NEMECHEK, GIBBS EARN TOP-FIVE FINISHES IN DELAYED CHARLOTTE XFINITY RACE
John Hunter Nemechek adds to his points lead with his runner-up finish

CONCORD, N.C. (May 29, 2023) – John Hunter Nemechek (second) and Ty Gibbs (fifth) led Toyota with top-five finishes in the rain-delayed NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday evening.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Race 12 of 33 – 200 miles, 300 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Justin Allgaier*

2nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

3rd, Cole Custer*

4th, Austin Hill*

5th, TY GIBBS

10th, SAMMY SMITH

16th, KAZ GRALA

23rd, CONNOR MOSACK

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

How tough is it when you are saving fuel and you can see the car you are racing for the lead?

“It was definitely tough to not push as hard you could there at the end and try to run (Justin) Allgaier back down. We raced each other really hard – really clean, some aero games for sure, but overall Mobil 1 Toyota GR Supra was as fast as Xfinity 10G. I didn’t do us any favors by stuffing it in the fence before we had our whole rain delay earlier. Just hats off to all the guys – the effort at this Joe Gibbs Racing organization. If consistency is key to win the championship, we are pretty consistent. Just keep plugging on and we will go click off some more wins.’

TY GIBBS, No. 19 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

900 miles today. What does that mean to you?

“I’m just young and work out – thanks to Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing for the performance centers. I appreciate them and all of their hard work. Not great finishes today, not what we wanted, but a great effort. Proud of my team at Joe Gibbs Racing and everybody getting after it.”

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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 22 electrified options.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Toyota Racing – John Hunter Nemechek
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

CONCORD, N.C. (May 26, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to media prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday:

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

What are your thoughts going into this weekend?

“I’m excited to be here racing at home and being able to be here in Charlotte. It is a great atmosphere of family and friends coming out to the race. It’s my first time in a Xfinity car at Charlotte in quite some time. I feel like our mile-and-a-half program has definitely been pretty good at Joe Gibbs Racing on the Xfinity side across the last few races and last year. I’m excited to see what we can do. JRM (JR Motorsports) cars were definitely dominate here last year, so I feel like we have a little bit of a tall task to go out there and beat them, but I feel like we had a good test here in January. Weather is probably going to be the same tomorrow. I’m excited to get racing here and kick off a couple of mile-and-a-halves, but also a couple of road courses in between as well. Portland – I don’t know much about it. I’ve never been there. I’ve seen a little bit of video. I’ve done a little bit of sim work, but it is all going to be new to me. It’s kind of a tall task for me to go out there and figure it out quickly. Luckily, I think there’s not a lot guys out there with laps there in the dry – if we end up racing in the dry. A lot of guys have laps in the rain from racing in the rain there last year. Who knows how it is going to end up, but JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) was fast there last year as well. I’ve just got to put my big boy pants on try to learn it pretty quick.”

Do you have memories coming here with your dad (Joe Nemechek)?

“Yeah, I do. I end up growing up here, out in the bus lot, walking around. I remember trying to get through all the gates here as a child – and always having a minor credential and getting stopped. That’s probably one of the fondest memories – always trying to get somewhere, and not being able to get where I needed to go. I definitely love coming here – short drive to the race track from home, being able to sleep in your own bed is nice.”

What do you think your Truck Series and Xfinity Series success could show potential Cup teams with openings?

“I hope it puts me at the top of the line for some of the Cup seats, if they open. That was kind of the goal with taking the gamble and moving back to the Truck Series – was trying to revamp my career and show that I could win in whatever I got in. Being able to win in the Truck Series, being able to win in the Xfinity Series over the last couple of years and contend for championships – I’m sad that we didn’t win one, but we were at least contending for them. I feel like every week, we have been a contender, every time we have shown up to the race track. It feels good to me. It boosts my confidence as a driver. When you are not running as well and not contending for wins, you start questioning yourself sometimes. That can take a mental tole on you. I’m definitely proud of where we are – from the step back. I’m thankful for Toyota, TRD, and everyone involved for taking the gamble to bring me back and put me in some great equipment to try and go win some races.”

If the race gets pushed because of weather, will you be okay to get to Portland?

