Pit Stop Radio News

No. 18 TMC Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:

• SMITH AT NEW HAMPSHIRE:This weekend’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be Sammy Smith’s first race of any kind of the track. 
• ATLANTA RECAP:Smith collected another top-ten finish at Atlanta last Saturday. The No. 18 TMC Toyota GR Supra started the race in third. Smith fell back and battled handling throughout the race. The 10th-place finish at Atlanta was Smith’s eighth top-10 of 2023.
• ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Smith is eligible to compete for the 2023 NXS Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY). 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 Meendering 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 Smith at Phoenix in March 2023. His teams have collected 56 top-five finishes, 118 top-10 finishes, and 11 pole positions under his leadership.
• JGR AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: Joe Gibbs Racing owns 11 Xfinity Series victories at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including six of the past seven trips to the 1.058-mile oval. In 55 combined starts, the organization has recorded 31 top-five finishes, 39 top-10s, five pole awards, and 1,737 laps led. Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Tony Stewart have all driven JGR entries to victory lane in New Hampshire.
• FOLLOW ALONG: Follow along for updates and a behind-the-scenes look at Smith’s 2023 NXS Season.  

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

• RACE INFO: The NXS Ambetter Health 200 at AMS is scheduled for 3:00 PM EST on Saturday, July 15. The race will be broadcast on USA, PRN, Sirius XM and available to stream on the NBC Sports app.

From the Driver’s Seat: 

Sammy Smith: “I’m looking forward to this weekend at New Hampshire. This will be my first time on the track so I’m hoping the weather holds off on Friday to get some practice laps in. The track is pretty flat & bumpy. JGR has seen some success at this track recently, so I know our No. 18 TMC Toyota GR Supra will be fast. We’re looking to learn a lot and have a solid run on Saturday.”

Smith’s 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats: 

Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats: 

JGR PR