SAMMY SMITH SCORES FIRST CAREER XFINITY SERIES WIN
Smith leads a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2 finish at Phoenix
AVONDALE, Ariz. (March 11, 2023) – Toyota development driver Sammy Smith earned his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon. The 18-year-old Iowa-native led 92 of 200 laps to win in just his 13th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start. Ryan Truex completed a Joe Gibbs Racing top-two sweep as the New Jersey-native tied his career-best result with a runner-up finish.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Phoenix Raceway
Race 4 of 33 – 200 miles, 200 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, SAMMY SMITH
2nd, RYAN TRUEX
3rd, Sheldon Creed*
4th, Riley Herbst*
5th, Chandler Smith*
6th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
24th, CONNOR MOSACK
26th, JOEY GASE
34th, KAZ GRALA
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
SAMMY SMITH, No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
What did it take to get to this point?
“It was tough with all of these restarts. I just got to thank everyone on this Pilot Flying J team, TMC, Allstate Peterbuilt, Renda Group, Sinclair, Toyota, JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) guys – everybody on this 18 team that gave me an awesome car.”
What did it take to get to this point in your career?
“A lot of hard work and a lot of great people behind me. Without all these guys – and Pilot Flying J, TMC and Toyota, I wouldn’t be here.”
What does it mean to be in victory lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series?
“It is amazing. It’s a dream come true – just thanks to Pilot Flying J, TMC, Allstate Peterbuilt Group, Renda Group, Toyota – all of the guys on the JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) team for giving me this opportunity. It is awesome.”
RYAN TRUEX, No. 19 Toyota Genuine Parts Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
You got it going when it counted. How was your race?
“I think the track just changed a lot more than I expected it to. That long run we were really bad – I was just hanging on. Jason (Ratcliff) and these guys let me complain on the radio and we made the right adjustments. That was a good restart at the end; I’m glad at least I could try to make it exciting. Congrats to Sammy (Smith) and I think he was the class of the field all day. His car looked so good, and he could do what he wanted. Just thankful to be here. Thank you to Toyota Genuine Parts – it was as fast as Xfinity 10 G – but I think that Sammy was just a little bit faster. I’ll try again next time.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 20 electrified options, with more in showrooms later this year.
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.
