JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Bristol Motor Speedway
RACE: Cheddar’s 300 Presented by Alsco (300 laps / 159.9 miles)
DATE: Saturday, May 30, 2020
Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett is on a roll at the Bristol Motor Speedway oval, logging top-10 finishes in each of his last three starts and four of his last six, all in Pilot Flying J livery.
• Annett’s best finish on the bullring is sixth, coming in 2011. In his last three starts there, Annett has earned finishes of seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.
• Consistency continues to be a strong point for the Iowa driver, and Bristol’s banks are no exception. Annett has completed 99.6 percent of the laps run in his 15 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts there.
• BMS is also the home track of Pilot Flying J, based in nearby Knoxville, Tenn.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Suave Men Chevrolet
• This year marks the 10th anniversary of Justin Allgaier’s first career NXS victory, which came at Bristol in the spring of 2010.
• In 18 NXS starts at the Tennessee track, Allgaier has one win, eight top fives and 11 top 10s. He’s led a staggering 482 laps at Bristol, his highest total among tracks on the NXS circuit.
• Allgaier has proven to be fast on speedways 1-mile or less in length, earning five of his 11 NXS career victories at Bristol (March 2010), Phoenix (March 2017, November 2019), Dover (May 2018) and Iowa (June 2018).
Daniel Hemric
No. 8 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
• Coming off a season-best finish of second at Charlotte, Daniel Hemric will make his fifth NXS start at Bristol on Saturday afternoon.
• In four previous NXS starts in “Thunder Valley”, Hemric has earned two top fives and three top 10s with a best finish of third coming in this event in 2018.
• Hemric has also made a combined eight starts across the NASCAR Cup Series, the NXS and the NGROTS at Bristol, earning a total of four top fives and five top 10s.
• Saturday marks the second primary race of 2020 for South Point Hotel & Casino with the No. 8. South Point previously partnered with Hemric during his 2018 NXS campaign.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Plan B Sales Chevrolet
• Gragson has two starts at Bristol in the NXS and holds an average start of 8.5 and an average finish of 13.0.
• In seven starts on tracks that are less than 1-mile in length, Gragson has recorded two top fives, five top 10s and holds an average finish of 9.6.
• After six races in the 2020 season, Gragson sits fifth in the standings with one win, three top fives, four top 10s and has led 92 laps.
• Gragson’s No. 9 Camaro will sport the colors of Plan B Sales for the first time in 2020 this weekend in Bristol.
Driver Quotes
“We had such a great Pilot Flying J Chevrolet the past two weeks, and I can’t wait to take the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro to Bristol. We’ve been solid there, running at the front and racing for top fives, and with the way we’re running, I think we are certainly capable of that again this weekend.” – Michael Annett
“Bristol is a place that has always been special to me. It’s where I got my first win and I’ve just always felt comfortable on the track there from the day I turned my first laps. Last year, we nearly won twice there, but bad luck struck us both times. That’s definitely something you don’t forget and I know this Suave Men team is just as eager as I am to get back there and get another shot at ending the day in Victory Lane.” – Justin Allgaier
“I’ve always loved racing at Bristol. It’s one of those tracks that I’ve had a good feel for since the first time I raced there in the Truck Series. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do on Saturday once we get there with our South Point Chevrolet. Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and all of these guys on this No. 8 team have been working their tails off and it shows with the speed we’ve had in these two first races back. Hopefully we can keep that positive momentum going and get one spot better on Saturday.” – Daniel Hemric
“Bristol is a tough track both mentally and physically. The amount of banking in the turns slams you down in the seat and you have to remind yourself to blink and breathe every lap or you end up falling out of the seat. The 9 team has proven to be really strong when we get to the track and go straight to the race, so I have faith that we will unload a fast Camaro and you’ll see us battling towards the front like the last two races.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JRM in Thunder Valley: In 72 NXS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports has scored one win, 19 top-five and 44 top-10 finishes. Brad Keselowski earned the organization’s lone victory at “The Last Great Colosseum” in August of 2008 after starting 37th and leading the final 24 laps. The 37th-place starting position is the deepest in the field a winner has ever started for JRM.
• JRM on Short Tracks: In 220 NXS starts on short tracks, JRM has scored eight wins, 61 top fives and 132 top 10s. Brad Keselowski earned the organization’s first short track win at Bristol Motor Speedway in August 2008 with Justin Allgaier taking the most recent checkered flag at Iowa Speedway in June 2018.
• #ShowUsYourTakeout: During these uncertain times, Alsco has been doing all they can to help support local restaurants that have had to switch to takeout only menus. During this time you can do your part to help, use #ShowUsYourTakeout and #DoYourselfAFlavor to support the small businesses and local restaurants.
