Category: XFINITY Series PR

LEXINGTON, NC (October 7, 2024) – Champion Container Corporation, a leading industrial packaging solutions provider, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Kaulig Racing and driver Daniel Dye for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season. Champion Container will serve as the primary sponsor for numerous races throughout the 33-race campaign for the Daytona Beach, Florida native.

Champion Container has served as a leading partner of Dye for several seasons, dating back to his time competing in the ARCA Menards Series and two seasons in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS). Champion Container was the primary partner of Dye’s No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet entry at Daytona International Speedway in February and Pocono Raceway in July and has been an associate partner on every vehicle driven by the 20-year-old this year.

“We are thrilled to once again be a primary sponsor of Daniel Dye, as he pilots the No. 10 for Kaulig Racing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025,” stated Tom Miskewitz, President, Champion Container. “Daniel represents our brand perfectly and stands for the things important to us at Champion Container. Additionally, Race to Stop Suicide is something that we are major advocates of, and we are humbled to continue to be champions of those efforts as well.”

Dye will open the season at the World Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway, with Champion Container onboard the No. 10 car. Other events include Martinsville, Rockingham, Mexico City, Dover, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.

“Having Champion Container back onboard with us again next season is truly a blessing, and I can’t thank them enough for their continued belief in me, as well as our mission with Race to Stop Suicide,” commented Daniel Dye. “Everyone at Champion Container has become more like family, and I’m honored to represent them next year.”

Along with competing full-time in the NCTS, Dye is currently competing in a limited NXS schedule in the No. 10 Chevy for Kaulig Racing and has earned two top 10s and four top-20 finishes.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Champion Container back to the Kaulig Racing family for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with Daniel Dye,” said Kaulig Racing team president, Chris Rice. Daniel is a talented, young driver that has shown us what he is capable of, and we’re proud to have a partner that believes in him just as much as we do.”

Additional partnership announcements regarding Daniel Dye and the 2025 season with Kaulig Racing will come at a later date.

 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.

About Champion Container Corporation:

Founded in 1968, Champion Container has become the premier packaging container distributor in the Northeast, serving industries including chemicals, cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals. Operating from seven strategically located facilities, the company offers “just in time” delivery through its dedicated fleet and extensive inventory. Champion Container’s expert team provides customized packaging solutions for businesses of all sizes. Recent acquisitions have expanded the company’s reach and product offerings, reinforcing its commitment to delivering exceptional quality and service to its customers. For more information about Champion Container Corporation, visit www.championcontainer.com.

Jesse Love Earns Sixth-Place Finish in the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway

Finish: 6th
Start: 1st
Points: 5th

“I’m proud of our No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet team for the effort put forth today at Talladega Superspeedway. We want to win so bad at these drafting tracks because we are so good at them, but sometimes it’s just not in the cards. For our Richard Childress Racing drafting track program, especially the last two races, I have been the weak link, and our car has carried me. I’m proud of myself today though, because I feel like for the first time all year, I did a good job because some of the moves I made worked out. There were a few things that shuffled us back, but we were always able to get back up front. Our strategy helped us do that. We led a lot of laps and gained stage points. Winning wasn’t going to happen at the end with how torn up our car was, but the No. 44 was accurate with his pushes and where he gave them that it kept me alive in the final two laps. We are leaving 15 points above the cut line. Our team started to work on the simulator for the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL immediately after Watkins Glen International. I’ve put a lot of work into that race, and I fully intend to go there and compete for the win.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Win Stage 2 and Gain Valuable Playoff Points at Talladega Superspeedway

Finish: 24th
Start: 2nd
Points: 2nd

“We had really good speed in our car. Our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet was fast all day. The balance was a handful in Stage 1, but we still managed to finish fourth in the segment. It still wasn’t exactly where I wanted the handling to be in Stage 2, but we got it a lot better and were able to win the stage which was a nice bonus. I thought the top lane was going to surge a little better, but we got shuffled back when some moves were made that stalled the top lane. I saw the wreck coming. I knew with the way the bottom lane was formed and how they were pushing really hard that there was going to be a wreck. Sure enough, it happened, and I couldn’t clear it enough. I was so close to being clear but got hit in the left rear and slapped the wall which destroyed the car. Solid effort by everyone on our No. 21 team though. We had to fight through some adversity with the amount of damage we had. We came into this race 26 points ahead of the cutline and are leaving 29 points ahead. To gain points on the day at a place like Talladega Superspeedway is all you can ask for. It’s going to be really tight from a points perspective going into the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, so we have to be on our game, run up front all day, and hope it’s enough.” -Austin Hill

