Toyota Racing – Sammy Smith
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

CHARLOTTE (September 12, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Sammy Smith was made available to media as part of the NASCAR Playoff Media Day.

SAMMY SMITH, No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

What’s kind of been going wrong these last couple of months?

“I think it has just wrong place, wrong time. I feel like we’ve been in good positions, where we were running, and got wrecked. I think we have had a lot of speed and brought speed to the track every week. I just think it’s been a rough couple of weeks to where we’ve had speed, and running up front and we just get taken out. I don’t believe in luck, I don’t believe in any of that stuff, so I don’t know what to call it, but we have just kind of have to reset – like we did – we had a good solid reset in Kansas. We were really fast there. We had a good practice, good qualifying, good first two stages, just got taken out there with nothing I could do about it. I think just try to reset and have a strong mental side of things and try to go into the Playoffs with a good mindset. I know have the team and the cars to do it, we just have to go execute.”

Do you embrace the Playoff format?

“For sure. I saw something about a week ago, that if it was like they used to do with the 33 races, we would be like 13th in points, so yeah, it is definitely exciting to get the Playoffs started this weekend. At the end of the day, it doesn’t change anything on what we are doing, it doesn’t change my mindset, it doesn’t change anything. I think it is just another reset where we can run up front, and we can be there. We just have to execute, and I think we can make it to the final four.”

How close are you to finalizing your plans for next year?

“I think we are close. Still figuring out some things. I have a good management team, and hopefully we have some stuff to announce soon.”

What percent chance do you give it that you return to Joe Gibbs Racing?

“Yeah, I’m not going to talk about that stuff today, I’m here to focus on the Playoffs. I know you have a job to do. I’m still working on things.”

How much is it a confidence booster knowing the championship race was in Phoenix?

“I think that’s one of the positives of only winning once this year – it’s the track that the final four’s race is at. I thought we were really, really fast. We were very dominate. We just have to make it to that final four, and I think it’s all about execution. JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) has been awesome with everyone, to my teammate John Hunter (Nemechek), to my crew and team. The whole 18 team has taught me a lot and I think we just have to go execute that and just have a solid three races this round and take the second round as it comes. I don’t think we need to look too far ahead of ourselves. We just need to take one race at a time.”

Does it give you confidence that you can get the job done if you make the Championship 4?

“That’s definitely a confidence booster in a way. I’m sure the other three cars that would be in the Championship 4, if we make it there, are going to be equally as good. They are going to get better. We are going to have to get better too. We are not going to be able to go back to the track with the same package. That would be foolish of us to do that and think that we are going to go dominate again, because that would not be the case. I think it gives us confidence that we can go there and think we have a shot. I know we will be good. I think that every weekend. I think we’ve shown some speed everywhere. We just have to get the Playoffs started right, and get the stuff turned around that’s not going right.”

What do you think are your biggest strengths heading into the Playoffs?

“As a team, we have a lot of speed. We have a good team around us. I think being mentally strong going into the Playoffs is a good thing. Knowing you have to reset your mind if something happens on track, resetting it right away and not letting it bother you. I think we a lot of strengths. I think we have the capability to be running up there with Austin Hill, John Hunter (Nemechek) and Justin Allgaier. I think those are the three other guys I can see making the final four. I think we are right there with them. I feel that way about me and my team. I don’t know how everyone else feels. We just have to go out there and prove it to everyone else and prove it to ourselves that we can do it.”

Does the last few races worry you at all?

“I just try to take every race as it comes and not let the past ruin the future. I’m not a driver that really drives off motivation or momentum. I love to race. It’s a passion that I love to race. I think the last eight weeks have been frustrating, but we just have to reset like we do after every race, whether we have a good race or a bad race. We just have to reset. Reset our minds, reset our team, and for me, it’s just trying to be a good leader for the 18 team and trying to be that leader that takes us to the Championship 4.”

What was it like the first time you went to Bristol?

“I actually ran there in a Super Late Model first. I think I was 14, 15 years old, which is very fast. I think we were running faster than the old Cup cars were. I think moving up to ARCA and then Xfinity, I think running the Super Late Model helped getting that super-fast feeling out of the way. The ARCA cars were almost wide open in qualifying with the tires super gripped up with the resin, you can’t pass with how low horsepower they are and a lot of downforce. ARCA cars are fairly easy to get around there and then the Xfinity car last year was tough. A lot less downforce, a lot more power – felt a lot more free. You can kind of move off the bottom. Hopefully, it’s the same way this year. It seems to be a track that you have to hold on and remember to breathe.”

What memories do you have the first time you saw it?

“It was super cool. I’ve been watching races there since I was a younger kid. I was always waiting to race there. It’s one of my favorite tracks, so I think there is some fun keys that make it what it is – the high speeds, the banking, the tight racing. Hopefully, it will be a good track this weekend. I think they are putting resin down, hopefully, they get it kind of wore in during the Truck and ARCA race that we can move up in the Xfinity race.”

What are the memories that stand out early in your career?

“There is a lot of special moments. I started racing when I was eight years old. For the first two years, kind of just did it for fun – and after that, it was something that I had a real passion for and something I wanted to do. I’ve been doing it with my dad, and then the last couple of years been with other people. There has been a lot of great memories of my mom and dad coming to the track. I’ve done online school since I was in sixth grade, just traveling around the country doing racing – doing what I love. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Has there been a learning curve on the intermediates this season?

“Yeah, I think so. I never really ran any races in ARCA on mile-and-a-halves or intermediates, so I think that was the biggest thing for me was going from short tracks to intermediates in a Xfinity car. A lot of guys do ARCA and have that experience or do Trucks, so it’s been a challenge that way – just the jump – I feel really comfortable. The more experience is better for me, so I think we continue to do that. We have three intermediates in the Playoffs, so we just have to go out and have a solid races.”

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 22 electrified options.

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.

Toyota Racing – John Hunter Nemechek
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

CHARLOTTE (September 12, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to media as part of the NASCAR Playoff Media Day.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

You come into the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs as a huge favorite. Does that excite you or cause some extra stress?

“To be honest, that’s just extra noise to us. We’re not focused on being the favorite to win the championship or not. We’re focused on running every race how we do and going out and race every single racetrack every single week. Putting an emphasis on trying to win, but also coming out with good weeks to not let bad ones affect your playoff run. I don’t think the standpoint of being a favorite or not really affects us or the mental side of things.”

With the successful season you’ve had thus far this year, is anything less than making the Championship 4 a disappointment in your eyes?

“I think so. I think the way we’ve run this year and with the speed we’ve had, we want to make the final four and definitely feel we have a shot to do so. We just can’t beat ourselves to get there.”

Looking ahead to next year a little bit, have you already started integrating yourself at Legacy Motor Club?

“No, I’m focused on this year. Once we signed with Legacy, it’s full focus back for me on the Xfinity Series, Joe Gibbs Racing and trying to go to win this 2023 Xfinity Series championship.”

When you look at the way champions are now crowned compared to what it used to be, is that something you still value or is it a matter of winning races and whatever happens, happens?

“I think that winning a championship is winning a championship, no matter which way you do it. No matter how good you are or how it works out, you’re still a champion. That’s what the record books say. For us, times have changed, and a lot has changed since my father (Joe Nemechek) won the Xfinity Series in 1992. If you base it off points, we got our butts beat by Austin Hill for the regular season championship. Our strong point has been to have speed and win races this year, and we’re looking forward to doing so here in the playoffs.”

Big picture Xfinity Series question, you’ve had the good fortune to drive a lot of different race cars the last decade. Where does the Xfinity Series car rank?

“I enjoy the Xfinity car. It’s a lot of fun to drive with the low downforce package. You’re slipping and sliding around, always searching for grip, able to run a bunch of different grooves at different racetracks, and the aerodynamic effects of being behind another car aren’t as big as some of the other series I’ve run in. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Xfinity Series racing.”

You know what you’re doing next year, but Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t announced a replacement yet for you. Do you feel any angst from your team on that uncertainty?

