JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Phoenix Raceway
RACE: NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022
Broadcast Information – TV: 6 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 5:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer heads to Phoenix Raceway with a chance to finish inside of the top eight in the drivers standings in his first fulltime season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
• Mayer came on strong late in the season, finishing inside the top 10 in seven of the last 10 races.
• The 19-year-old performed admirably through the NXS Playoffs with only one finish outside the top 10 and an average finish of 6.5.
• In five starts on tracks measuring 1-mile in length in the NXS, Mayer has one top five and two top 10s, with a best finish of fifth coming at Dover Motor Speedway earlier this year.
Josh Berry
No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet
• In his first full-time NXS season, Josh Berry is one of four drivers who will compete for a championship at Phoenix by virtue of his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He joins JRM teammates Allgaier and Gragson to comprise three of the four championship contenders.
• In two starts at the 1-mile desert oval, Berry has one top five and one top 10, with a best finish of third coming in the spring race this season.
• At the 1-mile Dover in April, Berry led 55 laps before earning his first win of the 2022 season. The win also locked the 32- year-old into the NXS Playoffs.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will lead the Championship 4 into Saturday’s season finale at Phoenix as both the top seed and the most recent NXS winner on the 1-mile oval. Gragson led 114 laps on the way to his first win there in 2022. It was the first of eight victories so far this season.
• In seven career NXS starts at Phoenix, Gragson has the victory, two top-five and four top-10 finishes. His 114 laps led in the spring race represent the lion’s share of his 146- lap total.
• Gragson will compete for the series championship for the second straight season on the 1-mile desert oval. He will be joined by JRM teammates Berry and Allgaier.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier enters the 2022 season finale at Phoenix as one of four competitors vying for the NXS championship.
• Allgaier, a five-time participant in the Championship 4, earned his way into the title fight by way of a fifth-place finish last weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
• In 24 career NXS starts at Phoenix, Allgaier has scored two wins, eight top fives and 16 top 10s. The JRM driver most recently went to Victory Lane at the 1-mile oval in the fall of 2019 while leading 85 laps.
• Allgaier currently ranks first in laps led (498), laps run inside the top 15 (4,455), quality passes (537) and fastest laps run (310) in the Valley of the Sun, according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics.
Driver Quotes
“Unfortunately things didn’t go our way last weekend and we aren’t able to race for a championship, but we can go out there and try some things to get ready for next year. Our goal now is to just go out and win the race to end the season strong. Good luck to our JRM teammates. Hopefully one of them can bring the championship trophy back to the team.” – Sam Mayer
“We worked hard all year long to get ourselves in this position, and that is a testament to all of the hard work that not only Jason (Burdett, crew chief) and all the guys on this No. 7 team did, but to everyone at JR Motorsports as a whole. To have three cars in the Championship 4 with a chance at winning the title is truly remarkable. We all know what lies ahead of us now. We just need to have a smooth weekend and do all we can to make sure we are in the right place at the right time to bring home this championship. I know we are going to have a BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet capable of getting it done, we just need to go out and execute. We are ready.” – Justin Allgaier
“Phoenix is a fun track and it’s one of my favorites that we race at each year. We’ve had strong races the couple of times we have been there and I know this Tire Pros team is doing everything they can to make sure we unload with that same speed on Friday. I have all the confidence in the world in this group. Hopefully we’re lifting that trophy and celebrating in Victory Lane Saturday evening.” – Josh Berry
“Winning the championship has been our goal all year long, and we won at Phoenix in the spring. This weekend, it’s for all the marbles, and this Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team is at its best when something big is on the line. It’s been a great season for all of us on the No. 9 and for JR Motorsports, so the way to close it out is to win and bring a championship home with us.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates:
• JR Motorsports at Phoenix: JR Motorsports has competed at Phoenix Raceway a combined 88 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at the 1-mile facility, the organization has tallied four wins, 22 top fives and 47 top 10s. The most recent win for the organization came with Noah Gragson earlier this season, securing his opportunity to race in the NXS Playoffs.
• Championship Hunt: For the second time in six years, JR Motorsports holds three of the four spots in the Championship 4 to vie for the NXS Championship. The only other time it happened for JRM came during the 2017 season when Justin Allgaier, William Byron and Elliott Sadler all battled for the coveted title, with Byron coming out on top. Overall, JRM is the only team to have at least one car in the Championship 4 every season since the playoffs began.
• Team Chevy Display: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Sam Mayer will be at the Team Chevy display located in the Phoenix Raceway fan zone on Friday, Nov. 5 from 2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. local time.