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Morris-Shea Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger qualified fifth for the United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• On the opening lap, Allmendinger took over the second position as the leader of the bottom lane. On lap four, the No. 16 took the lead and maintained that position until lap 19 when the top lane had momentum and dropped to the bottom lane. From fifth place, Allmendinger drove up to finish Stage 1 in second place.
• Allmendinger restarted the second stage in fifth place. On the restart, he fell to seventh. He fell as far back as 10th before the top lane gained momentum; he was scored in sixth on lap 40. When the caution came out on lap 42, Allmendinger said the Morris-Shea Chevy fired off well, but he got put in a bad spot. The team stayed out under the caution and restarted in sixth place on lap 46. The field went three wide, and Allmendinger was shuffled back to 15th. In the final lap of the stage, Allmendinger went from 15th to seventh, where he finished Stage 2.
• The No. 16 Chevy restarted in 16th place for the final stage. By lap 59, Allmendinger was up to ninth. When the field shuffled on lap 70, Allmendinger took the top lane and drove up to second place. Allmendinger dropped from the top lane to the bottom lane and took over the lead on lap 73, two laps before a wreck brought out the caution. After the restart, a debris caution came out on lap 84 when Allmendinger was running third. The team stayed out and restarted on lap 87. Allmendinger made a move to take the lead but was left without a drafting partner and fell back to seventh. He continued to move forward and was running fifth before being involved in a wreck that brought out the caution on lap 91. Allmendinger had left-front damage and came to pit road several times during the yellow flag. The team restarted in 23rd for overtime and went on to finish in 11th.

“The Morris-Shea Chevy was really fast. With all the JRM and Gibbs teammates there, you know you’re not going to get a lot of help. I thought we were going to miss that wreck but got clipped there right at the end. The guys did a really good job to get the car back together, it was still fast.” – AJ Allmendinger  

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams qualified 17th for the United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Williams spent the entirety of the first stage staying out of trouble at the tail of the lead group. He finished in 17th.
• Williams brought the No. 11 Camaro down pit road for tires, fuel, and packer and air pressure adjustments. He fired off for Stage 2 in 18th on lap 32. On lap 42, while running in 25th, Williams held the brakes to avoid a wreck in turn three, but he flat-spotted all four tires and took a tiny amount of nose damage. He brought the No. 11 Chevy down pit road twice for fuel and tires under the yellow and restarted 26th with four laps left in the stage. He finished it in 14th.
• Williams pitted for fuel only during the stage break and took the green with 38 laps to go from 11th. With the race intensifying, he hooked up with his Kaulig Racing teammates to move towards the front on lap 60. With 19 laps remaining, Williams was involved in a wreck that ended his race. He finished 35th.

“I saw something happened at the bottom. We were okay, things just didn’t go our way with how everyone was spinning. [The hit] wasn’t as bad as it seemed.” – Josh Williams  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen qualified eighth for the United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Van Gisbergen reported his race car was “crazy loose” as he battled to stay up front with the pack. The No. 97 team opted to drop to the back of the field to open up its playbook for the remainder of the race. Van Gisbergen finished the caution-free stage in 23rd.
• The No. 97 car came to pit road at the stage break caution for fresh tires, fuel and multiple adjustments. Van Gisbergen started the second stage in 20th and quickly made his way into the top 10 within the first 10 laps. The No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet battled in the draft for multiple laps before a caution came out on lap 43. Van Gisbergen reported the overall balance was still loose, and the team opted to come to pit road for more adjustments and four fresh tires. He restarted the stage in 29th with five laps remaining in it. Van Gisbergen gained momentum and track position, ending the stage in fourth and earning seven stage points.
• At the stage break, the No. 97 team came to pit road for adjustments, fuel and four tires. Van Gisbergen started the final stage in 13th. He entered the top 10 10 laps into the final stage of the event. The No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet found energy in the middle-lane draft and battled in the top five for multiple laps. On lap 75, Van Gisbergen was collected in accident, ending his day early and resulting in a 36th-place finish.

“What a tough day for my No. 97 Kaulig Racing team. We were loose all day, but our car was getting better and better, and the end of Stage 2 was good. My WeatherTech Chevy Camaro was fast all day, and I had fun running up front there for some laps. Just sucks, really would have loved to get more playoff points and a better finish. We will prepare well and be better next weekend for the Roval.” – 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.

