Sammy Smith / No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra Preview – United Rentals 200 at Phoenix Raceway - Speedway Digest

No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:

SMITH AT PHOENIX: Sammy Smith will make his second NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) start at Phoenix Raceway this weekend in the No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra. He made his NXS debut at the track in the 2022 season finale where he qualified second and led 10 laps while running the top-five for the majority of the race. Smith overcame two on-track incidents that resulted in running as low 24th to claim a 10th-place finish. Smith also has three ARCA Menards Series West (AMSW) races under his belt at Phoenix. He won two poles, won one race, and never finished below third place in those AMSW races.
LAS VEGAS RACE RECAP: Smith started the Alsco Uniforms 300 in 14th and quickly made his way into the top-10. He finished Stage 1 in eighth and Stage 2 in fifth. Smith spun coming onto pit road in Stage 3 and had to serve a pass-through penalty for speeding. He finished 17th in his first start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Smith is eligible to compete for the 2023 NXS Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY). He is 2nd in the ROTY standings after Las Vegas. 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 AMSW race in 2022.
ON THE PITBOX: Crew Chief Jeff Mendeering 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 Brandon Jones at Martinsville in April 2022. His teams have collected 53 top-five finishes, 110 top-10 finishes, and 11 pole positions under his leadership.
PILOT FLYING J: The closest Pilot Flying J to Phoenix Raceway is located at 900 North 99^th Avenue in Avondale, AZ.
JGR AT PHOENIX: JGR has 15 NXS victories at Phoenix Raceway, including championship-winning races by Daniel Hemric in 2021 and Ty Gibbs in 2022. In 110 combined starts at the track, the organization has 48 top-five finishes, 77 top-10s, 20 pole awards, and 3,254 laps led.
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 United Rentals 200 at Phoenix is scheduled for 4:30 PM EST on Saturday, March 11. The race will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, MRN, Sirius XM and available to stream on the FOX Sports app.

From the Driver’s Seat:

Sammy Smith: “Phoenix is one of the tracks on the Xfinity schedule where I have some racing experience from the past few years. We had a solid run going in the fall and brought a fast car. I’m looking to build off of that race and take what I learned in my ARCA races there to put together a good performance in the No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra.”

Smith’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Phoenix Raceway: