JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Texas Motor Speedway
RACE: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019
Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Thank You Veterans Chevrolet
• Michael Annett enters this weekend in Texas sixth in points, just 12 markers behind fourth with two races remaining in the Round of 8.
• In eight starts on 1.5-mile tracks in 2019, Annett’s average finish is 6.6, with four top fives and six top 10s.
• With his fourth-place run at Kansas, Annett tied his careerbest mark for top-five finishes in a season with six, set in 2012. The finish additionally gave Annett a career-best mark (18) for top-10 results in a season, also set in 2012.
• The new Pilot Flying J paint scheme Annett will campaign for the final three races pays tribute to veterans. Pilot Flying J was founded by veterans of the Korean War.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Suave Men Chevrolet
• With his fifth-place finish at Kansas, Justin Allgaier earned enough points to advance to fourth in the NXS Playoffs with two races left before the cutoff for the Championship 4.
• In 18 NXS starts at Texas, Allgaier has one top-five and eight top-10 finishes. In this race last season, the Illinois native led 37 laps on his way to a fifth-place finish.
• Over the past 10 races, Allgaier has the best average finish among all NXS regulars at 5.4 and is the only driver to finish inside the top 10 in each race during that span.
• In eight NXS races on 1.5-mile speedways this season, the JRM driver has four top fives and five top 10s.
Jeb Burton
No. 8 State Water Heaters Chevrolet
• Jeb Burton previously finished fifth at Texas earlier this season behind the wheel of the No. 8 for JRM.
• In five starts for the organization in 2019, Burton has scored two top fives and four top 10s.
• Burton has earned a total of one top five and four top 10s in 12 career starts on 1.5-mile tracks in the NXS.
• Through the first 30 races of 2019, the No. 8 Chevrolet has recorded six top fives and 20 top 10s among nine drivers.
• The team’s best finish of second came at ISM Raceway in March.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Cessna / Southern Tire Mart Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson heads into the second race in the Round of 8 seventh in points. He stands 17 points behind the fourth and final cutoff position.
• Gragson will make his second NXS start at Texas this Saturday.
• In eight NXS starts on 1.5-mile tracks, Gragson has claimed a best finish of third, earned earlier this season in March at Las Vegas. Overall, Gragson has tallied two top fives and six top 10s.
• In four previous starts in the Truck Series at Texas, Gragson has earned four top 10s, with a best finish of seventh and pole award coming in June 2017.
Driver Quotes
“We did our job at Kansas with a fourth-place finish. We had great strategy to be in position late in the race and had a chance to do even better, but we got stalled out behind another car on the last restart. We’ve been great on 1.5- mile tracks this year, and Texas is the last one we’ll see before Homestead. We have to be in contention again late in the race, score as many stage points as we can to have a chance at racing for a championship. That’s what we’re going to do this weekend at Texas. I am proud as well to be running our ‘Thank You Veterans’ Pilot Flying J paint scheme these final three races.” – Michael Annett
“We had a great run at Kansas that helped us get above the cutoff line for the Championship 4 and now our goal is to stay there over the next two weeks so we can head to Homestead and battle for the Xfinity Series title. Jason Burdett (crew chief) and this entire No. 7 team has done a great job at preparing fast Camaros for us during these playoffs. Execution is definitely going to be key as we head to Texas with our Suave Men Camaro. We need to have a strong race and maximize stage points and contend for the win, so we’re in a good position when we go to Phoenix.” – Justin Allgaier
“I’m really excited to get to Texas once again with State Water Heaters on our No. 8 Chevrolet. We had a really strong run our last time out, finishing in the top five at Indy and I can’t wait to see what we can do this weekend. Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and I have been working great together and I feel really confident that we can get to the track with the same speed that we had here in the spring. I’m just ready to get back going.” – Jeb Burton
“We know what we need to do heading into this weekend at Texas. This No. 9 team fights hard and we know how the points are looking. We just need to go out and execute to the best of our ability and make sure that we are there at the end with a chance to win. We had a really good Chevrolet here in the spring and I feel extremely confident that we will unload with that same speed for practice on Friday. I’m ready to give it everything I have to fight our way into the Championship 4.” – Noah Gragson
JTM Team Updates
JRM at Texas: In 69 NXS starts at Texas Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports has one win, 18 top fives and 42 top 10s, along with one pole award (2014). The organization’s lone victory came in 2014 with Chase Elliott. JRM also has an average finish of 10.6 at the 1.5-mile speedway, ranking third best among all tracks in the NXS, trailing only Michigan International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• JRM in the Round of 8: Since the elimination format began for the NASCAR playoffs in 2016, JR Motorsports has claimed one win, 12 top fives and 17 top 10s in the Round of 8. In 2017, William Byron and the No. 9 team earned the victory at ISM Raceway after starting from second and leading 17 laps en route to the checkered flag.
• Annett Team Chevy Appearance: JRM driver Michael Annett will be stopping by the Team Chevy Display at 2:15 p.m. CST on Friday, Nov. 1.