STEWART-HAAS RACING
United Rentals 250
Date: Oct. 5, 2024
Event: United Rentals 250 (Round 28 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile oval)
Format: 94 laps, broken into three stages (25 laps/25 laps/44 laps)
Note: Race extended four laps past its scheduled 94-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Sammy Smith of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 6th / Finished 3rd, Running, completed 98 of 98 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 10th / Finished 27th, Running, completed 97 of 98 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (3rd with 2,093 points, 29 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (6th with 2,078 points, 44 out of first)

Playoff Standings (with one race to go before the Round of 8):

1. Sammy Smith (2,065 points) 1 Win
2. Chandler Smith (2,122 points) +57 Points
3. Austin Hill (2,094 points) +29 Points
4. Cole Custer (2,093 points) +28 Points
5. Sheldon Creed (2,090 points) +35 Points
6. Jesse Love (2,080 points) +15 Points
7. Riley Herbst (2,078 points) +13 Point
8. Sam Mayer (2,075 points) +10 Points
9. AJ Allmendinger (2,065 points) -10 Points
10. Justin Allgaier (2,057 points) -18 Point
11. Shane Van Gisbergen (2,054 points) -21 Points
12. Parker Kligerman (2,049 points) -26 Points

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his sixth top-five of the season and his third top-five in nine career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Talladega.
● This was Herbst’s second straight top-10. He finished 10th last Saturday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
● Since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021, Herbst has only finished outside the top-11 at Talladega twice.
● This was Herbst’s second straight top-three at Talladega. He finished second in April.
● Herbst finished sixth in Stage 2 to earn five bonus points.
● Herbst led six times for 22 laps increasing his laps led total at Talladega to 61.
● Custer finished ninth in Stage 1 to earn two bonus points and ninth in Stage 2 to earn two more bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Sammy Smith won the United Rentals 250 to score his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Talladega. His margin over second-place Ryan Sieg was .177 of a second.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 27 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Chandler Smith is the championship leader after Talladega with a 28-point advantage over second-place Austin Hill.

Sound Bites:

“Overall, I thought today was okay. I thought the first stage was dismal. We didn’t get any points. The second stage was good. The driver messed up coming to the end of the second stage, and we fought hard in the final stage to finish. It was a good day after an embarrassing day last week. I was a little frustrated that Chandler (Smith) didn’t have more understanding of the situation. I wanted to win the race. I thought we were fast enough, but I didn’t have the help that he had. I knew he had the help when I looked up and saw the 18. I was like, ‘I’m gonna be in trouble here,’ but I didn’t think there was any way he would do it off of two because that’s just not smart and there’s so much time left. I was just letting him know that he needs to go watch the film to see that he could have won the race.​” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“We just tried to survive and all of our guys did a great job of controlling what we could control. We tried to play it smart and just ended up getting caught in the wreck, but that’s part of it when you come to Talladega. We did a great job with the crash damage and getting back up there. We’ll move onto the Roval. We still have a pretty solid points cushion, so we just have to go out there and survive​.​” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. This is the third race of the playoffs and the final race of the Round of 12. The race begins at 4 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by CW and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
United Rentals 250 | Talladega Superspeedway
Saturday, October 5, 2024

Ford Performance Results:

2nd – Ryan Sieg
3rd – Riley Herbst
10th – Kyle Sieg
17th – Matt DiBenedetto
19th – Blaine Perkins
23rd – Carson Ware
25th – Dylan Lupton
27th – Cole Custer

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 Sci Aps Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU WERE CHARGING HARD ON THE FINAL LAP. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING AS YOU CAME UP ON THE 8? “The 8 in front of me was about all I could see. I was trying to do what I could do to try to get something going. I thought he was gonna go high right there, but he didn’t block the top so I went up top and he kind of stayed down there. I was gonna go to the bottom, but Timmy Fedewa was guiding me through all that. From all the issues we started out with to come up second is pretty good. These are so tough. We were kind of just riding around most of the day and then tried to be there at the end and win the thing. We’ve been so good here and just haven’t been here at the very end. One of these times it’s gonna be us going to Victory Lane, but, all in all, it was a great day for Sci Aps and Ford. We had a good car. We just have to keep it up.”

DID YOU THINK FOR A MINUTE MAYBE TODAY WAS THE DAY? “Yeah, of course. It was fast enough. It was good. I was doing all I could do.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT WAS THE CONVERSATION WITH CHANDLER AFTER THE RACE? “I was telling him that he had his teammate behind him, which he was in the best spot you want to be in and I told him that he made the right move, but he made it in the extreme wrong place. All he did was kill it. I asked him simply, ‘Where did you finish?’ He said, ‘Fifth.’ And I said, ‘I don’t know why you took that run off of two when you could have waited until three and four,’ and he would have won the race because he had his teammate committed behind him and all he did was kill my run, his run, his teammate’s run and let the 8 get away. I was a little frustrated that he didn’t have more understanding of the situation. I wanted to win the race. I thought we were fast enough, but I didn’t have the help that he had. I knew he had the help when I looked up and saw the 18 I was like, ‘I’m gonna be in trouble here,’ but I didn’t think there was any way he would do it off of two because that’s just not smart and there’s so much time left. I was just letting him know that he needs to go watch the film to see that he could have won the race.”

