RSS Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway | Call811.com 250

Fast Facts
No. 38 RSS Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr.
Primary Partner(s): Lefcourt Brothers Racing
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Steve Addington
Spotter: Joe Campbell
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines
Driver Championship Point Standings: 22nd
Team Championship Point Standings: 21st

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 Lefcourt Brothers Racing as the primary partner of the team’s No. 38 Ford Mustang for Saturday night’s Call811.com 250.

The first of two trips to the famed Virginia short track will mark the company’s first event as a primary partner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Graf Jr. at RSS Racing respectively.

Sponsor Intel: Lefcourt Brothers Racing was created by brothers Jeff and Jonathan Lefcourt to support up-and-coming drivers in the top three tiers of NASCAR. A lifelong fan of motorsports, Jeff has been involved in motorsports for many years as both a driver and a track owner.

After having an ownership stake in SS GreenLight Racing during the 2022 NASCAR season, Jeff wanted to expand his involvement. He and Jonathan decided to combine their love of motorsports with their business expertise to create a platform to help aspiring racers get more seat time and exposure to potential partners.

And thus, Lefcourt Brothers Racing was born.

Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 20 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, Love Motorsports, Model Electronics and ShopRite for their continued support.

Catch Him On The Dial: Before Joe Graf Jr. straps into his No. 38 Lefcourt Brothers Racing Ford Mustang on Saturday night, the RSS Racing driver will be featured on “The Frontstretch” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90 with host Pat Patterson on Saturday morning, April 15, 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, April 16, 2023.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Martinsville Speedway Stats: Saturday night’s Call811.com 250 will mark Graf’s sixth start at the historic 0.526-mile paved oval.

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

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Short Track Stats: At tracks classified as a short track, Graf has competed in 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 25.0 and an average result of 23.9.

Richmond (Va.) Raceway | ToyotaCare 250 Race Recap: In his most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway, Graf returned to Joe Gibbs Racing for his third race of the season with the organization but the seventh Xfinity Series overall of the season.

Mother Nature wreaked havoc with the NASCAR Xfinity Series teams on Saturday morning soaking the .075-mile short track washing out practice and qualifying and setting the starting lineup per the rule books and previous race metrics.

Starting 15th, Graf’s opportunity to score his second top-10 finish of the season was hindered after contact from another competitor caused a flat tire that forced the driver of the No. 19 CoverSeal Toyota Supra to pit under green flag conditions.

Late in the race, he experienced transmission woes – which hindered the opportunity for a stronger finish. He ended the race with a frustrating 37th-place finish.

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 every month.

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 crew chief for his 271st NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday night and his third race at the iconic short track in the Old Dominion.

In his previous 270 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 309th career Xfinity Series start overall and sixth at Martinsville. His best Xfinity Martinsville track finish occurred in the 2022 Call Before You Dig 250, where he finished ninth after starting eighth for his family-owned RSS Racing team.

Kyle Sieg is set to make his 26th career Xfinity Series start overall and first at Martinsville Speedway.

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

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

“I’m excited to return to the RSS Racing team after their most recent finish at Richmond Raceway and I am hoping we can have a clean and competitive showing on Saturday night with our No. 38 Lefcourt Brothers Racing Ford Mustang and contend for a top-10 finish.”

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 believe Martinsville is a great place to put my season back on track. 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 have my best Xfinity Series season yet.”

Race Information:

The Call811.com 250 (250 laps | 131.5 miles) is the eighth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, Apr. 14 from 5:05 p.m. – 5:40 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 5:40 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag the following night, Saturday, Apr. 15 shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor 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.

AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series

Martinsville (Va.) Speedway | Call811.com 250

Fast Facts

No. 25 AM Racing Team:

Driver: Brett Moffitt

Primary Partner(s): AM Technical Solutions

Manufacturer: Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Joe Williams Jr.

Spotter: Tony Raines

Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. 1028

Engine: Roush-Yates Engines

Driver Championship Point Standings: 16th

Team Championship Point Standings: 18th

Notes of Interest:

Inaugural Journey: After spending the past several seasons as a full-time team in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, AM Racing will embark on its inaugural journey in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season with driver Brett Moffitt for the entire 33-race tour continuing with Saturday night’s Call811.com 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Future Focused: With AM’s inaugural Xfinity journey set to continue at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va., 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, 30, arrives on the scene at AM Racing after a stint at Our Motorsports.

