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BROWN WINS PEP BOYS TOP FUEL ALL-STAR CALLOUT; LANGDON, PROCK, ENDERS & HERRERA QUALIFY NO. 1 AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 9, 2024) – Antron Brown picked up the victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday at Gainesville Raceway in front of a capacity crowd, knocking off Brittany Force in the final round of the specialty race as part of this weekend’s 55th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the first of 21 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Brown went 3.709-seconds at 332.43 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools Toyota dragster, taking down Force’s 3.730 at 328.70. It gave Brown, who defeated Langdon and Steve Torrence earlier in the day, his first Pep Boys All-Star Callout victory, a big payday in the specialty event and a stellar way to start his 2024 NHRA season.

“Our guys had a chance to keep picking at it, and keep picking at it, and we knew it was going to be a tough round against Brittany, another world champion,” Brown said. “Everyone we raced today was a world champion. We knew we had to step it up against her, but we had the added pressure of qualifying. So, to go out there and do what we did and run that 3.709 and move up to fourth on the ladder and get this Pep Boys All-Star Callout win is pretty special.

“It’s going to be tough competition tomorrow on race day. The field is tight, but hopefully we can parlay that and get better tomorrow. We’ve been getting better and better with each lap, and that’s when you get dangerous. I’m focused, and my boys are giving me a hot rod that can do the job, and that’s what it takes. We have an incredible team and we’re looking forward to this 2024 season.”

Langdon earned his first No. 1 spot since 2020, closing out qualifying with a 3.682 at 334.15 under the lights in his 11,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Careers Toyota dragster. After naming Brian Husen crew chief heading into the season, Langdon is already off to a great start, making a pair of runs in the 3.60s this weekend. He’ll now look to pick up his first win since the 2020 NHRA U.S. Nationals as well.

“That just shows the changes we’ve made, with Brian coming in, the changes have shown great rewards so far,” Langdon said. “Brian has a really good control of the car right now. It’s really cool to see and I’m really proud of him. I’m excited that he has this opportunity and I’m really lucky to be his driver. We know what this team is capable, so we’re looking forward to a great year.”

Langdon took the second spot with a 3.690 at 333.08 and defending event winner Mike Salinas qualified third after going 3.705. Tony Stewart qualified ninth in his Top Fuel debut with a 3.725 310.34.

In Funny Car, Prock maintained the No. 1 spot on the strength of Friday’s track-record run of 3.820-seconds at 334.65 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. It was a sterling qualifying performance in his first NHRA Funny Car race, as Prock made three strong passes heading into eliminations, where he’ll face off with John Smith in the opening round.

“I’m very excited for tomorrow. We really couldn’t have done much better,” Prock said. “I’m happy with this No. 1 qualifier and we’re really going to have to see what it looks like in the morning. If the track is like what it was today or Friday, you’re going to be throwing Hail Mary’s. I’m really looking forward to getting out there in my first NHRA Funny Car start and get this car in the winner’s circle.

Bob Tasca III stayed second with his 3.829 at 337.75, also setting a new track speed record on Saturday after going 338.09. Ron Capps took the third position with a 3.871 at 333.00.

Erica Enders stayed No. 1 in Pro Stock, picking up her 35th career top qualifier, after going 6.549 at 208.10 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment car. She’ll open up eliminations against Kelley Murphy and has a great opportunity to win the Gatornationals for the first time.

“We’ve got a really great race car this weekend, so it seems to be translating very well,” Enders said. “But there’s a lot of really great cars out there and great drivers, so we just have to put our heads down and go to work, and hope for no parts failures or weird things happening. But I feel good and I feel confident in the cockpit.”

Enders’ Elite Motorsports teammate Cristian Cuadra stayed second after a run of 6.552 at 209.10 on Friday and Dallas Glenn’s 6.556 at 208.59 gave him the third slot.

