Aric Michael Almirola is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the Nos. 19 and 20 Toyota Supras for Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 16 Toyota Tundra for Hattori Racing Enterprises in the NASCAR Truck Series. Almirola previously competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series as well as what are now the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West.
Cole Matthew Custer is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart–Haas Racing. He is the son of Joe Custer, the team president of Stewart–Haas Racing. He is the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.
Chandler Michael Smith Sr. is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 81 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was a member of Toyota Racing Development's TD2 driver development system from 2018 until the end of 2022 but rejoined the program starting in 2024.
The 2023 Call 811.com Before You Dig 250 was the 8th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 16th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, April 15, 2023, in Ridgeway, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent paper-clip shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would put on a dominating performance, winning both stages and leading 198 laps, earning his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season; during his celebratory burnout, the rear of his car ignited fire. To fill out the podium, Sammy Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Cole Custer, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2023 Kansas Lottery 300 was the 26th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the final race of the regular season, and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 9, 2023, in Kansas City, Kansas at Kansas Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would put on a blistering performance, winning both stages and leading a race-high 154 laps, earning his ninth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his sixth of the season. To fill out the podium, Brandon Jones, driving for JR Motorsports, and Sheldon Creed, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2023 Food City 300 was the 27th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the first race of the Round of 12, and the 42nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, September 15, 2023, in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would complete a successful pit road strategy, driving through the field and passing Daniel Hemric for the lead with over 10 laps to go, earning his 22nd career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his third of the season. He would also earn a spot in the next round of the playoffs. Allgaier and pole-sitter Cole Custer would end up dominating the entire race, leading 110 and 109 laps, respectively. To fill out the podium, Hemric, driving for Kaulig Racing, and John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2023 Dead On Tools 250 was the 32nd stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the final race of the Round of 8, and the 4th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, October 28, 2023, in Ridgeway, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent paper-clip shaped racetrack. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 250 laps, but was extended to 256 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. In a wild race that resulted in 15 cautions, Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would survive the chaos on the final lap, and hold off Sheldon Creed in a close finish to earn his 23rd career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his fourth of the season. He would also earn a spot in the Championship 4. Sammy Smith would dominate the majority of the race, winning the second stage and leading a race-high 147 laps. After navigating through the field in the final stage, he would finish third. To fill out the podium, Creed, driving for Richard Childress Racing, and Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2024 The LiUNA! was the 3rd stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 28th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in North Las Vegas, Nevada, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval shaped intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would cruise to victory in a dominating performance, leading a race-high 99 laps and earning his 10th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his first of the season. Nemechek's teammate, Chandler Smith, won both stages and led 74 laps, but fell back in the final stage and finished 3rd. To fill out the podium, Cole Custer, driving for Stewart–Haas Racing, and Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2024 Call811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 was the 4th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 20th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, a 1 mile (1.6 km) permanent asphalt tri-oval shaped speedway. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 200 laps, but was increased to 205 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. Chandler Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would take the lead on the final restart with two laps to go, and held off the field to earn his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his first of the season. Smith was consistent throughout the entire race, leading a race-high 88 laps and winning the first stage. Justin Allgaier dominated the final portion of the race, leading 52 laps before blowing a tire and hitting the wall with five laps to go. To fill out the podium, Jesse Love, driving for Richard Childress Racing, and Sheldon Creed, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2024 Dude Wipes 250 was the 7th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 17th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent asphalt paperclip-shaped short track. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 250 laps, but was increased to 251 laps due to a NASCAR overtime finish. In a wild and action packed race that saw numerous spins and wrecks, Aric Almirola, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would survive a chaotic overtime restart, and won the race after a multi-car incident occurred on the final lap with him in the lead. This was Almirola's fifth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his first of the season. Almirola was the most consistent driver of the race, winning the first stage and leading a race-high 148 laps. To fill out the podium, Sam Mayer, driving for JR Motorsports, and Chandler Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2024 Andy's Frozen Custard 300 was the 8th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 20th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval shaped intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In one of the closest finishes in Xfinity Series history, Sam Mayer, driving for JR Motorsports, would make a last-lap pass for the lead on Ryan Sieg, and held him off in a wild photo finish to earn his fifth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his first of the season. The margin of victory was 0.002 seconds, tying it for the second closest finish in Xfinity Series history, alongside Milwaukee 1996 and Talladega 1999. Sieg led 17 of the final 18 laps in the race, before being passed by Mayer on the final lap. Justin Allgaier was most consistent driver of the race, winning both stages and leading a race-high 117 laps, but ultimately fell back and rounded out the podium by finishing 3rd.
