SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway | Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200
Fast Facts
No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy | EAT SLEEP RACE | myFace
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Patrick Donahue
Starting Position for Desert Diamond Casino 200: 23rd (Event Formula)
Driver Points Position: 21st
Owner Points Position: 29th
Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 709; competed last at Kansas Speedway on October 17, 2020 (Start: 19th | Finish: 32nd)
SSGLR Chassis No. 709; also competed at Phoenix Raceway on March 7, 2020 (Start: 19th | Finish: 31st)
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)
Notes of Interest:
Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy and its sister products will continue its role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 08 Chevrolet Camaro. Phoenix Raceway is the 21st race in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.
Bucked Up is the everyman (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days. We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all delivers long-lasting energy.
myFace Returns: myFace, an organization that helps kids and families living with craniofacial differences will return to the No. 08 Chevrolet Camaro as an associate partner for the Xfinity Series return at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
myFace, is a leading nonprofit focused on providing the comprehensive care, education and information to help people with craniofacial differences lead full and productive lives.
Stay Tuned: Even during the offseason, Joe Graf Jr. isn’t going anywhere! Be sure to check in with him on his social media page on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter for the latest news, giveaways, videos, iRacing competition and much more!
Martinsville Speedway Recap: NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Joe Graf Jr. had a solid outing in his Martinsville (Va.) Speedway debut. Starting 25th without a prior lap at the famed 0.526-mile paperclip, Graf Jr. kept his No. 08 EAT SLEEP RACE Chevrolet Camaro on the lead lap throughout the entire 250 laps and earned a respectable 21st place finish in the penultimate race of the season.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Phoenix Raceway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his second trip to Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway for Saturday afternoon’s season finale.
In March 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic, Graf Jr. qualified an impressive 19th and was competing for a top-20 finish before being an innocent victim in a late race accident regulating the team to a 32nd place finish.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 24.2 and an average result of 21.8.
Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in eight ARCA Menards Series races. He holds an average starting position of 11.8 and an average result of 12.9.
Say Whaaat?: For the next TWO days, Joe Graf Jr. and partner Bucked Up Energy are allowing one lucky fan the opportunity to win a year’s supply of Bucked Up Energy or over $1,000 in cash!
Winner’s choice!
Plus, the more you promote the contest yourself, the more entries you receive!
To view contest rules and enter, click here.
Vote For Me: Voting is open for the 2020 edition of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Most Popular Driver.
Approved voters are allowed to vote for their favorite NASCAR Xfinity Series driver at least one time per day through Mon., Nov. 9, 2020.
To cast your vote for Joe Graf Jr. visit, nascar.com/xfinitymostpopulardriver.
TikTok, TikTok: Continuing to increase his social media presence, Joe Graf Jr. recently joined TikTok. Search “Joe Graf Jr.” and follow the NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie for a glimpse of his entertaining life on and off the track.
School Back In Session: While juggling a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with SS GreenLight Racing, college life has resumed for Joe Graf Jr.
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Graf Jr. has resorted to online classes at the University of New York, where he is pursuing a degree in business, media and sports management.
The Second Half: Despite the coronavirus pandemic which shuttered NASCAR Xfinity Series races for more than two months, the series recently reached the halfway point of their season at Kansas Speedway in late July.
Now, 32 races down, one race to go, Graf Jr. is ranked 21st in the Xfinity Series championship standings and looks to improve his average finish of 24th in the final race weekend of the season.
Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 80 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Patrick Donahue is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief. He will crew chief his 186th NASCAR Xfinity Series races on Saturday. In his previous 185 races, he has two wins, eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes to his resume.
He has nine prior Xfinity races as crew chief at Phoenix Raceway with a victory in November 1999 with NASCAR Hall of Famer and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon.
This Is 2020: Entering Phoenix, Graf Jr. has 35 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts to his credit with five top-15, 11 top-20 and 20 top-25 finishes. After 32 races in 2020, he stands 21st in the championship standings with one race remaining.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. NASCAR veteran David Starr drives the No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Chevrolet Camaro. The 52-year-old will make his 12th Xfinity start of 2020 on Saturday and eighth for SS GreenLight Racing.
Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).
For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.
Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:
On Martinsville (Va.) Speedway: “A solid outing for our No. 08 EAT SLEEP RACE, SS GreenLight Racing team. Martinsville is a difficult track without any practice. We made gains with the car throughout the whole race though and to finish on the lead lap was a huge positive for us.
“We’ll head to Phoenix next weekend and hope to end the season on a high note.”
On Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway: “I’m extremely optimistic about my Phoenix Raceway return with SS GreenLight Racing. We had a solid showing in the spring but unfortunately we did not get the finish we deserved because of circumstances beyond our control.
“We’re bringing the same No. 08 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet that was so fast at Kansas before we had a mechanical failure and I hope we’re able to have that same speed on Saturday that will propel us to a great season finale and some momentum to take into 2021.”
Race Information:
The Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 (200 laps | 200 miles) is the 33rd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2020 schedule. The 37-car field will take the green flag shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 7, 2020, with live coverage on NBCSN, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Mountain).
About SS Green Light Racing:
As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing has been a developmental hub for drivers looking to climb the ranks. Led by owner and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team has fielded entries in either the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.
Coming off a successful 2019 Xfinity campaign, SS GreenLight Racing looks to build further momentum with their two-car program in 2020.