Gaige Herrera improved on Friday’s two runs, taking his 10th straight No. 1 qualifier on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki with a run of 6.746 at 200.50. It continues a remarkable run for the defending event winner, who won his first race in the class a year ago in Gainesville. He’ll look to repeat that on Sunday, opening eliminations against Joey Gladstone.

“I’m very pleased and we were happy to improve a little bit,” Herrera said. “I’m feeling comfortable and confident going into tomorrow. It’s very cool to come back here and start off where we left off to end last year. I’ve got to give all the credit to my team. They haven’t missed a beat, so it feels good to come back here and basically start like we did last year.”

Matt Smith improved to a 6.768 at 202.45 to stay second, while LE Tonglet qualified third with a 6.771 at 197.88.

Eliminations for the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begin at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 55th annual NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the first of 21 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Shawn Langdon, 3.682 seconds, 334.15 mph vs. 16. Cody Krohn, 3.850, 317.64; 2. Steve Torrence, 3.690, 333.08 vs. 15. Shawn Reed, 3.766, 314.61; 3. Mike Salinas, 3.705, 331.53 vs. 14. Doug Foley, 3.764, 318.84; 4. Antron Brown, 3.709, 332.43 vs. 13. Tripp Tatum, 3.757, 292.39; 5. Tony Schumacher, 3.712, 326.79 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 3.744, 322.65; 6. Billy Torrence, 3.713, 334.15 vs. 11. Brittany Force, 3.730, 328.70; 7. Doug Kalitta, 3.714, 330.80 vs. 10. Clay Millican, 3.726, 332.67; 8. Justin Ashley, 3.719, 325.37 vs. 9. Tony Stewart, 3.725, 310.34.

Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.820, 334.65 vs. 16. John Smith, Dodge Charger, 4.312, 257.48; 2. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.829, 337.75 vs. 15. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.116, 304.87; 3. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.871, 333.00 vs. 14. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.090, 294.24; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.883, 331.20 vs. 13. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.048, 307.37; 5. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.887, 329.26 vs. 12. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 3.989, 315.86; 6. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.897, 324.90 vs. 11. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.977, 317.94; 7. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.900, 327.74 vs. 10. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.940, 324.67; 8. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.912, 329.58 vs. 9. John Force, Camaro, 3.920, 324.67.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Dave Richards, 5.133, 151.97.

Pro Stock — 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.549, 208.10 vs. 16. Kelley Murphy, Camaro, 6.592, 203.25; 2. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.552, 209.20 vs. 15. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 6.592, 208.52; 3. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.556, 208.59 vs. 14. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.589, 208.81; 4. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.561, 208.65 vs. 13. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.580, 208.49; 5. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.563, 209.82 vs. 12. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.579, 208.14; 6. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.567, 209.92 vs. 11. David Cuadra, Mustang, 6.575, 209.20; 7. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.567, 209.39 vs. 10. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.574, 208.42; 8. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.570, 208.88 vs. 9. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.574, 208.88.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Camrie Caruso, 6.599, 208.84; 18. Eric Latino, 6.601, 208.17; 19. Chris McGaha, 6.602, 207.94; 20. Sienna Wildgust, 6.621, 208.46; 21. Mason McGaha, 6.629, 206.80; 22. Alan Prusiensky, 6.723, 204.63.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.746, 200.50 vs. 16. Joey Gladstone, Buell, 7.097, 186.56; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.768, 202.45 vs. 15. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 7.019, 193.02; 3. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.771, 197.88 vs. 14. Bud Yoder II, Buell, 6.973, 190.27; 4. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.804, 195.70 vs. 13. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.966, 191.95; 5. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.809, 197.74 vs. 12. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.965, 195.82; 6. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.817, 198.32 vs. 11. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.935, 197.45; 7. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.825, 198.23 vs. 10. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.899, 196.59; 8. John Hall, Beull, 6.825, 196.39 vs. 9. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.857, 197.22.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Hector Arana, 7.230, 191.24; 18. Wesley Wells, 7.323, 184.62.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Final finish order (1-8) at the 55th annual NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

