JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Bristol Motor Speedway
RACE: Food City 300 (300 laps / 159.9 miles)
Broadcast Information – TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 7 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s best NASCAR Xfinity Series finish at Bristol Motor Speedway came in 2011, when he finished sixth.
• Annett is on a roll at the .533-mile oval, having logged two consecutive finishes in the top 10. Annett was seventh in this race last year and eighth in the spring this season. He has six top 10s overall in 14 starts.
• Annett has completed all but 15 laps in 14 starts on the concrete oval at BMS (99.6%).
• Annett will be back in the familiar Pilot Flying J livery at Bristol, which is close by the company’s headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn.
Jeb Burton
No. 8 LS Tractor Chevrolet
• Jeb Burton returns behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend at Bristol.
• In three previous starts for JRM in 2019, Burton has scored one top five and three top 10s with a best finish of fifth coming at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
• Burton has previously made six starts at Bristol across NASCAR’s three major touring series, earning a best finish of 11th in 2014 in the Truck Series.
• This will be the second primary race for LS Tractor on Burton’s No. 8 Chevrolet. Based out of Battleboro, N.C., LS Tractor is one of the fastest growing tractor companies in North America.
Noah Gragson
No. 9 Switch Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will make his second NXS start at Bristol this weekend.
• The Las Vegas native earned a ninth-place finish in his first NXS start at “Thunder Valley” in April of this year.
• In five career starts on short tracks in the NXS, Gragson has earned two top fives and four top 10s, scoring a best finish of second at Richmond Raceway in April 2018.
• Gragson also has two previous starts at Bristol in the Truck Series, earning a best finish of ninth in 2018.
• Gragson currently sits 134 points above the 12th and final playoff position with five races remaining in the regular season.
Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Bristol was the site of Justin Allgaier’s first career NXS win. He went to Victory Lane in the spring of 2010 after starting 30th and leading 27 laps.
• In 17 total NXS starts at Bristol, the Illinois native has one win, eight top fives and 10 top 10s, with 351 laps led. The 351 laps led are the second most of any track at which Allgaier has led, trailing only Iowa (449).
• Earlier this year, Allgaier led 138 laps on the short track before a mechanical issue forced him to retire early from the race during the final stage.
• Allgaier currently sits fourth in the NXS point standings with five races left in the regular season.
Driver Quotes
“After two weeks of turning left and right, it’s good to get back to a track that I know well and run well at this weekend in Bristol. It’s always great to run in front of so many people from Pilot Flying J, and the headquarters are over in Knoxville. We’ve had good finishes the last two times out here and as a team, we are running well overall. We’re in the playoffs, and it’s all about building for them at this point in the season.”– Michael Annett
“Man, I’m ready to get back to Bristol. I felt like we had the car to beat there in the spring, but we ended up having an early end to our day. That one that still really hurts, so I’m definitely wanting to get back there and see if we can get this BRANDT Professional Agriculture Camaro to Victory Lane. We’re getting closer to the playoffs and we’re looking to get as many bonus points as we can. A win this weekend would definitely help with that.”– Justin Allgaier
“I can’t wait to get to the track on Thursday with this No. 8 LS Tractor Chevy. We have had some great runs each time out this year and I know that we can do that again. Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and I have had some solid communication and I feel like we have a really good plan heading into Friday. I’m ready to get going and give everyone at LS Tractor and Alsco a show.” – Jeb Burton
“I’m looking forward to getting to Bristol this weekend and improving on everything we learned here in the spring. We had made a lot of gains throughout the first race here and I am confident that we will continue to find speed once we hit the track on Thursday. We still have a lot of momentum on our side right now and hopefully we can continue that and come home with another strong run on Friday night.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Bristol: In 68 NXS starts at Bristol, JRM has recorded one win, 19 top fives and 42 top 10s. Brad Keselowski netted the organization’s lone victory at “Thunder Valley” in August 2008 after starting 37th and leading the final 24 laps en route to the win. The 37th-place starting position is the deepest in the field a winner has ever started for JRM.
• JRM on Short Tracks: In 212 NXS starts on short tracks, JRM has scored eight wins, 60 top fives and 126 top 10s. Brad Keselowski earned the organization’s first short track win at Bristol Motor Speedway in August 2008 with Justin Allgaier taking the most recent checkered flag at Iowa Speedway in June 2018.
• JRM Souvenir Autograph Session: JRM teammates Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson and Jeb Burton will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Bristol on Thursday, Aug. 15 from 3:45 – 4:15 p.m. EST.
