Herbst Finishes 16th in Rain-Shortened Race at Kansas
Monster Energy Driver Clinches Spot in 12-Driver NASCAR Playoffs

Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
Event: Kansas Lottery 300 (Round 25 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 12th / 16th (Running, completed 93 of 93 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (673 points, 330 out of first)
Note: Race was called 107 laps short of its scheduled 200-lap distance due to rain.
Race Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Overview:

Riley Herbst finished 16th in the rain-shortened Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing started 12th in the 38-car field and proved to be a top-10 contender in the race, finishing 10th in the first stage to pick up a valuable bonus point. Herbst hovered in and around the top-10 for the majority of the second stage until a caution on lap 71 sent him to pit road for a scheduled, four-tire pit stop. But with weather threatening, some teams rolled the dice and opted to stay out, jumbling the running order. When the race returned to green on lap 76, Herbst was mired in a pack of cars. In the remaining green-flag laps before rain inundated the 1.5-mile oval, forcing NASCAR to halt the race and call it official, Herbst clawed his way to 16th.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I definitely think we were going to end up better than we did end up. Just frustrated with the outcome. But nothing you can really do about the rain. We’ll shake it off and move on to Bristol.”

Notes:

● Herbst clinched a spot in the 12-driver NASCAR Playoffs. This is his third straight playoff appearance. He qualified for the 2020 postseason as an Xfinity Series rookie.

● Noah Gragson was declared the winner of the Kansas Lottery 300 after rain cut the race short of its scheduled 200-lap distance. It was Gragson’s 10th career Xfinity Series victory, his fifth of the season and his first at Kansas.

● There were four caution periods for a total of 18 laps.

● Only 20 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● AJ Allmendinger remains the championship leader after Kansas with a 38-point advantage over second-place Ty Gibbs.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the regular-season finale on Friday, Sept. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The Food City 300 starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The seven-race playoffs begin the following week with the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

SUPRA PLAYOFF DRIVERS CAPITALIZE ON RAIN-SHORTENED KANSAS RACE
Gibbs and Jones Score Valuable Points with Top-Five Results

KANSAS CITY (September 10, 2022) – The Toyota GR Supras of Ty Gibbs (third) and Brandon Jones (fourth) scored top-five finishes in Saturday afternoon’s rain-shortened NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway. Both drivers led laps and Gibbs earned a stage win as the series prepares to set their Playoff field next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Rookie Sammy Smith (eighth) also claimed a top-10 finish.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Kansas Speedway
Race 25 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Noah Gragson*
2nd, Justin Allgaier*
3rd, TY GIBBS
4th, BRANDON JONES
5th, Ross Chastain*
8th, SAMMY SMITH
27th, DEREK GRIFFITH
30th, JOEY GASE
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

What happened in the closing laps of the race before the red flag between yourself and Justin Allgaier?

“We have a very fast Reeser’s Toyota Supra. I feel like we were just got into a weird restart line, but when the three guys stayed out, I just picked the wrong one. I thought it was the right one and it wasn’t. Then we went back racing and off of (turn) four I made contact with Justin (Allgaier). I felt like I hit the wall hard, and I didn’t, and I got mad then whipped it down and hit him in the door; and the stupid part is it hurt my car more than it hurt his. I feel like his car is okay, but they’re going to have to put a door on it when they get back to the shop and that’s just inexcusable for me, and I’m very disappointed in my actions and I apologies to them. I thought it was worse honestly than it was when I watched on TV it wasn’t. So, I apologize to Jason (No. 7 crew chief), Justin and Dale (Earnhardt Jr., car owner) and the whole group, the whole seven group, and I just can’t be doing that stuff. It was my fault, I just felt like I hit the wall harder than I did, and I came back down and hit him and I just can’t be doing that.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Menards/Klearvue Cabinetry Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Are you pleased with your result from today’s race?

“Certainly a solid day. If you look at the results from yesterday’s practice, probably thought we were going to win the race today based just off speed that we had there. Still really good today and stage points were critical. Got a lot of stage points and a really good finish and good pit selection at Bristol next week too. A lot of momentum that we carry over into next week. Going to have to step it up because man, those JRM cars are hard to beat right now. I think we’re close. Not talking big, big things. Just need to get more overall speed out of our Supras and we’ll be right there with them.”

Is this the right time for your team to start to peak going into the Playoffs?

