JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway
RACE: Sparks 300 (113 laps / 300.58 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021
Broadcast Information – TV: 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 4 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Josh Berry
No. 1 TMC Transportation Chevrolet
• Josh Berry will pilot the No. 1 TMC Transportation Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway, one week after driving to victory in the playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• The No. 1 will carry the familiar black and gold colors of TMC Transportation at Talladega and next week at the Charlotte Roval.
• In two previous restrictor-plate starts—one each at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega—Berry finished 27th in the season opener at Daytona and 31st at Talladega.
• Berry has led 62 laps in his last four starts, including 38 last week at Las Vegas, and has paced the field for 213 laps throughout the 2021 season.
Sam Mayer
No. 8 QPS Employment Group Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer will make his first NXS start at Talladega this weekend in the QPS Employment Group No. 8 entry.
• In one start at a superspeedway in his NXS career, Mayer started 22nd and finished 11th after leading one lap at Daytona in August.
• Mayer and the No. 8 team currently sit 11th in the owner points playoff standings. With two races remaining in the Round of 12, Mayer is just 34 points below the eighth and final transfer spot.
• Throughout the 2021 season the No. 8 team has amassed one victory, four top fives and 10 top 10s while pacing the field for 201 laps.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson got the 2021 NXS Playoffs started in a good way with a third-place finish in the opening event at Las Vegas, his home track.
• In five starts at Talladega, Gragson has two top-five and four top-10 finishes with the best being a third-place run in this race last season. He’s also completed every lap of competition at Talladega and led 48 circuits, with an average finish of 6.8.
• Gragson remains fourth on the playoff grid following Las Vegas, 37 points above the cut line to advance to the Round
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier enters the second race of the Round of 12 in the NXS Playoffs 38 points above the cutline.
• In 12 previous NXS starts at Talladega, Allgaier has earned a best finish of second, coming in the spring of 2016.
• Overall, Allgaier has recorded three top fives, six top 10s and has led laps in six of the last eight NXS events held at the famed superspeedway.
• According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Allgaier currently ranks first in green flag passes (2,548), quality passes (1,690) and laps run inside the top 15 (995).
• Additionally Allgaier will pilot the No. 77 BRANDT Chevrolet on Sunday for Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series.
Driver Quotes
“Winning at Las Vegas was so exciting. The car was so fast there at the end, and this No. 1 team has a big spring in its step after we closed the deal. Talladega is big and fast, and we have good superspeedway cars here at JRM. I like racing on the big tracks like Talladega, and with how fast our Camaro was at Las Vegas, I look forward to helping our team, our teammates and TMC Transportation go for another win this week.” – Josh Berry
“Anything can happen at Talladega. You can go from leading the race to the middle of the pack in an instant. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do once we unload on Saturday with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. JR Motorsports always brings extremely fast race cars to the superspeedways and I feel extremely confident that will be the case again come race time. Hopefully we can avoid any potential trouble out there and be in contention for the victory at the end to help get us in a position to advance into the Round of 8.” – Justin Allgaier
“The last time we were at a superspeedway we ran really strong and I led my first laps in the Xfinity Series. JRM always brings fast Camaros to these types of races and this weekend should be more of the same. Hopefully we can work with our JRM teammates and keep the four of us out front to sweep the podium and more this weekend.” – Sam Mayer
“Last weekend was great, but if it weren’t for the mistakes I think we had a car capable of winning. The organization has always built fast speedway cars and with the Hendrick power underneath the hood, this weekend will be no different. The plan is to stay out of the mess and be there at the end. If we can do that, then hopefully this Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Camaro will be contending for the win.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Talladega: JRM has competed at Talladega a combined 49 times. Over the course of the 49 starts at the 2.66-mile facility, the organization has tallied two wins, 14 top fives and 26 top 10s. JRM’s most recent win came in 2016 when Elliott Sadler drove the No. 1 to Victory Lane after only leading the final lap of the day.
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