JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
RACE: Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, July 17, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Josh Berry
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Spicy Chicken Sandwich Chevrolet
• Josh Berry will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet at New Hampshire, filling in for the injured Michael Annett, who is expected to return for the Aug. 7 race at Watkins Glen.
• This is Berry’s first appearance on the 1.058-mile oval.
• In six starts on tracks measuring 1 mile or less in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Berry has earned one victory (at Martinsville Speedway), a second-place finish (Dover International Speedway) and two more top-10 results at Richmond Raceway in 2015 and Iowa Speedway in 2016.
• In 15 starts this season, Berry has the victory at Martinsville, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes and has led a total of 151 laps.

Sam Mayer
No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer will make his first NXS start at New Hampshire this weekend in the No. 8 Chevrolet.
• Mayer has competed at tracks measuring 1-mile in length in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series a combined five times with one win coming at Dover in 2020.
• The 18-year-old Franklin, Wis. native comes into New Hampshire after earning his best finish of ninth at Atlanta in only his third NXS start.
• To date in the 2021 season, the No. 8 team has earned one win (Martinsville Speedway), four top fives and eight top 10s while pacing the field for 151 laps.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• With his third-place run at Atlanta last weekend, Noah Gragson earned his second top-five finish in the last three races and his fifth straight top 10.
• In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Gragson won the pole and led 40 laps at New Hampshire in 2017 before an accident derailed his bid for victory. He finished 15th in that event.
• In 12 starts on 1-mile tracks over his NXS career, Gragson has a second-place run in the 2020 season finale at Phoenix as his best finish, along with another top five at Dover and eight top-10 results.
• Gragson will celebrate his 23rd birthday on July 15th.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier will be making his 10th career NXS start at New Hampshire this weekend.
• In nine previous starts in Loudon, Allgaier has scored one top five, six top 10s and a best finish of third in 2019.
• Overall, Allgaier has recorded four victories on tracks 1-mile in length in the NXS, with two victories coming at both Phoenix Raceway and Dover International Speedway.
• Allgaier currently sits third in the NXS Playoff Grid with eight races remaining in the regular season by virtue of victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

Driver Quotes

“I can’t thank this Pilot Flying J team for giving me the opportunity to fill in while Michael heals. I hope everything goes as planned and Michael recovers quickly. Going to another track I’ve never seen isn’t that big of a deal anymore to me. I’ve had some good runs at places I’ve never raced on this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing what New Hampshire is like. I know that JR Motorsports and Mike Bumgarner prepare excellent Chevrolets every week, and I am eager to see how fast this Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will be.” – Josh Berry

“Loudon should be interesting this weekend. It’s the last race before we hit the two-week Olympic break and hopefully we can enter this break with a lot of momentum on our side. We had a strong run the last time we got to race here back in 2019 and I feel confident that we can take what we learned in that race and apply it to Saturday to have another solid day and be in contention for the win when it counts with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet.” – Justin Allgaier

“It felt good to put a complete race together last week and get our first top-10 finish together. This will be my first time at New Hampshire but I know Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and this entire No. 8 team will unload a fast Chevrolet for me this weekend. It will take a few laps to figure out how it drives, but once we figure that out I think we will have another shot at a great finish this weekend.” – Sam Mayer

“I’ve only run New Hampshire once since we didn’t get a chance to come up here last season during the pandemic, but we finished 10th and had a fast car that weekend. We’ve had a fast Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro as of late and I know this weekend will be no different. We’re going to go out and try to lock ourselves into the playoffs and earn a couple playoff points to help us out.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:
• JR Motorsports at New Hampshire: JR Motorsports has competed at New Hampshire a combined 34 times in the NXS. Over the course of these 34 starts at the 1-mile oval, JRM has tallied five top fives and 19 top 10s. JRM has a best finish of third – on four different occasions – with the most recent being Justin Allgaier’s third-place effort during the 2019 season.
• Pilot Flying J Chicken Sandwich: The No. 1 Chevrolet will carry a special paint scheme for the debut of two delicious new chicken sandwiches at more than 300 Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the country. As race fans continue to hit the road to follow their favorite sport, they can visit Pilot Flying J to refuel and fill up with a satisfyingly Spicy or classic Southern chicken sandwich.
• Ride with Dale Jr: Are you ready for the ride of your life? We have the perfect bucket-list item that we know won’t disappoint! Get ready to buckle up and ride shotgun with Dale Jr. for three full-speed laps around Bristol Motor Speedway in the No. 8 Good Humor car. This once-in-a-lifetime experience also includes two tickets to the Xfinity race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a private tour of JR Motorsports and private lunch hosted by Kelley Earnhardt Miller, a five-night hotel stay, two tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and more! Join us in helping fulfill our mission to give back and spread hope to children all across the country. Get your $10 raffle ticket today before this opportunity speeds by you!