HOW WOULD YOU EVALUATE YOUR DAY? “I thought it was OK. I thought the first stage was dismal. We didn’t get any points. The second stage was good. The driver messed up coming to the second stage and we fought hard in the third stage to finish whatever it was. It was a good day after an embarrassing day last week.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We just tried to survive and all of our guys did a great job of controlling what we could control. We tried to play it smart and just ended up getting caught in the wreck, but that’s part of it when you come here. We did a great job with the crash damage getting back up there and we’ll move onto the Roval. We still have a pretty solid points cushion, so we just have to go out there and survive.”

WERE YOU WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME IN THAT WRECK? “Yeah, we tried to make sure in the last stage not to get wrecked. That helped us in one wreck because we missed the first one, but got caught up in the second one. We tried to play it as smart as we could and it worked out. We still have a solid points cushion.”

IT WOULD BE EASY TO PANIC AFTER THE WRECK, BUT YOUR GUYS KEPT YOU GOING. WHAT WAS THAT PIT STOP LIKE? “It’s definitely all on our guys. They did a great job just getting me back out there and keeping it rolling. That’s all you can really ask for with a green-white-checker is just getting out there and get rolling and hopefully get a couple more spots. They did a great job keeping it going and getting us a decent finish out of it.”

SHELDON CREED, CHANDLER SMITH EARN TOP-FIVE FINISHES AT TALLADEGA
Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in ideal positions heading to Round of 12 cutoff

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 5, 2024) – At the end of another frantic race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith claimed top-five finishes in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, earning the fourth and fifth-place positions, respectively. For Creed, the finish is his 15th top-five of the season, the most in the series, and his fourth in-a-row. The driver of the No. 18 GR Supra kept himself out of trouble throughout the 94 lap-race to put himself in position for a victory, crossing the finish line fourth when the checkered flag flew. Today’s result puts Creed 25 points above the cutline heading to next weekend’s cutoff race.

Smith and his No. 81 GR Supra were at the head of the field most of the day and earned the second-most points during the race (48), which included a Stage 1 win, his seventh of the season. Smith restarted third on the overtime restart and put himself in position to take home the victory. But as typically happens at Talladega, chaos ensued on the final lap and Smith managed to bring home a fifth-place finish. Like Creed, Smith is on a hot streak of late with his fifth consecutive top-five finish and his sixth in the last seven races. He holds a tremendous points advantage going into the cutoff race in Charlotte, 57 points to the good.

Taylor Gray earned points in Stage 1 and was in the heat of the racing action most of the afternoon but was caught up in an incident with 19 laps to go, ending his day with a 33rd-place finish.

The Xfinity Series Playoffs is at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL next Saturday, Oct. 12, concluding the Round of 12. Coverage can be seen on the CW Network at 4 p.m. EST, as well as be heard on PRN and SiriusXM Radio Channel 90.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Talladega Superspeedway
Race 28 of 33 – 94 Miles, 250.04 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Sammy Smith*
2nd, Ryan Sieg*
3rd, Riley Herbst*
4th, SHELDON CREED
5th, CHANDLER SMITH
20th, ARIC ALMIROLA
21st, DEAN THOMPSON
33rd, TAYLOR GRAY
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 4th

Describe how that race unfolded today.

“Yeah, overall, a pretty smooth day for us. Just tried to avoid the chaos and the crashes, and kind of do what we did, get points and finish good. I lined up fourth on the restart and knew we’d have a good shot at it. I was trying to get the No. 8 (Sammy Smith) the best push I could and we kind of got too far away from the rest of the pack and I was trying to block coming to the white flag and just fell back there. To be able to make a few moves that last lap and get myself back into contention. And then, yeah, got spun across the line. Overall, good day. I think we’re plus 25 (points) going into the ROVAL. Hopefully we can just go and have a smooth day and hopefully maybe get our first win next week.”

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

Finishing Position: 5th

What was your post-race discussion with Riley Herbst like and how was your race today?

“We were talking about different runs, and this, that and the other. He (Herbst) felt like if I did a certain thing, I would’ve won the race. I don’t know. I couldn’t hear out of my left earbud, could barely hear out of my right. I was just trying to listen to what my spotter, Chris Lambert, was saying on where to go and what not, and also looking in the mirror for where runs were coming from. I felt like I did what I should’ve done but obviously, I could’ve won the race a different way so going to go back and study. I keep losing these dang superspeedway races. I’ve come so close and it’s so frustrating. I want to get one so bad. And this group deserves one that bad. I had a really fast No. 81 Wheelers GR Supra today. It was as fast as Xfinity internet today. Just stinks that I’m sitting here complaining. Sammy (Smith)’s the points leader now, I guess, since he advanced, but when you look at raw points, we’re the point leader and plus, whatever (in the standings) with a good buffer. But I’m still bummed and upset about today’s finish but could’ve been worse and super grateful for everybody. Joe Gibbs Racing and the good Lord for blessing me with such a great group of people around me this season.”