“I think from the team side we would be okay to get there. I think our cars are close from having a couple weeks off and getting ahead a little bit. I can’t fully speak on where they are at, team wise and car wise, to be able to ship them out, but I’m sure if we get rained out tomorrow or Sunday or Monday, or whenever we get rained out and racing, I’m sure that we can get our stuff ready to get out to Portland. It might be tight getting there – depending on when we race for garage opening and haulers. I think they were saying it was like a 48-hour driving time. That’s pretty tough.”

What did you learn in taking that step back that is benefitting you as you move back up the NASCAR ladder?

“I think from the year racing in Cup – it taught me a lot. There were a lot of things I learned from the racing side – restarts. A year of Cup experience is unbeatable I would say. I feel like being able to have that under your belt, and to be able to race around the top guys every week definitely puts you in a better position to know what to do to get good finishing positions. Again, you are racing some of the best of the best, but I would say the biggest thing I learned from taking the step back was to be never afraid and gamble on yourself. If you think that you can do it, go out and prove it.”

Do you ever feel like there is a time that you are not auditioning?

“No. I feel like you are auditioning every time you are on the race track and even when you are off the race track. I feel like there is so many things involved from a team to possibly look at you and pick you up – from a social media standpoint, your brand, to how you carry yourself, to media obligations, to performance on the race track, hard work off the race track. Literally everything. I definitely feel like you are kind of underneath the spotlight with everything that you do, so you better do it right.”

Do you think there is a time when the drivers in the Cup Series are not auditioning?

“I don’t know. I guess some guys can be like that. I feel like I can only speak for myself and for me, I don’t have that mindset. Every time I step into a race car on the race track, I want to go out and win – whether it is practice, qualifying, racing – it’s just the competitive spirit in me. I would say I’m not doing it for the money – I want to win and go have fun. Racing to me is fun – it’s something that we can make a career out of, which we are definitely blessed to do so. I like the competitive spirit that we are in, but I can’t speak for everybody. Some guys maybe that way, they may get comfortable, but for me it’s not that way.”

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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 22 electrified options.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

RSS Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway | Alsco Uniforms 300

Fast Facts

No. 38 RSS Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr.
Primary Partner(s): No. 38 GTECHNIQ EXOv5 Ford Mustang
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Steve Addington
Spotter: Joe Campbell
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines
Driver Championship Point Standings: 24th
Team Championship Point Standings: 24th

Notes of Interest:

Settling 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.

Welcome Aboard: Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing welcome back GTECHNIQ, a leader in automotive protective coatings products as the primary marketing of the No. 38 Ford Mustang for the 12th NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the 2023 season.

Headquartered in Cumming, Ga., the Gtechniq range includes composite ceramic coatings, leather protection, fabric protection, wheel and trim protection, shampoos and much more.

The Alsco Uniforms 300 will mark the company’s fourth event as a primary partner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series but second of the 2023 season.

Promoting EXOv5: On this Memorial Day weekend, Graf, RSS Racing and GTECHNIQ are promoting one of their newest products, EXOv5.

GTECHNIQ EXOv5 produces a high-gloss, warm-looking, extreme hydrophobic finish. It has a consistent film that is more durable and offers great resistance to road salt, all wash chemicals and can help withstand micro-marring.

Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 33 percent of the 2023 Xfinity Series season complete, Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing would like to thank their associate marketing partners: 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 and ShopRite for their continued support.

Catch Him On The Dial: Before Joe Graf Jr. straps into his No. 38 GTECHNIQ EXOv5 Ford Mustang on Saturday, the RSS Racing driver will be featured on “The Frontstretch” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90 with host Pat Patterson on Saturday morning, May 27, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET.

Graf will also spotlight a commercial featuring GTECHNIQ in several spots throughout the weekend, including the full four-hour program on Sunday, May 28, 2023.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Alsco Uniforms 300 will mark Graf’s third start at the iconic 1.5-mile speedway.

In his previous two Charlotte efforts, he delivered a track-best of 19th during the 2020 edition of the Alsco 300 after starting 28th for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Speedway Stats: At tracks classified as a speedway, Graf has competed in 52 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 25.8 and an average result of 26.0.

