JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Bristol Motor Speedway
RACE: Food City 300 (300 laps / 159.9 miles)
DATE: Friday, Sept. 15, 2023
Broadcast Information – TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 7 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer
No. 1 Huck’s Market Chevrolet
- Sam Mayer heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for the opening race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs as the fifth seed, 34 points behind the series leader.
- The young driver is no stranger to wins at Bristol as he claimed two checkered flags in 2020 on the same night after winning both the Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series races.
- Crew chief Mardy Lindley was atop the pit box for the Franklin, Wis. native when he scored his ARCA win.
Josh Berry
No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATV’s Chevrolet
- Josh Berry begins his second NXS Playoffs seeded seventh
- (-40) in the 12-car field and seeking his first victory at Bristol and of 2023.
- Berry’s best finish in two starts at “The Last Great Colosseum” is seventh, which occurred last season in the opening round of the playoffs.
- On race tracks measuring 1 mile or less, Berry has logged two of his five career victories (Martinsville Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway), seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards/Patriot Lighting Chevrolet
- Brandon Jones has made 13 starts at Bristol in the NXS and has recorded three top fives and six top 10s. In his last four starts at “The Last Great Colosseum,” Jones has an average finish of just 4.5 and was runner-up at this race last season.
- Tracks measuring a half-mile in length in the NXS have been good to Jones as he has racked up one win (Martinsville), six top fives and 11 top 10s in 19 starts.
- Crew chief Jason Burdett is the winningest crew chief in JRM history with 18 victories among three drivers. A triumph with Jones would increase his record to 19 wins with four different drivers.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
- Justin Allgaier enters the Round of 12 in the NXS Playoffs as the third seed, just 23 points outside of the series lead.
- In 22 career starts in the NXS at Bristol, Allgaier has scored one win, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s and has led for 1,004 laps, the most of any track Allgaier has competed on in his career.
- Allgaier’s victory at Bristol in the spring of 2010 was the first for the Illinois native in NXS competition.
- In the previous six NXS events at Bristol, Allgaier has led 791 laps, 44 percent of all the laps completed in Thunder Valley during that stretch.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet
- NASCAR Hall of Famer and JRM team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes his return to the NXS this weekend at Bristol.
- Earnhardt Jr. is a two-time winner at Bristol having swept the weekend between the NXS and the NASCAR Cup Series in 2004, becoming the first driver to accomplish the feat at the famed short track.
- Earnhardt Jr. has made 12 NXS starts at Bristol and holds an average finish of 6.9 on the strength of one win, seven top fives and nine top 10s.
- Earnhardt Jr.’s last NXS start at Bristol came in 2017, and his most recent series start came at Martinsville in 2022.
Driver Quotes
“Super tough break for us last week but we are ready to get to Bristol for the first race of the playoffs and fight hard for the win. Bristol has been really good to me in the past and it is one of my better tracks, so I am hopeful that we can capitalize on all we have been through the past few weeks and get this No. 1 Huck’s Market Chevrolet in contention for a good finish this weekend.” – Sam Mayer
“I love racing at Bristol and can’t think of a better track to start these playoffs at than here. We’ve had some strong BRANDT Chevys here the past few years, and I know that we are plenty capable of having that same speed again on Friday night. We know what lies ahead of us and we just need to go out and execute and I feel like we will have a great shot to fight for the win at night’s end on Friday.” – Justin Allgaier
“I’d like to get off to a good start in the playoffs, and Bristol is a place we can do it. It’s a tough track, but we’ve run well there in the past. This No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs, Chevy has been really good on short tracks this season, and we can gain some ground and get to the Round of 8 on Friday night.” – Josh Berry
“Bristol is a track that has been good for me as of late. We have been in contention to win, so the confidence is high heading into this weekend. We have one goal from here on out and that is to go out and win races and I know this Menards/Patriot Lighting team is capable of doing just that.” – Brandon Jones
“I feel pretty lucky to be getting back behind the wheel with my team, JR Motorsports. I’ve missed racing at Bristol. That was a big reason I chose to run this event this year in our Hellmann’s Chevrolet. The Xfinity Series regulars are a tough bunch, and every time I run with them I have a blast. Hoping for another great experience this weekend.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
JRM Team Updates
- JRM at Bristol: JR Motorsports has competed at “The Last Great Colosseum” 88 times in the NXS. In those starts at the .533-mile concrete oval, the organization has recorded three wins, 24 top fives and 55 top 10s. The No. 9 team is the most recent winner for JRM at Bristol after taking the checkered at this race last season.
- Souvenir Rig: JR Motorsports drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Sam Mayer and Brandon Jones will be at the JRM/Legacy MC souvenir rig on Friday, Sept. 15 from 4:30 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
- Food City Fan Stage: Come see JR Motorsports drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer at the Food City Fan Stage located in the Bristol Motor Speedway Fan Zone on Friday, Sept. 15 from 5 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
- Team Chevy Display: JRM driver Brandon Jones will be at the Team Chevy display located in the Bristol Motor Speedway fan zone on Friday, Sept. 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
