SS Greenlight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway | Ag-Pro 300
Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Strawberry Kiwi Energy Drink
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Joe Williams
Spotter: TJ Bell
2022 Driver Points Position: 29th | 2022 Owner Points Position: 20th
Engine: Roush Yates Engines (RYE)
Notes of Interest:
Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy Drink and its sister products will continue their role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 07 Ford Mustang this weekend.
Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway is the seventh race of 2022 but is the 38th race overall in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.
For the second time this year, the team will promote Bucked Up Energy’s Strawberry Kiwi flavor.
Inspired by nuclear fusion, Bucked Up Strawberry Kiwi is an unparalleled source of energy and refreshment. We won’t get deep into the science, but in nuclear fusion, you get energy when two atoms join together to form one — the same reaction that powers the sun.
Conceptually, harnessing nuclear fusion in a reactor is a no-brainer. Except scientists have yet to concoct a controllable, non-destructive way of doing it. But we’re not scientists. We don’t think in reactors. We think in cans and flavors.
With Bucked Up Energy Strawberry-Kiwi, we fused two delicious flavors to form one. The result — a zero sugar, solar-sweet source of energy so abundant the world might actually start revolving around you.
About Bucked Up Energy: Bucked Up started in 2013 when twin brothers Ryan and Jeff Gardner started marketing a product called Deer Antler Spray. After selling thousands of bottles to GNCs nationwide, the company morphed into what is now Bucked Up, a full-fledged vitamins and supplements manufacturer.
The company has gone from its humble beginnings to becoming the No. 1 best-selling pre-workout brand that’s available in over 10,000 stores worldwide.
Plenty Of Other Bucked Up Energy Drinks Options Available Too: Bucked Up Energy
now offers more than 10 quenching options, but two of their popular flavors, Pink Lemonade and Mango Tango now include low-stim options.
Low-stim has the same innovative ingredients that make their OG formula so powerful for focus, mood, motivation and energy. Bucked Up made just one small change and they have been surprised by the resulting epicness.
Boasting a modest of 100mg of caffeine, Bucked Up Low-Stim delivers the same energy, focus, mood, motivation – while reducing the common side effects that come from too much caffeine, jitters, sleeplessness and anxiety.
Xfinity Memories: Joe Graf Jr.’s return to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend is meaningful. In last October’s Ag-Pro 300 Xfinity Series race, he rallied from a 40th place starting position to earn his first career top-10 finish aboard the No. 07 G-Coin car.
The 10th place finish is Graf’s current career-best effort in Xfinity Series competition.
Throwback Alert: Joe Graf Jr. and the SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt team will be participating in this year’s annual throwback weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
The team will unveil their paint scheme in the coming days. Last spring, Graf showcased a “Back to the Future” throwback capturing the attention of the garage and race fans alike for the team’s attention to detail highlighting the 1980s blockbuster film.
Settling In: Talladega marks the ninth race that the SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (SSGLRwJL) team embraces their manufacturer switch from Chevrolet to Ford while incorporating its technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing.
SHR will supply the organization with race cars while Roush Yates Engines will provide the legendary Ford horsepower. In addition to providing race cars to SSGLRwJL, SHR will also provide technical support for the entire 33-race season.
Additionally, Graf will have NASCAR Cup Series and Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe as teammates for select events throughout the 2022 season.
Don’t Forget The New Partner Too: SS GreenLight Racing has added Jeff Lefcourt as a new co-owner of the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, as well as director of business development for the organization.
Lefcourt, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. joins SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (SSGLRwJL) with a long history of racing endeavors including owning Bethel (N.Y.) Motor Speedway in upstate New York, a current-NASCAR sanctioned race track.
The noted philanthropist, entrepreneur and real estate developer has deep ties to grassroots racing and was instrumental in helping secure the Stewart-Haas Racing alliance with SSGLRwJL in 2022.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Talladega Superspeedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway on Saturday afternoon. The No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt team will hunt their first top-10 finish of the season.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In 10 career NASCAR Xfinity Series Superspeedway races, has completed 823 of the 1,798 laps available. He holds an average starting position of 24.2 and an average result of 27.9 with a best finish of 10th at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October 2021.
Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In three career ARCA superspeedway track races, Graf Jr. has two top-10 finishes. He has been running at the finish of all three races. He holds an average starting position of 15.3 and an average result of 11th with three (3) laps led.
In 2018, Graf Jr. was involved in the closest finish in ARCA Menards Series history at Talladega Superspeedway in a photo finish.
The margin was so narrow in the 69-year history of the series, it was a statistical dead heat, the margin of victory on the computerized scoring monitors showing 0.00 seconds. Only a video replay and the photo finish camera were able to determine Graf finished second by a matter of millimeters.
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway | Call 811 Before You Dig 250 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Graf and the SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt team showcased the No. 07 Bucked Up LFG Burn Ford Mustang under the lights.
After successfully qualifying for the race on their time trials speed, Graf was involved in an on-track incident that damaged the front end of his race car and altered the handling.
Graf was able to manhandle his automobile to a 26th-place finish.
School In Session: While juggling a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt, 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.
Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.
The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.
He will crew chief his 74th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon and his fifth at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.
In his previous 73 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), six top-five and 17 top-10 finishes.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt. Veteran David Starr will drive the No. 08 TicketSmarter Ford Mustang on Saturday afternoon for his fourth start of the 2022 season.
Starr is set to make his 238th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and 10th at Talladega. His best Xfinity track finish occurred in the 2014 Aaron’s 312, where he finished ninth after starting 16th for TriStar Motorsports.
Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on TikTok (@JoeGrafJr), Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).
For more on SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Instagram (@ssgreenlightracing) and Twitter (@SSGLR0708).
Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:
On Talladega Superspeedway: “After our top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway last year, I’m eager to get back to the track this weekend and better our performance with our No. 07 Bucked Up Strawberry Kiwi Energy Drink Ford Mustang.
“Joe, Jeff and the entire SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt team have been working hard on this superspeedway car to get it ready for action on Saturday.
“We don’t have practice this weekend, so we have just one lap on Friday afternoon to turn a good lap and then focus on the race. We showcased a lot of speed with this same car at Daytona but had a mechanical failure and didn’t have an opportunity to prove just how fast it was.
“Hopefully, we can on Saturday. Talladega is a special place and I’ve made history there but I’d like to make some new history of my own this weekend.”
On 2022 Season: “There is a lot to be proud about in 2022, but there is just as much work to be done. Without question, I think we have proven that we have speed in our race cars, we just haven’t been able to execute on the finishing positions for one reason or another.
“Talladega though is a new race and a new opportunity and I will do everything I can behind the wheel to make sure we execute the best race possible.”
Race Information:
The Ag-Pro 300 (113 laps | 300.58 miles) is the ninth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2022 schedule. The 38-car field will take the green flag on Saturday, April 23 shortly after 3:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).
About SS Green Light Racing with Jeff Lefcourt:
As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter and new partner Jeff Lefcourt has been a mainstay entry in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or Xfinity Series competition since 2001.
SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022.
