Sammy Smith / No. 18 TMC Toyota GR Supra Preview – Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

No. 18 TMC Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:

  • SMITH AT CHARLOTTE: Sammy Smith will make his first-career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) this weekend in the Alsco Uniforms 300.  
  • DARLINGTON RECAP: The most recent NXS race took place at Darlington Raceway. Smith started the race in ninth place, but struggled early in the race. He finished the first stage in 35th, but by the end of the race, managed a nice recovery to salvage an 11th-place finish. 
  • 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 56 top-five finishes, 114 top-10 finishes, and 11 pole positions under his leadership. 
  • JGR AT CHARLOTTE: Joe Gibbs Racing owns 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 107 combined starts at the 1.5-mile track, the organization has posted 41 top-five finishes, 63 top-10s, six pole awards, and 1,961 laps led. Mike Bliss, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano have all driven JGR entries to victory lane in Charlotte. 
  • 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 Alsco Uniforms 300 at CMS is scheduled for 1:00 PM EST on Saturday, May 27. The race will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1, PRN, Sirius XM and available to stream on the FOX Sports app. 

 

From the Driver’s Seat: 

Sammy Smith: “This weekend is a big one for racing all over the world and I’m excited to be part of it. We tested at Charlotte back in January and I got a lot of laps in on the track. The test gave me confidence going into my first race here. The guys have been working on bringing a great TMC Toyota GR Supra so hopefully we have a great weekend!” 

JGR PR