“It is, I think this is the right time to slowly start making your way there. You don’t want to do it too soon and use all your juice up, by the time you get in the Playoffs. But this has been making it real easy on us with the win at Martinsville earlier this year. We’ve been able to play some strategy and play some games if we had to in order to win stages and it hasn’t always put us in great positions, but I think that’s the nice buffer when you have a win so early in the season.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 43 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 the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

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.

KRIS WRIGHT
No. 68 Wright Chevrolet Chevrolet Camaro SS
NASCAR Xfinity Series News and Notes
Event: Kansas Lottery 300
Date: Saturday, September 10
Venue: Kansas Speedway
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Track Description: 1.5 mile(s)
Race: 200 laps / 300 mile

Heart Of America Statistics … This weekend marks Kris Wright’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) track debut at the Kansas Speedway.

Wright has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series appearances at the Kansas Speedway, with his series track debut on May 1, 2021. As well, the Pittsburgh, Pa., – native has two (2020, 2021) ARCA Menards Series starts at the Kansas Speedway with two top-seven finishes. He posted a career-best sixth-place finish at the track on October 16, 2020.

On Board This Weekend … Family-owned and operated, Wright Chevrolet is the primary partner on the Brandonbilt Motorsports No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro SS. As a respected Wexford dealer serving the Pittsburgh, Cranberry and Beaver areas, Wright Automotive Group’s six locations carry an extensive inventory of new and used luxury cars and SUVs.

Speedway Stats: This weekend marks Kris Wright’s second speedway (tracks 1 to 2-miles in length) start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The 28-year-old also has 18 combined NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on speedways.

KRIS WRIGHT STATISTICS

QUOTE WORTHY

Kris Wright, driver of the No. 68 Wright Chevrolet Chevrolet Camaro SS for Brandonbilt Motorsports

On the Kansas Speedway:

“I am upset our Brandonbilt Motorsports team was not able to finish and complete all the laps contested at the Darlington Raceway last weekend to be able to continue building on and gain experience for the end of the season. Nevertheless, I am excited to go to Kansas Speedway, a 1.5-mile track. At this point it is all about learning and we have all been working together on the Kansas Speedway package hard to get to where we want it to be.”

Kris Wright on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit KrisWrightMotorsports.com, or connect with Kris Wright on Facebook (/KrisWrightRacing), Twitter (@KrisOnNASCAR) or Instagram (@krisonnascar).

Brandonbilt Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History at the Kansas Speedway … The organization posted a team-best 11th-place with driver Brandon Brown at the wheel on Saturday, July 25, 2020, at the 1.5-mile tri-oval track with progressive banking. The five previous starts at the Kansas Speedway have earned Brandonbilt Motorsports an overall average starting position of 21.6 and an average finish of 16.2.

Brandonbilt Motorsports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series History … Since entering the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2016, the Mooresville, N.C., -based organization has logged 134 starts with five drivers. Brandonbilt Motorsports has collected one victory (Brandon Brown, 2021: Talladega), six top-five finishes and 20 top-10 finishes and has logged an average starting position of 19.4 and an average finishing position of 19.4.

BRANDONBILT MOTORSPORTS STATISTICS

Catch the Action … The Kansas Lottery 300 at the Kansas Speedway will be broadcast on the USA Network starting with the NASCAR Xfinity Series: Countdown to Green at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, September 10 at 2:30 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 2:30 p.m. (ET). Qualifying for the 25th event of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule will air on Friday, September 9 at 5:00 p.m. (ET).

RILEY HERBST
Kansas NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: Kansas Lottery 300 (Round 25 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
• Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
• Layout: 1.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• The Kansas Lottery 300 Saturday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City serves as the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ lone visit to The Sunflower State in 2022. But Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, has already logged plenty of laps around the 1.5-mile oval. The 23-year-old racer from Las Vegas competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race back in May, finishing 12th in a David Gilliland Racing-prepared Ford F-150. It was Herbst’s ninth overall start at Kansas across the Truck Series, Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series.

• Herbst has made three Xfinity Series starts at Kansas, with a best finish of ninth in his first Xfinity Series start at the track in July 2020. He has two Truck Series starts, with ninth also being his best finish in that series, earned in his first Truck start at Kansas in 2019. The bulk of Herbst’s Kansas starts have come in ARCA. In four career ARCA starts at the track, Herbst has two top-five and three top-10 finishes, with his best result coming in his most recent outing – a third-place drive in July 2020 where Herbst started on the pole and led 18 laps.

