JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Watkins Glen International
RACE: Sunoco Go Rewards 200 (82 laps / 200.9 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022
Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer has one start at the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International. He started 23rd and finished 10th in this race last season.
• Mayer has eight starts on road courses in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and has tallied one top-five and four top-10 finishes. His best finish of fifth on a road course came earlier this season at Circuit of the Americas.
• With five races remaining until the NXS Playoffs begin, Mayer currently sits 131 points above the playoff cutline.
Josh Berry
No. 8 Tire Pros “Summer for Heroes” Chevrolet
• Josh Berry heads to The Glen this weekend where he’ll make his first NXS start at the 2.45-mile road course.
• In five NXS starts on road courses, Berry has two top fives and three top 10s. His best finish of third came earlier this season at Road America.
• The No. 8 will highlight Tire Pros “Summer for Heroes” giving campaign this weekend as they aim to raise funds to benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation.
• Berry and teammate Justin Allgaier are tied with six stage wins, the second-most in NXS competition this season.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson has made two starts at Watkins Glen, finishing both in the top 10 (seventh and ninth).
• On road courses in his NXS career, Gragson has earned eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 19 starts.
• Gragson earned his 10th stage win at Michigan, giving him the most stage victories in the NXS in 2022.
• Through 21 races, Gragson and the Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet team have tallied three wins, 11 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. Gragson has also led 472 laps, third-best in the series this season.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Dating back to 2017, Justin Allgaier has placed fourth or better in his last four NXS races at Watkins Glen.
• Overall, the JR Motorsports driver has amassed four top fives and seven top 10s in 10 career NXS starts in upstate New York.
• Through four road course starts in 2022, Allgaier has earned a best finish of third, coming at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course last month.
• In his NXS career on road courses, the Illinois native has scored three wins, 13 top fives and 26 top 10s in 43 starts
Kyle Larson
No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
• Kyle Larson, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, will make his JRM debut in NXS competition this weekend at Watkins Glen in the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet.
• The 30-year-old California driver has a victory on the historic track in the Cup Series, leading 27 laps en route to the triumph last season.
• Larson’s previous start for the organization came in the Truck Series at Chicagoland in 2015. He finished seventh.
• This will be the third of four starts for the Hendrick Cars entry with JRM this season. William Byron made two previous efforts that netted a runner-up finish at Texas.
Driver Quotes
“We have had really good cars on road courses this season and it’ll be nice to get back to that style of racing this weekend. I have a couple races at Watkins Glen under my belt in both the Xfinity car and the Truck Series, and we were fast in both last year. I know when we unload this weekend we will have that same speed and hopefully we can put it all together and be battling for the win at the end.” – Sam Mayer
“I’m looking forward to getting back toWatkins Glen this weekend with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. Watkins Glen has always been a place that I have enjoyed going to and we have been really strong there over the last few years. Hopefully we can keep that going again this weekend and be in contention for the win when it counts. We’re ready to get there and see what we can do.” – Justin Allgaier
“Watkins Glen is one of a couple tracks on the schedule that I’ve never been to in these Xfinity cars, so we’ve been working really hard to make sure I am ready for this weekend. Having raced here in the trucks last year, I at least have some laps but these cars are so different. This Tire Pros team is ready and hopefully we can have anothergood run on a road course.” – Josh Berry
“Watkins Glen is fast for a road course, and we’ve been able to be in the top 10 in both our starts there with the Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet. I like road course racing, and Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and the team have given me great cars this year. We have been on a roll lately, and getting a win at Watkins Glen would be good for the playoff run.” –
JRM Team Updates:
• JR Motorsports at Watkins Glen: JR Motorsports has competed at The Glen a combined 41 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at the 2.45-mile facility, the organization has tallied eight top fives and 24 top 10s. Jimmie Johnson holds the best finish for the organization after finishing second during the 2011 season.
• Benefitting the Gary Sinise Foundation: During the Summer for Heroes Giving Campaign, a company-wide initiative that supports American troops, veterans, first responders and their families through unique programs designed to make a difference in the lives of everyday heroes across the country, Tire Pros customers can donate an amount of their choice on the designated Gary Sinise Foundation donation page. Their goal is to raise $1.5 million from June 1 – Aug. 31 to support our nation’s heroes. Donate now!
• Chevrolet Stage: JRM drivers Sam Mayer and Josh Berry will be at the Team Chevy display in the Watkins Glen International fan zone on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 1 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
• Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/Hendrick Motorsports souvenir rig on Saturday, Aug. 20, starting at 12:15 p.m. “Racing on Saturday obviously gets you extra laps, but I also think getting into a rhythm with those laps in the Xfinity car really helps going to the Cup car. We had a really good weekend (doing double duty) at Road America with qualifying and the race. My goal with Xfinity is to get into a rhythm quickly, hopefully battle for the win on Saturday and have those additional laps benefit us on Sunday.” – Kyle Larson
