No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:
- SMITH AT LAS VEGAS: Sammy Smith will make his second start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) this weekend. His track debut came in the spring where he posted a 17th-place finish after a pit road penalty.
- ROVAL RECAP: Smith and the No. 18 team put together a solid points day on Saturday to put the team into the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 8. The team’s strategy in the first and second stages produced top-10 finishes to collect points. Smith advanced to the next round by four points with his 11th-place finish.
- 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 eight times as a NXS crew chief, most recently with Smith at Phoenix in March 2023. His teams have collected 58 top-five finishes, 122 top-10 finishes, and 11 pole positions under his leadership.
- JGR AT LAS VEGAS: Joe Gibbs Racing has earned three NXS victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including Ty Gibbs’ win last March. In 79 combined starts at the track, the organization has tallied 24 top-five finishes, 45 top-10s, four pole awards and 1,118 laps led.
- 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 302 at LVMS is scheduled for 3:30 PM EST on Saturday, October 14. The race will be broadcasted on USA, PRN, Sirius XM and available to stream on the NBC Sports app.
From the Driver’s Seat:
Sammy Smith: “This weekend is crucial to kicking off the Round of 8 to put us in a good spot for the rest of the round. We had a top-10 run going at Las Vegas in the spring before the pit road penalty. I feel confident in the No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra this weekend after having some race experience at the track. We can definitely put ourselves in a great position to earn stage points and have a solid finish to kick off this round of the Playoffs.”
Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 | 17.0 |
Smith’s 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 29 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 176 | 10.0 | 16.2 |
Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 38 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 194 | 9.2 | 16.5 |
JGR PR