TOP FUEL ALL-STAR CALLOUT:

  1. Antron Brown; 2. Brittany Force; 3. Steve Torrence; 4. Mike Salinas; 5. Shawn Langdon; 6. Justin Ashley; 7. Doug Kalitta; 8. Josh Hart.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Saturday’s final results from the 55th annual NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Top Fuel All-Star Callout — Antron Brown, 3.709 seconds, 332.43 mph def. Brittany Force, 3.730 seconds, 328.70 mph.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Final round-by-round results from the 55th annual NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

TOP FUEL ALL-STAR CALLOUT:

ROUND ONE — Antron Brown, 3.910, 280.49 def. Shawn Langdon, 4.304, 209.17; Mike Salinas, 4.192, 291.51 def. Justin Ashley, 4.427, 237.09; Brittany Force, 3.795, 331.28 def. Doug Kalitta, 5.816, 118.53; Steve Torrence, 3.708, 336.32 def. Josh Hart, 9.417, 61.09;

SEMIFINALS — B. Force, 3.785, 329.67 def. M. Salinas, 4.477, 195.05; A. Brown, 3.761, 322.50 def. S. Torrence, 3.765, 329.34;

FINAL — A. Brown, 3.709, 332.43 def. B. Force, 3.730, 328.70.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 from Phoenix

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Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200
Date: March 9, 2024
Event: Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 (Round 4 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Phoenix Raceway (1-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 200-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 1st / Finished 5th, Running, completed 205 of 205 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 4th / Finished 24th, Running, completed 202 of 205 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (3rd with 150 points, 33 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (4th with 146 points, 37 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his second top-five of the season and his fourth top-five in nine career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix.

● Custer has only finished outside of the top-12 at Phoenix once in his Xfinity Series career.

● This was Custer’s second straight top-five at Phoenix. He won at the track in November.

● Custer finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine bonus points and won Stage 2 to earn 10 more bonus points and one playoff point.

● Custer led two times for 61 laps to increase his laps-led total at Phoenix to 201.

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

Race Notes:

● Chandler Smith won the Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 to score his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season, and his first at Phoenix. His margin over second-place Jesse Love was .365 of a second.

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

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

● Smith leaves Phoenix as the championship leader with a one-point advantage over second-place Austin Hill.

Sound Bites:

“We started out pretty good, but the track lost some grip and then we struggled a little bit. Our guys did a great job staying with it all day, and our pit crew did an amazing job. It’s frustrating. Obviously, we want to win, but overall, it was a really good points day for us. We just have to keep working on it. I think we’re missing something just a little bit. We just have to keep trying to work on it and get a little bit more of that potential out of it.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang

“It’s a bummer. We had a strong day building with our No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. I got stage points and looked to be able to run up front in that final stage. One incident derailed all of that, though. I hate it for my team. They worked so hard and were able to get me back out on track to finish the race at least. We’ll learn from it and regroup during the off week.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Focused Health 250 on Saturday, March 23 at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The race begins at 5 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Gainesville Post-Qualifying Report – 03.09.24

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Langdon Earns Top Qualifying Position in Strong Toyota Showing at Gainesville
Antron Brown wins Pep Boys Top Fuel Callout

Gainesville, Fla. (March 9, 2024) – Team Toyota had a strong opening qualifying of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Kalitta Motorsports’ Shawn Langdon captured his 20th career No. 1 qualifying position with a 3.682 elapsed time in his Toyota Top Fuel dragster Saturday evening in Gainesville. Steve Torrence missed out on the top qualifying spot by 0.008 seconds, earning the second spot in Top Fuel for Sunday’s elimination rounds.