Darlington (S.C.) Raceway | Shriners Children’s 200 Race Recap: In his most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Graf competed in his eighth race of the season with the organization but the 12th Xfinity Series race overall of the season.

Without practice or qualifying due to inclement weather, Graf started his No. 38 Bethel Motor Speedway | Lefcourt Brothers Racing Ford Mustang from the rear of the field after encountering an oil leak prior to qualifying.

Throughout the 147-lap race from the 37th position, Graf methodically maneuvered through the field and climbed inside the top-15 but on a late-race restart was involved in a chain-reaction accident that eliminated him from competition and left the RSS Racing team with a frustrating 32nd-place.

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 275th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his 17th race on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway oval.

In his previous 274 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 two teammates at RSS Racing.

Veteran Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 39 CMRroofing.com Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 28 RSS Racing Ford Mustang.

Ryan Sieg is set to make his 313th career Xfinity Series start overall and 14th at Charlotte. His best Xfinity Darlington track finish occurred in the 2019 edition of the Alsco 300, where he finished eighth after starting 12th for his family-owned RSS Racing team.

Kyle Sieg is set to make his 31st career Xfinity Series start overall and first at Charlotte.

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), Twitter (@JoeGrafJr), Instagram (@joegrafjr) and YouTube.

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

Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:

On Charlotte Motor Speedway: “I love racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is a very challenging and characteristic track. I feel confident about our race heading into the weekend.

“With the cooler temperatures expected, I am not sure if we will be able to spend a lot of time near the wall or not, but we definitely need to make sure we keep up with the balance of our No. 38 GTECHNIQ EXOv5 Ford Mustang so we can have a strong and successful Stage 3.”

On The 2023 Season: “We started the year off really strong between RSS Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, but unfortunately we’ve had a few setbacks the last couple of weeks that has broken up the momentum.

“I am really proud of our team for our performance at Darlington – even though we did not earn the finish we deserved. We’ve been on this up-and-down rollercoaster, but I’m hopeful we can get things settled and start putting together some solid performances I know our No. 38 RSS Racing team is capable of.

Hopefully, Charlotte will continue the re-righting of our year and put our season back on track. We are definitely capable of it; we just need everything to come together.

“I just need to continue to stay focused, communicate with my team and utilize the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past three years to recover and have my best Xfinity Series season yet.”

Race Information:

The Alsco Uniforms 300 (200 laps | 300 miles) is the 12th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, May 26 from 3:35 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 4:05 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag the following afternoon, Saturday, May 27 shortly after 1:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

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.

24-Year-Old Racer from Charlotte, North Carolina, Competing in ARCA and NASCAR Xfinity Series Races This Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 25, 2023) – Connor Mosack’s racing career began six years ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and this Memorial Day weekend, the 24-year-old returns to pull double duty at his hometown track.

It started with Mosack racing Legend Cars on Charlotte’s quarter-mile oval in 2017. Now he’s racing on the venerable 1.5-mile oval, competing in Friday night’s General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race and Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

Mosack has packed a lot into a short period of time, bucking the trend of drivers who begin their careers at age four or five in go-karts. He has gone from winning five Legend Car championships to being the 2020 rookie-of-the-year on the CARS Late Model Tour to spending 2021-2022 in the TA2 division of the Trans Am Series, a stint that saw Mosack win twice, earn five poles and never finish outside of the top-four in the championship standings.

While racing in Trans Am, Mosack also competed in eight ARCA races, which set him up for debuts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series in 2022. This year, he has a six-race ARCA slate with Joe Gibbs Racing, along with a 23-race Xfinity Series schedule – three of which are with Joe Gibbs Racing while the remaining 20 are all with Sam Hunt Racing.

“The first year I ever drove something was really just a blur, and I really didn’t know much,” Mosack said. “Year two, we started to kind of get the hang of things and understand where we could go and what it would take. We’ve been kind of building on that ever since.”

That building process continues Friday at Charlotte, where Mosack will hop back-and-forth between his No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in ARCA and his No. 24 Toyota GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing in Xfinity.

“I think each car can help me with the other,” Mosack said. “It’s back-to-back, but you still get time to climb out of each car and kind of talk about what it’s doing and think about it for a little bit, and then you’re able get back in and try to apply it all.

