JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Phoenix Raceway
RACE: NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023
Broadcast Information – TV: 7 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 6:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet
- Sam Mayer will battle for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix Raceway this Saturday. Mayer became the first of the four Championship 4 drivers to punch his ticket into the finale with his win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- Being in the championship hunt is familiar territory for Mayer and crew chief Mardy Lindley. The duo has combined for a pair of championships in the K&N Pro Series East (2019) and ARCA Menards Series (2020).
- In 16 starts on tracks measuring one mile and under, Mayer has raced his way to five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in his NXS career.
Josh Berry
No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATV’s Chevrolet
- Josh Berry will make his final start for JRM this weekend in Phoenix after a successful tenure that began in 2010 and witnessed 100 combined wins and multiple championships across the team’s Late Model and NXS programs.
- Berry returns to Phoenix seeking his first victory of the season in the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet.
- In four starts on the 1-mile oval, Berry has a top-five and two top-10 results, his best finish of third came in the spring of 2022.
- In 23 starts on tracks measuring 1 mile or less in his NXS career, Berry has two wins, eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. He has led 340 laps in those starts.
Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards/Tuscany Faucets Chevrolet
- Brandon Jones has one win, three top fives and six top 10s in 15 starts at the 1-mile Phoenix track. Jones’ win came during the spring race in 2020 after leading 24 laps en route to the victory.
- In addition, in the last three finale races at the 1-mile oval, Jones has an average finish of just 7.0, with a best of third coming during the 2020 season.
- In 35 starts on tracks measuring 1 mile in length in the NXS, Jones has recorded one win, four top-five and 14 top10 finishes, while leading the field for 176 laps.
- In his last 10 starts dating back to Watkins Glen this season, Jones has recorded one top-five and four top-10 finishes.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Platinum Anniversary Chevrolet
- Justin Allgaier enters Phoenix as one of four drivers vying for the NXS championship. This is the sixth time that Allgaier has entered the final race of the season as a Championship 4 contender.
- Allgaier is a two-time winner in “The Valley of the Sun” in the NXS, having gone to Victory Lane in the spring of 2017 and in this event in 2019.
- Accompanying his two wins, Allgaier has scored nine topfive and 17 top-10 finishes at the 1-mile oval.
- The 544 laps led by Allgaier at Phoenix are the second most he’s commanded at any track on the NXS schedule, trailing only Bristol Motor Speedway for the top spot.
Driver Quotes
“Locking myself into the Championship 4 at Homestead was a dream come true but now that Phoenix is really here, it feels surreal. I am so proud of all the hard work this No. 1 JR Motorsports team has put in this year to get us this far, and I cannot say thank you enough to everyone at the shop who has helped make this possible. I am ready to set my focus forward and I am hopeful that we can bring JRM home a championship this weekend in Phoenix!” – Sam Mayer
“We know what awaits us this weekend. This entire No. 7 team has fought hard all season long to get to this point, and it’s now on us to go out and execute and do everything we can to bring a championship home to JR Motorsports. I know that Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and all the guys on this BRANDT Professional Agriculture team are ready to go this weekend and we will give it all we have to get the job done. It’s truly special to have this opportunity and I am incredibly thankful to be battling for a championship come Saturday.” – Justin Allgaier
“I wish we were racing for the championship this weekend, but we’re still going to give it everything to get to Victory Lane. Our No. 8 team deserves this victory, and I’d like to end the season with a win. Phoenix is a racy track and offers good racing for us, so we’ll give it our best shot. This will be the last start for me with JRM, so I’d like to end it in Victory Lane.” – Josh Berry
“This No. 9 team has really hit our stride as of late and Phoenix is a track where I have run well in the past and this team has as well. We may not be racing for a championship, but I would like nothing more than to end this season with a win and on a strong note to prepare us for next season. This team has worked hard all year long and I would like nothing more than to be able to celebrate with them at the end of the day.” – Brandon Jones
JRM Team Updates
- JR Motorsports at Phoenix: JR Motorsports has made a combined 96 starts at Phoenix Raceway. Over the course of those starts at the 1-mile tri-oval, the organization has four wins, 24 top-five and 50 top-10 finishes. The most recent win at Phoenix for JRM came during the 2022 season with the No. 9 team taking home the checkered flag in the spring.
- 100th Start: When the four JR Motorsports cars take the green flag on Saturday, it will mark the 100th combined start for the organization in “The Valley of the Sun.” This marks only the third active track in the NXS that JRM has eclipsed 100 starts. The other two being Daytona International Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, both of which came this season.
- Championship 4 Prowess: Since the inception of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs in 2016, JR Motorsports remains the only team to place at least one driver in the Championship 4 in every season. Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer continue the streak for the organization as the two teammates chase their first NXS championship this weekend.
- Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer will be signing autographs at the JRMotorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. local time.
