JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
RACE: B&L Transport 170 (75 laps / 169.35 miles)
Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET
on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier heads to Mid-Ohio as the defending race winner. He led eight laps en route to the victory last year.
• In four NXS starts at Mid-Ohio, the 33-year-old driver has one win, two top fives and three top 10s.
• Over his last five starts on road courses, including his thirdplace finish at Watkins Glen last week, Allgaier leads all NXS drivers with two wins (Mid-Ohio and Road America), four top-five finishes and an average finish of 4.6.
• The Illinois native currently sits fourth in the NXS point standings, 147 markers behind the leader and a solid 208 points ahead of the 12th and final cutoff spot for the playoffs.
Michael Annett
No. 1 TMC Transportation Chevrolet
• Annett will celebrate his 250th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start this weekend at Mid-Ohio.
• Annett comes to Mid-Ohio on a run of nine top-10 finishes in his last 11 NXS starts, including three top fives and a best finish of third at Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway.
• Annett has completed every lap in competition at MidOhio over his three starts on the 2.258-mile road course.
• Michael Annett’s best NASCAR Xfinity Series finish at MidOhio Sports Car Course came last year, when he finished 18th.
Regan Smith
No. 8 Fire Alarm Services Chevrolet
• Regan Smith makes his return to JRM this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet at Mid-Ohio in a Fire Alarm Services paint scheme reminiscent of the same he drove to victory at Dover International Speedway in 2015.
• Smith has previously made 102 starts in the NXS for JRM, tallying a
total of six victories, 27 top fives, 73 top 10s and a runner-up
finish in the 2014 championship standings.
• Smith is also a former winner at Mid-Ohio in the NXS, going to
Victory Lane in this event in 2015 while piloting the No. 7 for JRM.
• Joining Smith this weekend will be the return of the Arvada, Colo.
company Fire Alarm Services to JRM.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Cessna Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his first start at Mid-Ohio and his second on a road course in the NXS this weekend.
• The Las Vegas native earned a ninth-place finish in his road racing series debut last weekend in Watkins Glen.
• In two previous starts on road courses in the Truck Series, Gragson has earned one top five and two top 10s.
• Gragson has also made a combined 10 starts on road courses in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, scoring four wins, five top fives and seven top 10s. Gragson most recently visited Victory Lane in the K&N Pro Series West earlier this summer at Sonoma after starting second and leading 24 laps en route to the win.
Driver Quotes
“Finishing eighth at Watkins Glen was a really good day for the No. 1 team, and we’ll carry some momentum into MidOhio this weekend. We were able to pick up our best career finish at Watkins Glen, and we can do the same this weekend at Mid-Ohio. This stretch of races can really help us out in the playoffs, as the Roval is the second race of the Round of 12, and anything we can learn here will help us to advance. Glad to have TMC Transportation back on our Chevrolet Camaro this weekend too.”– Michael Annett
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Mid-Ohio. It’s a challenging road course, but we were able to bounce back from spinning in last year’s race to get our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Camaro to Victory Lane, so I’m confident we can go there and contend for the win again. Jason Burdett (crew chief) made great calls in the pits last weekend at Watkins Glen and we were able to come home with a solid top-three finish. Our goal is to continue that positive momentum through this road-course stretch.”– Justin Allgaier
“I’m thrilled to be back in the car for JR Motorsports, especially at a road course where I’ve already won. My background is at road courses — I just love it. Mid-Ohio is challenging, but I know with Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and the entire No. 8 team, we have a shot to get that Fire Alarm Services Chevy into Victory Lane..” – Regan Smith
“We’re definitely looking to keep this momentum going we’ve had all summer this weekend in Mid-Ohio. I really feel like this time of year is where we can really make a move because of how comfortable I feel on road courses. We were able to come away with a good run despite some adversity last week in Watkins Glen and I am really confident that we can have an even better run in Mid-Ohio, despite having never been there before. It’ll be an interesting weekend for sure and I am ready to get it going.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Mid-Ohio: In 18 starts at Mid-Ohio, JRM has amassed two wins, six top fives and 10 top 10s. Regan Smith scored the organization’s first victory in 2015 with Justin Allgaier following suit in this event last season. Both drivers started seventh en route to their victories.
• JRM on Road Courses: In 101 NXS starts on road courses, JRM has scored four wins, 24 top fives and 51 top 10s. Ron Fellows and Regan Smith earned the organization’s first two road course victories at Montreal in 2008 and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2015, respectively, while Justin Allgaier went to Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio and Road America last season.
• Allgaier Media Availability: JRM driver Justin Allgaier will be stopping by the media center Mid-Ohio for media availability on Friday, Aug. 9, at 3:15 p.m. EST.
• JRM Souvenir Autograph Session: JRM teammates Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson and Regan Smith will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Mid-Ohio on Friday, Aug. 9 from 6 – 6:30 p.m. EST.
• Allgaier, Gragson NXS Autograph Session: Teammates Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will be participating in the NXS autograph session in the Mid-Ohio Driver/Crew Chief Tent on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 10 – 10:45 a.m. EST.
