REDDICK SOLID IN FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP 4, FINISHES SIXTH Christopher Bell leads Toyota with fifth-place finish
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 10, 2024) – Tyler Reddick finished out his career-best season with a sixth-place finish at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Championship race. With the finish, Reddick and 23XI Racing earned a career-best fourth-place finish in the final standings. The California-native also established career-highs in top-five and top-10 finishes this season.
Christopher Bell led Toyota with a fifth-place finish in the season finale. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished in the top-five in the final point standings for the third consecutive season and led the series overall with top-fives (15) and top-10’s (23).
Martin Truex Jr. closed out his final full-time NASCAR Cup Series season with back-to-back pole positions and ended Sunday with a 17th-place finish.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Phoenix Raceway Race 36 of 36 – 312 Laps, 312 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Joey Logano* 2nd, Ryan Blaney* 3rd, William Bryon* 4th, Kyle Larson* 5th, CHRISTOPHER BELL 6th, TYLER REDDICK 7th, BUBBA WALLACE 11th, DENNY HAMLIN 17th, MARTIN TRUEX JR. 22nd, ERIK JONES 26th, JIMMIE JOHNSON 30th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK 40th, TY GIBBS *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Interstate Batteries – DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
Did you just not have a long run car?
“I felt like our DEWALT, Interstate Batteries Camry was fine, but we definitely lost the handle of it on that last run. I knew that I was getting a little bit worse compared to the competition as the race went. We needed to take a step and make it a little bit better, and it seemed like I got a little bit slower in the end.”
Can you talk about how on it your pit crew was today?
“They were amazing. This whole team is incredible, so I’m glad to be paired up with them for the years to come, and hopefully we will keep building on what we have.”
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
What were you struggling with?
“I feel like we kept making our balance on The Beast Camry better and better all day – it was a bit telling in stage two here on that restart when we got to the 24 (William Bryon), 12 (Ryan Blaney) and the 22 (Joey Logano) – I wouldn’t say they were doing anything much different, but they were able to get away from us after a while. It was good year for us. Won in the right moments, just hoping for a little bit more of that magic today and wasn’t meant to be.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 17th
What are your emotions after your last full-time race?
“Oh man. I wanted it to go better than that. We were pretty good early and then lost track position and then the track just continued to rubber up and get hotter. At least that’s what I felt like it was doing. I kept losing the grip. I kept losing more balance. I just losing track position. It just all magnifies with this thing. We got caught by the caution there and had to stay out on old tires and get the wave around and we couldn’t even race to try to go forward. It was just not a good day. Not a good day to end on. I’m proud of the effort of my team. At least we got to lead a few laps at the beginning.”
What does it mean to be such a respected driver and have people like Michael Jordan and Jeff Gordon come up after the race to congratulate you?
“Yeah, it means a lot to have the respect of guys like that and what they mean to the sport. Absolute legends, right? It makes me feel good that I’ve earned that respect over the years, and it means a lot. From here forward, I’m just going to go have some fun and do a little bit of racing here and there just for fun. Hopefully, it will be less stressful than days like today.”
TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 40th
What happened to take you out of the race early?
“It was definitely a big hit. I made contact with the wall, but I didn’t think it was necessarily too bad, and I went off into the dogleg. We’ve been really hard on the track there all week and I think I just caught it at a bad angle, and it just took off from me. I had no control there. It was a really, really big hit though.”
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 nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s 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 30 electrified options.
Brandon Sheppard (World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models), David Gravel (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars) and Mat Williamson (Super DIRTcar Series) were all crowned season champions following the 2024 World of Outlaws World Finals. (CMS/HHP Photo)
David Gravel (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars), Brandon Sheppard (World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models) and Mat Williamson (Super DIRTcar Series) all claimed their spots as the 2024 season champions
In a thrilling finale, Tyler Courtney (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars), Chris Madden (World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models) and Anthony Perrego (Super DIRTcar Series) each captured feature victories to close out the 2024 season
As Charlotte Motor Speedway’s event season comes to a close, fans can look forward to Speedway Christmas presented by Atrium Health open nightly from Nov. 22 – Jan. 5. Tickets, schedules, upgrades and more can be found online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com
CONCORD, NC (Nov. 9, 2024) – After four heart-pounding nights of racing, the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte concluded with thrilling intensity as David Gravel (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars) – who locked up the championship Friday night –, Brandon Sheppard (World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models) and Mat Williamson (Super DIRTcar Series) were all officially crowned 2024 season champions in an electrifying finale.
Sheppard Herds in Late Model Championship Title
In an intense nonstop action showdown, Chris Madden dominated the field, taking the lead early and maintaining it through a caution-filled race. However, all eyes were on the points battle between leader Brandon Sheppard and runner-up Bobby Pierce for the title-earning championship.
From the start, Madden and Pierce both made bold moves with Madden pulling ahead by Lap 3. As Madden kept the lead steady, Pierce fought hard knowing he needed to finish strong to counteract Sheppards 22-point lead. As Sheppard began to fall back in the field, Pierce kept close on Madden, and after a Lap 19 caution, the point gap between the two championship contenders tightened to a mere two points. In true World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model fashion, every lap mattered as Sheppard attempted to stay inside the top ten to stay in control of the title fight.
The true deciding factor of the race came in Lap 22 as a flat tire struck Pierce’s No. 32 machine, forcing him to pit and fall to the back of the field, making Sheppard the likely champion with 28 laps left. Strategically keeping his position, Sheppard ultimately locked up the championship with a ninth-place finish.
“It’s been an up-and-down year all year long. I wouldn’t be here now without the great team I’ve got behind me,” said Sheppard. “Never ever thought that in a million years I’d be standing up here five different times so I’m super thankful for it and looking forward to getting back to work. This is definitely a good pick-me-up going into the winter.”
Marking his 39th feature win Madden ended the night at the top of the podium with Ricky Thornton Jr. in second, followed by Mike Marlar in third and Jonathan Davenport and Daulton Wilson in the top five.
Season-Capping Performance by Courtney; Gravel Walks Away With Sprint Car Crown
The 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars season finale was packed with high-stakes drama, as Tyler Courtney charged from Heat 2 runner-up to P1 for a final night victory. While David Gravel locked up the series in Friday night’s performance, he showed his true championship mentality to the end going from P7 to P2
As the green flag dropped, Courtney quickly pulled away from the field, building an initial 1.596-second lead. Meanwhile, familiar faces of Gravel and last night’s feature winner Carson Macedo surged up from the lower half of the top ten, ultimately securing second and third by the race’s end.
Within five laps, Courtney stretched his lead to 2.4 seconds, skillfully navigating the track and pushing deep into lap traffic before the yellow flags began to fly. Undeterred, he pressed on, carving out a large 5.36-second gap before a Lap 15 caution erased his lead and bunched up the field. With just one lap to spare before a single-file restart, Courtney and Gravel lined up side-by-side on the pole, but holding his ground and expertly blocking Gravel’s attempt for one last win, Courtney pulled ahead, plowing through traffic to get a season-closing victory.
“He (Courtney) had a really good car so congrats to him. I thought we were pretty good but overall great season. Great run to go seventh to second so it’s been a good year,” said Gravel.
While one more win was on Gravel’s radar, after a fierce final night, 15 season wins including Thursday night’s victory and ultimately locking up the series in last night’s fourth-place performance, Gravel made his way to Victory Lane to claim his first Sprint Car title.
“It’s hard to say, I’ll have to take the week to reflect about it,” said Gravel on what a World of Outlaws Championship means to him. “Being down here has a feeling about it, being down here on the track at Charlotte, being down here with these two champions, it’s a very special feeling.”
After winning Heat 3 and starting P5, Macedo finished out the night third while Ryan Timms and Brian Brown rounded out the top five in the season-ending feature.
Williamson Defends Super DirtCar Title in Ultimate Battle
Anthony Perrego started and finished his season with a bang, capturing the checkered flag in Saturday’s final night of racing for the Super DIRTcar Series. After opening the year with a win, Perrego claimed his second win of the season and series career-best third in points behind Matt Sheppard and series champion Mat Williamson.
