No. 18 TMC Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:
SMITH AT INDY: Sammy Smith will run his first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS). The No. 18 has finished in the top-10 three times out of the five road course races so far this year.
MICHIGAN RECAP: Last weekend at Michigan, Smith qualified ninth, but got caught up in a wreck on lap 11 that ended his day. Joe Gibbs Racing earned their 200th NXS win with teammate John Hunter Nemechek’s victory at Michigan. Smith contributed to that total with his win at Phoenix earlier this year.
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 seven times as a NXS crew chief, most recently with Smith at Phoenix in March 2023. His teams have collected 57 top-five finishes, 114 top-10 finishes, and 11 pole positions under his leadership.
JGR AT INDIANAPOLIS: The Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series program has posted two top-10 finishes in 10 combined starts on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Prior to the move to the road course, JGR earned four wins on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis oval.
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 Pennoil 150 presented by Advanced Auto Parts at the Brickyard is scheduled for 5:30 PM EST on Saturday, August 12. The race will be broadcasted on USA, IMS Radio, Sirius XM and available to stream on the NBC Sports app.
From the Driver’s Seat:
Sammy Smith: “I’m excited to race at Indy this weekend with all of the history there. We’ve had great runs in road course races this year, even though we got a little unlucky in a couple. I feel confident in our road course program and I’m looking forward to the challenge of learning a new course. We just need to put together a full race this weekend and I think we could kiss the bricks at the end of the day.”
About TMC Transportation:
TMC Transportation, celebrated its 50th anniversary 2022 and is the nation’s largest employee-owned open deck transportation company. TMC provides expert transportation services and supply-chain management solutions throughout the 48 contiguous states. Founded in 1972, TMC is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, and is known for its integrity, innovation, superior safety record, and dedication to quality and customer service. The company’s claim-free, on-time delivery record is the best in the business and is consistently recognized by its customers. Visit tmctrans.com.
About Joe Gibbs Racing:
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Xfinity Series teams, and a driver development program. JGR is based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Joe Gibbs, who also earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was named as one of the NFL’s top 10 coaches of all-time with a winning career that included three Super Bowl Championships as head coach of the Washington franchise. JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, capturing 400 wins over that span. No team has more combined wins across the sport’s three national series in the history of NASCAR. In addition, JGR has won five Cup Series championships along with four Xfinity Series driver championships and six Xfinity Series owner’s championship. The organization also has captured four Daytona 500 titles, considered to be NASCAR’s premier event each season.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
