JR Motorsports Team Preview
TRACK – Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)
NXS RACE – United Rentals 300 (120 laps / 300 miles)
Sam Mayer
No. 1 Carolina Carports Chevrolet
Mayer 2023 NXS Stats
Starts: 33
Wins: 4
Top 5s: 13
Top 10s: 19
Laps Led: 177
Avg. Finish: 13.2
Points: 3rd
Sam Mayer returns in the NASCAR Xfinity series for the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in his third full-time year with JR Motorsports.
Mayer is coming off a break through 2023 season where he captured four wins, 13 top-five and 10 top-10 finishes and earned his first Championship 4 appearance in the NXS playoffs.
The Franklin, Wis. native carries new colors into the 2024 season with new partner Carolina Carports riding along the side of the No. 1 Chevrolet for Daytona, Texas and Bristol.
In 15 career starts on tracks measuring two miles and longer in length, the young driver has scored three top fives and five top-10 efforts with his best of second coming at Talladega (2022), Fontana (2023) and Pocono (2023).
Sam Mayer
“I am eager to get back to the track and start the 2024 season off at Daytona. We had a great year of growth in 2023 with this No.1 team and I look forward to taking that even further this year to hopefully achieve that end goal, the NXS Championship. Superspeedways are always fun to race at and I love the challenge they give. I am happy to start the year off with my new partner Carolina Carports and hopefully we can carry them to Victory Lane in Daytona!”
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
Allgaier 2023 NXS Stats
Starts: 33
Wins: 4
Top 5s: 15
Top 10s: 20
Laps Led: 643
Avg. Finish: 10.6
Points: 2nd
The newly crowned four-time NXS Most Popular Driver Justin Allgaier returns to the high banks of Daytona as the most recent winner at the hallowed superspeedway.
Allgaier visited Victory Lane last summer at Daytona in a thrilling photo finish.
Overall, Allgaier has amassed eight top fives and 12 top 10s to accompany his lone victory in 26 career starts at “The World Center of Racing.”
Allgaier enters the 2024 season-opening event fresh off of a 2023 campaign that saw the Illinois native score four wins, 15 top fives, 20 top 10s, three poles and a runner-up finish in the final standings after qualifying for the Championship 4.
Justin Allgaier
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Daytona to kick off this 2024 season with our No. 7 team. We all know what we need to do from the moment we unload to accomplish the goals we have set out for us this year. I know that Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and everyone on this BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet is ready to go. Hopefully we can kick this new year off on a strong note and head back to Victory Lane this Saturday in Daytona.”
Sammy Smith
No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
Smith 2023 NXS Stats
Starts: 33
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 6
Top 10s: 15
Laps Led: 334
Avg. Finish: 15.4
Points: 6th
In Sammy Smith’s three NXS starts at Daytona, he has qualified third, twice, with a best finish of 19th.
Smith has six races under his belt at the drafting tracks of Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta, where he has tallied one pole award and one top-10 finish.
Over the past two seasons, Smith has 42 NXS starts and is looking to build on his resume of one win, seven top fives, 18 top-10s and two pole awards.
Sammy Smith
“The off season has been full of changes as I moved over to JR Motorsports to work with a new crew chief, team and manufacturer. JRM has proven that they can win week in and week out in their Chevrolet Camaro so I’m ready to take all of our hard work this off season to the track and see what we can do at Daytona. Hopefully we’ll have a clean day and in the end, fight for the win in our Pilot Flying J Chevy.”
Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards / Swiffer Chevrolet
Jones 2023 NXS Stats
Starts: 33
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 3
Top 10s: 10
Laps Led: 48
Avg. Finish: 17.1
Points: 14th
Brandon Jones will start his ninth full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and second with JRM at Daytona, driving the No. 9 Menards/Swiffer Chevrolet Camaro.
Jones has made 16 starts at the 2.5-mile facility and has amassed two top-five and four top-10 finishes. His best finish of third came in the season-opening race of 2019.
Saturday will mark Jones’ third NXS season opener with Swiffer on the hood. Swiffer is the first of 26 different hood partners that will be featured over the course of the season.
Jones’ crew chief, Phillip Bell, returns to the No. 9 JRM Chevrolet after a brief stint in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bell, who spent several seasons as an engineer with the team, is making his first start as crew chief.
Brandon Jones
“I’m really looking forward to getting this season under way with this No. 9 Menards/Swiffer Chevrolet team. The entire team has been putting in a lot of work during the offseason and I am getting this feeling that I just haven’t had in a long time. We learned a lot last year and with Phillip Bell as my crew chief I think everyone will see a whole different year pop up.”
JRM Team Updates
JR Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at “The World Center of Racing” a combined 108 times in the NXS. In those starts at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, the organization has recorded eight wins, 29 top fives and 43 top 10s.
Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Team Chevy Display: All four JRM drivers will be at the Chevy Display located in the Daytona Fan Zone on Saturday Feb. 17. Mayer will appear from 2:15-2:30 p.m., Smith and Allgaier will appear from 2:30-2:45 p.m., and Jones will appear from 2:45-3:00 p.m.