Tim Fuller, starting on the pole, dominated the first 30 laps of the 40-lap feature but with a slip on the eight and final restart, Perrego managed to slip in and seize the lead. Then holding his ground in a tense, crowd-thrilling battle, he managed to emerge victorious at the finish line.
“This is huge,” Perrego said “This is a great crowd to race in front of every year and it seems to get bigger and bigger. What a night for us.”
Entering the finale, 33 points sat between Mat Williamson and Matt Sheppard in their chase for the championship setting the stage for an intense night. After Sheppard received a DNF on Thursday night followed by victory for Williamson on Friday, the title race was close until the very end. For the ultimate race, Williamson powered his way to a third-place finish, securing his second Super DIRTcar Championship title.
“Super excited about it, it says a lot about the guys who work hard in the pit area every night and hard in the shop,” said Williamson. “Probably had a car better than a third-place car but the driver was nervous just trying to finish the race.”
At the end of the feature, the top five showcases were Thursday night’s winner, Fuller, Friday night’s winner and new champion Williamson in third, Sheppard in fourth and Alex Yankowski closing out the top five.
TICKETS:
Opening Nov. 22, experience the 15th annual Speedway Christmas presented by Atrium Health open nightly until Jan. 5. Tickets are sold per vehicle, starting at $35 Monday through Wednesday and $45 Thursday through Sunday nights. Tickets, schedules, upgrades and more can be found online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com
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STEWART-HAAS RACING NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship
Date: Nov. 9, 2024 Event: NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship (Round 33 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 13 laps past its scheduled 200-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Riley Herbst of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford) Stage 1 Winner: Riley Herbst of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford) Stage 2 Winner: Riley Herbst of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
● Cole Custer (2nd with 4,029 points) ● Riley Herbst (7th with 2,254 points)
Final Points Standings:
Justin Allgaier (4,035 points)
Cole Custer (4,029 points)
AJ Allmendinger (4,028 points)
Austin Hill (4,027 points)
Victory Notes:
● Herbst earned his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his second of the season and his first win in 11 career Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix. It comes in his fourth season with Stewart-Haas.
● This was SHR’s 105th overall victory (70 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins, six non-points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins, 29 Xfinity Series wins and one ARCA Menards Series West win)
SHR Notes:
● This was Herbst’s third straight top-11 finish. He finished seventh Oct. 19 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, sixth Oct. 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and 11th last Saturday at Martinsville.
● Since joining Stewart-Haas in 2021, Herbst has only finished outside the top-10 twice at Phoenix.
● Herbst’s victory bettered his previous best finish at Phoenix – fourth, earned in both 2021 races and both 2023 races.
● Herbst won Stage 1 to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point. He also won Stage 2 to earn 10 more bonus points and an additional playoff point.
● Herbst led seven times for 167 laps – his first laps led at Phoenix.
● Custer earned his 23rd top-10 of the season and his eighth top-10 in 10 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix.
● Custer has never finished outside of the top-21 at Phoenix in the Xfinity Series.
● This was Custer’s fourth consecutive top-10 finish. He finished eighth Oct. 19 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, second Oct. 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and fourth last Saturday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
● This was Custer’s third straight top-10 at Phoenix. He won last November and finished fifth in March.
● Custer finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and fifth in Stage 2 to earn six more bonus points.
● Custer led twice for seven laps increasing his laps led total at Phoenix to 208.
Race Notes:
● Herbst’s margin of victory over second-place Justin Allgaier was .246 of a second.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 53 laps.
● Twenty-seven of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Allgaier won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship with his second-place finish at Phoenix.
Sound Bites:
“I knew we were going to have a fast racecar. These guys have been working on this Phoenix car as if we were in the playoffs. I knew we were going to be really fast. It has been a really tough week this past week at the shop and a lot of really emotional people. This place has been home for a lot of people for a long time, including myself, and it has built me into who I am the last four years. I am grateful to every man and woman at Stewart-Haas Racing. They gave me a really fast car today and we capitalized on it. I can’t thank Monster Energy enough and everyone on the 98 team. They deserve to win. That is a championship-caliber team and crew chief. I wish we could have cleaned some stuff up over last summer, but I am proud of these guys and we will see what next year has. I’ve said it multiple times, I knew I could be here. I knew I could do this. Everything in life is just hard work and I definitely didn’t start out how I wanted to. It was embarrassing there for a few years and I was just really, really struggling, but I got around really good people. Tony Stewart, Richard Boswell, Davin Restivo, Kevin Harvick and they told me to get to work and they told me what I needed to work on and we did that. Now, we’re starting to see the fruits of our labor.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse
“First of all, I just want to congratulate Justin (Allgaier). That’s a long time coming for him. He’s a deserving champion, for sure. What it came down to for us was that restart when the 21 stayed out on older tires. Honestly, it just came down to who you were behind. He made his car really wide, very hard to get by, which is his right. We’re all going for a championship, but that ended up screwing us worse than it did the 7, and the 7 was able to slip by. That’s what sucks. I really wanted to win this championship for SHR and finish it out strong, but it just wasn’t meant to be. It just sucks that it comes down to tire strategies and situational restarts and things like that, but the 7 car was great all day. I mean, they definitely had a fast car, but I can’t say enough about our team. JT and all these guys did a great job all year – Haas Automation, Andy’s Frozen Custard, Ford Performance. We’ll keep digging. This definitely stings because we were so close, but we’ll move on. I don’t know if I would say we were a clear favorite. I think us and the 7 were really equal. They just had some mistakes in the middle of the race, but at the end of the day it came down to that restart with the 21 and some guys staying out on older tires. We just got bottlenecked behind them, and the 7 was able to slip by. I have to say congratulations to Justin and all those guys. They definitely deserve it. Justin is a very deserving champion. He’s been working hard at this for a long time and I’m happy that he finally got it. It definitely stings for our team. I hate that it comes down to tire strategies and things like that, but it was a great race for us. We executed a great race, but it just didn’t work out. Everybody was racing hard, but it just sucks to run second. There have been a lot of memories with Stewart-Haas Racing and we just wanted to end it with on a win so bad. We got Riley a win, so that’s awesome to end it with that. I really wanted that championship, but it just wasn’t meant to be.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Andy’s Frozen Custard/Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Kaulig Racing Race Recap | NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship
AJ ALLMENDINGER No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet Camaro
AJ Allmendinger qualified ninth but had to start from the back due to an unapproved adjustment for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.
In the opening stage, Allmendinger drove up to 18th by lap 20. He maintained that position throughout Stage 1, reporting his No. 16 Celsius Chevy lacked grip. Allmendinger came to pit road under the stage break for four tires, fuel and air pressure and track bar adjustments. The team gained six spots on pit road to restart for the second stage in 12th place.
Allmendinger maintained position in 12th place, reporting that the changes didn’t help the handling of the No. 16 Celsius Camaro. When the caution came out on lap 63, the No. 16 stayed out to restart in 12th on lap 75. Quickly after, the yellow flag reappeared, and crew chief Alex Yontz made a strategy call to keep Allmendinger on track and not flip the stage on pit road. Allmendinger restarted in third place on lap 82 and went on to finish the stage in seventh.
Allmendinger came to pit road under the stage break for four tires, fuel and packer and wedge adjustments. He restarted in 19th place on lap 101 and took over 11th place on the first lap green. By lap 128, Allmendinger had driven up to sixth place. The team came to pit road for a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 148 and had cycled back up to eighth when the caution came out on lap 155. The team stayed out to restart in seventh place on lap 163. By lap 169, Allmendinger had fallen to 10th place. Allmendinger was scored in 12th place when the caution came out on lap 198. Allmendinger came to pit road under caution to put on his last set of fresh tires. The race went into overtime; Allmendinger restarted in 11th place and the caution came back out. Allmendinger restarted in 10th place for the second overtime attempt and went on to finish in ninth, scoring third in driver points.
