JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Daytona International Speedway
RACE: Firecracker 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)
DATE: Friday, July 5, 2019
Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Independence Day Chevrolet
• Michael Annett returns to Daytona International Speedway as the most recent winner on the 2.5-mile oval after leading the final 45 laps in the season-opening event en route to his first career NXS victory.
• The Iowa native finished third in the summer race at Daytona back in 2012.
• His third-place run at Chicagoland Speedway last week extended Annett’s streak of top-10 finishes to six. Two of those six were top-five runs as well.
• Annett will run a patriotic paint scheme on his No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet this weekend.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Vannoy Construction Chevrolet
• In 17 NXS starts at Daytona, Justin Allgaier has four top-five and eight top-10 finishes, with 25 laps led.
• Earlier this year, the 33-year-old driver finished second behind teammate Michael Annett at Daytona. It was his second runner-up finish at the track, with the first one coming in July 2016.
• According to NASCAR Statistical Services, the Illinois native leads full-time NXS drivers in the number of fastest laps run at Daytona (36).
• Vannoy Construction, a premier commercial general contractor covering the southeast region and beyond, will be on the hood of the No. 7 Camaro this weekend.
Sheldon Creed
No. 8 Drivers Edge Development / Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet
• Sheldon Creed will make his JRM debut this weekend at Daytona behind the wheel of the No. 8 Drivers Edge Development / Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet.
• Friday night will be Creed’s third career NXS start after having previously made two starts in 2017.
• Creed currently ranks ninth in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship standings with four top 10s and a best finish of sixth (three times).
• Creed has made one previous start at Daytona in the NGOTS earlier this season, leading 21 laps before being collected in an incident in the final laps, resulting in a 17th-place finish.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Switch Patriotic Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his second career NXS start at Daytona this weekend.
• Gragson previously finished 11th in his lone NXS start at the 2.5-mile superspeedway earlier this season.
• Overall, in three career NXS starts on the restrictor-plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway, Gragson has recorded a best finish of fourth (Talladega – 2018).
• Gragson has also made two starts in the NGOTS at Daytona in 2017 and 2018.
• Fresh off of his fifth consecutive top-10 finish, Gragson has improved to seventh in the championship standings, 80 points ahead of the 12th and final Playoff position.
Driver Quotes
“It is very exciting to come back to Daytona as a race winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. That weekend was one I’ll never forget, and our performances since Dover have been really consistent. Last week, we had a chance to win again at Chicagoland, and we’ve run top-three in two of the last three events. Our plan is working; run in the top 10 and top five and we’ll be battling for wins, and that’s what we’ve done. (Crew chief) Travis Mack has made some fantastic strategy calls, including at Chicagoland, and we’re coming back to Daytona with a lot of momentum.”– Michael Annett
“JR Motorsports has such a strong restrictor-plate program and all of us work well together in the draft. Jason Burdett (crew chief) and the guys had a fast Camaro for us in the season opener and we were able to finish second to one of our teammates. Hopefully we can keep our Vannoy Construction Chevy out of trouble and improve our finishing position by one spot this weekend.”– Justin Allgaier
“It’s such an awesome opportunity to come up here and race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona for a team like JR Motorsports. Their success at this place is second-tonone and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of this No. 8 Chevrolet and see what we can do in the draft on Friday. Hopefully I can work well with my teammates all night long and avoid all the trouble that can happen out there and come home with a great finish.” – Sheldon Creed
“This weekend should be a lot of fun in Daytona. We had a really fast Chevrolet at Talladega that let us run up front and win a stage and I am extremely confident that we will be just as fast this weekend. We’ve got a special patriotic look to our Switch Camaro and we have a lot of momentum on our side right now. So, if we just be smart on Friday night in the draft and work with our teammates I feel like we can keep this going and be in contention for victory when it’s all said and done.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Daytona: JR Motorsports enters this weekend as the defending race winner at Daytona International Speedway and the winner of three of the last four NXS events at the famed speedway. Overall, in 72 NXS starts at Daytona, JRM has earned six victories, 23 top fives and 35 top 10s. Regan Smith earned the organization’s first victory at the 2.5 mile oval in February 2014 and was joined by Kasey Kahne (July 2014), Chase Elliott (February 2016), William Byron (July 2017), Tyler Reddick (February 2018) and Michael Annett (February 2019).
• Gragson Autograph Session: JRM driver Noah Gragson will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, July 4 from 5 – 5:30 p.m. EST.
• Annett Media Availability: JRM driver Michael Annett will be stopping by the media center at Daytona International Speedway for media availability on Thursday, July 4, at 2:30 p.m. EST.
• U.S. Cellular Sweepstakes: One grand prize winner will have the chance to wave the green flag for the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway and be an honorary pit crew member for JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier, who will pilot the U.S. Cellular Chevrolet Camaro SS in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 27. The sweepstakes, which runs through July 14, will also provide the grand prize winner and a guest an official pit crew shirt, a tour of the No. 7 team hauler, attend the driver’s meeting with Allgaier and crew chief Jason Burdett, plus sit atop the pit box for the race and more. To enter to win and to see the full sweepstakes details, click here.