The 2024 Tennessee Lottery 250 was the 17th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 4th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Lebanon, Tennessee at Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.333 miles (2.145 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete. John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would take the lead from Cole Custer late in the race, and led the final 46 laps to earn his 11th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season. Nemechek also dominated the majority of the race, leading a race-high 76 laps. To fill out the podium, Chandler Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Jesse Love, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively. This was the last full-time start for Hailie Deegan as she would be replaced by Joey Logano at the Chicago Street Course and other drivers replacing her.
The 2024 Pennzoil 250 was the 20th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 13th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent square-shaped racetrack. Contested over 100 laps, the race ended in a 3-car battle for the win, with Stewart-Haas Racing driver Riley Herbst claiming just his second career win, and his first of the season. Teammate Cole Custer finished second, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Aric Almirola finished third. Shane Van Gisbergen and Sheldon Creed rounded out the top five, and Austin Hill, Daniel Dye, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, and Carson Kvapil rounded out the top ten.
The 2024 Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola was the 22nd stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, August 23, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent quad-oval shaped superspeedway. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 100 laps, but was extended to 102 laps due to an overtime finish. Ryan Truex, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would stay consistent throughout the race, leading 28 laps and winning after leading when A. J. Allmendinger spun on the final lap, bringing out the caution. This was Truex's third career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season. Allmendinger led a race-high 35 laps before getting spun by Parker Kligerman on the final lap, officially credited with a 24th place finish. Justin Allgaier won both stages and led 16 laps, finishing 7th and taking the regular season points lead away from Cole Custer. To fill out the podium, Chandler Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Parker Kligerman, driving for Big Machine Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2024 Food City 300 was the 26th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the final race of the regular season, and the 43rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, September 20, 2024, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. Cole Custer driving for Stewart–Haas Racing, would come out on top, earning his 15th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory. Custer would dominate, leading a race high 104 laps. To fill out the podium, Sheldon Creed, and Chandler Smith, both driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2024 Xfinity 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on November 3, 2024, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 500 laps on the 0.526 mile (0.847 km) paperclip-shaped short track, it was the 35th race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, the ninth race of the Playoffs, and final race of the Round of 8. Ryan Blaney won the race. Chase Elliott finished 2nd, and Kyle Larson finished 3rd. Austin Cindric and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five, and William Byron, Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano rounded out the top ten.
The 2024 Kansas Lottery 300 was the 27th race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the first race of the Round of 12, and the 24th iteration of the event. The race was held on September 28, 2024, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. In an amazing battle for the lead, Aric Almirola, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would make a successful late race pass on Cole Custer, and led the final four laps to earn his sixth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season. He would also lock the No. 20 team into the next round of the owner's playoffs. Chandler Smith was the most dominant driver of the race, leading a race-high 114 laps before getting passed by Custer and Almirola in the final stages, finishing third.
The 2024 Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina was the 29th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the third race of the playoffs, the final race of the Round of 12, and the 7th iteration of the event. The race was held on October 12, 2024, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval layout in Concord, North Carolina, a 2.32 miles (3.73 km) permanent road course. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 67 laps, but was extended to 72 laps due to an overtime finish. In an action-packed event that sparked late-race controversy, Sam Mayer, driving for JR Motorsports, would take away the lead from Parker Kligerman in a fierce battle on the final restart, and cruised the rest of the way to earn his seventh career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his third of the season. Mayer would also claim a spot in the next round of the playoffs. Although there were numerous lead changes, A. J. Allmendinger led a race-high 18 laps, finishing second behind eventual winner Mayer. To fill out the podium, Shane van Gisbergen, driving for Kaulig Racing, would finish 3rd, respectively.
The 2024 Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 was the 31st stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the fifth race of the Playoffs, the second race of the Round of 8, and the 31st iteration of the event. The race was held on October 26, 2024, at Homestead–Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, a 1.5 miles permanent oval shaped intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In an action-packed race, Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would pass Cole Custer for the lead in the final stages, and went on to have a dominating performance, leading a race-high 82 laps and winning both stages to earn his 10th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his fourth of the season. With his win, he would also clinch a spot in the Championship 4. To fill out the podium, Custer, driving for Stewart–Haas Racing, and Aric Almirola, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The 2024 Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 was the 22nd stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the sixth race of the Playoffs, the final race of the Round of 8, and the second iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, November 1, 2024, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, a 0.526 mi (0.847 km) permanent paper-clip shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In a controversial ending, Christian Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, would make an aggressive move on Taylor Gray and Ben Rhodes in the final five laps, and held off the rest of the field to earn his ninth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, and his fourth of the season. Following the race, Gray confronted Eckes on the frontstretch, showing his displeasure with the final result. Eckes was the class of the field, winning the pole, both stages, and leading a race-high 187 laps. With his win, he would also clinch a spot in the Championship 4. To fill out the podium, Rhodes, driving for ThorSport Racing, and Chase Purdy, driving for Spire Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