“First off, congrats to Justin [Allgaier], Dale Jr and everyone on the No. 7 crew. Justin [Allgaier] has been working at it for a while so that’s really cool that he got it. I wish we could have been in the fight, but can’t thank Alex Yontz and my whole 16 group enough for fighting. We were off from the start, we were loose the whole race and just weren’t sure what else to do to make it faster. Just disappointing we were never really in the fight, but it definitely wasn’t lack of effort.” – AJ Allmendinger
SHANE van GISBERGEN No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro
Shane van Gisbergen qualified 17th for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.
Van Gisbergen quickly worked his way up to 13th during the first two laps of the race. He reported major brake vibration shortly afterwards, as he battled to maintain position. The No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet was lacking rear grip through the long green flag run, and Van Gisbergen battled to hang on as he took the green-and-white checkered flag in 24th.
The No. 97 team came to pit road at the stage break for a chassis adjustment, four fresh tires and fuel. Van Gisbergen started the second stage in 27th after being issued a pit road speeding penalty. He reported that the brake adjustment worked, but that the WeatherTech Chevrolet still didn’t have rear grip. The caution came out on lap 63, and the No. 97 team opted to come to pit road for adjustments and fuel. Van Gisbergen restarted in 25th before another caution came out on the restart. Van Gisbergen fired off in 10th for the short run to the stage’s end, taking the green-white-checkered in 25th.
The No. 97 team came to pit road at the stage break for a chassis adjustment, fresh tires and fuel. Van Gisbergen started the final stage of the event in 27th. He quickly made his way up to 15th and then re-entered the top 10 on lap 125. The No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet battled in the top 10 before coming to pit road for adjustments, fresh tires and fuel with 53 laps remaining. Van Gisbergen rejoined the field in 19th and quickly climbed his way to 10th in five laps. A caution flew with 46 laps remaining in the race, and the No. 97 team opted to stay out. Van Gisbergen restarted in eighth on lap 163. He battled to stay in the top 10 but dropped down the field to 13th as he reported the car was tight. With three laps remaining, a caution flew, and the No. 97 team opted to come to pit road for fresh tires. The caution sent the race into overtime, and Van Gisbergen restarted in 12th. After two overtime attempts, Van Gisbergen ultimately took the checkered flag in 12th.
“That was a crazy race. Couldn’t get my WeatherTech Chevy comfortable at the beginning, was super loose and then tight towards the end, but the team and I battled through and came out with a pretty solid result. What a season with my No. 97 Kaulig Racing team! Thanks to everyone at Kaulig Racing and Chevrolet for sticking with me all season, learned a lot and had a blast!” – Shane van Gisbergen
DANIEL DYE No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet Camaro
Daniel Dye qualified 13th for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.
Dye immediately picked off a pair of spots followed by a third. As the run went on, Dye commented that his Champion Container Camaro struggled with front turn, and he lost the spots he gained earlier on. He ran consistent lap times through the middle of Stage 1, and he took the green-and-white checkered flag in 11th.
Dye started Stage 2 in 14th and would lose a few spots initially in his Camaro. A couple cautions slowed the race, and Dye restarted sixth with eight laps remaining in the stage. Dye would be relegated back after staying out and finished the stage in 19th. He asked for better fire off speed and pitted for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment at the stage break.
The final stage went green, and Dye restarted from 21st. The No. 10 fired off strong, and Dye began carving his way through the field. The Champion Container Chevy settled into 10th and ran consistent lap times. Dye, quiet on the radio, would continue to climb and stay out during the long run, where he would inherit the lead during green flag stops. Shortly thereafter, Dye pitted for tires and fuel, but a caution soon after trapped him a lap down. The race would see another caution, giving Dye the free pass, followed by another caution that allowed Dye to pit. In the end, the Champion Container Chevy would take the checkered flag in 17th.
“We had a great Champion Container Chevy, and I can’t thank everyone at Kaulig Racing enough for their hard work. Once we got it dialed in, we had good speed and were able to drive it through the field. Not the finish we wanted, but a lot to look forward to as we look to 2025!” – Daniel Dye
JOSH WILLIAMS No. 11 Seacrest Studios Chevrolet Camaro
Josh Williams qualified 19th for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.
After reaching 17th at the end of lap one, Williams fell to 24th on lap 14 of the 45-lap first stage. He began finding extra speed in the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Camaro as the stage continued, and he took the green-white-checkered in 20th.
Williams pitted for tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment during the stage break. He restarted in 20th on lap 55 and quickly fell back to 23rd one lap later. On lap 63, the caution came out with Williams in 20th. He stayed out and restarted there on lap 75 before another spin brought the yellow flag back out on lap 78. Williams flipped the stage, pitting for tires and fuel under the caution period and restarting in 25th on lap 83. He finished the stage on 23rd.
Williams fired off for the final stage in 14th on lap 101. He quickly lost spots, settling into 20th on lap 116. Williams reported that the No. 11 Alloy Employer Service Chevy lacked power on acceleration, saying that other drivers “just drive away” from him. Even so, he picked off two spots in three laps to take 18th on lap 131. During green flag pit stops, Williams’ Camaro required a battery change in addition to fresh tires and fuel, and Williams re-entered the race in 36th, six laps down. He eventually took the checkered flag in 33rd.
“We did a lot to try and manage our voltage issues tonight, but there was nothing more we could do to get the Alloy Employer Services Chevy moving forward. I’m appreciative of our No. 11 crew sticking with me all year.” – Josh Williams
About Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.
AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 9, 2024) – As the checkered flag flew for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, a long-awaited dream came to reality for JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier. Driving his No. 7 Camaro SS to a runner-up finish – the best among the Championship Four drivers – in the series’ season finale race at Phoenix Raceway, Allgaier earned the title as the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion.
“We’re so proud that Justin Allgaier, one of our longest members of Team Chevy, is now a first-time champion,” said Dr. Eric Warren, Executive Director, Global Motorsports Competition, for General Motors. “Congratulations to Justin, Jim Pohlman, Mike Bumgarner and the entire No. 7 JR Motorsports Camaro SS team for winning this championship. They worked hard all season long and delivered another strong performance when it mattered the most. What a great way to finish the NASCAR Xfinity Series season for Chevrolet.”
The title is the fourth in the series for JR Motorsports’ co-owners Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., all of which have been recorded under the Chevrolet banner. The feat also celebrates Chevrolet’s 22nd NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Championship since the inception of the series in 1982.
“Also, congratulations to Kelley Earnhardt Miller, LW Miller and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on winning their fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series championship,” added Dr. Warren. “We’re proud that they have earned each of their championships in partnership with Chevrolet.”
During the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season, the 38-year-old Riverton, Illinois, native piloted his No. 7 Camaro SS to two wins (Darlington Raceway and Michigan International Speedway) en route to his series-leading ninth playoff campaign. Despite a tumultuous opening round, Allgaier once again proved his true championship potential – earning three top-eight finishes in the Round of Eight to point his way into his seventh Championship Four appearance.
“This team never gave up,” said Allgaier. “Jim Pohlman (crew chief) – his leadership skills are second to none. He told me all weekend that we were going to have a chance.”
Allgaier joins 16 other Chevrolet drivers to earn the NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Championship title. Others on that elite list include Tyler Reddick (2018 & ’19), William Byron (2017), Chase Elliott (2014), Austin Dillon (2013), Clint Bowyer (2008), Martin Truex, Jr. (2004, ‘05), Brian Vickers (2003), Kevin Harvick (2001, ‘06), Jeff Green (2000), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (1998, ‘99), Randy LaJoie (1996, ‘97), Johnny Benson (1995), David Green (1994), Steve Grissom (1993), Joe Nemechek (1992) and Larry Pearson (1987).
“Dale (Earnhardt) Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller, L.W. Miller, everybody at JR Motorsports, all the men and women, all five of our race teams – just the effort that we’ve put in, I’m at a loss for words,” added Allgaier. “We’re going to celebrate this one for sure. It’s unbelievable.”
