SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway | Alsco 300
Fast Facts
No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy | Core Development | EAT SLEEP RACE
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Patrick Donahue
Starting Position for Alsco 300: 27th (Event Formula)
Driver Points Position: 22nd
Owner Points Position: 27th
Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 709; competed last at Richmond (Va.) Raceway on September 20, 2020 and September 21, 2020. (Start: 23rd | Finish: 19th)
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)
Notes of Interest:
Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy and its sister products will continue its role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 08 Chevrolet Camaro. Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the 18th race in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.
Bucked Up is the everyman (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days. We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all delivers long-lasting energy.
Bristol Motor Speedway Recap: Joe Graf Jr.’s return to “Thunder Valley” did no go as smooth as his track debut in June. After struggling with the handling of the No. 08 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet Camaro during the opening stage, Graf Jr. was making mprovements throughout the race, until he was spun by another car.
Bouncing back from the spin, Graf was unable to overcome a green-flag pit stop for a flat tire that hindered the opportunity to contend for a top-20 finish.
For the second consecutive race, Graf settled for a 27th place finish.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Las Vegas Motor Speedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his second career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Saturday afternoon’s race.
In February, Graf Jr. made his Sin City debut where he started 15th and led his first career Xfinity Series laps before finishing 20th in the No. 08 Core Development Group Chevrolet Camaro.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 14 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 24.1 and an average result of 20.7.
Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in eight ARCA Menards Series races. He holds an average starting position of 11.8 and an average result of 12.9.
Races for Faces: Joe Graf Jr. is racing for a cause during Saturday afternoon’s Alsco 300 at Las Vegas. Graf is virtually participating in myFace’s Races for Faces, an event to raise awareness for myFace, an organization that helps kids and families living with craniofacial differences.
Graf will donate $10 a lap to myFace for every lap he completes during the Alsco 300. The 22-year-old also has a myFace team page, whether others can partake in their own race and bring attentiveness to the organization too.
Join Team Graf by clicking here.
Vote For Me: Voting is open for the 2020 edition of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Most Popular Driver.
Approved voters are allowed to vote for their favorite NASCAR Xfinity Series driver at least one time per day for the next two months through Mon., Nov. 9, 2020.
To cast your vote for Joe Graf Jr. visit, nascar.com/xfinitymostpopulardriver.
Back To School Too: While juggling a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with SS GreenLight Racing, college life has resumed for Joe Graf Jr.
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Graf Jr. has resorted to online classes at the University of New York, where he is pursuing a degree in business, media and sports management.
The Second Half: Despite the coronavirus pandemic which shuttered NASCAR Xfinity Series races for more than two months, the series recently reached the halfway point of their season at Kansas Speedway in late July.
Now, 26 races down, seven races to go, Graf Jr. is ranked 22nd in the Xfinity Series championship standings and looks to improve his average finish of 23rd over the final six weeks of the season.
Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 80 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.
Did You Know? While NASCAR Xfinity Series competition was idle during the coronavirus pandemic for two months, Joe Graf Jr. got busy.
Whether it was working out, spending time on iRacing in the Pro Series Invitational or Saturday Night Thunder, Graf recently gave an insider view on how his quarantine went and offered even a little insight on himself as a person.
Click here to watch the video.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Patrick Donahue is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief. He will crew chief his 180th NASCAR Xfinity Series races on Friday night. In his previous 179 races, he has two wins, eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes to his resume.
He has nine prior Xfinity races as crew chief at Las Vegas with a best finish of fourth in March 1999 with Jeff Gordon.
The event was his debut as Xfinity Series crew chief 21 years ago.
This Is 2020: Entering Bristol, Graf Jr. has 29 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts to his credit with four top-15 and 10 top-20 finishes. After 26 races in 2020, he stands 22nd in the championship standings with seven races remaining.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Veteran Gray Gaulding returns to the seat of the No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Chevrolet on Friday night.
The 22-year-old will make his fourth Xfinity start of 2020, all with SS GreenLight Racing.
Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).
For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.
Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:
On Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway: “It was a tough finish for our No. 08 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet. We struggled with the balance early in the race and got a couple laps down and never really could recover.
“We then got spun later and even had to pit under the green flag and lost the opportunity to make some gains during the final stage.
“27th is tough to swallow, but I believe in this team and we will bounce back next weekend at Las Vegas.”
On Races for Faces: “I’ve had a relationship with myFace for several years now and I’m proud that I’m able to have an impact on their Races for Faces event this year through the Xfinity Series race.
“The goal is to finish all 200 laps or more so we can make a contribution to a worthy foundation.”
On Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway: “I’m optimistic about returning to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. It is going to be a hot one, but I am determined to get us a good finish for the guys on this SS GreenLight Racing team and our partner Bucked Up.
“There isn’t much racing left on the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule, so it’s important for us to go out there and give it everything we have so we can end the year on a high note.”
Race Information:
The Alsco 300 (200 laps | 300 miles) is the 27th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2020 schedule. The 36-car field will take the green flag shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 16, 2020, with live coverage on NBCSN, the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Pacific).
About SS Green Light Racing:
As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing has been a developmental hub for drivers looking to climb the ranks. Led by owner and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team has fielded entries in either the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.
Coming off a successful 2019 Xfinity campaign, SS GreenLight Racing looks to build further momentum with their two-car program in 2020.
