Pit Stop Radio News

No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:  

• SMITH AT LAS VEGAS: Sammy Smith will run his first race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) this weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS).  
• FONTANA RECAP: With qualifying rained out, Smith started the Production Alliance Group 300 in 13th. He cracked the top-10 early and was running eighth when the competition caution on lap 15 came out. Stage One ended with the No. 18 Pilot Flying J GR Supra in 14th-place due to pit strategy calls differing throughout the field. Stage Two resulted in a third-place finish. After the stage break, Smith made his way into the top-five, taking the lead on lap 77. The 18-year-old battled for the lead during the final stage with several cars battling through overheating issues on and off. Smith led a total of 14 laps before getting spun on lap 134. There was slight damage to the car, but he passed seven cars in the final 11 laps for a 19th-place finish.  
• ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Smith is eligible to compete for the 2023 NXS Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY). He is 3rd in the ROTY standings after Fontana. The other drivers competing for the title are Chandler Smith, Parker Retzlaff, and Blaine Perkins.  
• ARCA EAST CHAMPION x2: Smith defended his 2021 ARCA Menards Series East (AMSE) Championship in 2022 on the strength of five wins and a top-five finish in all of the AMSE races. He also won four ARCA Menards Series races and one ARCA Menards Series West race in 2022.  
• ON THE PITBOX: Crew Chief Jeff Mendeering will head up the No. 18 team during the 2023 season. He has visited Victory Lane seven times as a NXS crew chief, most recently with Brandon Jones at Martinsville in April 2022. His teams have collected 53 top-five finishes, 110 top-10 finishes, and 11 pole positions under his leadership.  
• PILOT FLYING J: The closest Pilot Flying J to LVMS is located at 3812 East Craig Road in North Las Vegas, NV.  
• FOLLOW ALONG: Follow along for updates and a behind-the-scenes look at Smith’s 2023 NXS Seasons.  

Twitter: @SammySmithSS I Facebook: Sammy Smith Racing I Instagram:  @sammysmithss_  

• RACE INFO: The NXS Alsco Uniforms 300 at LVMS is scheduled for 4:30 PM EST on Saturday, March 4. The race will be broadcasted on FS1, PRN, Sirius XM and available to stream on the FOX Sports app.  

From the Driver’s Seat:  

Sammy Smith: “The run we had going last week with our No. 18 Pilot Flying J GR Supra gave me confidence going into this week. Las Vegas is another new track for me so I’m glad that it looks like we’ll get some practice in this week. I know the car is fast since we are using the same car as Fontana, plus the JGR GR Supras ran strong at Las Vegas in the fall with top-10 finishes for everybody. We were in contention until the end on Sunday and know we have the team and car to get a great finish this weekend.”  

Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:  

Smith’s 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:  

Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:  

JGR PR