Annett to Undergo Surgery for Stress Fracture

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 12, 2021) – Michael Annett, driver of the No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, will miss this Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway following an MRI which revealed a stress fracture in the Iowa driver’s right femur. Josh Berry, who ran 12 races for the team in the No. 8 Chevrolet this season, will sit in for the recovering Annett this weekend.

The MRI revealed the fracture on Monday, and surgery to repair it will take place on Tuesday. Following this weekend’s event at NHMS, the series will have two weekends off due to the Tokyo Olympics, and doctors have said the three-week recuperation should allow Annett time to resume his duties when the series races again on Aug. 7 at Watkins Glen International.

Annett, 35, was forced to miss last Saturday’s NXS race at Atlanta Motor Speedway due to the injury. Austin Dillon raced the Pilot Flying J-sponsored Chevrolet to an 11th-place finish in that event.

JRM has requested a medical waiver for Annett from NASCAR regarding his status for the NXS Playoffs. Following the Atlanta race, Annett stands 11th in the playoff field.

In his 15 NXS starts this season, 12 of them in JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet, Berry has earned a victory at Martinsville Speedway, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 20th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

STATESVILLE, N.C. (July 12, 2021) – Our Motorsports announces today the addition of Patrick Emerling to its driver roster for the No. 23 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Emerling will pilot the entry of this weekend’s Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to drive the No. 23 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway,” Said Emerling. “New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of my favorite tracks. I am looking forward to pulling double duty in the Xfinity Series and Whelen Modified Tour.” 

The 28-year-old made his NXS debut in 2020 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Emerling is currently leading in points in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.  “We are looking forward to a good showing with Patrick with his experience at New Hampshire Speedway. He brings a ton of talent to our team,” said Our Motorsports Owner Chris Our. The Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will take the green flag on Saturday, July 17 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The 200-lap event will be broadcast on NBSCN.

About Our Motorsports

Our Motorsports competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, fielding the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro for Brett Moffitt, and the No. 23 Chevrolet Camaro for multiple drivers. To find out more information about our team, please visit ourmotorsportsgroup.com.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race: Credit Karma Money 250
Date: July 10, 2021

No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 4th
Stage 1: 30th
Stage 2: 11th
Finish: 10th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 164/164
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+74)

Notes:

• Austin Cindric scored a 10th-place finish in the Credit Karma Money 250 Saturday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Cindric claimed his 14th top-10 effort in 18 races this season and grabbed his third top-10 in five starts at Atlanta. The driver of the No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang remains the leader in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings, 74 markers ahead of ahead of second-place AJ Allmendinger.
• The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rulebook, which gave Cindric the fourth-place starting position. He slipped back to seventh position during the opening laps of the race, battling a loose handling Mustang. Crew chief Brian Wilson called his driver to pit road during the first caution on lap 22 for a track bar adjustment and packer to aid the handling but received no fresh tires or fuel during the stop. Cindric was one of just a few cars to pit and he restarted 33rd on lap 24. The handling woes continued for the young driver, and he was left with a 30th-place finish when Stage 1 ended on lap 40. Wilson called his driver to pit road during the stage caution on lap 43 for four tires, fuel, and major adjustments to the CarShop Ford. The team was hit with a penalty for a crewmember over the wall too soon which shuffled Cindric back to 36th when the race went green on lap 46.
• Stage 2 saw Cindric and the team fight their way back through the field. He reported that his Mustang’s handling condition improved, and he was able to race his way to the 11th position when the segment concluded on lap 80. Once again Wilson made the call for his driver to pit during the stage caution, opting once more for major chassis adjustments, four tires, and fuel. The reigning Xfinity Series Champion restarted the final stage eighth on lap 86.
• Throughout the remainder of the race, Cindric maintained track position inside the top-10. The final stage was punctuated by five cautions, the last of which on lap 159 pushed the race into NASCAR Overtime. Cindric made his final stop on lap 148 and did a solid job managing the each of the chaotic restarts that closed the race and was rewarded with a top-10 finish.