After a tough Friday session, Antron Brown came back with a vengeance on Saturday, capturing the Pep Boys Top Fuel All-Star Callout title and earned the fourth spot for Sunday where he’ll face Tripp Tatum. By winning the All-Star Callout event, Brown earned an additional $80,000.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps led the three Toyota GR Supras with the third fastest time at 3.871. Capps is seeking his fifth career win at the Gatornationals (2006, 2007, 2015, 2020).

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway
Race 1 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster1stVs. Cody Krohn
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster2ndVs. Shawn Reed
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster4thVs. Tripp Tatum
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster6thVs. Brittany Force
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster7thVs. Clay Millican
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster8thVs. Tony Stewart

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Austin ProckCornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car1st*Vs. John Smith
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car3rdVs. Jim Campbell
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car6thVs. Blake Alexander
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car7thVs. Paul Lee

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

SHAWN LANGDON, Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

Take us through your runs and the momentum this brings you to start the season.

“I haven’t done anything different, right? I mean, I just go out there, hit the gas, keep the thing straight and run it to 1,000 feet. That just shows you the changes we’ve made. We’ve had a good car a few times the past few years and, with Brian (Husen, crew chief) and Justin (Groat, assistant crew chief) coming in, and a couple guys coming in, the changes have worked so far. And yeah, Brian has a really good control of the race car right now. Like on that run, I go ‘what do you think?’ And he said, ‘well if it makes enough power, it should go 3.67.’ So, first race out, we’re within three thousands of a second of his prediction. It’s really cool to see and I’m really proud of Brian and have worked with him for many years. I’m really excited for him to get this opportunity because he’s a really smart guy and he’s a very hard worker. I’m really lucky to be his driver.”

ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 4th

How special is it to win the Top Fuel All Star Callout?

“This win is very, very special. We didn’t start out with the best car this weekend, but we never quit. We’ve been working through some things, like a brand-new chassis but our Matco boys never stop. Our guys had a chance to keep picking at it, and keep picking at it, and we knew it was going to be a tough round against Brittany (Force), another world champion. Everyone we raced today was a fellow world champion. We knew we had to step it up against her, but we had the added pressure of qualifying because we went into that round in 15th, so to go out there and do what we did and run that 3.709 and move up to fourth on the ladder and get this Pep Boys All-Star Callout win is pretty special. It’s going to be tough competition tomorrow on race day. The field is tight, but hopefully we can parlay that and get better tomorrow. We’ve been getting better and better with each lap, and that’s when you get dangerous. I’m focused, and my boys are giving me a hot rod that can do the job, and that’s what it takes; it takes every piece of the puzzle to make something like this happen. We have an incredible team and we’re looking forward to this 2024 season. The boys have a lot of work tonight to get ready for tomorrow. The weather is going to be cooler, brisker. Everyone is going to make more power, and I think we’re going to see some monumental runs tomorrow. You’re going to have to run in the 3.60s to get past the first round.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 3rd

How was your qualifying and what are you looking forward to tomorrow?

“In preseason testing, you sometimes learn things that will help you. But more often than not, when you learn things, things can be accidental sometimes. And that’s what testing is all about. We came in here and pulled last year’s car out. Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) wasn’t quite confident in our brand-new car only having a few runs on it. And lone behold, we unloaded and this has been one of the most consistent cars going down the track. Obviously, we’re number three and our brand new Supra body is awesome. Ran 330+ mph on all three of our runs. And we’re getting data, which is the most important thing for crew chiefs. Man, it’s hard ball in Funny Car 2024. We say it every year, but we’re going to have our work cut out for us. Sunday is going to be overcast and fast. That’s when we think we have an advantage with this GR Supra. Having something to go through there downforce wise and aerodynamic wise, and we’re pumped about it.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).

Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

RCR NXS Race Recap: Phoenix Raceway

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Runner-Up Finish Captured by Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team at Phoenix Raceway

Finish: 2nd
Start: 7th
Points: 5th

“It stings to finish second and be that close to winning. I hate running second as much as anybody, but at the same time, I’m proud of my Richard Childress Racing team. They gave me a fantastic Whelen Chevrolet today at Phoenix Raceway. We weren’t phenomenal to start the day. We needed to work on it. Danny Stockman made some good adjustments to the Whelen Camaro and my pit crew did great all day. I needed a little bit more at the end. Eventually, I’ll be able to do some of that restart magic again like I was back in my hay day in the ARCA Menards Series. It still stings even though I am happy with how we did.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Secure Fourth Top-Five Finish of 2024 at Phoenix Raceway

Finish: 4th
Start: 15th
Points: 2nd

“We will take a top-five finish after that. Obviously, we always want to win, but that wasn’t in the cards today at Phoenix Raceway. Our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet didn’t have the speed that our other competitors had, so we have some work to do before we come back here for the championship race. I fully expect us to be in the final four in November. The car was really tight and chattered the fronts all day. We were able to help that some with the adjustments made, but in doing that, we hurt the exit off the corner. We will have to go back to the drawing board to see what some of our other competitors are doing better than us and be ready to race for a championship. I saw the same things with our teammate and alliance cars. We were all fighting front turn. Overall, it was a solid points day for us. I love the battle that our Richard Childress Racing team brings to the track each week and we will keep digging.” -Austin Hill

Toyota Racing – NXS Phoenix Post-Race Report – 03.09.24

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Official Release
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SMITH DELIVERS ON FINAL RESTART, WINS IN PHOENIX
Chandler Smith continues strong start to 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season

AVONDALE, Ariz. (March 9, 2024) – Chandler Smith was in the right spot at the right time when the leader wrecked in the closing laps and had a great overtime restart to earn his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) on Saturday evening at Phoenix Raceway. Smith had a strong car throughout – winning the first stage and leading 88 (of 205) laps. With the win, Smith took over the points lead.

Smith’s JGR teammate, Sheldon Creed also bounced back with a strong third-place finish to score his third top-five in four races this season.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Phoenix Raceway
Race 4 of 33 – 200 miles, 200 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, CHANDLER SMITH

2nd, Jesse Love*

3rd, SHELDON CREED

4th, Austin Hill*

5th, Cole Custer*

22nd, COREY HEIM

31st, ARIC ALMIROLA

32nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 1st

What was going through your mind when you saw that issue and what was going through your mind on that final restart?

“I truly hate it for them, honestly. They had it in the bag. For something like that to happen, it’s mentally tough. I’ve been in that position myself. All glory to God. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be with Joe Gibbs Racing, my Toyota family. First win back together. That’s great. It has a great ring to it. Our No. 81 Quick Tie Products Toyota GR Supra was definitely as fast as Xfinity Internet today. I needed a little bit there at the end, but I got some good notes to come back with. Hopefully, we can repeat this in the fall when we are running for the championship.”

What was the key getting the race win today?

“First off, all glory to God. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I’m at. I wouldn’t have a beautiful wife at home with amazing kids he’s blessed us with. They are my everything, my whole world. I can’t wait to get back home to you. I can’t wait to see you tonight. What a day. Went from dominating, to wasn’t great to dominating again to wasn’t great again. Just lacked a little bit on the 7 (Justin Allgaier). I hate that happened to him. He definitely had that in the bag, so I definitely hate that for them. Our car was definitely as fast as Xfinity 10G today, and I’m so proud of everyone back at Joe Gibbs Racing. It is good to finally get this first one off my back with these guys, so let’s keep racking them up.”

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

Finishing Position: 3rd

What more did you need there in the end?

“I tried to get a good restart. If I could have stayed outside of the 81 (Chandler Smith) that would alright. Restart was okay out of the box, and then I don’t know – the distance, or whatever, I was starting to bleed really bad at the end of that green flag run. Just really struggled with grip there. Needed all four tires to fire there, but a top-five after starting in the back, that’s not something to be too upset about. Just need to be a little better to be able to contend all day.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Safeway/Albertson’s Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 32nd

What happened out there?