“I’m looking forward to the ARCA race, just getting laps and learning different lines and where to put the car in clean and dirty air, and I think that’ll be pretty applicable with the Xfinity car, as well.”

The General Tire 150 on Friday will be Mosack’s 15th career ARCA start, but only his third with Joe Gibbs Racing. Mosack made his Joe Gibbs Racing debut earlier this year in the ARCA season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He promptly put the No. 18 Mobil 1 Toyota on the pole and then led 25 laps en route to a strong second-place finish. In his second ARCA start of the season May 6 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Mosack qualified on the outside of row one before finishing fourth.

While both Charlotte and Kansas are 1.5-mile ovals and are considered intermediate-style racetracks, there are differences.

“Kansas is really wide and has sweeping corners. We can actually go wide open, or pretty close to it, in the ARCA car, at least in qualifying,” Mosack said.

“Charlotte has a lot more off-throttle time. It’s narrower and has sharper corners, though it is more banked so you carry more load there. It has different entries, too. The banking comes all at once where, at Kansas, it’s more of a gradual entry and exit in the corners. Charlotte is more difficult because of how it goes from flat to banked and back to flat again, so it’s easy to lose the car both on entry and exit there.”

Despite those differences, getting back on an intermediate track three weeks ago at Kansas was helpful. Prior to that event, Mosack’s previous race on an intermediate track was last July at the 2.5-mile Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

“Going into Kansas, it had been quite a few months since I’d been in an ARCA car on an intermediate-style track, so it took a little bit of time in the race to get used to how those cars act on the racetrack, particularly in dirty air,” Mosack said.

“It’s quite a bit different than how the Xfinity car is this year. So I think having that experience and being able to get out of the car and review all the notes and go back and watch the race, all the things that I could’ve done differently, that’ll help us for Charlotte. Even though it is a little bit of a different racetrack, the aero capabilities and all that will still apply.”

While still in the early years of his racing career, Mosack does have some experience on Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval. He finished fourth in last year’s General Tire 150 and participated in a pre-season Xfinity test in January with Sam Hunt Racing.

“That test back in January probably helped me more than it helped the team,” Mosack said. “It was my first time on an intermediate track in an Xfinity car and we were able to have good speed. We were right there with Kaz (Grala) and Tyler (Reddick) when they were in the car. That gave me confidence, and I know what to expect when I go back there. Charlotte is one of the hardest, if not the hardest, intermediate track we go to, so just being able to have laps there is really beneficial.”

A home court advantage is also helpful. Charlotte is home for Mosack. He attended Covenant Day School in Matthews, North Carolina, from K-12 and then went 95 miles north on I-85 to High Point University, graduating in 2021 with a degree in business entrepreneurship.

“Having a lot of friends and family in Charlotte, I don’t feel like it adds any pressure, but it makes you want to do especially well,” Mosack said. “Having everybody there and being able to celebrate with them or have their support before the race, all of that’s really important. It’s also nice to have a good day and be able to just drive 20 or 30 minutes down the road and sleep in your own bed.”

Friday night’s General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race gets underway at 6 p.m. EDT. Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race begins at 1 p.m. Live coverage of both will be provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Gaffney, SC- JD Motorsports, Garrett Smithley, and The Hoffmann Group announce an exciting partnership for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

JD Motorsports is in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with The Hoffmann Group, a renowned tool company based in Germany. This collaboration marks The Hoffmann Group’s first-ever full sponsorship on a car in the exhilarating world of NASCAR, and the team couldn’t be more excited for this milestone event.

The highly anticipated race will take place at the legendary Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27th, bringing together the speed, skill, and relentless competition that NASCAR fans know and love. With The Hoffmann Group on board, JD Motorsports and Garrett Smithley are poised to make a strong impression on the track and showcase the cutting-edge capabilities of their precision tools.

