JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Auto Club Speedway
RACE: Production Alliance Group 300 (150 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
Broadcast Information – TV: 5 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 4:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer heads to Fontana for only his second start at Auto Club Speedway. He earned a sixth-place finish last year in his inaugural run at the 2-mile oval.
• The young driver is coming off a thriving run at Daytona International Speedway where he made a late move for the lead but ended up in a multi-car incident, relegating him to a 27th-place finish in the season-opener.
• In 23 starts on tracks measuring between 1-2 miles in the NXS, the Franklin, Wis. native has recorded six top fives, 11 top 10s and has led 45 laps, the second most of any size track.
Josh Berry
No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet
• Josh Berry will make his second career start at Auto Club on Saturday. In his only other start on the 2-mile oval, Berry finished fourth last season.
• On 2-mile tracks in his NXS career, Berry has three total starts (two at Michigan and one at Auto Club). In those three events, Berry earned a pair of fourth-place results and one sixth-place effort for an average finish of 4.7.
• In his first start in the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet, Berry was vying for the victory at Daytona before running out of fuel in the late going. He finished 26th after leading 17 laps.
Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards / Patriot Lighting Chevrolet
• Brandon Jones has made six starts at the 2-mile California oval with a best finish of seventh during the 2019 season.
• The 26-year-old Georgian started third and led three laps in this race last season before being involved in a multi-car incident on lap 155, which handed him a 33rd-place finish.
• On NASCAR’s 2-mile ovals at Auto Club and Michigan, Jones has recorded two top fives and seven top 10s.
• Jones was solidly inside the top five last week at Daytona before going for a spin down the backstretch with two laps remaining. The No. 9 battled back to a 14th-place finish in the season-opening race.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier’s third-place finish last weekend at Daytona
was the 100th top-five of his JRM career dating back to 2016.
• In 13 NXS starts at Fontana, the driver of the BRANDT
Professional Agriculture Chevrolet has scored a best finish of
second, coming in this event in 2018.
• To accompany the runner-up result, Allgaier has amassed seven top 10s, including in five of the last six races at the Southern California oval.
• In his NXS career on tracks 2 miles or larger, the Illinois native has recorded one win (Indianapolis – 2018), 21 top fives and 40 top 10s in 78 career starts.
Driver Quotes
“I have really been looking forward to getting back to Auto Club. We had a super fast Chevrolet there last year that allowed us to run up front and ended with a sixth-place finish. Coming off of Daytona, Mardy (Lindley, crew chief)and the No. 1 team gave me an awesome race car and we were really shooting for the win. Unfortunately, landing on our lid on the final lap was not in our plans but we’re learning from it and ready to get to California. “ – Sam Mayer
“Fontana is such a fun track to race on. With its worn out surface and multi-grooves, you can really race anywhere around the track. I can’t wait to get there this weekend and see what we can do with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and all the guys on this No. 7 team have done a great job to start the year. We’re sure to have the same speed we showed last week in Daytona when we hit the track Saturday morning.” – Justin Allgaier
“We had a really fast Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet last week at Daytona and I’ve been pretty comfortable at 2-mile tracks, so I’m ready to see how we do at Auto Club this weekend. We had a real shot at winning Daytona, and Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and our No. 8 team are prepped and ready to get it done this weekend in California.” – Josh Berry
“We had a lot of speed last week at Daytona, which gives this Menards/Patriot Lighting team confidence as we head to Auto Club. JR Motorsports was fast here last year and I’ve had speed here in the past, so hopefully, we can get momentum moving our way and be battling for the win at the end of the race.” – Brandon Jones
JRM Team Updates:
• JR Motorsports at Auto Club: JR Motorsports has competed at Auto Club Speedway a combined 49 times in the NXS. Over the course of these 49 starts at the 2-mile facility, JRM has tallied one win, 11 top fives and 29 top 10s. JRM’s only win came during the 2015 season when Kevin Harvick drove the No. 88 to Victory Lane.
• Bass Pro Shops CLUB Card: Earn two percent back in CLUB Points on Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s purchases and at participating Cenex locations. Earn one percent back everywhere else Mastercard is accepted. You can earn unlimited CLUB Points that never expire for open accounts. Redeem points for merchandise at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s or at Bass Pro Shops restaurants and resorts through the mobile app. Apply now.
• Souvenir Rig: All four JRM drivers will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/LEGACY M.C. souvenir rig on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. local time