“I don’t know. There was a little bit of contact. Next thing I know, I was sideways. Part of it.”

Are you angry or if it’s not the series you run in, it takes some of the emotion out it?

“I’m sure we will have good conversations on Monday about the whole situation, and whatnot, but now that I’m out, the only goal was to go win. Now the focus is on tomorrow. We have a really good No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE. I’ve got to figure out how to drive from 19th to the front.”

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 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 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NXS Phoenix 1 Post-Race Quotes

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Call811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 | Saturday, March 9, 2024

Unofficial Ford Finishing Results
5th – Cole Custer
12th – Ryan Sieg
13th – Blaine Perkins
24th – Riley Herbst
25th – Kyle Sieg
30th – Frankie Muniz
33rd – Hailie Deegan

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 5th) – “We started out pretty good but the track lost some grip and then we struggled a little bit. Our guys did a great job staying with it all day. Our pit crew did an amazing job. It is frustrating. Obviously we want to win but it was a really good points day. We just have to keep working on it. I think we are missing something, just a little bit. We just need to keep trying to work on it and get a little bit more of that potential out of it.”

HAILIE DEEGAN, No. 15 AirBox Ford Mustang Dark Horse – (Involved in a multi-car accident on lap 146) – WHAT HAPPENED TO CAUSE THAT WRECK? “I don’t know.”

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU HIT THE WALL EARLIER? “Before the caution? I just got free. I got too high up.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR DAY WAS GOING UP UNTIL THE WRECK? “We struggled. We were struggling trying to get it to turn better. We were making a little progress on it but we were struggling with that and we were just in a mode of trying to make it to the end of the race.”

THREE RACES INTO THE SEASON, HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE ADJUSTING TO THESE XFINITY CARS? “I think after Vegas I felt pretty good about it. You have highs and lows. Vegas was good for us and we made good progress there, so it is on to the next one.”

Bobby Labonte Reunites with Joe Gibbs Racing in New Consulting Role

By
Official Release
-

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 8, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced today that NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Labonte will reunite with his former team in a new consulting role providing support in a number of capacities.

Labonte won 21 races over his 11-year career with JGR, including four wins on his way to capturing the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

“Bobby is a big part of our history and success here at JGR,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We are excited to have him in this new role consulting across several areas of our operations. He will be a tremendous asset to our partners in sharing his knowledge and passion for racing as well as educating our guests and fans through appearances and on social media.”

In this new role, Labonte will serve as a brand ambassador for JGR, attending races to – participate in at-track sponsor activities and engage sponsor guests. The Hall of Fame driver will also provide regular content to JGR social channels and support JGR’s business operations and sales outreach.

“Joe Gibbs Racing played such a pivotal role in my career and it has always felt like home to me,” said Labonte. “I am thrilled to be involved with the organization again and look forward to being an asset to their partners and fans.”

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Cup Series teams, four NASCAR Xfinity Series teams, an ARCA Series team, and a driver development program. JGR is based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Joe Gibbs, who also earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was named as one of the NFL’s top 10 coaches of all-time with a winning career that included three Super Bowl Championships as head coach of the Washington franchise. JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, capturing more than 400 wins over that span. No team has more combined wins across the sport’s three national series in the history of NASCAR. In addition, JGR has won five Cup Series championships along with four Xfinity Series driver championships and six Xfinity Series owner’s championships. The organization also has captured four Daytona 500 titles, considered to be NASCAR’s premier event each season.

Chandler Smith wins NASCAR Xfinity Series race in overtime at Phoenix Raceway

By
Angie Campbell
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AVONDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 09: Chandler Smith, driver of the #81 QuickTie Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 at Phoenix Raceway on March 09, 2024 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Chandler Smith won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway Saturday afternoon after Justin Allgaier experienced a tire failure with only five laps to go, resulting in a dramatic 2-lap overtime finish.

