JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Chicago Street Course
RACE: The Loop 121 (55 laps / 121 miles)
DATE: Saturday, July 1, 2023
Broadcast Information – TV: 5 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 4:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer
No. 1 Huck’s Market Chevrolet
- Sam Mayer heads to the Chicago Street Course for the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series street race after a strong third-place effort at Nashville Superspeedway last week.
- In 12 starts on road courses in the NXS, the Franklin, Wis. native has recorded two top-five and eight top-10 finishes with his best (third) coming at Portland International Raceway this season.
- Mayer is currently sitting eighth in the championship point standings, 156 markers behind the leader.
Josh Berry
No. 8 Tire Pros “Summer for Heroes” Chevrolet
- Josh Berry heads to the Chicago Street Course this weekend on the heels of a fifth-place finish last weekend at Nashville.
- Berry has been solid on road courses in his NXS career, earning three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 10 starts. His best came last season at Road America with a third-place effort.
- This week, Berry is set to run a new Tire Pros scheme as they honor their partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards/Little Hug Chevrolet
- Brandon Jones has made 34 career starts on road courses in the NXS and has recorded five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. His best finish of second came at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in 2020.
- Jones has a victory on a road course in his career. The 26-year-old won at Watkins Glen International during an ARCA Menards Series race last season. He started second and led the most important lap – the last one – to claim the victory.
- Jones has made two career starts with Little Hug Fruit Barrels branding displayed on the hood and holds an average finish of 5.5 in those races.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
- It’s homecoming weekend for Justin Allgaier, as the Riverton, Ill. native returns home for the NXS event on the streets of Chicago. This weekend is also a homecoming for partner BRANDT, who is headquartered in Springfield, Ill. and crew chief Jim Pohlman, who hails from Oak Lawn, Ill.
- Allgaier has previously gone to Victory Lane twice in his homeland, taking the checkered flag at Chicagoland Speedway in 2011 and 2017.
- In his NXS career on road courses, Allgaier has scored three combined wins, 15 top fives and 29 top 10s in 47 starts.
- Miguel Paludo makes his return to JRM and the No. 88 for the second time this season.
- In Paludo’s first start in 2023, the native of Nova Prata, Brazil, came home with a 13th-place finish in the March NXS event at the Circuit of the Americas.
- In seven starts in the NXS for JRM, Paludo has scored a best finish of seventh, coming in 2021 at Daytona’s road course.
- As in his previous seven starts for JRM, BRANDT Professional Agriculture will be on board the No. 88 for the seven-time Porsche Carrera Cup Champion.
“I am really looking forward to trying something new this weekend with the Chicago Street Course. I think we will have some challenges but I am excited to see what this course brings. Super grateful for this No. 1 team and happy to have Huck’s back on the car this weekend. Hopefully we have the chance to get them in the winner’s circle.” – Sam Mayer
“This is going to be a really special weekend, especially with it being in the home state for myself and BRANDT. To come back to Chicago and race close to home is definitely going to be a great feeling. There’s a lot of unknowns heading into the race, but hopefully, we can keep all four corners clean on our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet and be in contention for the win when it counts.” – Justin Allgaier
“This will be an interesting weekend, to say the least. It’s a new course, the first street course I’ve ever run and the first for the Xfinity Series, and it’s in the middle of a huge city. It’s going to be wild, I think, with the way the course is laid out. Our plan is to survive and be there at the end when it counts.” – Josh Berry
“This is definitely going to be a very unique weekend. We have been working hard in the sim the last few weeks to make sure we are ready when we hit the track Saturday morning. Hopefully we can keep the car clean all race and be in contention for a good finish when it’s all said and done. This team deserves it.” – Brandon Jones
“I can’t wait to get back the wheel of this No. 88 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet for JRM. We had a really good car in our last race together at COTA, and I think that we will be even better this weekend in Chicago. Street courses are definitely unique, but I have all the confidence in my guys on this team. Hopefully we bring home a 1-2 BRANDT finish with teammate Justin Allgaier.” – Miguel Paludo
JRM Team Updates
- JRM in Chicago: Having never raced through the streets of the “Windy City,” JR Motorsports has competed just down the road at the nearby Chicagoland Speedway a combined 48 times in the NXS. In those 48 starts, the organization has tallied three wins, 12 top fives and 25 top 10s, while pacing the field for 264 laps. The most recent winner for JRM in Chicago is Justin Allgaier. He claimed the checkered during the 2017 season.
- Road Course Racing: JR Motorsports has competed on road courses a combined 194 times in the NXS, recording five wins, 49 top fives and 104 top 10s. The most recent win on a road course for the organization came with Kyle Larson at Watkins Glen International last season in the No. 88 Chevrolet.
- 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. Donate now!
