Race 8 of 33: Andy's Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway
Track Specs: 1.5-mile quad-oval / 200 laps
Race Winner: Sam Mayer
Allgaier's finish: 3^rd
Smith's finish: 8^th
Jones' finish: 13^th

Sam Mayer

Sam Mayer chased down leader Ryan Sieg over the final laps on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway to score a dramatic victory by just 0.002 seconds, the second-closest race finish in NASCAR Xfinity Series history. Mayer made up more than a second on the leader over the final six laps, drawing even in Turn 3 coming to the checkered to earn his fifth career victory and first of 2024. The win also clinched the $100,000 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash bonus for Mayer and the No. 1 Carolina Carports team and qualified them for another chance at the prize next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Additionally, today's victory locked the Wisconsin native into the NXS Playoffs for the third time in his career.

"My spotter, Kevin Hamlin, told me the bottom line in Turns 3 and 4 was the way to go, that it was worth half a second, and he was right. This No. 1 Carolina Carports Chevrolet is a little beat up now, but all that matters is we got to the checkered flag. We kept taking swings at the handling all day long and Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) made some great changes there at the end that really paid off. I can't thank everyone at JR Motorsports and the folks at Carolina Carports enough. It's great to be able to take them to Victory Lane and to come away with that $100,000 Dash 4 Cash Prize."

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture / TradeMark Nitrogen Chevrolet, was a force to be reckoned with on Saturday afternoon, sweeping both stages and leading for a race-high 117 laps in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Texas Motor Speedway before taking the checkered flag in the third position. Allgaier’s stage victories marked the 11^th time that the JR Motorsports driver swept the opening two stages, an NXS record. Additionally, today's top-three result was Allgaier's 266^th top-10 in his NXS career, tying Kyle Busch for the most top-10 finishes in series history.  This afternoon's strong finish also catapulted Allgaier up to fourth in the NXS standings and qualified the veteran driver for next weekend’s Dash 4 Cash $100,000 prize as the series heads to Talladega Superspeedway.

"We had an unbelievably strong BRANDT Professional Agriculture / TradeMark Nitrogen Chevrolet today. To be able to go out there and win both stages and run up front all day long is a testament to all of the hard work by everyone on this No. 7 team and everyone back at JR Motorsports. I wish we could've been just a little closer there at the end to battle it out for the win, but today was a solid top-three for us. Hats off to Sam (Mayer) on the win and congrats to everyone at JRM."

Sammy Smith

The No. 8 Pilot Flying J Coffee Chevrolet secured its sixth top-10 finish in eight races so far this season on Saturday afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway. Sammy Smith started the weekend off well by qualifying ninth for the Andy's Frozen Custard 300. Throughout Stage One, Smith expressed struggles with a loose car and told crew chief Adam Wall that he would rather have a tight car as it's easier to manage. Smith finished Stage One in 17^th and after a pit stop for four tires, fuel and adjustments, his dependable pit crew sent him off five spots better in 12^th. Smith spent the majority of Stage Two just inside the top 10 until the last 10 laps, when he worked his way to sixth. The final segment required a green-flag pit stop, and the Iowa native had to come from 18^th through the field. Others pitted and he picked off cars one by one around the 1.5-mile track, ultimately taking the checkered flag in eighth.

"Our finishes are starting to feel like deja vu with all these top-10s, which I know the consistency is key but I so badly want to break into the top five and obviously get a win for my guys. They’ve been awesome on pit road by gaining me positions to help on track. We'll keep digging and see what we have for Talladega next weekend."

Brandon Jones

Brandon Jones, driver of the No. 9 Menards/Atlas Roofing Chevrolet, qualified in the 11^th position for the 200-Lap NASCAR Xfinity Series event in the Lone Star State Saturday afternoon. Jones and his crew chief, Phillip Bell, relied heavily on strategy throughout the race. By conserving tires and adjusting his racing line, Jones was able to maneuver around his competitors and drive up to fourth for the end of Stage One, earning valuable points. Over the next 45 laps Jones was able to maintain his position in the top-10 and once again, found himself in the fourth position at the end of the stage. On lap 110, Jones made his first appearance in the top three where he was able to maintain position until a necessary green flag pit stop caused him to rejoin the field in 17^th. Using the speed he showed all day, Jones made his way back to the front and after a late-race caution he was able to restart on the outside pole. Once the green flag waved, he quickly made the pass for the lead with 20 laps to go. Unfortunately, due to an on-track incident, Jones was unable to maintain position and finished in 13^th.

"This was one of those races where mental toughness really came into play. My No. 9 Menards/Atlas Roofing team gave me a fast car and Phillip (Bell, crew chief) made some great calls that put me in a position to run up front. We are getting closer to that win and it is only a matter of time until we put this Menards Chevrolet in Victory Lane."