Back For More: The Statesville, N.C.-based team will sport the signage of AM Technical Solutions on the No. 25 Ford Mustang for the eighth 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.

AM Minute: Last weekend at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track, AM Racing fielded an entry in the WEATHER GUARD Truck Race on Dirt with NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe at the helm.

Briscoe making his AM Racing debut in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series qualified his No. 22 Production Alliance Group Ford F-150 10th and contended for a top-10 finish throughout the night before tallying a seventh-place finish in the 150-lap event.

The finish was the team’s first top-10 of the season in Truck Series competition.

Last weekend at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), AM Racing fielded an entry in the XPEL 225 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race with Austin, Texas native Logan Bearden.

A week earlier, Mainstay AM Racing driver Austin Wayne Self returned to action and Victory Lane also on dirt at Lake View Motor Speedway in a Late Model modified prepared by the AM Racing Dirt Division. It was Self’s second feature win of the season.

Thanks For Your Support: With more than 20 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, Concrete Supply, Destiny Homes, Flying Circle, Kreuz Market, Lane Frost Brand, Mechanix Wear and Mobil 1.

Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Martinsville Speedway Stats: Saturday night’s Call811.com 250 will mark Moffitt’s fifth start at the famed 0.526-mile paperclip oval.

In his previous four efforts, he has delivered two top-15 and three top-20 finishes. His track-best result occurred during the 2021 spring edition of the Cook Out 250 when Moffitt steered to a track best of 12th after starting 27th for Our Motorsports.

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

Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Short Track Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a short track, Moffitt has made 12 starts throughout his career earning two top-10 finishes. He also holds an average finishing position of 19.8.

Brett Moffitt NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 91 career Xfinity Series starts, Moffitt has earned two top-five and 25 top-10 finishes, including a second-place outing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2021.

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

In addition to 90 Xfinity Series starts, he has achieved 45 NASCAR Cup Series and 92 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts to his credit.

Richmond (Va.) Raceway | ToyotaCare 250 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, Brett Moffitt and the AM Racing team tackled the legendary Virginia short track for the first and only time this season.

Mother Nature wreaked havoc with the NASCAR Xfinity Series teams on Saturday morning soaking the .075-mile short track washing out practice and qualifying and setting the starting lineup per the rule books and previous race metrics.

Starting 24th in his No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang, Moffitt made steady progress throughout the afternoon despite being plagued with the lack of grip that hindered his ability to rotate better through the corners.

A late-race restart set Moffitt up to contend for another top-10 finish in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition this season, but Moffitt was spun out by another competitor.

The Grimes, Ia. native did a masterful job to avoid suffering any damage in the spin, however, the hard application of the brake pedal deteriorated the tire which Moffitt was forced to finish the race on.

At the checkered flag, Moffitt did manage to cling onto the lead lap but finished 22nd in the 38-car field.

In seven races this season, Moffit has delivered two top-10s, three top-15s and an average finish of 19.3.

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

He will be crew chief for his 106th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday night and his sixth race at Martinsville Speedway.

In his previous 105 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), seven top-five and 23 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 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 Twitter (@brett_moffitt).

Brett Moffitt Quoteboard:

On Martinsville Speedway: “We are headed to Martinsville Speedway this weekend looking for a short track revival. Our AM Racing team wasn’t very good in the most recent race at Richmond Raceway, but we have taken the first off week to evaluate some things and feel like we will head to Martinsville and be competitive.

Overall, Martinsville has not been too bad of a track for me, other than a mechanical issue in my most recent start in the spring race a year ago. Martinsville is a fun race track if you can keep up with the handling and handle the (race) traffic.

“We are focused on a rebound finish after a tough outing at Richmond and putting our No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang back inside the top-10, where we feel like we belong.”

On The 2023 Season: “There has been so much effort put into the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and honestly, I am so excited about it. I cannot thank everyone on the AM Racing team enough for the opportunity and for taking a chance on me to lead them in the inaugural year.