Chevrolet also led the series with 18 wins this season, with 10 drivers from four different Chevrolet teams taking the Camaro SS to victory lane.
The Bowtie brand returns to competition in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.
RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – HOW REWARDING IS THIS PERFORMANCE IN YOUR FINAL RACE WITH STEWART-HAAS RACING? “I knew we were going to have a fast race car. These guys have been working on this Phoenix car as if we were in the playoffs. I knew we were going to be really fast. It has been a really tough week this past week at the shop and a lot of really emotional people. This place has been home for a lot of people for a long time, including myself and it has built me into who I am the last four years. I am grateful to every man and woman at Stewart-Haas Racing. They gave me a really fast car today and we capitalized on it. I can’t thank Monster Energy enough and everyone on the 98 team. They deserve to win. That is a championship caliber team and crew chief. I wish we could have cleaned some stuff up over the last summer but I am proud of these guys and we will see what next year has.”
YOU HAVE TAKEN A BIG STEP FORWARD THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. “I’ve said it multiple times. I knew I could be here. I knew I could do this. Everything in life is just hard work and I definitely didn’t start out how I wanted to be. It was embarrassing there for a few years and I was just really, really struggling, but I got around really good people. Tony Stewart, Richard Boswell, Davin Restivo, Kevin Harvick and they told me to get to work and they told me what I needed to work on and we did that. Now, we’re starting to see the fruits of our labor.”
COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Andy’s Frozen Custard/Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WALK US THROUGH THE END OF THE RACE. “First of all, I just want to congratulate Justin. That’s a long time coming for him. He’s a deserving champion, for sure. What it came down to for us was that restart when the 21 stayed out on older tires. Honestly, it just came down to who you were behind. He made his car really wide, very hard to get by which is his right. We’re all going for a championship, but that ended up screwing us worse than it did the 7 and the 7 was able to slip by. That’s what sucks. I really wanted to win this championship for SHR and finish it out strong, but it just wasn’t meant to be. It just sucks that it comes down to tire strategies and situational restarts and things like that, but the 7 car was great all day. I mean, they definitely had a fast car, but I can’t say enough about our team. JT and all these guys did a great job all year. Haas Automation, Andy’s Frozen Custard, Ford Performance. We’ll keep digging. This definitely stings because we were so close, but we’ll move on.”
YOU HAD THE FASTEST CAR AMONG THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4. WHAT HAPPENED? “I don’t know if I would say we were a clear favorite. I think us and the 7 were really equal. They just had some mistakes in the middle of the race, but at the end of the day it came down to that restart with the 21 and some guys staying out on older tires. We just got bottlenecked behind them and the 7 was able to slip by. I have to say congratulations to Justin and all those guys. They definitely deserve it. Justin is a very deserving champion. He’s been working hard at this for a long time and I’m happy that he finally got it. It definitely stings for our team. I hate that it comes down to tire strategies and things like that, but it was a great race for us. We executed a great race, but it just didn’t work out. I wish we could have ended with a win for SHR, but it just wasn’t meant to be. I can’t think Haas Automation, Ford Performance, Andy’s Frozen Custard enough. We’ll just regroup and keep digging.”
HOW WAS TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT? “It wasn’t bad. I thought the lappers were really respectful and everybody was fine. Everybody was racing hard, but it just sucks to run second.”
IS IT BITTERSWEET THAT THIS IS THE END OF SHR FOR YOU? “For sure. There’s been a lot of memories with Stewart-Haas Racing and we just wanted to end it out on a win so bad. We got Riley a win, so that’s awesome to end it out with that, but I really wanted that championship but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
ALMIROLA, JOE GIBBS RACING COMES JUST SHORT OF OWNER TITLE Almirola led three Toyota GR Supras in the top-seven finishers
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 9, 2024) – Aric Almirola was the highest-finishing Toyota driver with a third place result in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway. Almirola came up just one spot short of earning the owner’s championship for the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 GR Supra team.
JGR teammate’s Chandler Smith (fifth) and Sheldon Creed (seventh) also earned top-10 results for Toyota in Saturday’s Xfinity Series season finale.
William Sawalich (13th) started the night from the pole – the first pole of the 18-year-old’s career in just his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start. Sawalich is the third youngest NASCAR Xfinity Series pole winner in history.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Xfinity Series Phoenix Raceway Race 33 of 33 – 200 Laps, 200 Miles
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 20 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
How did you end up in third place tonight?
“Just got beat. Yeah, we just got beat. Congratulations to Justin Allgaier and everybody at Jr. Motorsports – Dale (Earnhardt) Jr., Kelly (Earnhardt Miller), all those guys. They’ve been phenomenal here over the years and he beat us.”
What were the late race restarts like?
“Yeah, it’s crazy. You go in as hard as you can go in and hope the car sticks. It’s just you’re fighting for every inch of race track and clean air and all of it. It’s just really tough. I didn’t do the greatest of job there at the end. Disappointed in myself. I certainly wanted to win this one for our group but came up short.”
CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
How was your race tonight?
“It’s hard to hang my head on the season because I was able to come back home with my Toyota family. Came and raced for one of the best Xfinity teams in the garage and was able to rack up a few wins, have the best average finish in the garage this season, Then when I went to the race track I was going out there and left everything on the table week in and week out because I was very happy with the group that I was going with. I was in a mindset of I owe it to my guys and my partners because everybody that’s been a part of this group all year has been working tirelessly to make this team what it is right now and the stats kind of speak for itself. Really, really proud. Really happy with everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing. Tyler Gibbs, David Wilson, Jack Irving, Mike Pricer, Paul Doleshal – everybody on the Toyota side that brought this deal together. They’re my family, they always will be no matter where I go and I’m forever grateful that God inserted those men in my life because they’ve definitely been great life coaches. They’ve been there for me when I’ve been down, and they’ve helped me and my family tremendously and professionally in my career. Being behind people like that who support me week in and week out, just makes me more hungry to go out there and perform at the level that we have been. That’s what’s made the season so fun. I hate that it’s over. I didn’t want the offseason to start. I wanted the whole season to keep on going – have 30 more races honestly because when you’re having this much fun and got great people around you, you don’t want it to stop honestly. Just very bittersweet.”
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Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s 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 30 electrified options.
As Riley Herbst sent Stewart-Haas Racing off on a winning note in the organization’s final NASCAR Xfinity Series event by winning the 2024 season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, November 9, Justin Allgaier emerged as the biggest winner of the night by rallying from starting at the rear of the field in a backup car, being nabbed with a pair of midrace penalties that pinned him a lap down and muscling his way back to the front through two overtime attempts to capture his first elusive NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
The 40-year-old Allgaier from Riverton, Illinois, commenced the finale weekend on a sour note after he was one of several competitors who slid and wrecked against the Turn 1 outside wall during Friday’s practice session after he slipped up into Brennan Poole’s spilled oil, the latter of which suffered a mechanical issue. Despite taking the green flag in 37th place of the 38-car field, Allgaier methodically carved his way up through the leaderboard and emerge in sixth place when the first stage period concluded on Lap 45. Amid two caution periods and ensuing restarts throughout the second stage period, Allgaier, who made multiple on-track contacts with Riley Herbst in the closing laps of the stage period that resulted with the Illinois veteran potentially having a left-rear tire going flat, managed to cap off the stage in 10th place.
Then during the start of the final stage period with 100 laps remaining, Allgaier, who restarted in the top-14 mark, was assessed a restart violation penalty for steering his No. 7 BRANDT/JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro below the frontstretch’s apron and pulling out of line from the field prior to reaching the start/finish line. As Allgaier served a pass-through penalty through pit lane, things went from bad to worse when he was penalized a second time, this time for speeding on pit road. Losing a lap to the leaders, Allgaier would spend a majority of the final stage period trying to emerge as the first competitor scored a lap down and place himself in the free pass position.