Quote: “We came here with a new setup and tried to make things work today and we found ourselves in about the same position. I know there’s a lot we’ll learn from today and I’ll definitely do a lot of self-reflecting to make sure I can create a better environment. I think we minimized damage there at the end. Probably the highlight of my day was the middle of five on the restart by my doing and gaining spots from it, so we’ll move on. I think we were only going to go forward from where we started in the race, so I appreciate Brian and the guys on the CarShop team sticking with me.”

Riley Herbst Finishes 19th at Atlanta
Monster Energy Ford Driver Battles Loose-Handling Racecar

Date: July 10, 2021
Event: Credit Karma Money 250 (Round 18 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 163 laps, broken into three stages (40 laps/40 laps/83 laps)
Start/Finish: 10th / 19th (Running, completed 164 of 164 laps)
Point Standing: 13th (391 points, 357 out of first)
Note: Race extended one lap past its scheduled 163-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford team endured a day of frustrations as they finished 19th in Saturday’s Credit Karma Money 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Las Vegas native rolled off 10th when the green flag waved on the 1.54-mile oval in Hampton, Georgia. A loose-handling racecar caused Herbst’s Ford Mustang to fall back in the field during the first stage. After restarting 12th on lap 25, Herbst reported that he might have had a throttle issue. The team opted to keep the Monster Energy driver out until the Stage 1 break, when a longer pit stop for four tires, fuel, a wedge adjustment, and to check the engine put him one lap down. When the second stage went green, Herbst used the car’s adjustments to his advantage and quickly raced his way into the Lucky Dog position just before a lap-50 caution enabled him to get back on the lead lap. By the time the race got back underway on lap 56, the 22-year-old driver wasted no time in his march through the field after restarting 35th. He broke into the top-20 by lap 76 and ended the second stage in that position. With a little help from his Monster Energy pit crew, Herbst was able to gain eight spots on pit road during the break to restart the final stage 12th. When the race went green on lap 87, Herbst was fighting for a spot in the top-12 while his racecar developed a loose condition as the stage progressed. When the caution flag waved on lap 146, the team called its driver to pit road for fuel, four scuffed tires, and a slight wedge adjustment. Unfortunately, a speeding penalty sent Herbst to the end of the longest line. A flurry of late-race cautions hindered the team’s forward progress, and it ultimately had to settle for its 11th top-20 finish of the season.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“That definitely wasn’t the day we were hoping for in Atlanta. Our Monster Energy Ford Mustang was loose for most of the race, and I just needed help with the balance. That caution with 17 laps to go hit us at the wrong time, and then we just made a mistake. I wish I could’ve gotten a better finish for my team. We’ll move on to New Hampshire.”

Notes:

● Kyle Busch won the Credit Karma Money 250 to earn his 102nd career victory, his fifth of the season and his third at Atlanta. His margin over second-place Jeb Burton was .550 of a second.

● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 43 laps.

● Thirty of the 40 drivers in the Credit Karma Money 250 finished on the lead lap.

● Austin Cindric remains the championship leader after Atlanta with a 74-point advantage over second-place A.J. Allmendinger.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 on Saturday, July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Team Battle Through Challenging Race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Finish: 21st
Start: 15th
Points: 12th

“We really had to fight hard for every spot today with the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Camaro. We tried a lot of different lines today, but I couldn’t get through the corners like I really wanted to. It was almost like the car was numb entering the corners, so I couldn’t run the bottom lane well, which is always really important at Atlanta. My team worked really hard today on making adjustments that would help, but it was just a tough day and we never really caught a break. We saved a set of tires longer than pretty much anyone else in the field, and that paid off when the caution came out with 11 laps to go. Unfortunately, we never really got a long enough green flag run after that during those final laps with the multiple cautions that came out to really put the tires to good use. You’ll have these days at the track, but our team will come out stronger on the other side. We’ll regroup together and see where we can continue to improve as we prepare for New Hampshire next week.” -Myatt Snider

