Pit Stop Radio News

No. 81 Mobil 1 Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:

• PHOENIX WIN NOTES: Chandler Smith claimed his first NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) win of the season and the second of his career in the last NXS race at Phoenix Raceway. Smith started the race on the front row and took the lead from pole sitter Cole Custer on the first lap. He led every lap of Stage 1 and picked up his third stage win of the season. That third stage win ties him with Jesse Love for most stage wins in 2024. Smith finished fourth in Stage 2. On an overtime restart, Smith jumped to the lead and collected his first win with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Smith led a race-high 88 laps on the way to the checkered flag. Smith jumped up a spot in the points standings with the win and now heads the NXS leaderboard going into the fifth race of the season. The win at Phoenix was Crew Chief Jeff Meendering’s ninth career NXS victory, third at Phoenix, and second in a row in the spring race at the track.
• SMITH AT COTA: Smith has one prior NXS start at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in which he finished 12th. He also has two NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at the road course with a best finish of fifth in 2022.
• MOBIL 1: Mobil 1 high-performance synthetic motor oils are used by many of the world’s top race teams and celebrates over a decade of partnership with TRD. Mobil 1 was first named an official technology partner in 2010 with their support and lubricants helping Toyota drivers achieve multiple championships across several racing disciplines and several career defining victories.
• ON THE PITBOX: Crew Chief of the No. 81, Jeff Meendering, has visited Victory Lane nine times as a NXS crew chief, most recently with Smith at Phoenix in March 2024. His teams have collected 63 top-five finishes, 129 top-10 finishes, and 13 pole positions under his leadership.
• JGR AT COTA: JGR has posted one win, three top-five finishes, four top-10s, and two pole awards in 10 combined Xfinity Series starts at Circuit of the Americas. Last season, all three JGR entries qualified inside the top six and two drivers posted top-five finishes.
• FOLLOW ALONG: Follow along for updates and a behind-the-scenes look at Smith’s 2024 NXS Season.

Twitter: @CSmith_Racing I Facebook: Chandler Smith I Instagram:  @csmith_racing

• RACE INFO: The Focused Health 250 at COTA is scheduled for 5:00 PM EST on Saturday, March 23. Coverage of the race will be on Fox Sports 1, PRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio and available to stream on the FOX Sports app.

From the Driver’s Seat:

Chandler Smith: “It definitely feels good to have a win under our belts. That gives us a lot of confidence for when we go back to Phoenix, hopefully running for the championship. But this week, we’re going to COTA which is a track we focused a lot on in the off season. I’ve done a lot of laps in the simulator for this weekend. I think we have a good setup in the No. 81 Mobil 1 Toyota GR Supra to go out and compete up front on Saturday.”

Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Circuit of the Americas:

Smith’s 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Joe Gibbs Racing PR