As a late cycle of green flag pit stops commenced with 55 laps remaining, Allgaier, who opted to remain on the track with a different pit strategy from the leaders and cycled back on the lead lap, thrusted himself back into the championship battle after Anthony Alfredo wrecked with 46 laps remaining. Pitting during the caution period, Allgaier, who restarted within the top-12 mark, used the following restart period and fresh tires with 38 laps remaining to march his way to the front. Thirty-two laps later, Allgaier overtook title contender Cole Custer to assume the lead in the championship battle.
Despite being overtaken by Custer on pit road and dropping to fifth place on the track amid a late-race caution with three laps remaining and sent the finale into overtime, Allgaier reassumed the top spot in the championship battle back from Custer, who was being blocked by title contender Austin Hill, before another late-race incident sent the finale into a second overtime attempt. During the latest attempt, Allgaier rubbed fenders with rookie Jesse Love to assume the lead in the race as he also retained the lead in the championship standings. Despite being overtaken by Herbst on the final lap for the race win, Allgaier managed to nurse his car to a runner-up result, which was enough to claim his long-awaited first championship in his 14th season competing in the Xfinity Series division.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, William Sawalich claimed his first Xfinity career pole position in his third series start after he posted a pole-winning lap at 134.168 mph in 26.832 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Sheldon Creed, who posted his best qualifying lap at 133.432 seconds. The four Championship 4 contenders that include Austin Hill, Cole Custer, AJ Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier are set to start fifth, seventh, ninth and 37th, respectively.
Prior to the event, the following names that include Allgaier, Brandon Jones, Aric Almirola and Parker Kligerman dropped to the rear of the field in backup cars after all wrecked their primary cars during Friday’s practice session. Sammy Smith also dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change along with Allmendinger, the latter of which due to unapproved adjustments.
When the green flag waved and the finale commenced, the field fanned out through the frontstretch’s dogleg as teammates William Sawalich and Sheldon Creed dueled for the lead entering the first two turns. As Championship 4 contender Austin Hill was trying to battle Chandler Smith for fourth place while also trying to fend off teammate Jesse Love, Sam Mayer and title rival Cole Custer through the backstretch, Creed muscled his No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota Supra ahead to lead the first lap.
Over the next four laps, Creed stretched his early advantage to as high as nearly half a second as Riley Herbst made his way into the runner-up spot. Behind, Chandler Smith moved up to third place in front of Sawalich and Hill while Mayer, Love, Custer, Daniel Dye and Connor Zilisch were in the top 10. Meanwhile, Championship 4 contenders AJ Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier were up to 19th and 25th, respectively, as both continued their early march from the rear of the field.
Through the first 10-scheduled laps, Herbst, who overtook Creed for the lead a lap earlier, was leading in his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang by three-tenths of a second over a side-by-side battle between teammates Creed and Chandler smith while Sawalich and Hill were in the top five ahead of Love, Mayer, Custer, Zilisch and Dye. Behind, Allgaier and Allmendinger were in 18th and 19th, respectively, while Parker Retzlaff, Anthony Alfredo, Matt DiBenedetto, Jeffrey Earnhardt and rookie Shane van Gisbergen were racing in the top 15.
Just past the Lap 20 mark, Herbst stretched his advantage to more than two seconds over Chandler Smith while third-place Creed trailed by more than four seconds. Herbst would proceed to stabilize his lead to more than a second by the Lap 30 mark as both Smith and Creed retained second and third, respectively. Meanwhile, Hill continued to race as the highest-running Championship 4 contender on the track in fourth place while his closest-title rival Custer was mired in seventh place behind Sawalich and Mayer. By then, Allgaier cracked the top 10 as he was up to ninth place while Allmendinger was mired in 18th place.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 45, Herbst claimed his third Xfinity stage victory of the 2024 season. Chandler Smith, Creed, Hill and Sam Mayer were scored in the top five while Allgaier, Custer, Sawalich, Aric Almirola and Jesse Love followed suit in the top 10. By then, Allmendinger was still mired in 18th place and as the lowest Championship 4 contender on the track.
Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Herbst pitted for a first round of pit service. Following the pit stops, Herbst retained the lead after he exited pit road first as he was followed by Hill, Custer, Creed, Chandler Smith, Love, Mayer, Almirola, Sawalich and Allgaier. Amid the pit stops, Shane van Gisbergen was penalized for speeding while entering pit road.
The second stage period started on Lap 54 as Herbst and Hill occupied the front row. At the start, the field fanned out through the frontstretch’s dogleg as both Herbst and Hill dueled for the lead in front of a three-wide battle for third place between Custer, Creed and Chandler Smith entering the first two turns. Then as Hill tried to make a move beneath Herbst for the lead through the turns, Custer used the outside lane to overtake both entering the backstretch. Custer would proceed to navigate his No. 00 Haas/Andy’s Frozen Custard Ford Mustang back to the frontstretch and lead the following lap as he was followed by teammate Herbst, Hill, Mayer, Chandler Smith and Allgaier. With Allmendinger making his way into the top 12, Custer led the next lap and teammate Herbst retained second while Hill was trying to fend off Mayer, Allgaier and Chandler Smith for third place.
At the Lap 60 mark, Herbst, who overtook teammate Custer for the lead a lap earlier, was leading by three-tenths of a second while Mayer, Hill and Allgaier followed suit in the top five. The caution would then return two laps later after Anthony Alfredo, who was battling Stefan Parsons for 20th place, got squeezed into the frontstretch’s outside wall by Parsons, which resulted with Alfredo turning left, clipping and sending Parsons into the outside wall as the latter wrecked while Greg Van Alst spun behind Parsons’ carnage. Following the incident, Alfredo was assessed a two-lap penalty for reckless driving.
The start of the next restart period on Lap 74 featured the leaders and the field fanning out to multiple lanes through the frontstretch’s dogleg as Herbst barely fended off teammate Custer to retain the lead through the first two turns. With Mayer making his way into the runner-up spot behind Herbst entering the backstretch, Allgaier muscled through into third place while Custer was trying to fend off Hill for fourth place. As Herbst led the following lap, Hill was overtaken by Almirola, Creed and Chandler Smith through the frontstretch while Custer battled and overtook Allgaier for third place on the track and the lead in the championship battle. The caution then returned on Lap 76 when Chandler Smith, who was racing in seventh place, made contact and got loose underneath teammate Creed in Turn 1 as he spun his No. 81 QuickTie Toyota Supra from the top to the bottom of the track.
During the caution period, some including Creed, Love, Allmendinger, Jeb Burton, Dylan Lupton, Daniel Dye, Matt DiBenedetto, Brandon Jones, Brennan Poole and van Gisbergen remained on the track while the rest led by Herbst pitted.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 82, Creed and Love dueled for the lead in front of the field through the frontstretch. Creed and Love remained dead even for the lead in front of Allmendinger and Jeb Burton through the backstretch while the rest of the field behind fanned out to four and five lanes as a bevy of competitors who either pitted or did not pit during the previous caution period scrambled for positions. As Creed led the following lap, Allmendinger remained as the highest-running Championship 4 contender in third place while Allgaier and Custer, both of whom were racing on fresh tires, carved their way up to sixth and seventh, respectively. Meanwhile, Hill was trapped outside the top-10 mark and trying to navigate his way back to the front.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 90, Herbst, who made multiple on-track contacts with Allgaier five laps earlier, overtook Creed a lap prior to claim his fourth Xfinity stage victory of the 2024 season and second in the finale. Creed settled in second ahead of Almirola, Love and Custer while Zilisch, Allmendinger, Mayer, Sawalich and Allgaier, the latter of whom nursed his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro to the finish with a potentially flat left-rear tire, settled in the top 10. By then, Custer emerged as the highest-running Championship contender while Hill was the lowest Championship 4 contender on the track in 14th place.
During the stage break, some including Creed, Love, Allmendinger, Allgaier, Jeb Burton, DiBenedetto, Dye, Dylan Lupton, Brandon Jones, van Gisbergen and Poole pitted while the rest led by Herbst and including Custer and Hill remained on the track.