• While Herbst is seeking his first career Xfinity Series win, the No. 98 team has already earned a victory at Kansas. The Richard Boswell-led team won at Kansas in October 2020 with driver Chase Briscoe, who led a race-high 159 laps and beat runner-up Daniel Hemric by 1.199 seconds. In the NASCAR Cup Series, Stewart-Haas Racing owns three Kansas wins – one by Tony Stewart (October 2009) and two by Kevin Harvick (October 2016 and May 2018).

• Only two regular-season races remain before the Xfinity Series playoffs begin Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Herbst is in a solid position to make the 12-driver playoff field, sitting eighth in the driver standings with 651 points, 112 markers above the top-12 cutoff line. A win would lock Herbst into the playoff field, but he can also secure his position by pointing his way into the postseason with continued consistency through the regular-season finale next Friday night at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

• Consistency has been a key element of Herbst’s 2022 campaign. In his third fulltime Xfinity Series season, Herbst has matched his career best of five top-five finishes, first earned in 2021. He is only three top-10 finishes away from surpassing his career best of 17 top-10s, which he earned in 2020.

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

In your most recent race last weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, a crash not of your making derailed what was shaping up to be another strong finish. Your No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang had speed throughout the race, so what do you take away from a weekend like that, where you had a great racecar but not the desired result?

“We have to minimize the mistakes if we want to be in position to win these races. Ultimately, last weekend I made a mistake that put us in a difficult position and put us out of the race. We can’t dwell on it because we have to turn around and race again this weekend, but we’re always learning and getting better. Our Monster Energy Ford Mustang had the speed last weekend, so we know that we can run up front. We have to clean up our races, and that’s what we’re doing.”

This is the only visit the Xfinity Series makes to Kansas this year. However, you raced there in the spring with the Truck Series. Is there anything you learned in that race that you can apply to this weekend?

“There’s a lot that can transfer over. Honestly, just the extra seat time at Kansas helps. I love this track. Kansas is probably one of my favorites because I’ve always performed decently there. I was grateful to get behind the wheel of the No. 17 Ford F-150 back in the spring, and I’m hoping that experience can help us run up front his weekend.”

Only two races remain before the playoffs begin Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway. You’re solidly eighth in points, highest of the drivers without a win yet this season. Talk about your year and how you feel heading into these last two regular-season races.

“Obviously, 2022 has been good to us, but we’re still searching for our first win. I think we’re close, and to get it before the end of the season would be awesome. We’ve worked on being consistent and running well, but we need to continue that. This No. 98 Monster Energy team deserves to be in victory lane and I know that we can get there. Don’t count us out.”

No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: Matt Noyce
Hometown: Oregon, Wisconsin

Engineer: DJ VanderLey
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Front Tire Changer: Kevin Teaf
Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Davis Sampere
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Fueler: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Jackman: Kapil Fletcher
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Road Crew Members:

Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine

Tire Specialist: Austin Quick
Hometown: Flagstaff, Arizona

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Kansas Speedway
RACE: Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022

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

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate/Huck’s Market Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer has one start and one top 10 at Kansas Speedway, coming in this race last season. Mayer started 12th and finished eighth.
• The driver of the No. 1 currently sits ninth in the championship standings, 109 points above the playoff cutline with only two races remaining in the regular season.
• In his last three starts at 1.5-mile tracks in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Mayer has a pair of third-place finishes (Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway).
• At tracks measuring 1.5 miles in the NXS, Mayer has tallied two top-five and four top-10 finishes in nine starts.

Josh Berry
No. 8 HarrisonsUSA.com Chevrolet
• In 2017, Josh Berry made his lone start at Kansas. He will make his first start with JR Motorsports at the 1.5-mile facility this weekend.
• The Hendersonville, Tenn. native battled to an eighth-place finish last week at Darlington to secure his 14th top-10 finish of the 2022 season.
• Berry currently ranks third in stage wins (6) this season, trailing teammate Gragson (12) and Allgaier (7) in the category.
• The No. 8 team sits fifth in the driver’s standings with two races remaining in the regular season.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will seek to continue his surge toward the top of the Playoff Grid this week at Kansas. Over his last six starts, Gragson has two victories (at Pocono and Darlington) and four top-five finishes.
• On 1.5-mile tracks in his NXS career, Gragson has amassed 16 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes in 35 starts. In four starts at Kansas, Gragson’s best finish came in 2019, where he finished 13th.
• Gragson has earned 12 (41%) of JRM’s 29 stage wins this season, including six in the last 10 races. He is ranked first in stage wins on the year, leading over teammates Allgaier (7) and Berry (6).