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Credit Karma Money 250
Atlanta Motor Speedway | Saturday, July 10, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
10th – Austin Cindric
12th – Ryan Sieg
19th – Riley Herbst

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Car Shop Ford Mustang –NOT A BAD BOUNCE BACK FROM HOW YOU STARTED. “Between being the last one on old tires and everything we went through for today — not even close on our Car Shop Ford Mustang. Unfortunately, that was the position we were in last time we were here and came with a new setup and tried to make things work today and we found ourselves in about the same position or maybe worse. I know there’s a lot we’ll learn from today and definitely do a lot of self-reflecting to make sure I can create a better environment affect like this, but just really unfortunate. Like I said, I think we minimized damage there at the end. Probably the highlight of my day was the middle of five on the restart by my doing and gaining spots from it, so we’ll move on.”

THE ADJUSTMENTS YOU MADE ON YOUR FIRST STOP SEEMED TO WORK IN STAGE 2, GOING FROM P36 TO P11. HOW CRITICAL WAS THAT? “I think we were only going to go forward from where we started in the race, so I appreciate Brian and the guys sticking with me. I did the same for them and probably got a maximized result out of it.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 CMR Construction and Roofing/A-Game Ford Mustang — “It was just that mistake that cost our day. We had fresh tires compared to some, but just got mixed up on that choose rule. It sucks we had to go to the rear. We probably would have finished right there, somewhere in the top five I feel like with the car as good as we had it. That’s just the way it is. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.”

SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway | Credit Karma Money 250

Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): G-Coin
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Joe Williams
Credit Karma Money 250 Starting Position: 33rd (Event Formula)
Driver Points Position: 31st | Owner Points Position: 36th
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

Notes of Interest:

Welcome Back: This weekend at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, SS GreenLight Racing and Joe Graf Jr. welcome back Z Grills as the primary partner of the team’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday afternoon’s Credit Karma Money 250.

Atlanta marks the fourth of a multi-race deal where Z Grills, one of the most respected names in pellet grills will be the primary partner.

About Z Grills: As an industry-leading manufacturer for more than 30 years, Z Grills manufactured grills, kitchen equipment and outdoor products for several top brands in the industry.

Five years ago, Z Grills launched its own brand. With more than 500% yearly sales growth, Z Grills has quickly become the best pellet grills in the market and received tons of great reviews among mass media sites, BBQ influencers and Z Grills customers.

Now, Z Grills has grown into one of the most respected brands in the pellet grill industry.

Z Grills 8 in 1 pellet grills can grill, smoke, bake, roast, sear, braise, barbecue or char-grill.

See how Joe Graf Jr. cooks with Z Grills by clicking here.

Saving You Some Money: As summer kicks off, Joe Graf Jr.’s other marketing partner Z Grills wants to help the NASCAR community save money – but also enjoy the perfect barbecue.

In preparation of their upcoming partner at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway this weekend, Z Grills Racing (ZGrillsRacing.com) is offering a 10 percent discount off your TOTAL purchase, using the code NASCAR at checkout.

Z Grills Racing Tip of the Week: In this weekend’s Z Grills Racing tip of the week: Season your new pellet grill according to the manufacturer’s directions (a process that usually takes 45 minutes to one hour). This burns off any residual oils from the manufacturing process.

New Leadership: SS GreenLight Racing announced this week that Joe Williams will take over crew chief duties for Joe Graf Jr. beginning with this weekend’s race at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.

Williams joins SS GreenLight Racing after a tenure at Our Motorsports. Additionally, Danny Johnson joins the Mooresville, N.C.-based team as car chief.

VIP Exclusive: Thanks to partner G-Coin, a product that brings gold into the digital age – race fans have an opportunity to win a VIP passes for a NASCAR Xfinity Series race of their choice.

To enter, follow @JoeGrafJr and @The_GCoin on Twitter, tag two friends and simply download the G Coin app to your mobile device. A winner will be chosen at the end of the month.

Welding Another Partnership: Recently, SS GreenLight Racing and Joe Graf Jr. announced that PowerWeld will serve as the primary marketing partner of the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for the upcoming New Holland 250 at Michigan International Speedway in August.

PowerWeld is a leading brand in the industrial welding products market across North America. Its core areas of focus include welding filler metals, arc, MIG and TIG welding accessories and equipment, gas welding and cutting accessories and equipment, and welding safety.

PowerWeld products are designed to withstand the daily rigors of industrial applications, including manufacturing, metalworking, oil and gas, construction, fabrication, shipyards, automotive repair and more.

PowerWeld products are available at quality distributors and retailers in the United States and Canada.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Credit Karma Money 250 will mark Graf’s third NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the fast 1.54-mile quad-oval.

Earlier this year, Graf started 24th in his No. 07 HAZHEART.com Chevrolet Camaro but battled handling issues that relegated the team to a 29th place result.

In his track debut last June, he finished 26th.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 26 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 25.0 and an average result of 24.2

Put Me In Coach: In an effort to strengthen his physique, Joe Graf Jr. began working with new trainer and former NASCAR Cup Series Josh Wise during the offseason.

In addition to Wise, Graf has also been working with former NASCAR driver and open-wheel driver Scott Speed on being more discipline behind the wheel of his No. 07 G-Coin Chevrolet Camaro.

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 80 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $90,000.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will crew chief his 50th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon and his third race at Atlanta.

In his previous 49 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Rookie Carson Ware will drive the No. 17 JACOB Construction Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday afternoon.

Ware is poised to make his fifth career Xfinity Series start and second of the 2021 season but first at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

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 Atlanta Motor Speedway: “Atlanta is a very unique race track, especially since the pavement is the oldest of any track that we race on throughout the year. It is going to be hot this weekend in Atlanta, which means the track will be slick, hopefully, we can use that to our advantage.

“I’m glad to have Z Grills back on the car this weekend and hopefully we can give them their best finish of the season on Saturday afternoon.”

On New Leadership: “I have a positive outlook on the second half of the season even though the results were not what we were hoping for to start the year.

“I will continue to work hard and give everything both on and off the track to enhance the overall presence and performance of our team and partners for the rest of the 2021 season.”

On Recent Performances: “Most of the first half of the season has been tough, however, it is during times like this that all your mental discipline and training really come to the forefront.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of mental toughness in overcoming obstacles you don’t control.

“When I look at the speed and balance of our cars this year, they are much better than last year. That isn’t from luck. That is from the hard work and grind it out mental toughness of this team.

“It’s such a shame that we have had such a rough stretch, but this is no different than life. We all experience highs and lows in life. Like anyone at a low point, we are going to remain mentally tough and keep moving forward. We embrace the suck. We know it can’t last.

“Going forward we are going to focus on what we can control and continue to execute at our highest level during the second half of the year. There are a ton of races left in the season and hopefully, we have shaken the bad luck. I would be worried if our cars lacked competitiveness, but they don’t. We have a lot of racing left and we are due for some good luck.”
Race Information:

The Credit Karma Money 250 (163 laps | 251.02 miles) is the 18th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. The race will take the green flag on Sat., Jul. 10, 2021, shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).
About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter has been a mainstay in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

SS GreenLight Racing will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021.

Toyota Racing – Harrison Burton
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

ATLANTA (July 8, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Harrison Burton was made available to media prior to the Atlanta race weekend today:

HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 Offerpad “Awesome Different” Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

We hear you have a new paint scheme.

“Yeah, we do have a new paint scheme. It’s a pretty wild looking paint scheme. Pretty goofy pictures with me on the front of it. I guess it’s a great way for Offerpad some exposure and Atlanta is a big market for them, so it’s an important race for us to get them out front, but the hood of both mine and Denny (Hamlin) are pretty goofy looking and Offerpad tends to be pushing me in the direction out of my comfort zone and doing things that are less than normal, but it’s also creative and awesome and it really matches their style when you look at how they are selling houses and what they do is just completely different from what other people are doing – just like Denny and I’s racecars for this weekend. They are pretty wild, pretty different and it will be pretty funny. It will be pretty awesome to try to get my goofy looking face up there in Victory Lane.”

