- SMITH AT PHOENIX: Sammy Smith will return to the site of his first NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) victory this weekend as the season finale takes place at Phoenix Raceway. Smith’s first win came in the 2023 spring race at Phoenix as he led 92 laps on his way to capturing the checkered flag. Smith also has an ARCA Menards Series West win under his belt at the track.
- MARTINSVILLE RECAP: After claiming his first career pole, Smith made a hard charge at getting a bid in the Championship 4 last weekend in Martinsville, leading over half of the race. The No. 18 came up short after charging through the field in the final stage, finishing in third.
- ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Smith is eligible to compete for the 2023 NXS Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY). He is currently 39 points ahead of Chandler Smith in the points battle.
- 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 59 top-five finishes, 124 top-10 finishes, and 12 pole positions under his leadership.
- JGR AT PHOENIX: Joe Gibbs Racing has earned 16 NXS wins at Phoenix Raceway, including three of the past four races at the one-mile track. In 113 combined starts at Phoenix, the organization has posted 50 top-five finishes, 80 top-10s, 20 pole awards, and 3,365 laps led. Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones, Joey Logano, and Smith have all taken JGR to NXS victory lane at Phoenix.
- 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 Championship Race at Phoenix is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST on Saturday, November 4. The race will be broadcast on USA, MRN, Sirius XM and available to stream on the NBC Sports app.
From the Driver’s Seat:
Sammy Smith: “This team is looking to end the season on a high note. We had incredible speed at Phoenix earlier this year and have fine tuned the car to get even more out of it. I love this track, especially with it being my first win, so I’m excited to get back and contend for one more win in 2023.”
Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Phoenix Raceway:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 102 | 6.5 | 5.5 |
Smith’s 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 32 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 323 | 9.3 | 15.6 |
Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 41 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 341 | 8.8 | 16.0 |
Joe Gibbs Racing PR