TAYLOR GRAY, No. 19 Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 33rd

What did you see in that incident?

“Yeah, it looked like the No. 26 (Dean Thompson) got into the No. 97 (Shane Van Gisbergen), came off the bottom a little bit. The No. 26 tried to be aggressive and get to his left side and gave him a bad push, put him on the apron, he got free and (pause), I don’t know who was behind the No. 26, but he just got the No. 26 free and started all of that. It stinks, obviously. We had a pretty fast Joe Gibbs Racing GR Supra. Just guys racing really aggressively with 20 (laps) or so to go. Long ways left and that’s kind of the results at these places.”

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.

TALLADEGA, Ala.: AM Racing and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Dylan Lupton have teamed up with the Sentinel Foundation and Nine Line Apparel to support the victims of Western North Carolina amidst the devastation from Hurricane Helene last week.

The Sentinel Foundation is organizing efforts and taking action alongside other NGOs in Western North Carolina. We are on-site to help with the devastating aftermath of what Hurricane Helene has caused through rescues, road and tree clearing, and any other efforts we can support as they arise.

The Statesville, N.C.-based team is also assisting Nine Line Apparel in spreading awareness about their hurricane relief tee-shirt, the proceeds of which will be donated to Sentinel Foundation and Samaritan’s Purse.

The hurricane relief tee shirts can be purchased on the Nine Line website at ninelineapparel.com.

“Everyone is doing their part to help the victims of Hurricane Helene, especially in Western North Carolina,” offered driver Dylan Lupton.

“It is important for us as we race this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway to do our part and bring further awareness on how others can help the victims and their families through so many great organizations like Sentinel Foundation and Nine Line Apparel. Every little bit helps.”

For more on Dylan Lupton like him on Facebook (Lupton Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@luptondylan) and X | Twitter (@LuptonDylan).

For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and X | Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

The United Rentals 250 (94 laps | 250.04 miles) is the 28th of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2024 schedule. Qualifying will occur on Saturday, October 5, 2024, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 3:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. ET), with live coverage on the CW Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Central).

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 Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its eighth year of competition.

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Talladega Superspeedway; October 5, 2024

Track: Talladega Superspeedway– Oval (2.66-Miles)
Race: United Rentals 250; 94 Laps –25/25/44; 250.04 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Saturday, October 5, 2024 3:00 PM CT (4:00 PM ET)
TV: CW Network
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) – Check Local Listings for affiliate, and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
Social Media: Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport; Facebook, Instagram, and X

Jeb Burton – No. 27 Golden Corral
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Talladega Superspeedway

News and Notes:

• Practice; In 2024, except for the season opening United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) teams will receive no practice time for superspeedway events, including Saturday afternoons United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.

– Starting Position; After clearing technical inspection on Friday and no practice scheduled the No. 27 Golden Corral team would move the car into NASCAR impound overnight prior to qualifying Saturday morning at 10:30 AM CT (11:30 AM ET) for the starting lineup of that afternoons United Rentals 250. In 2024, superspeedway qualifying for the NXS would consist of a two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Burton is scheduled log his lap 16th of the 38 cars entered, no cars will miss the race. Qualifying will be shown in its entirety LIVE on USA Network.

– Talladega Superspeedway Stats; Saturday’s running of the NXS United Rentals 250 will mark Burton’s ninth NXS start at Talladega Superspeedway. In eight previous races, Burton holds an average finish of 8.8 with a 100% lap completion rate with 908 laps completed of the possible 908. Burton has found a true liking to the 2.5-mile Alabama superspeedway in his NXS career capturing two wins, three Top-Fives, and five Top-10’s, and a finish in the Top-20 in every start.

Featured Partner

• Golden Corral; Founded in 1973 and based in Raleigh, N.C., Golden Corral is the nation’s largest grill-buffet restaurant chain. Golden Corral strives to make pleasurable dining affordable for all families. While its commitment begins each day with preparing delicious food, Golden Corral also believes in providing outstanding hospitality and giving back. Service to others is a hallmark of the Golden Corral brand. In 2023, Golden Corral was recognized as one of the nation’s top 50 “Most Loved Brands” by Yelp. They were also recognized for valuing their customers and providing excellent customer service by Newsweek, “America’s Best Customer Service 2024.” Golden Corral restaurants nationwide have long been strong supporters of the U.S. Military and DAV (Disabled American Veterans). Golden Corral is also the founding sponsor of Camp Corral, a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation, which provides free, one-of-a-kind summer camp experiences for children of wounded, injured, ill, or fallen service members. For more information, visit GoldenCorral.com and follow Golden Corral on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Parker Retzlaff – No. 31 FUNKAWAY
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Talladega Superspeedway

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• Practice; In 2024, except for the season opening United Rentals 300 at Daytona, NXS teams will receive no practice time for superspeedway events, including the United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday.