With 100 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Herbst and Almirola occupied the front row. At the start, Herbst rocketed his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang away from Almirola and teammate Custer through the frontstretch’s dogleg. As the field behind fanned out to multiple lanes through the first two turns and the backstretch, Herbst proceeded to lead the following lap while Mayer made his way up to third place behind Custer. By then, Hill and Allmendinger were in the top 10 and Allgaier was in 12th place.
Shortly after, however, Allgaier was penalized for diving his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro below the frontstretch’s apron prior to reaching the start/finish line to start the final stage period. As Allgaier served his drive-through penalty, Herbst retained the lead over teammate Custer with 95 laps remaining. Not long after serving his drive-through penalty to serve his restart violation penalty, Allgaier was assessed a second drive-through penalty for speeding on pit road while serving his first. Compared to the first penalty, the second one caused Allgaier to drop out of the lead lap category as Herbst retained the race lead with less than 90 laps remaining. By then, Custer, who was in second place, was leading the championship battle as he was five spots ahead of Allmendinger and 13 spots ahead of Hill.
With 80 laps remaining, Herbst was leading by nearly three seconds over teammate Custer while Mayer, Creed and Zilisch were in the top five ahead of Love, Allmendinger, Almirola, Chandler Smith and Sawalich. As Hill was mired in 16th place, Allgaier was scored the second competitor a lap down in 29th place as he was trying to catch Jeremy Clements to be the first competitor scored a lap down.
Fifteen laps later, Herbst continued to lead the race by more than four seconds over teammate Custer, the latter of whom continued to lead the championship battle, while Creed, Mayer and Love were scored in the top five on the track. Meanwhile, Allmendinger, Custer’s closest championship rival, was scored in seventh place on the track and trailing the championship lead by less than six seconds while Zilisch, Chandler Smith, van Gisbergen and Almirola were in the top 10. Behind, Hill was scored in 15th place while Allgaier was scored the second competitor a lap down behind Ryan Sieg and in 27th place.
Another 10 laps later, a late cycle of green flag pit stops commenced as the leader Herbst pitted. Love, Chandler Smith and Brandon Jones would also pit before Sawalich, Hill, Allmendinger, Zilisch, Mayer, Almirola, Josh Williams, Custer and van Gisbergen pitted over the next four laps. As more names including Creed pitted with 50 laps remaining, Dye was leading ahead of Parker Kligerman. By then, both along with Allgaier, the latter of whom cycled back on the lead lap, have yet to pit while Herbst carved his way up to third place.
With 46 laps remaining, however, the caution flew when Alfredo blew a right-front tire and went dead straight into the outside wall in Turn 1 hard. Alfredo’s incident served as a pivotal moment for Allgaier, who was scored on the lead lap despite not having yet pitted while Kligerman, who had pitted shortly before Alfredo wrecked, lost a lap in the process. During the caution period, select names including Allgaier, Hill, Mayer and Brandon Jones pitted while the rest led by Herbst remained on the track.
Down to the final 38 laps of the event, Herbst rocketed away from Love to retain the lead through the frontstretch and the first two turns as the field behind fanned out. As Custer battled Zilisch for third place, his title rivals Allmendinger, Hill and Allgaier were battling within the top 10. A few laps later, Allmendinger, Allgaier and Hill were racing eighth to 10th, respectively, while Custer retained third place on the track and the lead in the championship battle. Meanwhile, teammate Herbst continued to lead the race by seven-tenths of a second over Love with 35 laps remaining.
With 25 laps remaining, Herbst continued to lead the race by more than two seconds over Love as third-place Custer, who retained the lead in the championship battle, started to close in on Love for the runner-up spot. Meanwhile, Allgaier carved his way up to sixth place as he trailed Custer for three spots and Hill was mired in eighth place on the track behind Creed while Allmendinger was racing in 11th place behind Almirola and Brandon Jones.
Two laps later, Custer engaged in a side-by-side battle with Love for the runner-up spot on the track in an effort to generate a gap between himself and Allgaier for the championship battle. Love, however, would not yield the spot to Custer, which allowed Zilisch and Mayer, Allgaier’s teammates at JR Motorsports, to join the battle while Allgaier was slowly narrowing the deficit to Custer. Love would continue to retain second place over Custer as both Zilisch and Mayer would begin to challenge Custer for third place while Allgaier was trying to gain ground on teammate Mayer with 20 laps remaining.
Down to the final 15 laps of the event, Herbst stabilized his race lead to more than three seconds over Love while Custer retained third place ahead of Zilisch and Mayer. Meanwhile, Allgaier, who retained sixth place, trailed Custer by nearly a second while Hill was up to seventh place and trailing Allgaier by a second. By then, Allmendinger was strapped in 11th place.
Two laps later, Allgaier overtook teammate Mayer for fifth place on the track. By then, he still trailed Custer on the track for the championship battle by a second as Custer continued to fend off Zilisch for third place. Hill then started to close in on Mayer for sixth place on the track and he also had Allgaier within his sights while Herbst grew his lead to four seconds with 10 laps remaining.
Then with eight laps remaining, the battle for the championship brewed as Zilisch overtook Custer for third place on the track. As Custer fought back through the backstretch, Zilisch then got loose underneath Custer and made slight contact with the latter, which caused both to briefly fall off the pace entering Turns 3 and 4 as Allgaier zipped by teammate Zilisch for fourth place on the track with seven laps remaining. Allgaier then proceeded to drive up to Custer’s rear bumper through the first two turns and the backstretch before he made his move beneath Custer and overtook him through Turns 3 and 4. By then, Allgaier assumed the lead in the championship standings over Custer with six laps remaining.
Over the next three laps, Allgaier started to generate a reasonable gap between himself and Custer as he also started to battle Love for the runner-up spot on the track while Herbst maintained a healthy advantage on the track.
Then with three laps remaining, the caution flew and the event was sent into overtime due to an incident involving Leland Honeyman in Turn 4. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Herbst pitted. Following the pit stops, Hill, who pitted for only two scuff tires for his No. 21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet Camaro, exited first as he was followed by Love, Herbst, Custer, Allgaier, Almirola, Chandler Smith, Mayer, Zilisch and Creed. Amid the pit stops, Allgaier endured a slow pit service, which allowed Custer to overtake him on pit road.
The start of the first overtime attempt did not last long as Parker Retzlaff spun and wrecked in Turn 2. Prior to Retzlaff’s incident, Love had assumed the race lead and Allgaier, who restarted in fifth place, bolted his way up to second place on the track and first in the championship battle while Hill, who created a roadblock for Custer while trying to launch on his two scuff tires, had dropped to sixth place. By then, Custer had dropped to seventh place while Allmendinger was mired in 10th place. With Retzlaff’s incident, the event was sent into a second overtime attempt.
The start of the second overtime attempt featured Allgaier and Love dueling for the lead through the frontstretch’s dogleg before Allgaier went up the track and made contact against Love’s No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro, which resulted with both rubbing against one another in smoke and Herbst getting squeezed towards the outside wall entering the first turn. Amid the contact, Allgaier muscled ahead and barely fended off Herbst, Almirola and Hill through the first two turns to muscle ahead entering the backstretch while Love was trying to regain ground. By then, Hill, who got loose after making contact with Almirola, had dropped to seventh place on the track as he was losing ground of Allgaier for the championship battle. Both Custer and Allmendinger were also losing ground of Allgaier on the track.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Allgaier remained in the lead in both the race and the championship battle while runner-up Herbst closed in on him despite developing a left-rear tire rub. Amid the tire smoke, Herbst would then gain a run beneath Allgaier, who had all the markings on his left-rear tire rubbed off, through the backstretch and overtake him for the race lead. As Herbst proceeded to claim the checkered flag to win the finale, Allgaier would have enough muscle to finish in second place and claim the championship over Custer, Allmendinger and Hill.