“I feel like in the first three months or so we have definitely proved ourselves in the series, but we realize there is more work to be done.

“I believe we will exceed everyone’s expectations and not only will we challenge for race wins, but we will earn them and contend for the 2023 Xfinity Series championship.”

Race Information:

The Call811.com 250 (250 laps | 131.5 miles) is the eighth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, Apr. 14 from 5:05 p.m. – 5:40 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 5:40 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag the following night, Saturday, Apr. 15 shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

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 and Christian Rose as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series seasons.

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

• Event: Call811.com Before You Dig. 250 (Round 8 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, April 15
• Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
• Layout: .526-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 7:30 p.m. EDT on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer couldn’t be happier to return to short-track racing after a one-week hiatus as the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to the .526-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway paperclip-shaped oval for Saturday night’s Call811.com Before you Dig. 250. Custer scored his first top-five of the season two weekends ago on the .75-mile Richmond (Va.) Raceway oval and is ready for another strong outing under the lights at Martinsville. The No. 00 Haas Automation driver has been fast all season, but bad luck has gotten in the way of potential top finishes. His fifth-place run at Richmond elevated Custer to 10th in the driver standings, 81 points out of first, as he heads into his first career Xfinity Series career start at Martinsville with his eyes focused on its prestigious grandfather clock trophy.
• Custer does have a dozen previous race outings at Martinsville under his belt – six apiece in the NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series. In the Cup Series, the 25-year-old from Ladera Ranch, California, has a best Martinsville finish of 13th in October 2020, and his most recent outing last October resulted in a 14th-place finish. Best of Custer’s six Truck Series races at Martinsville from 2014 through 2016 was his fourth-place finish from the pole after leading a race-high 96 of 200 laps in the October 2015 race. That was behind the wheel of the No. 00 JR Motorsports entry, which he also drove to a seventh-place finish from the third starting position in the October 2016 race, in which he led 17 laps.
• Custer’s overall short-track history proves it is his strong suit. Included in his 13 top-10 finishes in 20 career short-track starts in the Xfinity Series was a victory at Richmond in April 2019 during his previous fulltime season in the series. He’s led a total of 365 laps in those 20 short-track starts.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst can’t wait to get back on track for what has been shaping up to be a career-best season during Saturday night’s Call811.com Before you Dig. 250. His streak of top-10s to start the 2023 Xfinity Series campaign – six in the first six races – came to an abrupt end when he was involved in an accident that took him out of contention two weekends ago at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) arrives at Martinsville second in the driver standings, 12 points behind leader Austin Hill, after collecting 66 valuable stage points in the opening seven races, during which he’s led 38 laps. He’s looking to pick up where he left off at Martinsville in his most recent outing there last October, which resulted in a third-place finish.
• Saturday’s Call811.com Before you Dig. 250 will mark Herbst’s sixth at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series. Four of his five previous starts there resulted in top-10 finishes. Prior to last October’s third-place run, in which he fought valiantly for the win over multiple late-race restarts, he posted a pair of sixth-place finishes at the .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval – in October 2020 and April 2022, respectively.
• Herbst has come to excel on the short tracks in the Xfinity Series, as was evident last season. In addition to his sixth- and third-place finishes at Martinsville in the spring and fall races, respectively, he added a fifth-place finish in the April race at Richmond and a fifth-place finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September. Saturday night’s race at Martinsville will mark Herbst’s 17th on a short track in the Xfinity Series. His first career short-track start resulted in a sixth-place finish in June 2018 at Iowa Speedway in Newton. Since then, Herbst has added 11 top-10s, including in his past three races at Martinsville.

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

Martinsville is such a polarizing track for drivers – some love it and some hate it. Where do you land on that scale?

“I really like Martinsville. Ever since I first went there in the Truck Series, I’ve always loved going there. It’s definitely a place that you will love when everything is going well and hate when it all starts going bad – mostly because when it’s bad, it’s really bad. Stewart-Haas Racing has had solid runs there in the Xfinity Series in the past, so hopefully we can learn from that and show up ready to win. It would mean a ton to win a Martinsville grandfather clock. I’ve come really close there a few times in the Truck Series, and we had a few good runs in the Cup Series. That’s a trophy that everyone wants to win, and Martinsville is a place where everyone wants to win, so you always go there wanting to get that clock.”