– Starting Position; After NASCAR officials would give the No. 31 FUNKAWAY team clearance of technical inspection on Friday afternoon the car would be impounded overnight until qualifying Saturday morning at 10:30 AM CT (11:30 AM ET) to set the starting lineup for that afternoons United Rentals 250. In 2024, superspeedway qualifying for the NXS would consist of a two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Retzlaff is scheduled log his lap 19th of the 38 cars entered, no cars will miss the race. Qualifying will be shown in its entirety LIVE on USA Network.

• Talladega Superspeedway Stats; Retzlaff will look to make his third NXS start at Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday’s United Rentals 250. In two previous races, Retzlaff holds an average finish of 18.5 with a 100% lap completion rate with 908 laps completed of the possible 908. Burton has found a true liking to the 2.5-mile Alabama superspeedway in his NXS career capturing two wins, three Top-Fives, and five Top-10’s, and a finish in the Top-20 in every start.

Featured Partner

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

Jordan Anderson Racing – No. 32 Volpi Foods
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Talladega Superspeedway

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News and Notes:

• Practice; In 2024, except for the season opening United Rentals 300 at Daytona, NXS will receive no practice time for superspeedway events, including Saturday afternoon United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.

– Starting Position; After clearing NXS technical inspection on Friday, the No. 32 Volpi Foods team would impound the car until qualifying Saturday morning at 10:30 AM CT (11:30 AM ET) for the starting lineup of that afternoons United Rentals 250. In 2024, superspeedway qualifying for the NXS would consist of a two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Anderson is scheduled log his lap 2nd of the 38 cars entered, no cars will miss the race. Qualifying will be shown in its entirety LIVE on USA Network.

– Talladega Superspeedway Stats; Saturday afternoons running of the NXS United Rentals 250 will mark Anderson’s third NXS start at Talladega Superspeedway. The last visit to Talladega in spring Anderson would be running in the Top-10 in the closing stages before being collected in an accident on Lap-111 and would be scored in the 31st position after being unable to complete the final 13 circuits. However, Anderson’s NXS debut at Talladega in October of 2021 the South Carolina driver would fare much better, starting in the 29th position Anderson would be able to stay out of trouble the entire day on his way to 5th place finish.

Featured Partner

• Volpi Foods; Founded in St. Louis in 1902, is Volpi Foods a fourth-generation, family-owned producer of award-winning charcuterie available in retailers nationwide. Slow-cured in small batches, non-GMO, gluten-free and never frozen, every product is free from nitrates, nitrites, or growth hormones. Volpi Foods is proud to preserve the ancient tradition of dry curing meat by hand, partners only with local farmers to source meat that is Raised Responsibly™ and still operates the oldest salumeria in America. To learn more, visit VolpiFoods.com and follow on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X.

About Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport is a NASCAR team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group President, John Bommarito. Established in 2017 the organization is fueled by an incredible, close-knit team of employees, fans, and sponsors with a focus on integrity in the pursuit of excellence. Our goal is to embrace the journey we’re on and to never give up – whether on the track, in the pits, or in life. Every single team partner, and fan of ours, is what keeps our race cars running strong and our team performing at the highest level.

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

• Event: United Rentals 250 (Round 28 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Oct. 5
• Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
• Layout: 2.66-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 4 p.m. EDT on CW/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer is ready to continue his playoff journey during this weekend’s United Rentals 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. He got off to a strong start to his championship run with a second-place finish last Saturday in the Round of 12 opener at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. After qualifying third, Custer looked to be on his way to back-to-back wins and his third of the 2024 season, having led four times for a total of 48 laps. He was leading the race with three laps to go when Aric Almirola got by him and went on to win the race. Custer ended up second just .660 of a second behind Almirola. While not a win that would have locked him into the Round of 8, Custer enjoyed a good points day with third-place finishes in the opening two stages that earned him 16 bonus points. He now sits on top of the playoff leaderboard with 2,079 points, 41 above the top-eight cutoff. He has a five-point advantage over second-place Chandler Smith and a 15-point advantage over third-place Austin Hill. Custer’s second-place finish was his 12th top-five of the season. The driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse now heads to a track full of unpredictability and ready for the challenges that lay ahead in the final two races of the Round of 12.
• Saturday’s United Rentals 250 will be Custer’s sixth career Xfinity Series start at Talladega. In his five previoius starts, he earned a best finish of fourth in April 2023 in the series’ only visit to the superspeedway that season. In five superspeedway-style races run this year – two at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, two at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and one at Talladega, Custer ran in the top-10 for the majority of all the races. He finished 13th in the February season opener at Daytona, 16th the following weekend at Atlanta, and 10th in the April race at Talladega. In addition to his five Xfinity Series starts at Talladega, Custer has seven starts outside the series – six in the NASCAR Cup Series with a best finish of 10th in April 2021, and one in the NASCAR Truck Series in October 2016, when he started on the pole and led two laps before a midrace accident ended his day. He’s led 10 laps in his six Cup Series at the track.
• Custer’s history at superspeedways has been a roller-coaster ride throughout his career, but when he returned to the Xfinity Series in 2023, he proved that he was back and better than ever on every kind of track. There’s no hiding that Custer had struggled at the superspeedways during his previous stint in the Xfinity Series from 2017-2019. In fact, it was his Achilles heel as he rarely finished a race on superspeedway-style tracks. But, when he came back to the series in 2023, he saw significant growth and improvement. He finished ninth in February 2023 at Daytona, fourth in April 2023 at Talladega, and then fifth in August 2023 at Daytona, posting his career-best finish at both tracks.
• On top of racing in this Saturday’s United Rentals 250, Custer will also be lending a hand in the Motor Racing Network (MRN) radio booth. He’ll serve as a guest announcer during Friday afternoon’s Talladega 225 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, which is the first race of the that series’ playoff Round of 8. The Ladera Ranch, California, native has been lending a hand to both MRN and Performance Racing Network (PRN) in recent seasons as he continues to explore options in broadcasting.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst has his eyes on the prize in Saturday’s United Rentals 250 at the behemoth Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway oval after coming up just one spot short in his most recent outing at the track. In April, Herbst qualified eighth and immediately showed his strength on superspeedways by quickly working himself to the front of the pack, leading three times for a total of 13 laps along the way. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse earned a total of five bonus points via his finishes of ninth and eighth, respectively, in the first two stages. As the race was coming to a close, Herbst was running up front and battling for the lead with Jesse Love and Anthony Alfredo. He ultimately finished second, just .141 of a second behind race-winner Love. Herbst looks to improve his finishing position by one spot in his return to the track to score his second win of 2024 and secure a coveted spot in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. Still, a good points day could help extend Herbst’s one-point lead over ninth-place Justin Allgaier for the Round of 8 cutoff. Herbst stands just two points behind seventh-place Jesse Love.
• Saturday’s race at Talladega will mark Herbst’s ninth career Xfinity Series start at the track. Prior to his runner-up finish in the spring, he earned a best finish of fourth in the April 2021 race and returned that October to lead his first laps on the 2.66-mile oval, 26 in total, before an accident ended his bid six laps from the finish. Herbst has an additional seven Talladega starts outside the Xfinity Series – two in the Cup Series, four in the ARCA Menards Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He drove to a runner-up finish in the April 2019 ARCA race, then followed that up with a fourth-place finish with 36 laps led in the June 2020 ARCA race. Since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021, Herbst has finished outside the top-15 just twice at Talladega.
• Herbst’s success at superspeedways has not been confined to the Xfinity Series. In 2023, Herbst made four starts in the Cup Series, all on superspeedways. When Herbst competed in his fourth and final Cup Series race of 2023 at Talladega last October, he qualified an impressive sixth and ran with the leaders for a majority of the race. He led five times for a total of 10 laps and, in the latter stages of the race, he was pushing his Stewart-Haas teammate Kevin Harvick, who was leading. Although he was caught up in an accident coming to the checkered flag, Herbst was able to cross the finish line ninth, his best Cup Series finish of the season, besting his 10th-place finish in the Daytona 500.

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

While Kansas didn’t result in a win, it was a strong showing for the No. 00 team to kick off the 2024 playoffs. With these next two races both being wild-card races, what do you hope to take from your runner-up finish at Kansas?

“Minus the points, there’s not much to carry over. This first round has every style of track possible in it and you have to hope to just survive to the next round. Luckily, we’ve racked up points and should be in a good spot heading into the weekend. I think you saw it with Justin (Allgaier) last weekend, though – one bad race can erase that points lead. We have to be smart and play it safe at Talladega. Superspeedways have always been an Achilles heel for me. They aren’t my strongest tracks, but that doesn’t mean we can’t perform well at them. We’ve shown that this No. 00 team has a never-give-up attitude, and I think you’ll see that through the next two weekends. It’s never over until it’s over. You saw that when we were racing for the regular-season championship at Bristol, and that mentality is not lost in the playoffs. I’m thankful to have a team with the same goal and, hopefully, we can just stay out of trouble this weekend at Talladega.”

