14.1.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET.

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Ambetter Health 302

Date: Oct. 19, 2024
Event: Ambetter Health 302 (Round 30 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 201 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/111 laps)

Race Winner: AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 7th / Finished 7th, Running, completed 201 of 201 laps)|
● Cole Custer (Started 2nd / Finished 8th, Running, completed 201 of 201 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (2nd with 3,072 points, 16 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (10th with 2,126 points)

Playoff Standings(with two races to go until Championship 4):

1. AJ Allmendinger (3,063 points) 1 Win
2. Justin Allgaier (3,088 points) +32 Point
3. Cole Custer (3,072 points) +16 Points
4. Chandler Smith (3,064 points) +8 Points
5. Austin Hill (3,056 points) -8 Points
6. Jesse Love (3,051 points) -13 Points
7. Sam Mayer (3,041 points) -23 Points
8. Sammy Smith (3,011 points) -53 Points

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his 13th top-10 of the season and his sixth top-10 in 11 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas.

● This was Herbst’s fourth straight top-10 at Las Vegas. He won last October and finished eighth in March.

● Herbst finished third in Stage 1 to earn eight bonus points and ninth in Stage 2 to earn two more bonus points.

● Herbst led once for four laps increasing his laps led total at Las Vegas to 107.

● Custer earned his 20th top-10 of the season and his seventh top-10 in nine career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas.

● Custer has never finished outside of the top-12 in nine starts at Las Vegas.

● This was Custer’s third straight top-10 finish at Las Vegas. He finished second in March.

● Custer won Stage 1 to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point. He finished sixth in Stage 2 to earn five more bonus points.

● Custer led twice for 31 laps increasing his laps led total at Las Vegas to 147.

Race Notes:

● AJ Allmendinger won the Ambetter Health 302 to score his 18th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Las Vegas. His margin over second-place Ryan Sieg was .156 of a second.

● There were seven caution periods for a total of 31 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Justin Allgaier remains the championship leader after Las Vegas with a 16-point advantage over second-place Cole Custer.

Sound Bites:

“I thought it was good the first stage and the second stage I made a really bad decision on restarts, but, overall, I thought we got it better and better. It was just difficult. We haven’t really raced into the night here in a long time, so that was hard to keep up with the track, but, overall, I thought it was an okay day.​” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“It was a solid day. I wish we had a little bit more, but it was a solid points day. We can take that and move on to the next one at Homestead. I wish we had this No. 00 3D Systems Ford Mustang Dark Horse just right to go win today, but it just didn’t quite have the long run speed.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 3D Systems Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race begins at 4 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by CW and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Capture Sixth-Place Result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Finish: 6th
Start: 8th
Points: 6th

“We had a very fast No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet tonight at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We just needed track position on the last restart. If we would have restarted inside the top-five, I think we could have gotten to the lead and had a shot to win. When the field stacked up in the final stage, we got some nose damage. The guys made repairs on pit road, but we lost a lot of track position and had to drive through the field. The balance of our car had grip and speed, especially at the end. We’re still in it and we will keep inching away. The goal is to win one of the next two races and advance to the Championship 4. I’m proud of our Richard Childress Racing team for the fast Chevrolet and we will carry this momentum to Homestead-Miami Speedway.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet Team Earn Top-10 Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Finish: 10th
Start: 17th
Points: 5th

“Our Global Industrial Chevrolet would be fairly fast late into a run, but it unfortunately took way too long to get going. Our biggest weakness was short run speed. Everyone in front of us would get 10 to 15 seconds ahead, so by the time our car got rolling, we were too far back to make something happen. Historically, the track has freed up, but that was not the case for us tonight. Our balance got tighter and tighter, and we had to loosen up the car substantially from the start to the finish. We have some work to do going forward, but eight points is a reasonable amount that can be made up with solid stages next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. We aren’t out of it yet with two races to go. Just have to put our heads down and keep digging.” -Austin Hill

AJ Allmendinger punches ticket to Championship 4 with win at Las Vegas

 AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Modern Day Garage Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger qualified ninth for the Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Within the first lap, Allmendinger had taken over seventh place. Under the race’s first caution, Allmendinger reported his No. 16 Modern Day Garage Chevy was free. The team stayed out during the yellow to restart in seventh place. On the first lap green, Allmendinger jumped to fifth place and continued gaining spots, taking over fourth on lap 13. From sixth place on lap 25, Allmendinger reported he lacked rear grip. When the caution came out 10 laps later, Allmendinger told crew chief Alex Yontz that the car was turning well but moving laterally. The No. 16 stayed out under the caution and went on to finish the opening stage in fourth.
• Allmendinger started the second stage in 14th and quickly took 11th on the first lap green. By lap 54, Allmendinger was scored in sixth, and 20 laps later, he took over second place. On lap 78, Allmendinger reported his Chevy was building tight. He went on to finish the second stage in second place. During the stage break, the No. 16 came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The team gained a spot on pit road to restart the final stage from the lead.
• Just as the field took the green flag for the final stage, the caution came out as a car spun while crossing the start/finish line. When the field took the green again on lap 102, Allmendinger maintained the lead. On lap 130, he reported he was starting to build tight. The No. 16 pitted on lap 146 for a scheduled green flag stop, and by lap 152, Allmendinger had cycled back to the lead. The caution came out with 31 laps remaining, and the No. 16 came to pit road for four tires and fuel and restarted in first place with 25 laps to go. The final caution came with seven laps to go. Allmendinger restarted in first place for the green-white-checkered finish and went on to win the race and secure his spot in the Championship 4.
• “I absolutely love these guys and girls at Kaulig Racing. Been such up and down, but what I love about them is we stick together, we keep fighting. First of all, happy birthday Matt Kaulig! The boss’ birthday. I told you I was getting you a trophy! Let’s go man!” – AJ Allmendinger  

DANIEL DYE
No. 10 Track Side Chevrolet Camaro

• Daniel Dye qualified 30th for the Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Upon the start, Dye reported that the No. 10 Camaro felt very free. Despite the handling issues, Dye made early progress, moving up to 29th before the first caution came out. During the caution, he pitted for a track bar adjustment and fuel. Dye restarted in 34th and quickly passed eight cars, even though he continued to report that the car was still far too loose. During the second caution on lap 35, Dye was scored 12th. He finished Stage 1 in 21st. During the stage break, he returned to pit road for track bar and air pressure adjustments.
• During the second stage, Dye reported that the No. 10 Track Side Chevrolet remained neutral. He advanced four positions and completed the stage in 17th. During the stage break, Dye pitted for track bar and air pressure adjustments, fuel and tires.
• Dye restarted for Stage 3 from 17th. He picked up a pair of spots before settling back into 16th. He had worked his way up to 13th and pitted on lap 148 for minor adjustments to free up the car. During the race’s final caution, Dye pitted for tires and fuel and restarted from 17th. He powered his way up to 12th at the checkered flag.

“Today was a really good day. We started in the back, and I felt like I learned a lot. We got the car a little bit better and fought different conditions all day but ultimately got lucky with the last caution. I got to put tires on and raced to a decent finish. Just really excited and happy for the No. 16 team and AJ and excited that they get to go to Phoenix and race for a Championship.” – Daniel Dye  

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams qualified 23rd for the Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• The first caution of the day fell on lap five, and Williams and the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet stayed out to restart 24th. By lap 21, Williams found himself in 21st as the No. 11 team focused on consistency and hitting its marks. The second caution of the day came out on lap 35, and Williams reported a slight vibration in his Camaro. The team pitted for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment, restarting 24th. Williams closed out Stage 1 in 15th.
• During the first stage break, Williams reported the vibration was still present. No. 11 crew chief Eddie Pardue told Williams to stay out under the break to gain track position, and Williams restarted in 10th. On older tires, he lost 13 positions as he settled into a caution-free stage. Williams finished the stage in 23rd.
• During the final stage break, Williams reported that the No. 11 had grown tighter as the race went on. The team pitted for four tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment, and Williams started the final stage in 26th. After an opening-lap wreck brought out the caution, Williams fired back off in 23rd. During green-flag pit stops, Williams ran long, capturing second place before diving down pit road for four tires and fuel. He cycled back out into 24th, one lap down, before the race’s fourth caution came out with 31 laps to go. The No. 11 took the wave around, putting Williams back on the lead lap to restart in 21st. Following the race’s final caution, Williams pitted for four tires and fuel, and the No. 11 restarted in 19th. He took the checkered flag running in 15th.

“Really proud of Kaulig Racing’s collective efforts tonight. Our Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet had some decent speed, and we went out there and finished all our laps and had a respectable finish. Congrats to AJ on the win; that was incredible.” – Josh Williams  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen qualified 16th for the Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• On lap six, the first caution came out. The No. 97 team remained out with most of the field, and Van Gisbergen restarted the stage in 23rd. During Stage 1, Van Gisbergen reported that his car was extremely loose, and he battled to maintain position. On lap 32, the No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet lost power and was sent to the garage for repairs.
• After repairs, Van Gisbergen re-entered the field on lap 64 of the race, 33 laps down. Two laps later, the Chevrolet’s mechanical problems returned, and it was sent back to the garage for more repairs.
• The No. 97 re-entered the field at the stage break. On lap 135, the No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet lost power for good and ended Van Gisbergen’s race early. He finished 38th.

“Man, that really sucks! Proud of my Kaulig Racing team for continuing to work on the WeatherTeach car and get us back on track a few times. Had a decent qualifying effort, just disappointing our race had to end like that. Hoping for a better day tomorrow in the Cup car.” – Shane van Gisbergen  
 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

SMITH CONTINUES TOP-FIVE STREAK, LEADS TOYOTA IN VEGAS
Four Supras in the top-15 led by Chandler Smith’s seventh straight top-five finish

LAS VEGAS (October 19, 2024) – Chandler Smith’s continued to put together a great Playoff run as the Georgia-native finished fourth to lead Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was Smith’s seventh consecutive top-five finish, which allowed him to remain in the top-four of the championship battle. He currently has an eight point advantage on the cutline heading into Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend.

Smith led four Toyota GR Supras in the top-15, as teammate Sheldon Creed was scored ninth, Corey Heim finished 11th and Aric Almirola crossed the line in 13th.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 30 of 33 – 301.5 Miles, 201 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, AJ Allmendinger*
2nd, Ryan Sieg*
3rd, Justin Allgaier*
4th, CHANDLER SMITH

5th, Parker Kligerman*
9th, SHELDON CREED
11th, COREY HEIM
13th, ARIC ALMIROLA
33rd, TAYLOR GRAY
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 4th

How would you evaluate a fourth-place run?

“We definitely maximized our day. This No. 81 QuickTie Products GR Supra was not as fast as Xfinity internet at the start of the race. It was an absolute handful – all I could do not to wreck by myself. Jeff Meendering (crew chief) was able to – we came in the stage one break and made a change and got it slightly better, and progressively got it slightly better all day. It just wasn’t at all what we expected coming into the weekend – wasn’t where we targeted or thought we would be – just with what we brought, we balanced everything off the Spring race and was not close to what we were during the Spring race. Definitely need to go back to the drawing board and be a little bit better. We need to be a little bit better these next two weeks for sure.”

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

Finishing Position: 9th

Had to start from the back, but you came through the field and ended up with a solid day. How was your race?

“Yeah, just a solid day from starting at the back. I thought we were going to be a little bit better with how it felt yesterday, but I don’t know, I got to like 17th or 18th and I got really tight there in stage one, and got tires and flipped – got a lot of track position there. Got to run third there at the beginning of stage two and then I would just get really tight, so I would fall really hard once I got tight. We kept making it better and better all night, but once the sun went down, we got even better and seemed to have decent fire-off speed and it lasted longer. I don’t know what we were racing for there at the end – ninth or 10th – and then the caution. Overall, solid day for our Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Supra. We had to work for it, but another top-10 on the year, and we will get ready for next week.”

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 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th 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 29 electrified options.

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
ambetter Health 302 | Saturday, October 19, 2024

Ford Performance Results:

2nd – Ryan Sieg
7th – Riley Herbst
8th – Cole Custer
16th – Matt DiBenedetto
25th – JJ Yeley
26th – Kyle Sieg
27th – Dylan Lupton
31st – Blaine Perkins

RYAN SIEG, No. 28 Sci Aps Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WAS THE CAUTION IN YOUR FAVOR OR NOT? DID YOU THINK YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM WITHOUT IT? “Yeah, for sure. I could have got him. I just struggled on the last restart. I got a little better, but still just struggled. Even on that last one there I spun a little bit. I made it better, but not enough. It’s frustrating. We had a good car on the long run, but restarts I just need to work on. It sucks, but second is good. Damn, I want to win.”

YOU TRIED A DIFFERENT LINE ONCE YOU CLOSED THE GAP, BUT YOU COULDN’T QUITE GET THERE. “You get in dirty air and then I changed my line a little bit. I knew once I got close to him I could get him once we got at the end without the caution. I knew we could have got around him. I could have gone around the outside. We had that in our pocket, just didn’t need that late caution.”

YOUR THIRD RUNNER-UP FINISH THIS YEAR. HOW TOUGH IS THIS ONE? “This is the toughest one because we had probably the best car. I didn’t execute on the restart and spun the tires. I wasn’t able to stay beside him.”

THIS IS ARGUABLY YOUR BEST YEAR. HOW CLOSE IS THAT WIN? “It’s coming. We just have to clean up a few things. There are 1000 things that could have gone different through the race, but if I was in the lead, I could have held it. But you’ve got to get their first. We were coming from behind and had the better car. We were handling better than he was, but we didn’t need that late caution.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 3D Systems Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a solid day. I wish we had a little bit more, but it was a solid points day. We can take that and move on to the next one. I wish we had this 3D Systems Ford Mustang to go win today, but just didn’t quite have the long run speed.”

YOU HAD A GOOD CAR IN THE FIRST STAGE. WHERE DID IT GO? “Just the long run. Rubber got down on the track and we didn’t have the long run speed. We were just tight for whatever reason with our 3D Systems Ford Mustang. We got it better, but we didn’t quite have what we needed to win today. It was a good points day, I think. I don’t know exactly where we’re at, but we definitely maximized our day the best we could. I think Homestead has been a good track for us, so we’re looking forward to it.”

HOW DOES AJ WINNING AFFECT YOU GUYS? “I don’t know. It will be what it will be. The chips are gonna fall how they’re gonna fall. We’ll just go out and maximize our day and see where we land. I think we have a good enough car even with him winning, a good enough team to hopefully point our way in. We’re looking forward to Homestead and hopefully get a win there.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I thought it was good the first stage and the second stage I made a really bad decision on restarts, but, overall, I thought we got it better and better. It was just difficult. We haven’t really raced into the night here in a long time, so that was hard to keep up with the track, but, overall, I thought it was an OK day.”