JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Texas Motor Speedway
RACE: O‘Reilly Auto Parts 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018
Elliott Sadler
No. 1 OneMain Financial Chevrolet
• After claiming his 14th top five of the season at Kansas, Elliott Sadler takes over the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings lead following a 10-point penalty to the No. 21.
• Sadler is now just two top-five finishes away from a personal career-high in a single season. His current best is 15 top fives, which he earned in 2012.
• In 21 NXS starts at Texas Motor Speedway, the Virginia native has four top fives, 14 top 10s and two pole awards (1998, 2011). Sadler also has one win at Texas (2004) in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• At Texas, Sadler is first among NXS regulars in fastest laps run (65).
Michael Annett
No. 5 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s best finish at Texas in 12 NXS starts came in the spring of 2012, when the Iowa native finished ninth.
• Annett has been very consistent at Texas, completing 98.7 percent of the laps attempted in his NXS starts there.
• On 1.5-mile tracks this season, Annett’s best finish of 12th came at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.
• Annett will debut a special paint scheme from sponsor Pilot Flying J which honors veterans and their service. Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers in North America, was founded by a veteran of the Korean War. The scheme will run at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami to close the season.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Suave Men Chevrolet
• In 16 NXS starts at TMS, Allgaier has seven top-10 finishes with a best effort of sixth (2011 and 2016).
• The Illinois native has led 60 laps and accumulated three top fives and five top 10s this season on 1.5-mile tracks.
• With two races left before the Championship 4 is decided, Allgaier sits sixth in the playoff standings, five points below the cutoff line.
• While Allgaier has had some tough luck in the playoffs, he still has the most points (380) earned over the last 10 races, with three wins, and seven top 10s in that span.
Tyler Reddick
No. 9 BurgerFi Chevrolet
• Tyler Reddick will make his third career NXS start at Texas this weekend. The JRM driver has a best start of sixth at the track, coming earlier this season.
• Reddick has one previous victory in the NXS on 1.5-mile tracks, earning the win in the September 2017 event at Kentucky after leading 66 laps en route to the victory.
• In six career Truck Series starts at TMS, Reddick has earned four top-five finishes with a best finish of fourth coming in the November 2014 and 2016 events.
• The Corning, Calif. native currently sits third in the NXS Playoffs, 11 points ahead of the final cutoff position with two races remaining before the Championship 4 is set.
Driver Quotes
“Being able to head to Texas in our current points position gives us some relief, but we still need to go out there and give it our all. As we saw in Kansas, anything can happen in these playoff races. We still have a long way to go to get to Homestead and these next two races are crucial in making the Championship 4. I couldn’t be more proud of my OneMain Financial team and all of the hard work they’ve done to get us to where we are today – in first place with three races to go. I wouldn’t want to be chasing my final championship with anyone else.” – Elliott Sadler
“I am anxious to put Kansas in the rear-view mirror. Our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet had speed and we were looking forward to showing that, but didn’t get the chance. Texas has been a good track for us in the past, and Travis (Mack, crew chief) has been giving me strong Camaros, so we’re looking for a smooth and fast weekend. I’m also looking forward to honoring our veterans, all who served, with our special paint scheme this weekend.” – Michael Annett
“Kansas definitely didn’t go the way we wanted it to and that’s on me. We find ourselves in a hole going into these final two races in the Round of 8, but one thing is for sure, whenever this team has been down we’ve come back stronger than before. I have faith that we can finish strong this weekend and head to Phoenix with a solid shot at making it to Homestead as part of the Championship 4.” – Justin Allgaier
“I’m really looking forward to getting to Texas with our BurgerFi Chevrolet. We had some good speed here in the spring and I am very confident that we can back that up and unload with that same speed this weekend. With our position in the Round of 8 right now, we all know what we need to do and if we can have a smooth, mistake-free weekend we should be able to leave here in an even stronger points position as Homestead approaches.” – Tyler Reddick
JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Texas: In 61 NXS starts at Texas Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports has one win, 15 top fives and 37 top 10s, along with one pole award (2014). The team’s average finish at Texas is its third best among active tracks on the Xfinity Series circuit. JRM’s average finish at the 1.5-mile race track is 10.9.
• JRM on 1.5-mile tracks: To date this season on tracks measuring 1.5 miles in length, JRM has collected nine top-five finishes and 15 top-10 finishes in 32 starts. Among all four teams, the organization has paced the field for 111 laps at those facilities.
• Reddick at Trackside Live: Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 9 BurgerFi Chevrolet, is schedule to stop by the Trackside Live stage for a fan appearance on Friday, Nov. 2 at 3:45 p.m. local time. The stage is located at Gate 3 in the Texas Motor Speedway FanZone.
