JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Watkins Glen International
RACE: Zippo 200 at The Glen (82 laps / 200.9 miles)
DATE: Saturday, August 4, 2018
Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBC / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Elliott Sadler
No. 1 Textron Off Road Wildcat XX Chevrolet
• Elliott Sadler has moved into the second position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series point standings after a strong weekend in Iowa, claiming his first pole award of the 2018 season and leading 41 laps en route to a sixth-place finish.
• In nine NXS starts at Watkins Glen International, Sadler has claimed one top-five and five top-10 finishes.
• While driving for JR Motorsports, the Virginia native has claimed four top-10 finishes in six starts on road courses. His average finish among those events is 10.2.
• This weekend at The Glen, Sadler will debut the Textron Off Road Wildcat XX Chevrolet Camaro.
Michael Annett
No. 5 TMC Transportation Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s average finish at Watkins Glen International is his best on any road course the series currently competes on.
• The Iowa native has completed all but three laps in his six NXS starts at The Glen (99.4 percent).
• Of those starts, Annett’s best finish at the road course is 11th, which came in 2012. Last year, Annett placed 16th on the 2.54-mile course.
• As announced on July 30, Travis Mack will take over as crew chief for Annett and the No. 5 team beginning this weekend at Watkins Glen.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• In seven NXS starts at WGI, Justin Allgaier has one top five and four top 10s. Last year, he earned his best finish at the road course, placing fourth in the 82-lap event.
• Leading laps last weekend en route to his runner-up finish at Iowa Speedway, Allgaier now has 496 laps led on the season, a new career best.
• The Illinois native is currently seeded second in the NXS Playoff standings, with eight points earned by virtue of his victory at Iowa in June and three stage wins.
• Allgaier is currently riding a streak of seven consecutive top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 5.6 and 220 laps led during that span.
Tyler Reddick
No. 9 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet
• Tyler Reddick will make his first NXS start at Watkins Glen International this weekend.
• This is also Reddick’s first career start on a road course in the Xfinity Series.
• The Corning, Calif. native previously made two Truck Series starts on road courses with a best finish of sixth coming at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in 2016.
• Reddick currently ranks third in the NXS Playoff seeding by way of his victory at Daytona International Speedway in the 2018 NXS season opening event with seven races remaining in the regular season.
Driver Quotes
“This weekend is going to give us a good idea of what our road-course package is going to be like for this year. We’ve had some good runs in the past, but we need to step up our road course game. We’re only a few races away from the playoffs and we want to win the regular season championship for a second year in a row – those playoff points are key. Hopefully we can keep our Textron Off Road Wildcat XX Chevrolet out of trouble and get ourselves another solid finish.” – Elliott Sadler
“I like the road courses in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and it’s a great place to make up the points that we need to make the playoffs. This four-race series in August is going to be pivotal for us, and everyone here on the No. 5 team is working as hard as they can to make that happen.” – Michael Annett
“This stretch of road courses is always a lot of fun. From an excitement standpoint, they never fail to disappoint, unless you’re on the disappointing end of something that goes crazy. I was fortunate enough to win at Montreal and that was a big deal for me, but I’d love to get a win on one of the current tracks. The road-course program at JR Motorsports is really good. We’ve got the cars and we’ve got a team that’s capable of getting to Victory Lane, so I feel like we’ve got a good opportunity to do that this weekend.” – Justin Allgaier
“This weekend will be interesting for sure at Watkins Glen. It’s really cool to have Nationwide Children’s Hospital back on our JR Motorsports Chevrolet and to have Patient Champion Bricen (Thall) with us at the track. Hopefully we can keep our car clean all race long and have a smooth day. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.” – Tyler Reddick
JRM Team Updates
JRM at Watkins Glen: JR Motorsports has 29 NXS starts at Watkins Glen International, earning five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
The team’s best finish came in 2011 when Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line in second. Combined at the road course, JRM has paced the field for 21 laps.
JRM on Road Courses: In 81 NXS starts on road-course racetracks, JRM has two wins, 19 top fives and 41 top 10s. Ron Fellows won for the organization at Montreal in 2008 and Regan Smith visited Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio with the team in 2015, a track currently on the series circuit.
Driven to Give: This weekend, all four JRM drivers – along with 32 Cup drivers – will be participating in the 2018 Driven to Give Gloves Program, wearing the Dale Earnhardt Jr. inspired skeleton gloves while racing at Watkins Glen. The program works to support the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, helping kids everywhere. The race-worn gloves will be signed by both Dale Jr. and the driver, and will be auctioned off August 8-15. Bidding for the #NCHGloves will take place here.