After scoring a top-five finish prior to the Xfinity Series off weekend on the .75-mile oval of Richmond Raceway, what are your expectations heading into this Saturday’s race?

“We hope to keep building on what we did at Richmond. Martinsville is a place where tempers can flare, though, and you have to be ready for that. Sometimes you just have to get going, so either you have to move people out of the way if they’re holding you up, or you get moved. It’s a place where, as the laps start winding down, you’re going to get aggression from the drivers trying to win that clock. Hopefully we’ll come out on top and continue to turn our luck around. We’ve had the speed, so hopefully we can park our No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang in victory lane on Saturday night.”

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

Richmond didn’t have the ending that you wanted, but there were a ton of positives that came out of it. Talk about that race and what you expect heading into another short-track race at Martinsville.

“Yeah, Richmond didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but there are a ton of positive things that we can take away. We got into a bad situation there, but prior to that we were leading laps, running up front and contending for the win. It proved that we can do that each and every week. I’m excited to head back to Martinsville now and try to take that same mentality from Richmond and from last October’s race. Everyone wants to bring home a grandfather clock, everyone wants to be the best at Martinsville. Sometimes to be the best, though, you have to do some beating and banging, and we’ve seen feelings get hurt. Either way, Martinsville is always a fun race.”

It was a season of growth for you in 2022, but it feels like you’re coming into your own in 2023. You’re leading laps, contending for wins, and consistently a top-five car. How has the journey been to get you to this point mentally?

“We’ve come a long way from that first season, and I’ve come a long way as a driver. It took me a while to understand that I’m Riley Herbst. I’m not Cole Custer, I’m not Chase Briscoe. I’m a completely different driver with a different style. Once I felt like I got that settled and would be able to be myself, have fun and try to drive the racecar the way I want to drive the race car, things started to turn around. I have so much confidence in Richard (Boswell, crew chief) and everybody on the No. 98 team. I know that they have confidence in me, and that’s what matters.”

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Martinsville Speedway
RACE: Call 811.com Before You Dig 250 (250 laps / 131.5 miles)
DATE: Saturday, April 15, 2023

Broadcast Information – TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 7 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet

• Sam Mayer returns to Martinsville Speedway this weekend
  to make his fourth start at the 0.526-mile short track.
• The Franklin, Wis. native has a best finish of fourth at Martinsville in 2021 after falling three laps down due to damage. The then-18-year-old made up those three laps and fought back to the fourth-place finish.
• Following that fourth-place effort came respective fifth- and sixth-place finishes in the 2022 events at Martinsville during his first full-time season.
• After finishing 17th at Richmond Raceway, Mayer currently sits eighth in the NXS point standings, 69 markers behind the leader.

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

• Josh Berry returns to the site of his first NXS victory this
  weekend at Martinsville. Berry won there in the spring of
  2021, leading 95 laps on the way to one of his biggest
  career victories.
• Berry is one of the four Xfinity Dash 4 Cash drivers this
  weekend, having qualified for the second round of the
  annual bonus program two weeks ago at Richmond.
• Berry owns two wins on the .526-mile paperclip at Martinsville, having won the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in 2019 in Late Model competition. The Tennessee driver set a track record in qualifying, started from the pole and led all 200 laps on the way to a dominant victory.

Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards/Atlas Roofing Chevrolet

• Jones’ average finish of 8.8 at Martinsville is tied for his second-best on active tracks in the NXS, just behind Michigan International Speedway (8.2).
• The Atlanta, Ga., native has led 142 laps at Martinsville, which is the best among all tracks for Jones in the NXS.
  
