JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Phoenix Raceway
RACE: United Rentals 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, March 12, 2022
Broadcast Information – TV: 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 4 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer is coming off a strong performance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that saw the 18-year-old pace the field for 25 circuits before being involved in a late-race incident, relegating him to a 25th-place finish.
• In one start at the 1-mile facility of Phoenix Raceway, Mayer raced his way to a 13th-place finish in the 2021 season finale.
• In 18 NXS races during the second half of 2021, Mayer racked up one top five and six top 10s while leading the field for 57 laps.
• At tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length, Mayer has two top10 finishes and has led 25 laps in total in NXS competition.
Josh Berry
No. 8 PUBG MOBILE Chevrolet
• Josh Berry heads to Phoenix on the strength of two top-five finishes in the first three races of the 2022 season.
• The 31-year-old started ninth and ran as high as third in this race in 2021 before being involved in a multi-car incident just 54 laps shy of the scheduled 200-lap distance.
• The Hendersonville, Tenn. native drove the No. 8 to a strong fourth-place effort last weekend in Las Vegas to record his second top-five finish of 2022.
• Berry currently sits fifth in the championship standings only 36 points from the lead.
• The No. 8 team welcomes back PUBG MOBILE for the second of four races as primary partner with Berry.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson is on a tear to open the 2022 NXS season, finishing third, second and second in the first three races of the season. The effort sees Gragson as the series point leader heading to Phoenix.
• Last November, Gragson battled at the front of the field in the NXS Championship race before finishing 12th in the event.
• On 1-mile tracks, Gragson has two top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 14 starts, leading 70 laps total over that span.
• Running at the front continues to be Gragson’s biggest strength in 2022. He’s led 89 laps in three races this season.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• In 23 starts in “the Valley of the Sun,” Justin Allgaier has earned two wins, eight top fives and 15 top 10s.
• Allgaier’s most recent victory at Phoenix came in November of 2019, with his first at the 1-mile oval coming in this event in 2017.
• According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Allgaier ranks first in laps led (493), quality passes (494), laps run inside the top 15 (4,264) and in fastest laps run (298) in the Arizona desert.
• Overall, in his NXS career on tracks between 1-2 miles in length, Allgaier has scored eight wins, 61 top fives and 122 top 10s in 200 career starts.
Driver Quotes
“Phoenix is not one of my stronger tracks but we have been putting a lot of effort in to make sure we are ready when we arrive. Having a little bit of practice is definitely going to help me warm up to the place and knowing that we have had strong cars capable of winning adds a little bit of confidence. Hopefully this Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet will be battling for the win Saturday.” – Sam Mayer
“Phoenix is definitely one of my favorite places that we come to on the schedule. It seems like we’ve always been able to unload with an extremely fast BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet there and I see no reason why we can’t do that again this weekend. We’ve gotten off to a good start so far this season and hopefully we can keep that positive momentum rolling and be in contention for the win again come Saturday.” – Justin Allgaier
“I had a really good run going last season in Phoenix until I got caught up in a wreck that ended our day early. The added time on track Friday for the ARCA race will definitely help me figure the track out a little more and see how it progresses through a run. This team has built cars each week that have put us in spots for good finishes and I know this weekend will be more of the same with this PUBG MOBILE Camaro.” – Josh Berry
“Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and this entire No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team have given me great cars to start the season and have put us in the right position to be contending for wins at every race so far. Phoenix has been one of those places that are hit and miss for us, but JRM tends to be towards the front fighting for the win here and hopefully that is us again this weekend.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JR Motorsports at Phoenix: JR Motorsports has competed at Phoenix a combined 84 times in the NXS. Over the course of these 84 starts at the 1-mile facility, JRM has tallied three wins (two with Allgaier and one with William Byron), 20 top fives and 44 top 10s. JRM’s most recent win came with Allgaier during the 2019 season.
• Fourth Anniversary: Celebrating its fourth anniversary, PUBG MOBILE is a battle royale mobile game developed by Lightspeed and Quantum Studios of Tencent Games and KRAFTON, Inc. and is based on PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. The game focuses on visual quality, maps, fast-paced action, and other aspects, providing an all-rounded surreal battle royale experience to players. For more information, visit pubgmobile.com and download the game for free on the App Store or Google Play Store.
• Souvenir Rig Autograph Session: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, March 12 from 12 – 12:30 p.m. local time.
• Chevrolet Stage: JRM drivers Sam Mayer and Josh Berry will be appearing at the Team Chevy display located in the Phoenix Raceway Fan Zone for a Q&A on Saturday, March 12 at 11:45am and 12pm (local time), respectively.