Smith won Stage 1, led 88 of 205 laps, and came out on top after the final incident of the Call811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200, driving his No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to victory lane. It was his first win of the season and the second of his Xfinity career.

“We just lacked a little bit on the 7 (Allgaier),” Smith said after the race. “I hate that happened to him — he had that in the bag. I’m so proud of everybody back at Joe Gibbs Racing. It’s good finally to get this first win off our back for these guys.

“So let’s go keep racking ’em up.”

Allgaier led 52 laps in his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet but with five scheduled laps to go and a lead of almost three seconds, his left-rear tire went flat and he collided with the outside wall, ending his day.

“Going through the dogleg (on the front stretch), I felt (the tire) come apart, like I ran something over, and at that point you’re just a passenger,” Allgaier said. “I just hate it that we tore up a race car. We didn’t go to Victory Lane. I hate it for all the guys and gals at JR Motorsports.”

Jesse Love finished second in the No. 2 Richard Childress Chevrolet followed by Sheldon Creed in third driving the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Austin Hill finished fourth in the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer won Stage 2 and rounded out the top five.

Custer characterized his day as frustrating.

“We started out pretty good, but the track lost some grip and then we struggled a little bit. Our guys did a great job staying with it all day, and our pit crew did an amazing job. It’s frustrating. Obviously, we want to win, but overall, it was a really good points day for us. We just have to keep working on it. I think we’re missing something just a little bit. We just have to keep trying to work on it and get a little bit more of that potential out of it.”

Rookie Shane van Gisbergen, Brandon Jones, Parker Kligerman, Sammy Smith, and Anthony Alfredo completed the top 10.
With the win at Phoenix, Smith is the current leader in the championship standing by one point over place Austin Hill.

The Xfinity Series is off next weekend and returns to competition on March 23 at Circuit of the Americas.
There were no major issues during the post-race inspection. The No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (Jesse Love) and the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet (Parker Kligerman) each had one unsecured lug nut which will result in a fine for the crew chiefs of each team.

Complete Results:

  1. Chandler Smith
  2. Jesse Love
  3. Sheldon Creed
  4. Austin Hill
  5. Cole Custer
  6. Shane van Gisbergen
  7. Brandon Jones
  8. Parker Kligerman
  9. Sammy Smith
  10. Anthony Alfredo
  11. Leland Honeyman
  12. Ryan Sieg
  13. Blaine Perkins
  14. BJ McLeod
  15. Jeremy Clements
  16. Kyle Weatherman
  17. Nick Leitz
  18. AJ Allmendinger
  19. JJ Yeley
  20. Brennan Poole
  21. Ryan Ellis
  22. Corey Heim
  23. William Byron
  24. Riley Herbst
  25. Kyle Sieg
  26. Garrett Smithley
  27. Josh Williams
  28. Dawson Cram
  29. Justin Allgaier
  30. Frankie Muniz
  31. Aric Almirola
  32. John Hunter Nemechek
  33. Hailie Deegan
  34. Sam Mayer
  35. Parker Retzlaff
  36. Jeb Burton
  37. Ryan Vargas
  38. Patrick Emerling

Newgarden takes pole at St. Pete

By
Tucker White
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - MARCH 9: Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 PPG Paints Chevrolet, poses with the P1 award flag after winning the pole for the NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 9, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Photo: Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Josef Newgarden told NBC’s Marty Snider, Friday, in the Mahaffey Theater that despite his Indianapolis 500 victory and wins on all but one oval, he was bummed to not win a pole in 2023.

He rectified that in Race No. 1 of 2024.

“Crazy proud,” he said. “I’m always proud of my team and even more so today. They deserve it. They’ve done a great job all off-season. They’ve done a great job in 2023 (sic), and I feel like we fell short in a lot of areas that we didn’t need to.”

The two-time NTT INDYCAR Series champion scored his 17th career pole with a Firestone Fast Six time of 59.5714 (108.777 mph). He jumped to the top of the charts with just 15 seconds left in the final round. Besting Felix Rosenqvist, who broke Will Power’s track record in the second round.

All of which came after a less than stellar performance in first practice, Friday. Newgarden’s team didn’t change much on the car after first practice.

“We were sort of same car,” he said. “Just really putting it together better, and I think (second practice) was representative more so for where we were as a team.”

Rounding out the top-six are Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta (who ran his fastest time in the final round on Firestone black tires, while the rest used greens*), Romain Grosjean and defending race winner Marcus Ericsson.

Aside from Rinus VeeKay kissing the wall off Turn 10, nothing out of the ordinary happened during qualifying. Gusts of wind dragged debris onto the track, but that wound up a non-factor.

* The green-banded Firestone tires are the same compound as the reds of years past, but with a different construction. How differently it performed was “hard to say.”

“I felt like it was probably more of a lap two, lap three tire than the past,” Rosenqvist said. “I think here last time we were here it was like a lap one tire. It changes all the time kind of depending on the weather and the wind and what not.”

Rock legend Bret Michaels named honorary starter of tomorrow’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding

By
Official Release
-

Michaels performs a live concert tonight on plaza between Duke Energy Center for the Arts and Dali Museum

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 9, 2024) – Multi-platinum music icon Bret Michaels will wave the green flag over the 27-car NTT INDYCAR SERIES starting field tomorrow at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET as the honorary starter of the 20th Annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. He joins the pre-race festivities which include St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and three past mayors as grand marshals along with fellow rock legend Jon Bon Jovi who will ride in the “Fastest Seat in Sports.”

“I am so excited for the concert tonight at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the chance to drop the green flag, along with meeting the drivers, the fans and the pit crews, along with awesome Jon Bon Jovi and others,” Michaels said. “It is going to be great!”

Before waving the green flag tomorrow, Michaels will rock out for event attendees tonight after the day’s racing action ends on the plaza between the Duke Energy Center for the Arts (The Mahaffey Theater) and Dali Museum. Fans arriving this evening after on-track racing concludes should enter the grounds through Gate 5 (located at 5th Ave. South and 1st St. SE) and follow the concert signs. A Saturday or weekend gate admission includes access to the concert. After the conclusion of the concert, all fans will be required to exit through 4th Ave. South located northwest of the Duke Energy Center for the Arts and adjacent to Al Lang Stadium.

Tickets are still available for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Fans are encouraged to arrive early tomorrow with gates opening at 7:45 a.m. EDT. Visit gpstpete.com for ticket pricing, event schedule and festival information. Follow Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on social media using @gpstpete and #FirestoneGP for the latest updates. Joining the E-Club also provides insider access to the latest news and offers.

About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding:

The 20th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runway at Albert Whitted Airport, and borders the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid (July 5-7, 2024), Honda Indy Toronto (July 19-21, 2024) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 23-25, 2024).

For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

About Bret Michaels

Whether he’s selling out stadiums or headlining hit TV shows, Bret Michaels consistently brings his iconic energy and star power to over three generations of loyal fans. As one of music’s most legendary singers and songwriters, Michaels counts Every Rose Has Its Thorn, Go That Far & Nothing But A Good Time as part of his robust catalog of mega-hits. On television, Michaels’ shows include the record-breaking enduring hit Rock of Love with Bret Michaels and a recent turn as the audience-favorite Banana in Fox’s hit The Masked Singer. As a well-known creative entrepreneur, Bret took his Celebrity Apprentice-winning Trop-A-Rocka Iced Tea and turned it into a bestselling global product for Snapple. Michaels still finds time to give back through his Life Rocks Foundation which supports a myriad of charities & causes around the globe. For more information on Michaels, visit www.BretMichaels.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

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