  Justin Allgaier
  No. 7 Chevy Truck Season Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier enters this weekend’s NXS event at Martinsville with the chance to claim his second consecutive $100,000 Dash 4 Cash prize.
• The Illinois native claimed his record-tying fifth Dash 4 Cash check two weeks ago at Richmond.
• In five career starts at the Virginia paperclip in the NXS, Allgaier has scored three top fives, four top 10s and a best finish of second, coming in the fall of 2020.
• In 70 starts on short tracks in the NXS, Allgaier has amassed four wins, 25 top fives and 42 top 10s. Allgaier’s most recent short track wins came during the historic Richmond weekend sweep in 2020.

Driver Quotes

“I’m really looking forward to getting to Martinsville this weekend. It’s a track I have run really well at in the past and I know this weekend will be more of the same with this Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions team. Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and this entire team have been preparing through the off week to make sure we are ready when we unload on Friday. There’s no better time to get our first win than this weekend.” – Sam Mayer

“We’ve been really solid at Martinsville over the last few years and have been able to build a strong notebook on what changes we need to make throughout the race to be in contention at the end. Hopefully we can be upfront all night long on Saturday with our Chevy Truck Season Chevrolet and come away with a Grandfather Clock and a second straight Dash 4 Cash bonus. I know this No. 7 team is ready to go.” – Justin Allgaier

“Martinsville is one of my favorite tracks and I’ve had a lot of success there, so we’re looking to add some more to that resume this weekend. We’ve been strong all season with a lot of top-five and top-10 finishes, but this Bass Pro Shops team is looking for our first win of the year and this is a great place to get that done, especially with $100k on the line.” – Josh Berry

“Martinsville has been one of my best tracks statistically and it’s a track where I have found a lot of success in the past. I was able to win this race last season and we ran up front the majority of the night during the fall race, so this is a track I am ready to get to and hopefully turn our luck around. Jason (Burdett, crew chief) and this entire Menards/Atlas Roofing team deserve a great finish and this is a track where we can get that done.” – Brandon Jones

JRM Team Updates:

• JR Motorsports at Martinsville: JR Motorsports has competed at Martinsville Speedway a combined 22 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at the .526-mile facility, JRM has tallied two wins, 11 top fives and 15 top 10s. The average finish of 10.1 at Martinsville for the organization is the third best, just behind Michigan (9.7) and Dover Motor Speedway (10.0). JRM’s most recent win came with Noah Gragson during the 2021 season, clinching his first Championship 4 appearance in the process.
• Dash 4 Cash: Since the beginning of the program in 2009, JR Motorsports has collected 20 Dash 4 Cash wins. Josh Berry claimed his first $100k payday last season at Dover and will compete next to teammate Justin Allgaier, who was the D4C victor at Richmond and has a record-tying five D4C wins himself, for the prize this weekend.
• Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones will be at the JR Motorsports / Legacy M.C. souvenir rig in the Martinsville Speedway Fan Zone on Saturday, April 15 from 3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
• Fan Stage: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry will be at the Martinsville Speedway fan stage Saturday, April 15 from 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a Dash 4 Cash Q&A.

STEWART-HAAS RACING
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Richmond 250

Date: April 1, 2023
Event: Richmond 250 (Round 7 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Richmond (Va.) Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Format: 250 laps, broken into three stages (75 laps/75 laps/100 laps)
Race Winner: Chandler Smith of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Chandler Smith of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Josh Berry of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 22nd / Finished 5th, completed 250 of 250 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 4th / Finished 23rd, completed 250 of 250 laps)

SHR Points:

● Riley Herbst (2nd with 265 points, 12 out of first)
● Cole Custer (10th with 196 points, 81 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his first top-five of the season and his third top-five in eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Richmond.
● Custer has never finished outside the top-15 at Richmond in his eight Xfinity Series starts.
● This was Custer’s third straight top-five at Richmond. During his last fulltime season in the Xfinity Series, Custer won in April 2019 and finished third in September 2019.

● Custer finished fifth in Stage 1 to earn six bonus points and fifth in Stage 2 to earn six more bonus points.

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

● Herbst led two times for 27 laps to increase his laps-led total at Richmond to 28.

Race Notes:

● Chandler Smith won the Richmond 250 to score his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in 10 starts. His margin over second-place John Hunter Nemechek was .298 of a second.

● There were six caution periods for a total of 43 laps.

● Twenty-three of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Austin Hill remains the championship leader after Richmond with a 12-point advantage over second-place Riley Herbst.

