ALMIROLA WINS THIRD RACE OF THE SEASON, PUTS 20 TEAM IN OWNER CHAMPIONSHIP 4 BATTLE
Chandler Smith comes just short of first Xfinity Series Championship 4 berth
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (November 2, 2024) – Aric Almirola completed the season sweep at Martinsville Speedway – winning his third race of the season, in just his 13th start, to clinch a spot in the owner Championship 4 in Phoenix. The 20 team will face the No. 7, 16 and 21 teams for the season-long title. Almirola has delivered the ninth win for the No. 20 team this season with Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek and Ryan Truex each having two wins each.
Chandler Smith battled up front all day in his battle to make the Championship 4. He led 34 laps and finished third, which unfortunately was not enough to earn his own berth into next weekend’s championship race.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Martinsville Speedway
Race 32 of 33 – 250 Laps, 131.5 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, ARIC ALMIROLA
2nd, Sammy Smith*
3rd, CHANDLER SMITH
4th, Cole Custer*
5th, Justin Allgaier*
6th, SHELDON CREED
31st, BUBBA POLLARD
33rd, WILLIAM SAWALICH
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 20 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
You scored the win and put the 20 team into the Championship 4.
“Wow. What an amazing race car. So proud of Tyler (Allen, crew chief) and all of the guys on this team. We had an amazing car here in the Spring, and we made a few tweaks to it because I wasn’t totally happy with it, honestly, in the Spring. We showed up yesterday and we were awful. I was like oh, no, what did we do, and they went to work last night and came up with a lot of changes to make to the car. It was so hooked up today. It would just do everything I wanted it to. This is such a special place. This is by far my favorite race track. I’m just so thankful. Thankful for Coach (Joe Gibbs), everyone at Toyota, TRD. Thank you He Gets Us. Thank you, God. There is so much more to it than just me and this race team. Just so lucky and blessed with this opportunity with so many partners – Go Bowling. I hate – they’ve been such a great partner of mine for such a long time, and we haven’t got them to victory lane. Just so thankful. Thankful to everyone at TRD, Toyota. Our GR Supra was fast – faster than the Xfinity internet today. Just what an amazing race car. I’m so proud – so, so proud. We are going to go race for an owner’s championship in Phoenix.”
CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
Can you talk about the end of the race and conversation with Cole Custer?
“He thought he was in a must-win for the owners – which he was – but at the end of the day, I get that his dad has some high up role at SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing), so he probably values that a lot, but at the end of the day, I’m a driver. I’m in a must-win situation. He was not at that moment, and he didn’t even try to make the corner. Granted I moved him the lap before, but I’m beating his bumper off for the five laps before that. I gave him grace, before I finally shipped him, and then he doesn’t even try to give me a chance going into turn one. It is what it is. I’m super grateful God blessed me with a great group of men and women at Joe Gibbs Racing that have worked on this QuickTie Toyota. It is a bunch of fun. This car was hooked up at the very end, unfortunately, I was the focal point of us getting shipped because then we were behind the eight-ball and had to pass all of those cars again.”
SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
Can you walk me through your race and what more you needed there?
“We started off okay, and just kept making our car better and better there to have a shot at winning the race. Obviously, running second there and then we pitted and then I sped on pit road and had to go to the back. Kinda just pulled the gloves off and wanted to get back towards the front. Just made a few mistakes and I wheel hopped a few times, and I seemed to hit somebody every time I did it. I hate being that person. It is embarrassing being the guy that is just running into everyone. Definitely not who I want to be or how I want to race, just made mistakes trying hard and took people with me.”
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