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• In 12 previous starts in the NXS at Kansas, Justin Allgaier has earned three top fives and nine top 10s, with a best finish of fifth occurring on three separate occasions (2013, 2017, 2019).
• On tracks between 1 and 2 miles in length in the NXS, Allgaier has scored 11 wins, 67 top fives and 131 top 10s in 210 career starts. All three of the veteran driver’s wins in 2022 have come on tracks measuring between 1 and 2 miles (Darlington, Nashville and New Hampshire).
• Through 24 events in 2022, Allgaier is currently ranked third in wins (three), third in top fives (11) and third in top 10s (16) among his competitors.

Driver Quotes

“I thought we had really good speed at Kansas last year, but with it being my first race there it was a little bit of a learning curve. With a lot more experience at these 1.5- mile tracks, I have a lot more confidence going into this weekend and I know this team is going to do what it takes to put this car up front. It’s time to get some momentum on our side as we close in on the playoffs.” – Sam Mayer

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what we’ll have this weekend in Kansas. We have had a lot of speed this year on the mile-and-a-half tracks with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. The playoffs are right around the corner, so hopefully we can have a smooth day on Saturday and be in contention for the win to maximize our points on the day. We’re ready to get going.” – Justin Allgaier

“I’ve raced at Kansas before but it’s been a few years, so we have spent some time in the sim getting ready for what this weekend is going to bring. Our intermediate cars have been really good this year and I expect more of the same this weekend. There’s multiple grooves early in a run, so hopefully we can put ourselves in the right position to battle for the win on Saturday.” – Josh Berry

“Winning at Darlington has helped us with momentum for the playoffs, and this No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team is on a roll. Kansas is unique, as we have not had the success we deserve there. We are putting strong races together every week thanks to Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and the rest of our team. I know we can start the playoffs strong in a couple of weeks.”– Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:

• JR Motorsports at Kansas: JR Motorsports has competed at Kansas Speedway a combined 48 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at the 1.5-mile facility, the organization has tallied 13 top fives and 28 top 10s. JRM has three runner-up finishes in Kansas with Kevin Harvick (2014), Elliott Sadler (2016) and Daniel Hemric (2020). It’s one of only three active facilities where the team is looking for its first win.
• Harrison’s USA: Shop your Back to School outfit needs by visiting your closest Harrison’s USA store or by shopping online here.
• Hellmann’s Mayo: Think you have tried Hellmann’s Mayonnaise on everything? Think again. Add a trendy spicy twist to a classic Margarita (as long as you’re over the age of 21) with Hellmann’s Spicy Mayonnaise Dressing; tasting is believing! Find the recipe here and let us know how great it tastes!
• Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/Hendrick Motorsports souvenir rig on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. local time.
• Team Chevy Display: JRM driver Josh Berry will be signing autographs at the Team Chevy display located in the Kansas Speedway fan zone on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. local time.

‘Too Tough to Tame’
A Recap of the Weekend

On Saturday, September 3, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) made the second and final encounter with ‘The Lady in Black’ during the 2022 season. However, for the Brandonbilt Motorsports (BMS) driver, Kris Wright, it was a first at the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Wright piloted the No. 68 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Camaro in the 200-mile Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200.

The No. 68 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Camaro earned a 36th-place finish, along with a famed ‘Darlington Stripe’, after an on-track incident. The collision resulted in a broken upper control arm, leaving the car unable to continue.

KRIS WRIGHT. NO. 68 FIRST NATIONAL BANK CHEVROLET CAMARO.

Results of the morning’s qualifying session found Wright starting in the 34th-place. The Pittsburgh, Pa., driver raced a clean first stage, finishing the 45-lap run in the 33rd-place. During the stage break, the F.N.B. Corporation team came to pit road for four new tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment.

Stage 2 began with Wright and the F.N.B. Corporation team in the 23rd-place. Turn Two of Lap 57 welcomed trouble, as Wright was involved in an incident. The Brandonbilt Motorsports No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro sustained irreparable damage to the upper control arm, bringing Wright’s day to a premature end.

WRIGHT ON WATKINS GLEN:
“The team and I were all pleased with how the race was playing-out, but unfortunately found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“We knew the learning curve was going to be steep, but I did feel that we were getting better and better each stage. Our Stage 2 speed put us around the top 20, which was our goal for the weekend. I was bummed that we were not able to finish, but I am excited to give it another go in Kansas!”

