DARLINGTON, S.C.: With four weeks left until the start of the Playoffs for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Sammy Smith knew that he needed to be up on the wheel and gain valuable playoff points or a win in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Starting in the 11th position in Stage 1, the No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet driver would hover around the 10th position.
Smith informed his JR Motorsports team he was struggling with front turn and rear grip to the team right before the caution flag waved on Lap 31 and changed things in his favor.
Coming to pit road, the No. 8 JR Motorsports pit crew would give him a new set of Goodyear tires, fuel, and a slight air adjustment, returning him to the track in the 10th position.
Ending Stage 1, Smith would work himself up to the sixth spot, gaining valuable Playoff points.
Communicating to his team that his cool suit was not working, Smith stated, “This suit is burning me up. I need ice and water.”
As far as the car was concerned, he seemed happy with the adjustments they had made at the last stop. He did not want a huge adjustment but added, “Just keep talking to me. It helps.”
Stage 2 would prove to be a much-needed consistent run for the Johnston, Iowa native.
The team would continue to reassure their driver that he was running times as well as the leaders. He would start in sixth place and finish the stage in fourth place once again giving him the playoff points that he so badly needed.
After coming to pit road before the start of the third and final stage at The Lady in Black, Snith returned to the track in 10th place after a long pit stop.
Redeeming himself one lap into the stage, Smith would move up three spots to the seventh position.
Reminding their driver that he was doing a good job and that they had time to get to the front, he was told by his crew chief, Adam Wall, “Be smart and smooth. Remember that these guys will fall off. You’re better on the long run.”
A race appeared headed for its first green flag run in Stage 3 to the checkered flag, the caution flag would wave with under five laps to go for AJ Allmendinger and Cole Custer.
Smith joined the rest of the cars on the lead lap to pit for tires and setup for a run in NASCAR overtime.
A quick pit stop for four tires and a splash of fuel, Smith would return to the track in fourth place.
With NASCAR overtime engaged, the exhausted driver would survive the two-lap scramble to the finish and bring his JR Motorsports Chevrolet home in fifth.
“It wasn’t too bad once we kinda got going It’s just then you start thinking about it there towards the end, but it was tough, but you have to keep digging,” said Smith after the race.”
Relieved that his day ended on a positive note he added, “I was glad that I could just finish up for my team.”
After the checkered flag, Smith asked his team to help him out of the car and to have water and ice on standby. Earlier in the race, Smith’s cool suit failed, exacerbating the temperature in his car.
“My cool suit broke so It was a tough day,” remarked Smith after delivering his fifth top-five of the year.
Sitting in the final Xfinity Playoff position and 10 points above the cut line, Smith knew that overall, it was a good points day for him.
“It was a great day to get stage points and have a good finish there at the end,” Smith mentioned. “We needed that. We’ll just keep digging these last three races.”
Sammy Smith’s next event is the Focused Health 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 7, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. ET.
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