SS Greenlight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway | Nalley Cars 250
Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Gtechniq
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Joe Williams
Spotter: TJ Bell
2022 Driver Points Position: 28th | 2022 Owner Points Position: 20th
Engine: Roush Yates Engines (RYE)
Notes of Interest:
Glad To Have You: This weekend at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Gtechniq, a leader in automotive protective coatings products will serve as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 07 Ford Mustang.
Headquartered in Cumming, Ga., the Gtechniq range includes composite ceramic coatings, leather protection, fabric protection, wheel and trim protection, shampoos and much more.
The Nalley Cars 250 will mark the company’s first foray into NASCAR.
Sponsor Intel: In 2004, scientists at Gtechniq created a superior line of products aimed at perfecting all vehicle surfaces. And over the last 20 years, these products have been continually improved to provide a range that outshines and outlasts the competition.
Gtechniq’s line of surface preparation and finishing products are designed to clean, polish, and protect all automotive exteriors, in a way no traditional wax applications can match.
Settling In: Atlanta marks the fifth race that the SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (SSGLRwJL) team embraces their manufacturer switch from Chevrolet to Ford while incorporating its technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing.
SHR will supply the organization with race cars while Roush Yates Engines will provide the legendary Ford horsepower.
In addition to providing race cars to SSGLRwJL, SHR will also provide technical support for the entire 33-race season.
Additionally, Graf will have NASCAR Cup Series and Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe as teammates for select events throughout the 2022 season.
Don’t Forget The New Partner Too: SS GreenLight Racing has added Jeff Lefcourt as a new co-owner of the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, as well as director of business development for the organization.
Lefcourt, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. joins SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (SSGLRwJL) with a long history of racing endeavors including owning Bethel (N.Y.) Motor Speedway in upstate New York, a current-NASCAR sanctioned race track.
The noted philanthropist, entrepreneur and real estate developer has deep ties to grassroots racing and was instrumental in helping secure the Stewart-Haas Racing alliance with SSGLRwJL in 2022.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Atlanta Motor Speedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in Saturday afternoon’s Nalley Cars 250.
In his three previous Atlanta races, he finished 26th, 29th and 25th respectively. The former ARCA Menards Series winner’s previous experience at the Hampton, Ga. race track likely won’t be a factor this weekend as the track has undergone a repave and a configuration change that is presenting a series of unknowns for the drivers and teams.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Speedway Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 35 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with an average starting position of 26.5 and an average result of 25.5.
Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway | United Rentals 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway, Graf contended for a track-best finish aboard his No. 07 Bucked Up Gym N’ Juice Energy Drink Ford Mustang, but a late-race hiccup hampered the team’s effort and resulted in a disappointing 27th place finish.
School Back In Session: While juggling a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt, 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.
Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.
The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.
He will crew chief his 70th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his fourth at the 1.5-mile speedway.
In his previous 69 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt. Veteran David Starr will drive the No. 08 TicketSmarter Ford Mustang on Saturday for his second start of the 2022 season.
Starr is set to make his 236th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and 10th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His best Xfinity track finish occurred in the 2015 Hisense 250, where he finished 26th after starting 30th for TriStar Motorsports.
Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).
For more on SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Instagram (@ssgreenlightracing) and Twitter (@SSGLR0708).
Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:
On Atlanta Motor Speedway: “I really feel like I am in the same boat as the other drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, I don’t know what to expect. Everyone keeps saying the race will probably race like a Daytona or Talladega, but we won’t actually know until we put 38 cars on the track on Saturday afternoon.
“I am confident though that no matter what type of racing the track produces we’ll have the speed in our No. 07 Gtechniq Ford Mustang to contend for a strong finish.”
On Gtechniq Partnership: “I’m proud to welcome a Georgia-based company to the SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt family at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“As the spring and summer months approach, everyone certainly wants their cars to look its best in the sun and Gtechniq not only offers a product that makes it happen, but they outshine and outlast their competition.
“With the new surface, Atlanta is going to be a wild card race, but I’m confident that with the speed that we have showcased this season with the support of Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines we will be in contention for a strong finish.”
On Opening Races of 2022: “I know the results may not show a whole lot, but we have some good speed with our SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt race cars. We are still learning in our new relationship with Ford Performance, Stewart-Haas Racing and Roush Yates Engines.
“It wasn’t going to come magically overnight that we were going from mid-pack to contending for wins, but we are making progress. If we can continue to inch our way forward in the weeks and months ahead, I am hoping by summer we can showcase what this team is capable of on a consistent weekly basis.”
Race Information:
The Nalley Cars 250 (163 laps | 251.02 miles) is the fifth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on race day, Sat., Mar. 19 at 11:40 a.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag shortly after 5:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.
About SS Green Light Racing with Jeff Lefcourt:
As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter and new partner Jeff Lefcourt has been a mainstay entry in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or Xfinity Series competition since 2001.
SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022.