The Hoffmann Group has built a stellar reputation as a global leader in providing innovative, high-quality tools to professionals across various industries. Their commitment to excellence and dedication to producing top-of-the-line products perfectly aligns with JD Motorsports pursuit of success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

“We are thrilled to partner with The Hoffmann Group for this exciting race at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Garrett Smithley, driver of the #4 Chevrolet. “Their expertise and passion for delivering exceptional tools to professionals worldwide mirrors our own commitment to achieving greatness on the track. This partnership represents a significant step forward for both of our organizations, and we look forward to achieving great things together.”

As part of the partnership, JD Motorsports will prominently feature The Hoffmann Group’s logo on the sleek and powerful race car. This high-profile exposure will allow The Hoffmann Group to reach a vast audience of NASCAR enthusiasts, further solidifying their brand presence and expanding their reach in the American market.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway promises to be a thrilling showcase of skill, strategy, and speed. JD Motorsports is poised to leverage this exciting event and the support of The Hoffmann Group to make a lasting impact in the race and cement their position as a formidable competitor in the series.

Stay tuned for updates as JD Motorsports and The Hoffmann Group prepare to leave their mark on the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Follow JD Motorsports on social media and visit our website for the latest news, race highlights, and behind-the-scenes content.

JD Motorsports

Team Owner Johnny Davis first began fielding a team in what is now the Xfinity Series in 1983 with Joe Henry Thurman as the driver. From 1983-1985, Davis and Thurman competed in 41 races and put the JD Motorsports name on the map. Although JDM has seen a sharp rise in on-track performance in the past few years, success is nothing new to this team. Years of good drivers and excellent runs have paved the way for what JDM is today. www.teamjdmotorsports.com

About The Hoffmann Group:

Hoffmann Group USA is the United States Subsidiary of The Hoffmann Group. As the official United States branch of The Hoffmann Group, Hoffmann Group USA offers a complete line of products from the Hoffmann Group portfolio, including Garant, Holex and over 500 different brands. They offer precision cutting tools, hand tools, and storage solutions from top brands with immediate shipping from their Knoxville, Tennessee warehouse.

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Charlotte Motor Speedway
RACE: Alsco Uniforms 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, May 27, 2023

Broadcast Information – TV: 1 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 12:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet

• Sam Mayer is set to make his second start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend coming off a hard-fought eighth-place finish at Darlington Raceway.
• Mayer earned his first NASCAR Xfinity Series pole at this race last season and finished with a strong third-place effort.
• In 15 NXS starts on tracks measuring 1.5 miles in length, the 19-year-old has tallied three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
• The Franklin, Wis. native currently sits 10th in the NXS championship point standings, 115 markers behind the leader.

Josh Berry
No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet

• Josh Berry enters this week as the defending race winner on the Charlotte oval. Berry led 89 laps after a tense battle with teammate Justin Allgaier to earn the victory.
• Last year’s victory came in Berry’s second start on the 1.5- mile oval and represented JRM’s first win at its home track.
• In five starts on tracks measuring 1-1.5 miles this season in the NXS, Berry has a pair of top-five finishes and five top-10 results. His best finish (second) came at Dover Motor Speedway.
• The Tennessee native is fourth in series points after 11 races, 57 off the lead.

Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards/Bali Blinds & Shades Chevrolet

• Brandon Jones has made nine starts at Charlotte and has recorded three top-10 finishes, with a best of seventh coming during the 2016 season.
• In 122 starts on tracks measuring between 1-2 miles in length in the NXS, Jones has recorded four wins, 18 top fives and 54 top 10s, along with six pole awards.
• Crew chief Jason Burdett has been atop the pit box for 10 races at Charlotte and has put together five top fives and seven top 10s, with a best finish of second coming during the 2019 season.
• Jones currently sits 14th in the series standings, 43 points below the playoff cutline with 15 races remaining in the regular season.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Unilever Military DeCA RCPT Chevrolet

• Justin Allgaier has scored a best finish of second in the NXS at Charlotte, coming in this event in 2019.
• Last season, Allgaier dueled with JRM teammate Josh Berry, leading for 63 laps before a flat tire late in the race shuffled the Illinois native to seventh at the checkered flag.
• Allgaier has amassed five top fives and 11 top 10s in 20 career NXS starts at Charlotte.
• This Memorial Day weekend, Allgaier will be carrying the logos of the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and the Round Canopy Parachute Team (RCPT) on board his red, white and blue patriotic No. 7 Unilever Military Chevrolet.

