JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Dover International Speedway
RACE: Allied Steel Buildings 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 2019
Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s best finish at Dover International Speedway is third, in the fall 2012 event.
• Dover is a good track for Annett, as his average finish of 13.4 is tied for third best among all the tracks the NASCAR Xfinity Series competes on. Only Bristol Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway top that mark.
• This weekend, Annett will return to the familiar Pilot Flying J paint scheme for the event on the one-mile concrete oval.
• Annett and his No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet team are already qualified for the NXS Playoffs by virtue of the victory at Daytona International Speedway.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier is the defending winner of the spring NXS race at Dover. Last May he led 104 laps on his way to the victory.
• In 16 NXS starts at the 1-mile concrete oval, the Illinois native has one win, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
• Allgaier has only finished outside of the top five once in his six starts with JRM at the track. He also leads current Xfinity Series regulars in laps led at “The Monster Mile” (146).
• In 42 career NXS starts on 1-mile tracks, Allgaier has two wins (Phoenix 2017, Dover 2018), 12 top fives and 25 top 10s, with 397 laps led.
Zane Smith
No. 8 PatientPop Chevrolet
• Zane Smith will make his first NXS start at Dover on Saturday afternoon.
• PatientPop, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based company providing a complete practice growth platform that delivers measurable improvements for medical providers, returns to the No. 8 as primary partner for the second time this season.
• Smith recorded a sixth-place finish in his most recent NXS start at Richmond Raceway in April.
• In seven starts on tracks between one and two miles in length in the ARCA Racing Series, Smith earned four topfives and four top 10s.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Switch Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his second NXS start at Dover this weekend.
• In his lone NXS start at the one-mile oval, Gragson scored a seventh-place finish after qualifying in the second position.
• In two starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series at Dover, Gragson has led 60 laps, earned one pole and recorded a best finish of ninth.
• In five career NXS starts on tracks ranging between one and two miles in length, Gragson has one top-five and three top 10s, with a best finish of third coming at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2019.
Driver Quotes
“After winning the pole at Talladega and leading laps with a chance to win again, we’re excited to be heading to one of my best tracks at Dover. We were so fast at Talladega, and in exactly the right place to be in contention for the win. We’re hitting our stride with the No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet, and I am looking to continue logging good finishes on the way to the Playoffs. Our cars are fast off the trailer, and we’re building for the summer run in a really good way.” – Michael Annett
“Dover is a track that is very much its own entity, it’s so different. Everybody talks about Bristol and Dover and how much of a comparison there is, but there really isn’t. The speed that you’re carrying in the banking and the amount of banking that you’ve got, it’s incredible how forceful it is on the body. For us, it’s all about making sure your car can live and not doing anything to put yourself in a bad position to get your car torn up. We were fortunate enough to win there last year, so hopefully we can have another strong race this weekend and get our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevy to Victory Lane.” – Justin Allgaier
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to the track this weekend with our PatientPop Chevrolet. We had a really solid run our last time out in Richmond and I feel like Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and I are continuing to learn more and more each time we get out on the track. Hopefully we can continue that learning this weekend and come home with another strong finish.” – Zane Smith
“I really like racing at Dover. It’s such a fast track that keeps you on the edge all the time. I feel like I learned a lot here last season after qualifying on the front row and finishing in the top 10. Hopefully we can build off of that notebook this weekend with our Switch Chevrolet and be in contention for the victory all day long on Saturday. It should be a fun day for sure.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Dover: In 59 NXS starts at Dover International Speedway, JR Motorsports has scored three wins, 19 top-five and 34 top10 finishes. Brad Keselowski scored the organization’s first victory at “The Monster Mile” in May 2009 with Regan Smith and Justin Allgaier following suit in October 2015 and May 2018, respectively.
• Comcast Cares Day: JRM drivers Zane Smith and Noah Gragson will be participating in Comcast Cares Day at the Greater Dover Boys and Girls Club on Friday afternoon from 5 – 7 p.m. EST.
• Dirty Mo Media T-Shirt Giveaway: If you spend $88 or more at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer this weekend, you will receive a free Dirty Mo Media T-shirt (while supplies last – shirt is not available for purchase).