Sound Bites:

“It was great to have a solid run in our No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang today at Richmond. These past few weeks I feel like every time things seem to be going well, something goes wrong. So, it just feels awesome to have a solid run, have nothing happen, and get a top-five finish. I’m happy with it. Hopefully, we can keep this going in Martinsville.” – Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang

“That was a tough one. We were one of the fastest cars on the track, and a great finish went away just like that. It’s racing though. We were putting a strong day together by leading laps and getting all those stage points. I felt like we were in a position to go for the win before that incident. We’ll take the off week to regroup and hopefully be back stronger at Martinsville with the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang.” – Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Call811.com Before You Dig. 250 on Saturday, April 15 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The race begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

TWO TOYOTA TOP-FIVES IN TOYOTACARE 250
Kaz Grala ties career-best finish

RICHMOND, Va. (April 1, 2023) – John Hunter Nemechek (second) and Kaz Grala (fourth) earned top-five finishes in Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway. Nemechek will run for $100,000 as part of the Dash 4 Cash program in Martinsville. For Grala, fourth ties his career-best finish (Daytona 2018, Road America 2020). The finish is the second-best in Sam Hunt Racing history and the team’s second top-five at Richmond Raceway.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Richmond Raceway
Race 7 of 33 – 187.5 miles, 250 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Chandler Smith*
2nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
3rd, Josh Berry*
4th, KAZ GRALA
5th, Cole Custer*
19th, SAMMY SMITH
27th, JOEY GASE
28th, CONNOR MOSACK
31st, MASON MAGGIO
37th, JOE GRAF JR.
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Safeway/ACME Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

Can you talk about the finish?

“Yeah, we weren’t very good on the short run. We had a long run speed car. We came from the back to battle up here. I’m just proud of everyone on this No. 20 Toyota GR Supra team for Joe Gibbs Racing. The Safeway colors looked great on our car. We came from the back as fast as Xfinity 10 G internet. Disappointed to run runner-up again. That is the last three races here I’ve ran second or third, frustrating. We will go back to work. We just have to figure out to execute better. The 16 (Chandler Smith) had the best car on the short run – it was going to be hard to hold him off, even early on, he would fire off and then drop back. Just one of those days. It was a good points day for us. I think we moved up a couple spots. Disappointed, but we will take it and move on to the next one.”

KAZ GRALA, No. 26 Toyota Racing Development Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Can you talk about your race?

“It was our best race of the year – but not for a lack of effort. We’ve been bringing really, really fast Toyota GR Supras. Today was no exception. Everything fell our way – we had a solid day, through and through. We were a top-10 car easily on the short run, but we might have just been the best car out here in the long run. When the caution came out late, I was almost disappointed – but it turned out okay. We will take a fourth-place. I’m really, really proud of everyone at Sam Hunt Racing, Toyota, our partners, Reudebusch, Island Coastal Lager, Fire Department Coffee. We can’t do it without those guys.”

Does it feel extra special to get a top-five here with Sam Hunt Racing – their home track?

“Absolutely. Sam (Hunt, team owner) has a lot of friends, family and guests here this weekend, so this being his home race – this was a huge one. It is always a little bit sweeter to run well in your home race. We did just that. I liked today, because there was no crazy pit strategy, no cycling, no attrition – we were just straight up pretty good today. We were good on the short run, and really, really good on the long run. Very proud of everyone at Sam Hunt Racing, Toyota, our partners, Reudebusch, Island Coastal Lager, Fire Department Coffee. We can’t do it without those guys. This was a fun Saturday. We’ve got more of these.”

SAM HUNT, team owner, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

What does this mean?

“It means a lot. Especially, because it has been a tough year so far, we’ve had fast cars and things just haven’t fallen our way. We were good all day long. We were really hoping it went green, because I think we had a car to beat in the long run, but for this team, this group, to run with these guys and beat the cars we beat, it is special. It is really cool. I’m just grateful for all of the people that have believed in us, believed in me. I feel like I really don’t deserve this stage, this situation, this finish. I have just been so lucky to have great people help me and help this program.”

About Toyota

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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.