Driver Quotes

“I am really looking forward to getting back on track after the off weekend, especially at Charlotte. I was able to grab my first pole here last year and brought home a third-place finish, which was awesome. I feel super confident that the No. 1 team has built me a rocket ship for this weekend and I’m excited to go after that checkered flag.” – Sam Mayer

“We had a really strong run here last year at Charlotte. It was great to be up front and fighting for the win with Josh (Berry). Hopefully, we can replicate that same kind of speed again this year. It’s Memorial Day weekend, which is always a special time, and it’s great to be able to carry these red, white and blue colors on our No. 7 Chevrolet with the folks from DeCA, Unilever and the Round Canopy Parachute Team. We just need to go out there and do what we have done the last few weeks, and if we do that, we should be right where we need to be to fight for the win on Saturday.” – Justin Allgaier

“Winning last year was incredible after that duel with Justin (Allgaier), and I was really happy to earn JRM’s first win at Charlotte. Our intermediate program has been on the upswing for the past couple of years, and we are coming in here confident that the Tire Pros Chevrolet will be at the front. I’m happy with the consistency, but we really need to get a win and this is the place and weekend to do it.” – Josh Berry

“Jason (Burdett, crew chief) and this entire team had a really fast car for Charlotte last year and I am sure we will have that same speed when we unload on Friday. It’s always fun to race so close to home because a lot of the employees get to come out and spend time at the track with us. It would be great to be able to get our first win together this weekend with everyone there. I know this group is capable of doing just that.” – Brandon Jones

JRM Team Updates

• JR Motorsports at Charlotte: JR Motorsports has competed on the oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway a combined 76 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at its home track, JRM has tallied one win, 18 top fives and 36 top 10s. JRM’s win came in this race last season when Josh Berry drove the No. 8 to Victory Lane.
• Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy M.C. souvenir rig in the Charlotte Fan Zone on Saturday, May 27 from 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Fan Day: JRM Fan Day is back! Join us on Thursday, May 25, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for an entire day of festivities, including autograph sessions, a Dale Jr. car unveil, driver games, and a chance to win prizes. Autograph session wristbands will be distributed at 8 a.m. Thursday morning on a first-come, first–served basis. Limit one autograph per person per session.
• JRM Retail Store: The JR Nation retail store will have extended hours this weekend to ensure fans have the chance to stock up on the latest and greatest gear! The retail store will be open until 4:30 p.m. this week with Saturday (5/27) and Sunday (5/28) hours from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Memorial Day hours will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

