JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway
RACE: MoneyLion 300 (113 laps / 300.58 miles)
DATE: Saturday, April 27, 2019
Michael Annett
No. 1 TMC Transportation Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s first start for JR Motorsports at Talladega Superspeedway in 2017 gave him his best finish in six NXS attempts on the 2.66-mile track, a seventh-place showing.
• Annett will carry TMC Transportation colors at Talladega.
• Annett will be seeking to keep his restrictor-plate winning streak intact this weekend. The Iowa native won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, the only other plate track on the schedule so far.
• Annett and his JRM team are already qualified for the NXS Playoffs by virtue of the victory at Daytona, and he sits seventh in points after eight races with a victory, two topfive and five top-10 finishes.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Hellmann’s / Walmart Fight Hunger Spark Change Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier heads to Talladega as one of four contenders for the $100,000 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash prize.
• In eight NXS starts at Talladega, Allgaier has three top-five and six top-10 finishes. He’s led 63 laps at the track, including 35 circuits in his most recent start last year when he drove to a third-place finish.
• The 32-year-old driver has the highest driver rating among current full-time NXS drivers at Talladega (96.9).
• Earlier this season, Allgaier finished second at fellow traditional restrictor-plate track Daytona International Speedway.
Brett Moffitt
No. 8 ISM Connect Chevrolet
• Defending NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Champion Brett Moffitt will make his JR Motorsports debut this weekend in the NXS at Talladega.
• This weekend will be Moffitt’s third-career start in the NXS after having made two previous starts at his home track of Iowa Speedway in 2012 and 2017, respectively.
• Moffitt recorded a 17th-place finish in his lone NGOTS start at Talladega in October 2018.
• Moffitt is currently ranked fifth in the NGOTS championship standings on the heels of three top-five and three top-10 finishes through five races.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Armour Vienna Sausage Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his second career NXS start at Talladega this weekend.
• Gragson earned a fourth-place finish in his lone NXS start at the famed superspeedway in this event last season.
• The Las Vegas native has also made two previous starts in the NGOTS at Talladega, recording a best finish of 13th in October 2018 after being collected in a multi-car incident on the final lap while battling for the race lead.
• Gragson currently sits 10th in the NXS championship standings through eight events.
Driver Quotes
“The last time we raced on a restrictor-plate track, we ended up in Victory Lane, and I can definitely see us getting there again this weekend at Talladega. We’ve been strong on these kinds of tracks, and our whole team, from (crew chief) Travis Mack on down, we’ve had the strategy to win several times this season. I’m pleased that we’ll have TMC Transportation on the car this weekend, too.” – Michael Annett
“This is a big weekend for our team and for our sponsor. First off, we’re running for a chance at that $100,000 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash prize. Second, we have “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” on our Chevy, a campaign that Hellmann’s and Unilever strongly support. We want to run well for them, but we also would like to make it to Victory Lane for Brenda Jackson. She was part of the heart and soul of this race team and we can’t think of a better way to honor her memory than by going out there and winning the race this weekend.”– Justin Allgaier
“I can’t wait to get to Talladega this weekend to make my first start for JR Motorsports with this No. 8 ISM Connect Chevrolet. It’s a really cool opportunity to get to drive for JRM. They have always had a really strong program, especially on the restrictor-plate tracks and it’s an honor to have a chance to work with Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and everyone on this team. Hopefully we can have a smart day, avoid all the potential trouble out there, and be in contention for the win on Saturday.” – Brett Moffitt
“Talladega will be a battle this weekend for sure. Having one race under my belt here in the Xfinity Series is definitely a positive and hopefully we can back up last year’s finish this season with our Switch Chevrolet. I just need to be smart in the lead pack to make sure that we are there at the end. If we do that, I feel like we have a great opportunity to get JRM back to Victory Lane.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Talladega: In 33 NXS starts at Talladega Superspeedway, JR Motorsports has scored two wins, 11 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Regan Smith earned the organization’s first victory at the 2.66 mile superspeedway in 2013 with Elliott Sadler following suit in 2016.
• Fight Hunger. Spark Change.: On the hood of Justin Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega, “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” is a joint campaign among Walmart, Sam’s Club, Feeding America and member food banks to raise awareness and combat the issue of hunger, which affects one in eight Americans. Shoppers can participate in the campaign, which runs until May 20, by purchasing a participating item in-store or online, including Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise, or donating on Feeding America’s website at www.feedingamerica.org/walmart. More information can be found here.
• Dirty Mo Media T-Shirt Giveaway: If you spend $88 or more at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer this weekend, you will receive a free Dirty Mo Media T-shirt (while supplies last – shirt is not available for purchase).
