Aric Almirola won Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race at Kansas Speedway, passing the leaders in the closing laps to earn his second victory of the season. The win automatically advances the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 team to the Round of 8 in the NXS owner’s championship Playoffs on the strength of eight wins this season by four different drivers.
JGR teammates and NXS Playoff contenders Chandler Smith (third) and Sheldon Creed (fifth) earned top five results for Toyota. Smith led a race-high 36 laps (of 200) on Saturday afternoon, but Almirola’s GR Supra was strong in the long run and Smith went on to finish third. Creed’s fifth-place result marked his third straight top five and the 14th of the 2024 season.
The Xfinity Series Playoffs continue next Saturday, October 5, at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Kansas Speedway
Race 26 of 33 – 300 Miles, 200 Laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, ARIC ALMIROLA
2nd, Cole Custer*
3rd, CHANDLER SMITH
4th, Connor Zilisch*
5th, SHELDON CREED
31st, COREY HEIM
38th, TAYLOR GRAY
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 20 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
How would you describe today’s race win?
“That was a blue-collar day. Man, that was a really tough day. We had such a great car. This He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra was so fast. Just we kept putting ourselves behind and I felt like we just kept having bad luck. (Pit) gun breaking, things going wrong, but the car was fast. When you have a fast car, you can overcome a lot so just really proud of everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing. What a way to start the Playoffs to lock ourselves in the next round of the owner’s championship.”
How tough was the battle with Cole Custer in the closing laps?
“Cole (Custer) is an incredible race car driver. He’s a tough guy and has got a lot of experience so I knew when he got clean air and got by the 81 (Chandler Smith), I had my work cut out for me. I could not keep doing the same thing. I had to switch it up and I went to work. I just went to work. I was searching for a half a tenth here or a half a tenth there and I was able to make it happen. As happy as I am, I do just want to take a minute to say we’re thinking about everybody down in Florida in my hometown, everybody in western North Carolina and Tennessee and everybody who’s been affected by this hurricane. My thoughts and prayers are to them. I’m so happy to celebrate with this team. They have had fast race cars a lot and they deserve this.”
CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
Was Cole Custer upset with you after the race?
“I’m not sure exactly what he’s referring to. I know there was a few times where he got close to my right rear quarter panel in the exit of (turn) four, but I never got told outside and I was watching my mirror and he never got there. I knew if he got by us, he was going to set sail. We’re playoff racing and if I won this race, it advances us to the next round. There’s a lot of stakes to that obviously and not to mention he’s also the guy that we’re racing for the championship. We’re going to race hard, it’s not the regular season anymore. I’m not just going to let him go at the very end of the race like I would in the regular season if he’s that much better. We’re playoff racing now. I respect the hell out of Cole (Custer). He’s gave me a lot of breaks and in his eyes, he gave me a few today, which I’ll go back and watch and if I’m in the wrong I’ll apologize. I felt like it was the end of the race, he knew he was better, and I had to do what I had to do to hold him up as long as I can to try to give me a shot to win the thing.”
Can you talk about today’s race?
“My No. 81 QuickTie Products GR Supra was fast as Xfinity internet, especially on the short runs. It just needed to be a little better on the longer run, it just lost some front turn there. The 20 (Aric Almirola) and the 00 (Cole Custer) were definitely better than us after 20 to 25 laps. Needed to be a little better there. And he (Cole Custer) was frustrated. I held him up for quite a few laps and did what I needed to do to win the thing. I knew if he got by me, he was going to drive off into the sunset. Regular season, if that happens, I’d probably give him a little more room, I guess. I guess he got to my outside. I never got told or saw that he was to my outside. I could feel him with the air, but he never fully got there so I just took his air away. Yeah, held him up for quite a few laps and I guess he wasn’t happy.”
SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
How did you get a top-five in today’s race?
“Just fought hard all day long there and just worked on our balance all day today to get it better and better. Certainly, I thought we got a lot better but just lacked on the short run. We’d kind of fall there and then after about 25 laps I could go pretty hard. I pancaked the fence there with 30 to go or so. I’m happy to get another top five for our team to keep our Playoffs going.”
Golin for Toyota Racing PR