• Event: Alsco Uniforms 300 (Round 12 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, May 27
• Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
• Layout: 1.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 1 p.m. EDT on FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Custer welcomes a new partner this weekend to the No. 00 Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) as it takes to the 1.5-mile Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway oval for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300. Adorning the hood of Custer’s racing machine for the first time will be 3D Systems, which more than 35 years ago brought the innovation of 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. Custer is ready to get back to work after his third-place finish two weekends ago at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, his fifth consecutive finish of seventh or better, a streak that includes another third-place finish April 15 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, a fourth-place result April 22 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, and a fifth-place finish April 1 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The seventh-place result came April 29 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
• Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte will mark Custer’s sixth career Xfinity Series start at the track. All but one of his five previous visits to the track resulted in top-10 finishes. Best of those was his runner-up finish to Brad Keselowski in May 2018 after qualifying second and leading 29 laps. In his most recent Charlotte visit, Custer again qualified second and led 24 laps, including 17 in the opening stage. A cut tire late in the race forced him to settle for a 24th-place result. Custer made his Xfinity Series debut at the track with an fourth-place finish in the May 2016 race. He finished seventh and sixth in the spring and fall 2017 races, respectively. He has an additional four Charlotte starts in the NASCAR Cup Series with a best result of 12th in May 2020, and one in the NASCAR Truck Series start that resulted in a 13th-place finish in May 2016.
• As the leading additive manufacturing solutions partner, 3D Systems brings innovation, performance, and reliability to every interaction – empowering its customers to create products and business models never before possible. Thanks to its unique offering of hardware, software, materials, and services, each application-specific solution is powered by the expertise of 3D Systems’ application engineers who collaborate with customers to transform how they deliver their products and services. The company’s solutions address a variety of advanced applications in healthcare and industrial markets such as medical and dental, aerospace and defense, automotive, and durable goods. More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• In 2016, at just 17 years old, a young Riley Herbst packed up his things and moved by himself more than 2,200 miles from his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Charlotte area to pursue his NASCAR dream. In Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300, he’ll mark his 121st career Xfinity Series start as he climbs behind the wheel of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for SHR. Herbst’s 2023 season started strong with six consecutive top-10s in the first six races for the 24-year-old driver. In the past six races, however, Herbst has repeatedly been the victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, getting caught up in incidents not of his own doing. He looks for a reset coming off the Xfinity Series off weekend to turn his fortunes back in a positive direction.
• Herbst had the need for speed when the Xfinity Series came to the Charlotte oval in May 2021 after finishing 12th in the previous May’s race without the benefit of practice or qualifying due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The May 2021 race weekend was his first at the track with practice and qualifying, and the No. 98 Monster Energy team rolled off the hauler with a fast racecar. Herbst topped the speedcharts in practice, then followed it up setting the fastest lap in qualifying and earning his first career Xfinity Series pole. In the 200-lap race, Herbst struggled with an ill-handling racecar but finished 12th for the second year in a row after leading seven laps.
• The Alsco Uniforms 300 will mark Herbst’s fourth Xfinity Series start on the Charlotte oval. After his 12th-place finishes in May 2020 and 2021, Herbst was plagued last May by cut tires in both qualifying and the race, which he finished 25th. Herbst has two starts in the ARCA Menards Series at Charlotte with a best finish was second in May 2018, when he missed going to victory lane by just .293 of a second behind his now fellow Xfinity Series regular Brandon Jones. In his career, Herbst has earned 19 top-fives and 60 top-10s in the Xfinity Series. His best career finish is second, earned twice – in February 2020 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and July 2020 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 3D Systems Ford Mustang

A lot of drivers have commented that the Memorial Day race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is the most underrated race of the season. What is it about this track during this time of the year that is so favorable to drivers?

“I think the racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway is just getting better and better, mostly because it’s starting to age. It’s getting to that point where the tires are starting to wear and you’re having to move around the track a lot, especially during the daytime. You’re slipping and sliding all around and you’re running against the wall. Charlotte can be a lot of fun for a driver, but it can also bite you in some instances. I think it’s just becoming one of the better mile-and-a-half racetracks just because it’s aging.”

This weekend, you’re welcoming a new partner with 3D Systems on your No. 00 Ford Mustang. What does their support mean to you and your career?

“It’s awesome to have 3D Systems on the car at Charlotte. We’re getting to run some new colors that you don’t typically see on the No. 00 Ford Mustang. I can’t thank them enough for their support. Hopefully, we can give 3D Systems a good run at Charlotte. Their printers have been huge for what we do around the shop. The plan is to run well all weekend and get their car in victory lane.”

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

In the past, you’ve mentioned how the May race in Charlotte is one of your favorites and probably the most underrated race on the schedule. Why so?

“Charlotte is one of the most underrated races on the schedule. No one realizes how difficult it can be to drive a daytime race at Charlotte at the start of the summer months. This track is slick in the sun and you’re slipping and sliding all over it. Sure, it can bite you, but it can also be one of the most fun races of the year if you can stay out of trouble. We qualified on the pole here back in 2021 and were fast last year in practice. Although we had a little bit of trouble in qualifying, I think we can still find that speed that we’ve had, if not more. I’m excited to put the bad luck behind us and run well at Charlotte.”

What do you need to do in order to get your season back to the form you and the team exhibited throughout the first six races of the season?

“We just have to stay out of trouble. Honestly, we haven’t lacked speed or determination. It just seemed like when one thing went wrong, it all went wrong. This string of bad runs is just a string of bad luck and being in situations that were out of our control. I know that I have what it takes to win in the Xfinity Series and the No. 98 Monster Energy team deserves to be in victory lane. We’re putting it all together and competing for wins, but now we just have to keep ourselves out of bad situations.”