With the title, Allgaier, a 25-time race winner in the Xfinity Series who is in his 14th season as a full-time Xfinity competitor and who quietly clinched a Championship 4 round berth by points a week ago at Martinsville Speedway, became the 34th competitor overall to win a championship in the Xfinity Series and the first Illinois native to accomplish the feat. He also delivered the fourth driver’s championship and the first owner’s championship in the Xfinity division for JR Motorsports, the latter of which achieved its first Xfinity title since the 2018 season with Tyler Reddick. The 2024 Xfinity championship was also a first for crew chief Jim Pohlman.
Overall, the 2024 season marks the eighth time in nine seasons where the current Playoff-elimination format featured a first-time champion in the Xfinity Series as Allgaier, who made his seventh Championship 4 appearance as a title contender, previously finished a career-best runner up in the final standings during the 2020 and 2023 seasons.
As he celebrated with his pit crew, team owners, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., and family on the frontstretch, Allgaier was asked if he had counted himself out of the championship battle amid his pair of on-track obstacles that pinned him a lap down and way behind his title rivals.
“Yeah, [I counted myself out] like 10 times,” Allgaier, who fought tears of emotions, said on the CW Network. “You fans are awesome. I don’t think I have a voice left because I was yelling. I’ve been doing this a long time and these people that are standing around me. There’s no words. It’s understated what [Hendrick engine shop and Chevrolet] what they’ve done. [My family] have given up so much for me to come do this job and God’s good, man. I said it all weekend, I don’t know what the plan is. I don’t know what that looks like, but He’s got a reason for everything and tonight is truly that. It’s mind-blowing.”
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“This team never gave up,” Allgaier, who will return to JR Motorsports and attempt to defend his series title in 2025, added. “[Crew chief] Jim Pohlman, his leadership skills are second and none. He told me all weekend that we were going to have a chance. Man, we tried to give it away every which way we could. I was as fast as Xfinity Internet, but on pit road, not on the racetrack where I needed to be. I just wanted to make it exciting for all you fans, all you fans at home. All the men and women, all five of our race teams [at JR Motorsports], just the effort that we’ve put in. I’m at a loss for words and we’re going to celebrate this one, for sure. It’s unbelievable. I just cannot say thank you enough to everybody that’s ever helped me in my career to get to this point. Seven times in the Championship 4 and we finally got it done.”
As Allgaier proceeded to celebrate his first championship on the championship stage, Cole Custer, the reigning Xfinity Series champion, could only manage a smile on pit road as he settled in eighth place in the final running order of the finale and in the runner-up spot in the final standings. Despite coming up one spot short of defending his series title, Custer is set to move back up to the Cup Series and drive for the newly formed Haas Factory Team in 2025.
“I think any driver can do something a little bit different,” Custer said. “I tried to go high, tried to go to the middle, tried to go everywhere I could. But [Hill] made his car pretty wide, which is his right. We’re all going for a championship. It just sucks that it ended up screwing us over worse than it did [Allgaier] and he was able to slip by. Man, I can’t say congratulations enough to Justin and all those guys. He’s definitely a deserving champion. They were fast all night. I hate it came down to tire strategies and stuff like that, but man, I can’t say enough about our group. Everything they’ve done over the last two years, [crew chief Jonathan Toney], everybody in [the Stewart-Haas Racing] shop works so hard. I wish we could have ended up with a championship for [Stewart-Haas Racing], but it just wasn’t meant to be on those restarts.”
Meanwhile, AJ Allmendinger, who clinched a Championship 4 berth by winning the Playoff’s Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway three weeks ago, managed a ninth-place result in the finale and settled in third place in the final standings. Austin Hill, who made his first Championship 4 appearance as a title contender, fell back to 10th place in the final running order as he was relegated to fourth place in the final standings. While Hill is set to return to Richard Childress Racing for another full-time Xfinity campaign in 2025, Allmendinger is set to move back up to the Cup Series with Kaulig Racing next season.
“We just struggled all night,” Allmendinger said. “First off, congrats to Justin [Allgaier], Dale [Earnhardt Jr.] and the No. 7 crew. Justin’s been working at it for a long time. Really cool that he got [the title]. [I] Wished that we could’ve been, at least, in the fight for [the title]. We were off from the start, loose the whole time. I didn’t know what else to do to try to make [the car] faster. Just disappointing that we never really were in the fight. I thought strategy-wise, we could, kind of, steal it, maybe, or the team championship. Disappointing, but proud to be here at least.”
“We had to try something [strategy-wise],” Hill added. “Lot of hard racing out there. I want to say congrats to the No. 7 team. Justin Allgaier’s being doing this a really long time. To see him finally get it done, I’m very happy for him. He’s a great guy to be around. Hats off to JR Motorsports for getting it done.”
Amid the championship battle, Riley Herbst, who led a race-high 167 of the 213 over-scheduled laps, celebrated a race victory as he notched his third career win in the Xfinity Series, second of the 2024 season and his first since winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. The victory was also the last for the Stewart-Haas Racing organization as the team will be rebranded to Haas Factory Team in 2025. It also comes as Herbst’s 2025 racing plans remain to be determined.
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“I’ve been telling people since Daytona that if we got to Phoenix, we’d be the champion,” Herbst, who finished seventh in the final standings, said in Victory Lane. “Everybody looked at me like I was crazy. That’s gone now. We didn’t make [the Championship 4 round], but I’m just so proud of all these guys, everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. It was a really, really tough week last week. We had a lot of emotional people at the shop. [Stewart-Haas Racing] was home for me for four years. It’s built me to what I am now and that’s a winning racecar driver in the Xfinity Series. So proud of [crew chief] Davin [Restivo] and all the guys on the No. 98 team. It’s been a hell of a run the last four years. Thank you so much to every man and woman at Stewart-Haas Racing. I love you guys all so much. We’ll see what next year holds.”
Aric Almirola, who was contending for the owner’s championship for Joe Gibbs Racing’s NO. 20 Toyota team, settled in third place on the track as he fell one spot short to Allgaier in the category. Connor Zilisch and Chandler Smith finished in the top five while Rookie-of-the-Year recipient Jesse Love, Sheldon Creed, Cole Custer, AJ Allmendinger and Austin Hill completed the top 10.
There were 21 lead changes for eight different leaders. The finale featured seven cautions for 53 laps. In addition, 27 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Results.
1. Riley Herbst, 167 laps led
2. Justin Allgaier, four laps led
3. Aric Almirola
4. Connor Zilisch
5. Chandler Smith
6. Jesse Love, six laps led
7. Sheldon Creed, 20 laps led
8. Cole Custer, seven laps led
9. AJ Allmendinger
10. Austin Hill, five laps led
11. Sam Mayer
12. Shane van Gisbergen
13. William Sawalich
14. Parker Kligerman, two laps led
15. Sammy Smith
16. Jeb Burton
17. Daniel Dye, two laps led
18. Brandon Jones
19. Dylan Lupton
20. Jeremy Clements
21. Josh Bilicki
22. Blaine Perkins
23. Ryan Sieg
24. Brennan Poole
25. Ryan Ellis
26. Matt DiBenedetto
27. Joey Gase
28. Patrick Emerling, one lap down
29. Kyle Sieg, one lap down
30. Garrett Smithley, one lap down
31. Leland Honeyman, three laps down
32. Dawson Cram, four laps down
33. Josh Williams, five laps down
34. Parker Retzlaff – OUT, Accident
35. Jeffrey Earnhardt – OUT, Engine
36. Anthony Alfredo – OUT, Accident
37. Greg Van Alst – OUT, Suspension
38. Stefan Parsons – OUT, Accident
*Bold indicates championship finalists
Final standings
1. Justin Allgaier
2. Cole Custer
3. AJ Allmendinger
4. Austin Hill
5. Chandler Smith
6. Sheldon Creed
7. Riley Herbst
8. Jesse Love
9. Sam Mayer
10. Parker Kligerman
11. Sammy Smith
12. Shane van Gisbergen
The NASCAR Xfinity Series teams and competitors enter an off-season period before returning to action at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 15, 2025, for a new season of competition.