What is the face on the right-hand side? What is the expression?

“We had a little photo shoot day and filmed that commercial that Offerpad has been running with me and Denny (Hamlin) doing all of those goofy poses and stuff. It was a different kind of photo shoot than what NASCAR drivers normally do. Then after all of that video filming they had us go take pictures, so that’s what all of those were. It was recreating different old 80s kind of photographs that were on the internet. That one was – you looked like you just saw a ghost or something. So, I just opened my eyes as wide as I could and that’s what they ended up putting on the hood of my racecar.”

What did you see in the last part of the race at Road America?

“It was time to go for me and I guess Myatt (Snider) missed a corner some and kind of put himself in a vulnerable spot and I tried to fill a gap that quickly closed between those two guys (Snider and Tommy Joe Martins). I didn’t intend for them to spin out or wreck. I wasn’t really angry at anybody. I saw a gap and I went for it, and it closed pretty rapidly, but lucky for us, we did not have too substantial damage. We had some splitter damage from it, but nothing too crazy and we were able to keep going. That’s just racing. You look at the Xfinity Series on road courses, it’s ultra-aggressive. Guys are really doing anything that they can to get by other guys. It’s a big challenge – what is the level of aggression that you have to be at. Sometimes you are over-aggressive, and things happen, but if you are not over-aggressive, you are going to get run over by some guys. I didn’t have any frustrations that led to that. That was me just trying to go. It was time to go at the end of the race and went for a gap that closed.”

You are fifth in points, but you don’t have any wins – so has this been a good season or a not-so-good season?

“We’ve had the speed to win. We got some analytics back that we’ve been looking at and it’s almost frustrating, because our average running position has been better than last year. Our average lap time has been better than last year. Pretty much all of the analytics other than the win column have been better. Why is that? I don’t know. Racing is challenging sometimes in that way. The season is not over yet. We’ve got a lot of racing left and my team and I fully believe that we can win this championship and have a lot of confidence going into each and every weekend. I think the w’s will come. I feel like I say that a lot on these Zooms. We just have to stay the course. We’ve been doing that. I’ve made some mistakes being a little bit over aggressive at some times and I’ve wrecked more than I usually do. Just getting back to what I know and getting back to winning races the way that I win races and that’s by being methodical and putting myself in the best position possible. I think if start doing that, we will start winning more and more often.”

When trying to prepare for this week, do you look more at earlier this year or last summer?

“Probably more last summer. March really was pretty cold, gripped up. It was actually more normal. I only ran Atlanta last year in the hottest temperatures possible and I was talking to Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) earlier this week about how shocked I was this year about how gripped up the track was. He was like, ‘you’ve only ran Atlanta in the worst possible scenarios, when it’s summer and 90 degrees.’ This is a completely different racetrack now, when we go – it’s going to be hot. I look at Atlanta 1 and Atlanta 2 completely different, so most of my preparation will be from last year. There are obviously things that can carry over, but most of it will be from last year for sure.”

How have you studied and prepared for Atlanta’s surface?

“It is crazy. Atlanta is one of the toughest racetracks because there is so many different ways that you can get around Atlanta. There is the (Kevin) Harvick line. You can run up top in (turns) one and two. You can arc. You can run shallow. You can leave low and straight or let the car have its head. It’s crazy. Every single different approach you have to be ready to do, because the track is always changing. That’s the thing that is crazy about racing that it’s hard to explain to fans. It is a different racetrack, especially at an old surface – every time you go back. You look at (Las) Vegas 1 or Vegas 2 or Atlanta 1 or Atlanta 2. Or Pocono is a recent racetrack we went to – the bumps in the tunnel turn were getting tremendously worse, year in and year out and becoming more of a challenge. Atlanta the temperatures are so different. Vegas the temperatures are so different, and it just changes everything about these racetracks. That’s the toughest things to prepare for is what’s going to be fast, how do you have to manage the race when you don’t even know what kind of track you are going to race. You can have an idea, but until you get out there and race, you don’t know, especially without practice.”