KANSAS CITY, Kan: It has been nearly two months since Howie DiSavino III has been behind the wheel of an Alpha Prime Racing car, but the wait is nearly over as he returns to the team for his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season in Saturday afternoon’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.

DiSavino has been counting down the days to return to action since his most recent outing in July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway where he roared through the field during the Crayon 200 and earned an eye-catching and competitive top-20 finish.

Clinging to the momentum from his best Xfinity Series finish in just his second career start, DiSavino has been preparing for his Kansas debut with the intention of backing up his New Hampshire effort with another top-20 finish or better this weekend.

“I’m excited to get to Kansas,” said DiSavino. “Obviously, it’s very tough not being able to race as much as I would like, but every race behind the wheel is an opportunity and I’d like to accelerate on that opportunity with a strong finish on Saturday afternoon.

“Kansas is a new track to me. I’ve never been there, but I’ve been incredibly diligent in taking advantage of the tools that have been provided to me to make the transition as seamless as possible.”

During any given week, DiSavino can be found nestled in Mooresville, N.C.- either working thoroughly through his fitness program, his race preparation guideline or on the telephone with current and potential partners trying to increase his presence in the Xfinity Series during the remainder of the 2022 season and looking ahead to 2023.

His discipline to be able to multitask has given the Chesterfield, Va. native the optimistic vibe that his hard work and relentless efforts will be rewarded not only this weekend but down the road.

“Even though it’s been a couple of months since I’ve been in the car, it certainly doesn’t feel like it,” added DiSavino. “I am a very focused person and even though I’m multitasking a lot throughout the day, my race preparation has never been more prominent.

“When you have such a strong run like our Alpha Prime Racing team did at New Hampshire, it makes you hungry as a driver and a person to be able to repeat or better that effort again. I know my Alpha Prime Racing team is doing their job during the week on building fast and competitive cars.

“I am doing everything in power to make sure when I climb behind that wheel on Friday and Saturday, we are picking up right where we left off.”

ClearCryptos will serve as the primary marketing partner of DiSavino III’s No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro for his third career Xfinity Series start.

ClearCryptos’ goal is to create clarity, accountability, and success in the Crypto marketplace with their unique relationships in technology, government and law enforcement.

When it comes to the race on Saturday, DiSavino III is thoughtful about taking the same cautiously-aggressive approach that paid dividends at New Hampshire even though Kansas is the complete opposite.

“I want to be around for the finish, I kept telling myself that at New Hampshire and it paid off,” sounded DiSavino. “I know I must take what your race car will give you and the Alpha Prime boys will adjust accordingly throughout the race that will put us in a good position for the final stretch.

“I want to do well not only for myself, but for the people that support me and my team, but I’m going to remember that I can’t push the envelope when it comes to the handling of the race car or battling my other competitors on the track.

“If our No. 44 ClearCryptos Chevrolet Camaro isn’t the best at the start of the race, I just have to be patient until we can make an adjustment. If I want to contend for a strong finish, I need to be around for the end of the race. If we can avoid any chaos and mind our matters,

“I think contending for a top-15 finish is achievable and would feel like a win and gives us great momentum for my next Xfinity race at Talladega in a couple of weeks.

Veteran Cup spotter Clayton Hughes will guide DiSavino from above this weekend as his spotter.

Following Kansas, the 21-year-old will return to Alpha Prime Racing at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Oct. 1, 2022, and the penultimate Xfinity Series race of the season at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Oct. 29, 2022.

For more on Howie DiSavino III, please visit howiedisavino.com, like him on Facebook (Howie DiSavino III Racing), follow him on Instagram (@howiedisavino), TikTok (@howiedisavino) and Twitter (@howiedisavino).

The Kansas Lottery 300 (250 laps | 131.5 miles) is the 25th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, September 9 from 4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Qualifying follows shortly after 4:30 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag on Saturday, September 10 shortly after 2:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. ET) with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

About ClearCryptos:

Headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with all personnel globally positioned; ClearCryptos is a distributed company with unique relationships in technology, government, and law enforcement. The company is ushering in a new wave of clarity, accountability, and success to the emerging Crypto marketplace through innovation and reinvestment to benefit local and regional economies.

About Alpha Prime Racing:

Alpha Prime Racing is a NASCAR Xfinity Series team owned by Craig and Tommy Joe Martins as well as Alpha Prime Sports Founder and CEO Caesar Bacarella. The team was originally founded in 2009 under the name Martins Racing.

The team announced in 2022 that they will run the No. 44 and No. 45 Camaro’s full-time, with multiple drivers splitting driving duties including Martins, Bacarella, Josh Bilicki, Rajah Caruth, Howie DiSavino III, Ryan Ellis, Kaz Grala, Sage Karam, Andy Lally, Julia Landauer and others.

Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 Whelen Team Finish Runner-Up After Hard Fought Battle at Darlington

Finish: 2nd
Start: 3rd
Points: 13th

“I put together really good restarts and I was able to get the lead, I needed that to stay green. Noah (Gragson) and I were kind of even there late in that run, he’d be a tenth better and then I’d be a tenth better and it would go back and forth. I just wanted it to stay green. Obviously, the caution came out and I just needed to have another good restart. I was good, I was really tight for like five laps, then I would get really loose after that but I was good. The pace we were running there with eight laps left, I was just way too loose in Turns 1 and 2. We were all racing really hard there at the end, I was hoping they were going to get racing behind me and that would kind of let me go but it didn’t happen. I just had to race Kyle (Larson) really hard there, I wasn’t going to give up. I’m just happy we had a really fast race car. The guys showed up with a really good car this weekend and it was exactly what we needed, everyone was on it. We stayed in it the whole time and just raced really hard for the win, and I can’t really ask for more in a situation like that. I’m proud of my team and I’m looking forward to Kansas Speedway next weekend to finish one spot better.” -Sheldon Creed

Austin Hill Grabs 15th Top-10 Finish in Rain-Delayed Race at Darlington Raceway

Finish: 10th
Start: 4th
Points: 6th

“Before the rain delay, we were fighting a loose balance on our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet. We talked during the delay about what we were going to do to make it better. I felt like it fired off better when we restarted and we worked our way up to the top-five but as the run went along, we again started losing rear grip. Our biggest issue all night was in Turns 3 and 4. When I tried to run the bottom it would bog down too much. I’d spin the tires really easy when I tried to put the throttle down and I felt like I was burning the right rear off of it. We made it a little better at the start of that last restart there with 15 to go but we started losing rear grip again. We ran top-five for most of the day but it’s a little frustrating to finish 10th. We’re going to go back to the drawing board and keep working on it and try to be better once the Playoffs start. We’ll just keep working at it.” -Austin Hill

Accident Ends Herbst’s Race Early at Darlington
Monster Energy Driver Unable to Escape Multicar Incident at Outset of Stage 2

Date: Saturday, Sept. 3
Event: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (Round 24 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 147 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/57 laps)
Start/Finish: 8th / 34th (Accident, completed 56 of 147 laps)
Point Standing: 8th (651 points, 313 out of first)
Race Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Overview:

Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) saw an abrupt and early end to their day in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. After starting eighth and finishing sixth in Stage 1, having made an impressive save to keep his Ford Mustang from making contact with the outside wall after getting shoved up the racetrack on lap four, the 23-year-old from Las Vegas was penalized for speeding while exiting pit road during the stage break. He restarted 21st when the race went back to green on lap 54 to start Stage 2. On the very next lap, Herbst slid into the inside SAFER Barrier exiting turn two while trying to avoid a two-car incident in front of him. His racecar sustained left-front damage that the team was unable to repair under the allotted NASCAR Damaged Vehicle Policy time limit.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“It was 100-percent my fault. I ran sixth (to end the first stage) and I have to do what I can do and I didn’t do that. I sped off pit road and put us in the back. And when you run in the back, accidents happen like that off (turn) two, and then you get collected into it. I don’t know, it’s tough, but at the end of the day, I was in control of our good track position. I had one of the best racecars I’ve ever had, especially here at Darlington. It was so much fun in this heat, sliding around. But I threw it all away by speeding on pit road and you can’t do that.”

Notes:

● Herbst finished sixth in Stage 1 to collect five bonus points.

● Noah Gragson won the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 to score his ninth career Xfinity Series victory, his fourth of the season, and his second at Darlington. His margin over second-place Sheldon Creed was .794 of a second.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 39 laps.

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

● AJ Allmendinger remains the championship leader after Darlington with a 51-point advantage over second-place Ty Gibbs.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Kansas Lottery 300 on Sept. 10 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.