JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Daytona International Speedway
RACE: NASCAR Racing Experience 300 (120 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019
Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J/American Heart Association Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s best NXS finish at Daytona International Speedway is third, in the summer of 2012. His best season opening finish is 12th, in 2010.
• Last year, Annett was running in the top eight in the closing laps before getting caught in a crash that put him 37th in the running order. He started the race last year in seventh, his best NXS career start on the 2.5-mile track.
• This is the first year Annett will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports, a number with significance to the Annett family. He previously ran the No. 5 for the organization throughout his first two seasons with the team.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Heading into 2019, Justin Allgaier and the BRANDT Professional Agriculture team are looking to build off of a successful 2018 season that culminated in five wins and the NXS regular-season championship.
• In 16 NXS starts at DIS, Allgaier has three top fives and seven top 10s, with a best finish of second (July 2016).
• Last year at traditional restrictor-plate tracks, the 32-year old driver earned a third-place finish at Talladega and ninth in the July Daytona race.
• In the 2018 season opener in Daytona, Allgaier’s chances at victory ended when he got caught up in a multi-car incident after the race went into overtime.
Chase Elliott
No. 8 AfterShokz Chevrolet
• Chase Elliott won the season-opening race for JRM in 2016. His NXS Daytona stats include one victory, two top fives and three top 10s along with 42 laps led.
• Elliott has made eight NXS starts at Daytona, with seven of those being for JRM, and four in the season opener.
• Elliott will be the first of multiple drivers – including team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. – to run the iconic No. 8 Chevrolet for JRM.
• AfterShokz, an award-winning headphone brand known for its patented bone conduction technology, will be on board the No. 8. Elliott serves as a brand ambassador
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Switch Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his JRM debut this weekend in the season-opening NXS event at DIS.
• Gragson previously made three starts in the NXS in 2018, earning an overall average finish of 4.3.
• Prior to joining JRM, Gragson ran two full seasons in the NASCAR Truck Series, earning a combined two wins, 12 top fives, 30 top 10s and a second-place finish in the 2018 championship standings. Gragson was also named the 2018 Most Popular Driver in the Truck Series.
• Gragson has made four previous starts at Daytona across the Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series, earning a best finish of seventh in the 2018 ARCA event.
Driver Quotes
“We’ve done a lot of work in the offseason to get this No. 1 Pilot Flying J/American Heart Association team in position to kick off the year with a good result. The new look is awesome, and the number is one that I have a lot of passion for because of its history in my family. Glad to have Travis (Mack) and the rest of our team ready to roll this weekend, and looking forward to having the American Heart Association colors on our No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro.” – Michael Annett
“We have an incredible team at JR Motorsports. The heart and soul that these guys put in is truly incredible. My crew chief Jason Burdett and I, we’ve had a lot of conversations over this offseason about what we can improve upon for 2019. At the end of the day you’re always going to have your weaknesses and struggles, but maximizing the good days and minimizing the bad days is what’s going to put you in position to go for a championship at Homestead. Hopefully we get started off on the right foot this weekend in Daytona with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture team.” – Justin Allgaier
“I always enjoy racing the first race of the year in the Xfinity Series, or any of them really for that matter. I look forward to getting to Daytona with JRM again – I ran with them last year. It’s great to have AfterShokz on the car. They have a big weekend running with me in the Xfinity Series and with Bubba (Wallace) on Sunday in the Daytona 500. It’ll be a great way for them to step into the sport.” – Chase Elliott
“I’m really looking forward to getting my first season with JR Motorsports underway this weekend in Daytona. I know that I have a great group of guys behind me and a great crew chief in Dave (Elenz) that have worked tirelessly all winter to get our Switch Camaro ready to go, and I am extremely confident that we will unload with a really fast No. 9 Chevrolet. I can’t wait to get there and work with my other JRM teammates and see what we can do when it’s all said and done.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Daytona: In 68 NXS starts at Daytona International Speedway, JR Motorsports has scored five wins, 21 top fives and 32 top 10s. The organization is not only the defending race winner with Tyler Reddick taking the checkered flag in last year’s season opener, but JRM has also driven into Victory Lane at Daytona once every season for the last three years.
• Allgaier Autograph Session: Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet, will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports merchandise trailer on Friday, Feb. 15 from 5:30-6 p.m. ET.
• Celebrating American Heart Month: The No. 1 Chevrolet is running a special paint scheme this week and at Atlanta in honor of American Heart Month. Pilot Flying J is proud to unite with its guests across the country to support the American Heart Association “Life is Why We Give™” campaign in their mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives by raising awareness and inspiring heart healthy lifestyles for our team members, guests and their loved ones.