“No, I don’t think so. I think all the guys are focused on this year and a lot of them are set to be at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) for the future. I think for them, it’s about being a part of a great organization and working for some great people and putting a lot of wins together over the years with a lot of great drivers. I wouldn’t say there’s anxiety about next year. It’s all focused on this year so we can go out and achieve a solid playoff and championship run.

Last year, you went into the playoffs not exactly knowing what you’d be doing the following year. This year, you do. Is there a difference in mindset?

“No distractions, you’re 100% focused on the task at hand and you don’t really have to think about anything else with your future. If anyone tells you they’re not worried about their future, I feel like they’re lying to you. They always have that thought at the back of their head of what they may do. Knowing the plan and having everything set provides more time and availability to focus on what you need to be focusing on.”

What would it mean to you to be the first father-son duo to win the Xfinity Series championship if you were to match your father’s feat?

“I didn’t know we’d be the first, but that’s a super cool stat. It’s neat to see the father-son drivers that have been able to race against each other or at the same level throughout their careers. For me to win an Xfinity Series championship would mean a lot, and to be the first father-son duo to accomplish that would be special. Hopefully we can do it. That’s what we’re here for.”

With the news this morning about the return of stage breaks at the Charlotte ROVAL, what are your thoughts and how does that change strategy?

“It’ll change strategy, it always does. You’re not just pushing the entire time, you’re able to work on your car, and you’re not pitting under green. I don’t think it matters if you have stage breaks or not. You have to race the race and race the racetrack, focusing on the best possible outcome. It does eliminate a little bit of strategy on when you could jump stages beforehand with cautions and what not. All in all, it’s still the same hard racing.”

Your lone season in the Cup Series was in 2020, where there was little-to-no practice time. How do you think that affected you and how much do you think having that track time next year will help further your development?

“It was hard without any practice, coming into a new car and package I’ve never run — a lot of unknown factors. I feel like we had some good runs and some okay runs. But I think looking forward to next year, getting into the NextGen car again and going to work to figure out this car with practice is helpful to try to learn.”

You had some experience with the NextGen car driving it last year at Homestead. What have you learned about driving the car and how does it differ from what you’re used to with the Xfinity car?

“It’s way different, all different. You can take a lot of things from racing in the past and still apply them. But the way the car handles and how you set it up is all different. It’ll be a learning experience for me for sure, but hopefully we can tackle it well and hit the ground running.”

You talked about your strong points earlier, where do you feel this team needs to improve so you can win the championship?

“Just execute. Road courses haven’t been our greatest strength, but they’re not our worst race tracks. We’ve had some really good runs and some not so great runs, but execution. Not beating ourselves, not getting ahead of ourselves, and staying in contention every single week.”

How has having children changed your life?

“(Laughs) It’s changed my life a lot. The things that you focus on, the things you used to think were important aren’t as much anymore. For me, it’s been a lot of growing in a very short period of time. It definitely makes you think about different situations and the thoughts you have toward situations like dwelling on a bad race, like one we had at Daytona where we wrecked — I was very frustrated. First thing that happens when I get back to the bus, Aspen (daughter) comes up and says ‘I love you.’ That puts a smile on your face and helps you move onto the next week.”

Do you carry anything from your kids in the car?

“Aspen hasn’t given me anything yet. Our pre-race ritual is that she always gives me a hug and kiss, and she has her fist bump. She loves giving fist bumps. Just chatting with her before I get in the car, with her saying ‘Go Fast!’ That kind of sticks with you. When she says to go fast or go win, you better go do it! She won’t forget it.”

Where did the fist bump come from?

“I don’t know. When she was young, Taylor (wife) and I taught her how to high-five, fist bump, and how to shake hands. The first time she was at the track, and we won, we taught her how to hold up the number one sign. We’ve taught her a lot from then, but ever since, she leans to the fist bump. She loves it.”

You’ve been a part of the sport forever. When’s the first time you remember going to Bristol and what was your reaction/any memories?

“Going there as a kid, I was probably 4 or 5 years old the first time, and one of the first memories was that we raced scooters around the motorhome lot. There were a few of us drivers’ kids that grew up together and went to Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) and such. We also always got to sing the National Anthem at the fall race, which was iconic. To have that tradition still happening today is unique. As far as racing there, I started at 16 or 17-years-old. Walking into that place, it’s amazing. You don’t really know what to think the first time you go in there with the stands filling up, the energy inside the place, and racing under the lights. It’s super unique and special, and probably one of the coolest venues we go to in terms of energy standpoint. It’s not your typical short track, that’s for sure.”

What was doing the National Anthem at Bristol at a young age like with Motor Racing Outreach?

“I always remember that rehearsals went great as no one was afraid of anything, but once we got out there to go sing, everyone got real quiet. It was a very fun thing to be a part of and something as a tradition that MRO, NASCAR, and Bristol have kept going. And to have kids who will be a part of it in the future is unique and special as well.

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 22 electrified options.

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.

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

• Event: Food City 300 (Round 27 of 33)
• Date: Friday, Sept. 15
• Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
• Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 7:30 p.m. EDT on USA/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• Cole Custer kicks off the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs determined to emerge with a championship while honoring a NASCAR Cup Series champion and potential future Hall of Famer during Friday night’s opening event at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will sport a new look in the Food City 300 that pays tribute to SHR teammate Kevin Harvick’s 2018 and 2019 Mobil 1 scheme. Harvick drove to victory lane three times in that span en route to Championship 4 appearances both seasons. The silver flames that saw victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway will return for one weekend only on Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang. Harvick, who made the playoffs 17 times in his Cup Series career, has a strong history at Bristol – winning in April 2005, August 2016, and September 2020. Harvick’s most memorable victory with the Mobil 1 scheme came in his 2019 Brickyard 400 win on the iconic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
• Friday night’s Food City 300 will mark Custer’s seventh Xfinity Series start at Bristol. In his prior six visits to the high-banked, .533-mile concrete oval, Custer has scored four top-10 finishes and started from the pole twice – August 2018 and April 2019. He led 25 laps in that April 2019 race en route to his best Bristol finish of third. He has an additional nine Bristol starts outside of the Xfinity Series – four in the NASCAR Cup Series, three in the NASCAR Truck Series, and two in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Best of those outings was a sixth-place finish in the 2016 NASCAR Truck Series race.
• While the Cup Series playoff contenders will be finishing up their Round of 16 this weekend at Bristol, Custer will be one of 12 Xfinity Series drivers beginning their chase for a championship. Custer starts his playoff run with 2,017 points, 32 behind leader Austin Hill and 11 ahead of the Round of 8 cutline. The Round of 12 takes the Xfinity Series contenders to some of Custer’s best tracks. After Bristol, the series heads to the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval, and the 2.28-mile, 17-turn Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. Custer has only finished outside the top-eight once at Texas and scored a victory in November 2018 on his way to an appearance in the Championship 4. In his two prior starts on the Roval, he posted finishes of seventh in 2017 and eighth in 2018.
• Custer will sport a unique pair of gloves this weekend at Bristol as part of the Driven to Give Glove Program in collaboration with the Dale Jr. Foundation. At the conclusion of Friday night’s race, Custer will autograph the two-toned gloves, featuring red skeleton imagery, and they will be auctioned off to raise money for the foundation. From Friday night through Monday (Sept. 18), the gloves will be up for bid at www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• While Riley Herbst will not be among the 12-driver playoff field for the first time in his four fulltime Xfinity Series seasons, he’s on a mission to achieve another one of his primary goals of the 2023 season – winning his first career Xfinity Series race. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for SHR has shown the speed and determination to do so this season, but bad luck and unlikely circumstances over the middle part of the season hindered multiple shots at victory lane. With the weight of making the playoffs off his shoulders in Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol, Herbst can focus on picking up where he left off at another iconic short track, Richmond (Va.) Raceway, and contend for the win. Herbst’s history at short tracks has been strong, as was shown when he was leading 27 laps and running up front in this year’s April race at Richmond. Contact with another car sent his day into a downward spiral but, nonetheless, Herbst remains confident in the speed and experience he brings to the short ovals of NASCAR, which are similar to what he grew up racing on.
• Friday night’s race will mark Herbst’s fifth Xfinity Series start at Bristol. Of his four prior starts, Herbst has three top-10 finishes with a best finish of third in the September 2021 race in the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. Since joining SHR in 2021, he’s never finished outside the top-five at Bristol. He has an additional three starts there outside the Xfinity Series – two in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and one in the NASCAR Truck Series. Best of those outings was his 10th-place effort in the 2016 K&N Pro Series East race.
• Last year’s September Bristol race was the regular-season finale for the Xfinity Series. Herbst finished fifth for his second consecutive Bristol top-five. After starting 12th, he proved his resiliency after a spin on lap 13 put him outside the top-20. He worked his way up to 15th by the end of the first stage, then found himself back inside the top-10 during most of the second stage before ultimately finishing fifth. In the final stage, he struggled with the balance of his Ford Mustang, but a late-race strategy call from his No. 98 team on lap 270 for four fresh tires and fuel proved to be just the call he needed. He was able to start fifth with 20 to go and stayed there to secure his third career Bristol top-10. He finished third there in 2021 and 10th in 2020.
• Like his teammate Custer, Herbst will also be supporting the Dale Jr. Foundation this weekend. His pair of Monster Energy green skeleton gloves will join the Driven to Give Glove Program effort to benefit the Dale Jr. Foundation. The initiative supports Nationwide Children’s Hospital and its efforts to help courageous patients and their families in areas of pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and cancer prevention. After Friday night’s race, Herbst will autograph his gloves and put them up for auction at www.thedalejrfoundation.org from Friday night through Monday.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang

This weekend, you’re running a special paint scheme to honor Kevin Harvick’s final season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Your No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang will mimic Harvick’s iconic silver flame 2018 and 2019 Mobil 1 Ford. From 2020 through 2022, you were one of his fulltime teammates in the Cup Series. What has Harvick meant to you, the sport, and Stewart-Haas Racing?

“Kevin Harvick has meant a lot to me and the organization. He was such an integral part of the organization when the Xfinity Series team was started. Honestly, he was a key part in helping us get it figured out. I think there are a lot of things that he’s done behind the scenes that people don’t realize. On the track, though, he’s been a huge mentor to a lot of people, including me. As a rookie in 2020, I didn’t know what to expect from weekend to weekend. He helped give me a lot of that information. Getting that information from a champion means everything to a rookie driver and I felt like I had this extremely credible source that I could just pick their brain on this and that in the Cup Series. I’ll forever be thankful for his help over the years, and I’m excited to pay tribute to his career this weekend with the No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang.”

We’re kicking off the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs this weekend at Bristol. How do you approach the playoffs after having made it to the Championship 4 in two of your past three Xfinity Series seasons?

“Honestly, I think you have to take it race by race. One bad race can put you in a difficult situation, which is why those stage points were so crucial. You just try to focus on what’s ahead of you. Anything can happen, but I’m pretty confident with the tracks in this round. We just have to do our job and bring fast cars to the racetrack. It would be cool to kick the playoffs off on a strong note and lock ourselves into the Round of 8 with a win this weekend at Bristol.”

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

You’ve repeatedly talked about Bristol being your favorite track on the Xfinity Series schedule. What is it about this short track that appeals to you?

“I think it’s just short-track racing, in general. Most of the guys in the garage will say this, but these types of tracks take us back to our roots. Bristol is obviously unique with its layout, but I think it still has the same elements as other short tracks. That track is hectic. It’s so crazy. It’s so fast. It’s a little half-mile, and it’s high-banked. It’s so much fun to go and battle there and rub some fenders. I’m excited to head back to Bristol after our third place in 2021 and a fifth-place run last year. We’ve brought speed to short tracks this year, so I’m hoping we can do that and show it again. We don’t have the pressure of the playoffs on us now, so we can just focus on winning.”

After having such a roller-coaster of a season, what would it mean to have strong runs in the final seven races of the 2023 season?

“It would mean a lot for myself and the No. 98 Monster Energy team. This season started off on such a high note, and I feel like we just haven’t had a break since then. We haven’t been lacking in speed or determination, so hopefully that will shine in these final races of the season. While we aren’t racing for a championship, we’re going back to our original goal of just going for the win. There’s nothing to lose now. We can focus on getting ourselves better and running up front.”