Jesse Love has officially been named the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
Love, the reigning ARCA Menards Series champion from Menlo Park, California, was announced to replace Sheldon Creed as the driver of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Chevrolet Camaro entry for the 2024 Xfinity Series season in late October 2023. Paired with two-time NASCAR championship-winning crew chief Danny Stockman Jr., Love commenced his inaugural campaign in the Xfinity circuit by winning the pole position for the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway in February. After winning the first stage period, he rallied from being involved in an early muti-car wreck to finish 20th.
The following weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Love made history as he notched his second consecutive pole of the season and of his career, thus becoming the first competitor to win two poles in first two starts. The Californian would proceed to lead a race-high 157 laps and sweep both stages. During an overtime shootout, however, Love lost the lead as he fell off the pace due to stumbling on his low tank of fuel as he was relegated back to 12th place in the final running order.
Then after finishing in the top 10 in five of his next six starts while also notching a runner-up result behind Chandler Smith at Phoenix Raceway in March, Love triumphed for the first time in the Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway in late April after he led 28 laps, dodged a pair of late-race multi-car wrecks and withstood through two overtime shootouts. With his accomplishment, Love became the seventh competitor to record a first Xfinity career victory at Talladega and he became the 177th competitor overall to win in the Xfinity Series as he automatically locked up a guaranteed spot into the 2024 Xfinity Series Playoffs. Love’s Talladega victory was also the first for RCR’s No. 2 Chevrolet team since Myatt Snider won at Homestead-Miami Speedway in February 2021.
Following the Talladega victory, Love proceeded to finish in the top five twice and rack up a total of seven top-10 throughout the remaining 17 regular-season events on the 2024 Xfinity schedule before the Xfinity Series Playoffs commenced. With respective finishes of ninth, sixth and 19th throughout the Round of 12, Love managed to claim the final transfer berth into the Round of 8 by a mere two points. His title hopes, however, came to an end despite finishing sixth, fourth and 12th, respectively, throughout the Round of 8. Nonetheless, Love would proceed to finish in sixth place during the 2024 Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway, which was enough to settle in eighth place in the final driver’s standings.
Photo by Jeff Clemons for SpeedwayMedia.com.
With the 2024 Xfinity rookie title wrapped up, Love became the first California-raised competitor to achieve the title since Tyler Reddick made the previous accomplishment in 2018, the same season where he won his first championship, and the first competitor to claim the honors both as a Chevrolet competitor and while driving for Richard Childress Racing since teammate Austin Hill achieved his rookie title in 2022.
Love’s closest rival for this year’s Xfinity rookie title was Shane van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion from Auckland, New Zealand, who achieved his first three career victories in the Xfinity circuit, all of which his victories occurred on road-course events, and ended up in 12th place in the final standings after his Playoff hopes came to an end at the Round of 8’s conclusion. Love’s other rivals for the title included Leland Honeyman, Hailie Deegan and Dawson Cram. Honeyman settled in 22nd place in the final driver’s standings and Deegan lost her full-time ride at AM Racing halfway into the season while Cram transitioned between Mike Harmon Racing and DGM Racing halfway into the season after he lost his ride at JD Motorsports.
With the rookie title achieved, Love is set to return for a second full-time Xfinity campaign with Richard Childress Racing and the organization’s No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro entry in 2025.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series teams and competitors enter an off-season period before returning to action at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2025, for a new season of competition.
Martin Truex Jr. will start his final NASCAR Cup Series event as a full-time competitor on the pole position for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, November 9.
Practice and Qualifying
The 2017 Cup Series champion from Mayetta, New Jersey, commenced the 2024 weekend finale at Phoenix as the second-fastest competitor of the series’ lone practice session on Friday, November 8. After two qualifying group rounds, he was one of 10 drivers that transferred to the final qualifying session.
Truex posted his best qualifying lap at 134.741 mph in 26.718 seconds and claimed the top-starting spot over Championship 4 contender Joey Logano.
In addition to winning the pole position, Truex will sport a special throwback scheme on his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops/Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE entry. It will mirror the scheme of his first Cup career start at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October 2004, notched his 25th career pole in NASCAR’s premier series, his second in a row in recent weeks after he started on pole last weekend at Martinsville Speedway and his third at Phoenix.
Sunday’s Cup Series Championship event at Phoenix is set to mark Truex’s 693rd and final start as a full-time competitor in NASCAR’s premier series. Truex is currently ranked in 10th place in the 2024 driver’s standings and will continue his pursuit of his first elusive victory of the season.
“[The pole]’s very cool,” Truex said. “Honestly, you always want to be known as the guy that can go fast in any track, in any situation. Pressure is always pretty high for qualifying. You have to go out there and nail that perfect lap. You only get one shot at it these days. It is fun to go out there and beat everyone in anything. It feels good. It’s very cool, but the big prize is tomorrow. Hopefully, we can get that one.”
Top Ten
Joining Truex on the front row will be Joey Logano, the highest-starting Championship 4 contender with his best qualifying lap occurring at 134.690 mph in 26.728 seconds as he will contend for his third Cup Series championship for Sunday’s main event.
Chevrolet competitors Ross Chastain, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott will start in the top five and they will be followed by Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell on the starting grid.
William Byron, who is contending for his first Cup title, will start in eighth place after a qualifying lap of 134.218 mph in 26.822 seconds. Championship 4 contender, Tyler Reddick, will start in 10th place. He will share the fifth row with Harrison Burton.
Reigning Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney is the fourth Championship 4 finalist. He will start in 17th place, despite being the fastest during Friday’s practice session.
All 40 competitors entered for Sunday’s finale at Phoenix earned a starting spot.
Qualifying position, best speed, best time:
Martin Truex Jr., 134.741 mph, 26.718 seconds
Joey Logano, 134.690 mph, 26.728 seconds
Ross Chastain, 134.268 mph, 26.812 seconds
Kyle Larson, 134.308 mph, 26.804 seconds
Chase Elliott, 134.228 mph, 26.820 seconds
Ty Gibbs, 134.273 mph, 26.811 seconds
Christopher Bell, 133.373 mph, 26.992 seconds
William Byron, 134.218 mph, 26.822 seconds
Harrison Burton, 132.188 mph, 27.234 seconds
Tyler Reddick, 134.118 mph, 26.842 seconds
Austin Cindric, 134.590 mph, 26.748 seconds
Chase Briscoe, 134.635 mph, 26.739 seconds
Justin Haley, 134.554 mph, 26.755 seconds
Denny Hamlin, 134.605 mph, 26.745 seconds
Carson Hocevar, 134.389 mph, 26.788 seconds
Alex Bowman, 134.378 mph, 26.790 seconds
Ryan Blaney, 134.263 mph, 26.813 seconds
John Hunter Nemechek, 134.078 mph, 26.850 seconds
Erik Jones, 133.834 mph, 26.899 seconds
Corey LaJoie, 134.068 mph, 26.852 seconds
Noah Gragson, 133.690 mph, 26.928 seconds
Daniel Hemric, 133.909 mph, 26.884 seconds
Jimmie Johnson, 133.531 mph, 26.960 seconds
Chris Buescher, 133.740 mph, 26.918 seconds
Kyle Busch, 133.492 mph, 26.968 seconds
Derek Kraus, 133.605 mph, 26.945 seconds
Brad Keselowski, 133.190 mph, 27.029 seconds
Zane Smith, 133.531 mph, 26.960 seconds
Bubba Wallace, 132.690 mph, 27.131 seconds
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 133.161 mph, 27.035 seconds
Kaz Grala, 132.587 mph, 27.152 seconds
Todd Gilliland, 132.251 mph, 27.221 seconds
Ryan Preece, 132.528 mph, 27.164 seconds
Daniel Suarez, 131.805 mph, 27.313 seconds
Michael McDowell, 132.086 mph, 27.255 seconds
Austin Dillon, 130.586 mph, 27.568 seconds
JJ Yeley, 129.627 mph, 27.772 seconds
Chad Finchum, 127.895 mph, 28.148 seconds
Josh Berry, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds
Jeb Burton, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway is set to occur on Sunday, November 10, and air at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.