Superspeedway racing is a gamble in the playoffs. It requires a good bit of luck to survive and have a good day. How do you approach Talladega, which is known for being so unpredictable?

“Superspeedway racing is a challenge. It’s honestly a game of luck for the drivers, and it’s not always a fun game. You aren’t always a winner. There are things that you can control in the race, like having a fast car, being able to make aggressive moves when needed, and how well you can work the draft. Those are all aspects of racing that we can focus on as a team heading into this race. But, there’s also just so much you cannot prepare for at this style of track. There’s so much unpredictability. Anything can happen, and an accident can happen at any time, anywhere in the field. I feel like we were solid at Daytona and at Talladega last season, but it’s just a matter of controlling your destiny in these races and staying out of trouble. We had a strong 10th-place showing in the spring, too. You always have that luck factor at superspeedways and, in the end, you just hope you hit the jackpot.”

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

You performed well at Talladega in the NASCAR Cup Series in October 2023. You started sixth and earned a career-best finish of ninth. Then you followed that up with a runner-up finish in the Xfinity Series in April after leading 16 laps. What did you learn in both of those races that you hope to carry over to this weekend’s playoff race?

“To be honest, the cars are so different now between the Cup Series and Xfinity Series that you can’t really carry over much between the two. Still, we followed up that ninth-place finish with a runner-up finish in the Xfinity car. Those Cup starts are more about the experience than anything. That Cup start was really the start to my strong run of top-fives at the end of the season last year. I went in there having no worries and just focused on learning. I ended up running top-five and racing for the lead. My Cup Series start at Talladega last year helped people notice me. It turned heads. Then, I came back in April and led laps in the Xfinity Series to finish second. We’re coming into our own on superspeedways, but we still have to be smart this weekend. We’re above the cutline right now, and we don’t want to ruin that. Hopefully we can win and just put the points racing to rest.”

Given this is the biggest superspeedway on the NASCAR circuit, where anything can happen, how do you prepare for Talladega?

“You can’t really prepare as much for any superspeedway-style race – so Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta are all big unknowns in our schedule. While you can try to figure out the handling and make sure you have speed, a lot of these races are up to luck. It’s like gambling in Vegas, sometimes you’re a big winner and sometimes you’re just not. These are wild cards on our schedule. You could be having the best day of your racing career and be taken out by a wreck not of your own doing due to the pack-style racing. We come up with plans for how we hope the race weekend will run, but you also have to be ready to change plans at a moment’s notice. The No. 98 Monster Energy team has brought fast cars not only to superspeedways, but almost every race this season, so I know we can be fast. We just have to be smart and stay out of trouble if we want to be there at the end. Hopefully, we can do just that.”

STATESVILLE, N.C.: AM Racing happily announced today the addition of Danny Efland, who will serve as crew chief for recently announced 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Harrison Burton, beginning with the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on February 15, 2025.

Efland will arrive at AM Racing after a stint at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, where the former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver served as the lead engineer for the No. 43 Cup Series car driven by Erik Jones.

A native of Irmo, S.C., he began racing go-carts at age five and immediately turned heads when he won several championships. By the age of 12, he transitioned to full-size cars where he scored numerous race wins and also claimed a couple of track championships in a vehicle fielded by his family-owned team.

In 2007, Efland made his Xfinity Series debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and continued to be a staple in the series through the 2014 season. While racing, he also attended the College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina.

In 2014, he switched from driver to engineer and embarked on a journey that led him to Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, and now LEGACY M.C.

“I am excited about this next chapter in my racing career to join AM Racing and Harrison Burton to fight for an Xfinity Series championship in 2025,” said Efland.

“I have worked hard for this opportunity, and I believe in the vision of AM Racing, as well as Harrison’s capabilities, I know that they have what it takes to contend for race wins and ultimately a championship.”

Burton is equally excited about the opportunity to work with Efland for 2025.

“I am looking forward to working with Danny next season,” offered Burton. With his credentials as a successful engineer and experience as a race car driver, it should benefit our realistic goals of contending for race wins and chasing an Xfinity Series championship.”

Efland resides in Rockwell, N.C., alongside his wife, Kelly and three children.

For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and X | Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

For more on Harrison Burton, please visit theharrisonburton.com, like his Facebook page (Official Harrison Burton), or follow him on Instagram (@harrisonburton12) and X | Twitter (@hburtonracing).

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 Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its eighth year of competition.