Do you think your mile-and-a-half program gives you momentum going into this weekend and what is the biggest thing that you have to work on?
“I think so. I think that has been our strength in some cases and short tracks have kind of been our strength. Mile-and-a-halves and short tracks, I always feel more confident just because it’s something we do more and more. It’s something that a guy with limited experience like myself – I’ve been able to have more chances at it. Anytime that you can go to a place like Atlanta that I’ve ran well in Trucks, ran well in the Xfinity car. I feel like we are going to run well this weekend. It’s always a confidence booster and when you put it on the same kind of configuration that you’ve had some success on, that’s a good thing. The hardest thing to prepare for is how to maintain track position. When you go to Atlanta, you know that you are going to have to pit a lot. You know you are going to have to restart on maybe old tires once or twice, so how do you manage the restarts? How do you stay in front of guys that are behind you and have a run up at you and you’ve got old tires trying not to spin them? It’s a big challenge. The restarts at Atlanta I think are the biggest thing to prepare for and how maintain track position there – especially with the choose cone. The outside is so hard to get going. There’s a lot of rows that you can make up by choosing that outside, but it might turn around and bite you in the butt pretty quick. Every week there is a lot to prepare for, but Atlanta is definitely sometimes a little bit extra.”

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RILEY HERBST
Atlanta NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
• Event: Credit Karma Money 250 (Round 18 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, July 10
• Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Layout: 1.54-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst comes into Saturday’s Credit Karma Money 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway fresh off a seventh-place drive last Saturday in the Henry 180 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The finish kept Herbst and his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang in the playoff hunt with only nine races remaining before the cutoff to make the 12-driver playoff field. Herbst is currently 43 points behind 12th-place Brandon Brown. Herbst can either use the next nine races to point his way into the playoffs or score a win and immediately earn a playoff berth.

• Intermediate tracks are the most prevalent on the Xfinity Series schedule, and Herbst has found himself close to winning on that style of track. Second is Herbst’s best career Xfinity Series result, which he has earned twice, with the most recent coming last July at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta – an intermediate-style track similar to Atlanta. In Herbst’s most recent trip to Atlanta back in March, he delivered a sixth-place finish.

• The Credit Karma Money 250 will mark Herbst’s 61st career Xfinity Series start and his third at Atlanta. He has six top-fives and 26 top-10s dating back to his first career start on June 17, 2018 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, where Herbst finished an impressive sixth. Of Herbst’s 30 starts on intermediate tracks, the 22-year-old has scored 22 top-12 finishes. In addition, seven of the past 13 winners on intermediate tracks have been under the age of 26.

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

You’re heading back to Atlanta where you scored a sixth-place finish in March. What are your thoughts heading into Saturday’s race?

“I’m excited. It’s going to be interesting to race at Atlanta in the middle of the summer. When we came here back in March, it was a good race for us with the top-10 finish. Hopefully, we can take the momentum from this past weekend and what we learned last time at Atlanta to be competitive this weekend. We’ve had the speed to run up front, now we just need to stay out of trouble.”

You’re below the cutoff line for the Xfinity Series Playoffs at the moment, but that point situation can change from one race to another. How are you strategizing with only nine races left in the regular season?

“Obviously, a win would be the perfect solution to our points situation, but I think we’re still in a place where we can point our way into the playoffs, if needed. Luck hasn’t been on our side this season, so hopefully that’ll change in the next nine races. We’re working on getting there with some great runs at the next few tracks.”

You’re fresh off a strong top-10 run at Road America and you finished in the top-10 at Atlanta in March. Does that help your confidence heading into the race weekend?

“Yeah, I think so. We know that we’ve had fast cars all season long and it’s just a matter of doing what we need to do and staying out of trouble most race weekends. Road America is a tough track, but I was able to pull off a great finish for the Monster Energy team. The last time we were in Atlanta, I also had a strong race, too. We just have to keep our heads straight and keep pulling off strong finishes.”

No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Engineer: Justin Bolton
Hometown: Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Engineer: DJ VanderLey
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson
Hometown: Fort Mill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Fueler: James Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California

Jackman: Sean Cotten
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Road Crew Members:

Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey

Front End Mechanic: Mike Brill
Hometown: Woodsville, New Hampshire

Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine