Category: XFINITY Series PR

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Daytona International Speedway Road Course
RACE: UNOH 188 (52 laps / 187.72 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett enters this week’s race at Daytona International Speedway’s road course on a streak of seven consecutive top-10 finishes in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition after finishing 10th at Road America last week.
• In two road course starts this season, Annett has finished in the top 10 twice, including a ninth at Indianapolis.
• The 3.61-mile road course at Daytona will host its first NXS race this weekend. At the 2.5-mile oval, Annett has one victory, two top-five and three top-10 finishes.
• Annett will return to the familiar Pilot Flying J scheme this weekend at Daytona. Annett has earned two top-five and six top-10 finishes in Pilot Flying J livery so far in 2020.

Daniel Hemric
No. 8 Poppy Bank Chevrolet
• Daniel Hemric will make his ninth NXS start on a road course this weekend in Daytona.
• In eight previous starts on road courses in the NXS, Hemric has earned three top fives, four top 10s and a best finish of second in the 2017 event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
• Hemric has also scored an additional two top-five finishes in six combined road course starts across the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Through 12 NXS starts in 2020, Hemric has earned a best finish of second at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson has two NXS starts at road courses in 2020 and holds an average finish of 4.5.
• Throughout Gragson’s NXS career on road courses, he has an average finish of 5.3, including four top fives and no finishes outside of the top 10.
• After 18 races in the 2020 season, Gragson leads the way for JRM with two wins, eight top fives, 12 top 10s and is currently fourth in the championship standings.
• Gragson is currently the series leader in stage wins, scoring a total of eight throughout the 2020 season.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier is a three-time winner on road courses in NXS competition. He’s visited Victory Lane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (2012), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America (2018).
• So far this season, the Illinois native’s best finish on a road course came at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July where he finished seventh after leading two laps.
• Last year, Allgaier posted four top-10 finishes in four starts on road courses with a best finish of third at Watkins Glen.
• Through 18 events in 2020, Allgaier has led 418 laps and won seven stages. He remains seventh in the NXS point standings.

Driver Quotes

“We had a solid run at Road America and continued our streak of top-10 finishes, so we’re feeling pretty good about this trip to the Daytona road course. None of us have ever raced on the new course, so it will be about who gets it right the quickest. With no practice or qualifying, it’s going to be interesting into Turn 1 for the first time. I’m looking for another good run at another new place.”– Michael Annett

“The Daytona road course is a track that I’ve wanted to race on for a long time. No one has had laps on the current configuration and we’re going to be starting the race without any practice, so it’s going to be a lot different than the scenario we had at Indy. We were able to get some laps in practice there and familiarize ourselves with what was going on. With Daytona, our familiarization is going to be Turn 1, lap 1 of the race. There’s going to be a lot of unknowns, but our BRANDT Professional Agriculture team has prepared as best we can and our goal is to come out of this weekend with a strong finish.” – Justin Allgaier

“This weekend is going to be really interesting at the Daytona road course. It’s a place that none of us have really competed at before and that’s going to make this race something to see. I’m really looking forward to getting down there and seeing what we can do with our Poppy Bank Chevrolet. I’ve always really enjoyed road racing and I feel extremely confident that we will unload with a lot of speed and be in contention all day long on Saturday.” – Daniel Hemric

“Heading to the Daytona road course and not having any practice beforehand is going to be a lot of fun. We’ve always brought great road course cars to the track and that gives me the confidence as we head into this weekend at a track very few of us have raced on. I’ve been in the Chevy sim trying to get familiar with the layout and braking points. I think the fans are in for a real treat because of the unknowns that this track is going to bring all of us. The last time we were at Daytona the Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro was in victory lane and I think that’s something we can do again this weekend!” – Noah Gragson

Ross Chastain to Pilot the No. 10 Moose Fraternity Chevrolet for Three Races in 2020

LEXINGTON, N.C. (August 11, 2020) — Kaulig Racing is thrilled to announce that the Moose Fraternity will be the primary partner on the No. 10 Chevrolet with Ross Chastain for three races beginning at the Daytona International Speedway (DIS) road-course race.

The Loyal Order of Moose, founded in 1888 in Mooseheart, IL, is an international fraternal and service organization dedicated to bringing communities closer together. With over one million members, the Moose Fraternity volunteers in local neighborhoods and contributes between $75 and $100 million annually to charitable organizations globally.

“Within the Moose Fraternity we have a solid base of members who are devoted fans of NASCAR racing,” according to Moose International CEO Scott Hart. “Our partnership with Kaulig Racing and Ross Chastain will bring not only racing excitement to our one million members, but provides a unique focus on our missions of helping children, seniors and communities.” Added Hart, “Kaulig Racing and the Moose Fraternity present a perfect match. There is a strong sense of family within both organizations and a belief that each member holds equal importance on the team.”

Along with serving local communities, the Moose Fraternity gives its members the opportunity to gather socially and celebrate life together in each local Moose Lodge.

“We are excited to have the Moose Fraternity on board our No. 10 Chevrolet,” said Kaulig Racing team president, Chris Rice. “Finding a partner whose values align with ours is very rare. We attribute our appetite for success with being a team with many motivated individuals who function as one, much like the Moose Fraternity. We know that community is important, especially during this hard time, so we are looking forward to coming together and building on this partnership with the Moose Fraternity.”

The No. 10 Moose Fraternity Chevrolet will make its NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) debut at the DIS road course, and will continue at the double-header event at Dover International Speedway.

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2020
HENRY 180 – ROAD AMERICA
FORD PERFORMANCE DRIVER – POST RACE QUOTES

FORD FINISHING RESULTS:
1st — Austin Cindric
3rd — Chase Briscoe

POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang — CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH THE FINAL LAPS? “Yeah, with the cars that didn’t pit we definitely knew whoever had us was going to have to navigate that traffic the quickest. We were able to get around and once AJ got clear I knew I was running qualifying laps. This car was really fast on short runs. Those guys brought a great package and I tried to mind my p’s and q’s and put together two of my best laps to come home with the win. I am over the moon about it. This is the first place I ran an Xfinity race and I feel like every time I have come here we have had a shot to win. It feels great to do it and do it in front of fans and a home crowd from Menards.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN HERE AT ROAD AMERICA? “I think this is a special race track to any racer. You hear guys like Mario Andretti talk about it being the most complete race track in the world. The fans that come out to this place, whether there is a pandemic or not, it is such a great atmosphere and great family atmosphere. It makes you want to do it even more as a driver. It challenges you in every type of way, especially when there is weather. It also feels awesome to win at all three of the natural born road courses on the Xfinity Series schedule with Watkins Glen, Ohio and Road America. Those three are special to me in different ways. I am so proud that I get to drive these race cars.”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE LAST TWO LAPS? HOW CONCERNED WERE YOU ABOUT ALLMENDINGER? “I knew I was in control if I made it past turn five. We struggled with braking stability there last year all weekend today and with low fuel, that will make that a lot worse. With the alternative pitting it definitely made it hard for us because we couldn’t add fuel to the car to add stability in the rear of the car when we put new tires on. It is a lightweight car but at the same time the braking stability was a big thing for me to lose. I was moving my brake bias about five times a lap. The end of that long run as well as the last two laps. I am sorry if I am blinking a lot but I got something in my eye halfway through the race and it hurts so bad. I have been blinking like the entire last hour.”

WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR EYE? “Something came in my visor or something. It has been stuck under my eyelid from like halfway through the race. I have had tears running down my face the entire race and I can’t get it out. I was taking my gloves off and whatever. When you have the adrenaline it isn’t a big deal apparently because right now it is driving me crazy.”

WHAT KIND OF SUMMER HAS THIS BEEN FOR YOU WITH FOUR WINS IN FIVE RACES? “It has been incredibly gratifying. When I have a team behind me like I do this year and those guys are so loyal to me and do such a great job with the tools that they have. When it comes to me, it is my job to do the best with the tools I have. I feel like from the start of this year I have been getting the most out of the cars I have been driving and it is gratifying to see the results. I look for that to continue. It is a really fun month of race tracks with the Daytona Road Course and Dover, one of my favorite tracks and a double header there. A doubleheader at Richmond and Darlington I get another shot to figure that place out. And then Bristol. We have a lot of race tracks that I am really looking forward to closing out the regular season.”

DID IT MATTER TO YOU IF IT WAS A TWO-LAP OR FOUR-LAP SHOOTOUT? “I definitely think I was going to be a little better the longer we ran. I felt like I was able to save my tires enough and was going to be able to control the pace of the race there after we got a couple laps. I felt like my braking stability was good enough to be able to do that. With the two laps, it was about clearing those lap cars as quickly as possible. You can get a dive-bomb pretty quickly at this race track. Having that five or six car length buffer was really important after the first few corners.”

WATKINS GLEN IS NOT ON THE SCHEDULE NOW AND IS A TRACK THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON NOT RACING THERE THIS YEAR? “We have added some races to the schedule and you would think I would be really excited about going to the Daytona road course but we have also taken two tracks that I won at last year off the schedule and I feel like we would be really good there if we started with no practice. I really wish we were still going back there. Those are great race tracks and have a great history with our race car and race team. I miss that we will miss out on those events but it definitely adds some unique venues to go to from here.”

IT FEELS LIKE YOU AND AJ ALLMENDINGER KEEP RACING FOR WINS ON ROAD COURSES. THOSE LAST TWO LAPS, DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAD A SENSE OF WHAT HE WAS GOING TO TRY IF HE GOT THERE? “Yeah, a big lunge. I definitely knew he was going to try to lunge the first opportunity that he got. I felt like we were really good in the back section of the race track and he was good in some of the slower corners. For me, those were weak points last year, the higher speed corners. I think that is where Christopher Bell was able to maintain a lead and gap himself. We were able to do that same thing today adopting that to our race car. I am happy we were able to do that. Once I got through turn five I knew that I was in control. I knew that once I made it through those areas that we were going to be set to go.”

WE HAD A LONG RED FLAG AND TONS OF CAUTIONS. AS A COMPETITOR IN THE RACE, HOW HARD IS IT HAVING TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT? “Honestly, it wasn’t as troubling as you would think. We got like a 10-lap practice if you think of it that way. I feel like if that stage would have run green at the beginning of the race we would have been able to figure out where our car was on the long run and I feel like that has been our advantage early in these races. To understand where our race car is very quickly and try to get a gap. We weren’t able to do that today. I think it was a great practice session for everybody else to kind of get the jitters out, especially the guys that have never been here before to understand the race track. I said it in my post-race interview, we definitely over pressured our tires. I was probably the fastest car on the track for the first four or five laps and then all of a sudden I was junk. No grip, sliding on top of the track, I could smell the tires. I was spinning my tires at the top of fourth gear. It was terrible. So, that is what prompted me to pit and put us on the correct strategy with having tires there at the end and having a little bit of track position. It worked out for the best. I had a lot of fun racing Justin. That was cool. I think we raced side-by-side for three laps straight which is 12 miles here. Hopefully we gave everyone at home something good to watch. I don’t know with the Cup race at Michigan if people were able to watch it but it was a lot of fun.”

DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT WEEK AT DAYTONA? “Honestly, I feel like Daytona with the exception of the new chicane that everyone else will have to learn as well as myself, it is a pretty straightforward race track. I expect the field to be tight like Indy. I wouldn’t rate Indy as the most difficult race track, the IndyGP, but I think that is why we saw some incredibly tight racing at that race track and I think you will see more of the same or even more at the Daytona road course. Given those straightaways it will be hard to get away from people in the draft. It is only like six or seven turns, not to downplay the track but I feel like guys will take to it and understand it quickly and it will put on a great show.”

JONES LEADS TOYOTA IN WEATHER-AFFECTED RACE AT ROAD AMERICA
Brandon Jones scored in 14th to lead Toyota

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 8, 2020) – Brandon Jones finished 14th to lead Toyota in the Henry 180 at Road America on Saturday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wisc.
Race 18 of 33 – 182.2 miles, 45 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Cindric*
2nd, AJ Allmendinger*
3rd, Chase Briscoe*
4th, Kaz Grala*
5th, Andy Lally*
14th, BRANDON JONES
16th, HARRISON BURTON
17th, JOSH BILICKI
22nd, STEPHEN LEICHT
23rd, RILEY HERBST
26th, JESSE IWUJI
33rd, SCOTT HECKERT
36th, CHAD FINCHUM
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Toyota Service Centers Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 14th

How was the race for you today overall?

“At the start of the race, I had a lot of confidence coming into it. For about three weeks, I would say or so, we ran laps on the simulator at TRD and that was really the best I’ve felt coming into the weekend. Was running probably sixth-place lap times to kickoff the race really good and I was probably running about 80 percent just trying to figure out for the final stage where I could possibly push my braking zone a little bit more and things like that. That way when it came down to the end of the race, I knew exactly how far I could push it. Then the rain hit, of course, and I have to figure out how to get some laps in the rain. That’s kind of what led to our day going backwards a little bit. I was just trying to be safe, to take it easy. I knew at the end of the race it was probably going to go back to dry, which it did. I think at that point we just got so far back in the pack with the rain that it was kind of hard to recover from it. Still did our job in a way, I never really ran off track. I never put ourselves in a terrible position at the end of the race. There’s still come good positives to come out of it. I still learned a bunch in the first half of the race as well. We’ll see. We’ve got some more crazy road courses coming up so maybe this is a little bit of a momentum booster going into those.”

Is it beneficial to go from one road course right to another?

“I think it is. Any time that you stop doing anything and then try and pick it back up in a week or even a month, I think it’s pretty difficult. It helps a bunch and right now we’ve been going to the go-kart track and wearing those out a bunch. We’re doing a bunch of things to just be focused purely on road course racing. If we were to go oval racing for a while and then come back and do that, it would be hard to switch it back on for me anyways just not being 100 percent used to it. I know I’ve been in the series awhile now, but still not something I grew up doing through my racing career. Something that we’re getting a heck of a lot better at I think. This is something that takes time and there’s a bunch of schools you can do and oval racing isn’t like that at all. Oval racing has no schools or anything so definitely a different style of racing.”

What is the hardest part of racing in the rain?

“My biggest thing is you can’t see anything. The rooster tails are incredible behind the cars and there’s people blowing by you and you can’t see a half a car length in front of you. If anybody wrecks in between that, you’re not going to see smoke or nothing. I think to be honest; timid-ness is the issue with me on the rain. If you can’t see, you’re not going to be very confident.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Henry Ford Health System 200 | Michigan International Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 44 12 Hour Auctions/State Water Heaters/ALSCO Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Jeb Burton
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @JebBurtonRacing

Jeb Burton on Racing at Michigan: “I’m thankful for another opportunity to go racing in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports,” said Burton. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of great companies like 12 Hour Auctions, State Water Heaters and ALSCO. Michigan is a fun track to race at. I have had a lot of strong runs here in the past. It’s a little tougher with no practice or qualifying, but I know this team has worked hard to put together a strong truck.”

Burton at Michigan: Burton has two NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series starts at Michigan International Speedway. In 2013, Burton started on the pole and finished 10th. In 2014, he earned an eighth-place result.

The Virginia-native has made one NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) start at the two-mile track, earning a ninth-place finish in 2019.

In addition, Burton has two NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway.

On the Truck: Burton and the No. 44 team will race with support from 12 Hour Auctions, State Water Heaters, and ALSCO.

12 Hour Auctions is a company that focuses on outdoor auctions. There are several daily auctions, lasting for only 12 hours. Every day of the year, item auctions begin at 7 a.m. CST. Each item thereafter begins five minutes after the last. Visit https://12hrauctions.com for more information.

State Water Heaters, a brand of State Industries, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters. State offers over 500 water heater products and has consistently developed new technologies to ensure longer product life.

Based in Ashland City, Tennessee, State has seven water heater manufacturing plants. Hundreds of distribution centers across the United States ensure efficient service to State’s national customer base of residential homeowners, wholesalers, contractors, and other members of the engineering community.

All State products are backed by customer technical support and durable tank and parts warranty.

Alsco was the first to offer linen and uniform rental services when founder, George A. Steiner, transformed a Lincoln, Nebraska, towel delivery route into a thriving commercial linen business, now headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Alsco has been an industry pioneer since 1889, blazing the trail for the laundering and delivery of ready-to-wear uniforms, starting with aprons and then moving on to every type of workwear application imaginable. Alsco also invented the continuous roll towel dispenser and pioneered the use of on-site garment lockers.

Henry Ford Health System 200 | Michigan International Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 40 Marquis Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ryan Truex
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex

Truex on Racing at Michigan: “Our 40 Marquis team has been working hard to get our Chevrolet ready to race at Michigan,” said Truex. “I’m thankful to Marquis and Niece Motorsports for another opportunity to get behind the wheel. I’ve had some strong runs at Michigan; it is a track that I really enjoy racing at.”

Truex at Michigan: Truex will make his third NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start at Michigan International Speedway on Friday. In his two previous starts, Truex has one top-five finish, a fourth-place result coming in 2017.

Truex has two NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, with one top-10 and two top-15 finishes. His best finish of 10th came in 2018.

On the Truck: The No. 40 Chevrolet will carry the Marquis colors at Michigan International Speedway.

Marquis, an employee-owned company founded in 1980, offers creative and innovative designs that provide the ultimate soaking experience, cost less to operate, and require the least amount of maintenance. Marquis spas are designed with cutting-edge features for supreme comfort and long-lasting enjoyment. Marquis is proud to craft a spa designed to enhance health and well-being.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2020, Niece Motorsports enters its fifth season in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel / lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Allmendinger Looking for Redemption Following Late-Race Tangle During 2019 Race at Road America

AJ Allmendinger Notes
Best start at Road America in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 1st (2013 & 2019)
Best finish at Road America in the NXS: 1st (2013)
Allmendinger earned Kaulig Racing its second-ever pole award at Road America in 2019

Kaulig Racing Notes
Best start at Road America in the NXS: 1st (2019)
Best finish at Road America in the NXS: 6th (2019)

Race Notes
Saturday, August 8 at 12PM ET on NBCSN
Stages: 14/29/45 Laps

AJ Allmendinger Quote
“We’re back at Road America. I’ve missed everyone at Kaulig Racing. I’ve been bored. I’ve been doing that TV thing for NBC Sports. That’s fun, but I’m ready to drive a racecar again. Here we go to Road America, one of the most traditional racetracks we have in the United States. It’s got long straightaways, fast, tight corners, and hard brake zones. I love everything about the place. I’ve been fortunate enough to win there once, and we had a chance last year. We’ve got Ellsworth Advisors on the racecar. I’m pumped to be back. Let’s go win us another race!”

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Ross Chastain Notes
Best start at Road America in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 15th (2016)
Best finish at Road America in the NXS: 7th (2018)

Kaulig Racing Notes
Best start at Road America in the NXS: 1st (2019)
Best finish at Road America in the NXS: 6th (2019)

Race Notes
Saturday, August 8 at 12PM ET on NBCSN
Stages: 14/29/45 Laps

Ross Chastain Quote
“We’re going road racing again this weekend. We get to turn right around road America on Saturday in our familiar No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions colors. I’ve got some really good teammates, and they go really fast. I’ve been trying to keep up with them when we turn right. Heavy braking and still making the apex is something I’ve been working on for years now. We’ll continue to try to get better and try to make myself better this weekend in the No. 10 car.”

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About Nutrien Ag Solutions™
Nutrien Ag Solutions™ is the retail division of Nutrien™ Ltd. It combines global innovation with local expertise to provide full-acre solutions through a network of trusted crop consultants at retail locations around the world. Nutrien Ag Solutions strives to help growers achieve the highest yields with the most sustainable solutions possible, offering a wide selection of products, including our proprietary brands: Loveland Products, Inc.®, Proven® Seed and Dyna-Gro® Seed.

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Road America
RACE: Henry 180 (45 laps / 182.16 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020

Michael Annett
No. 1 Allstate Parts and Service Chevrolet
• Michael Annett enters this week’s race at Road America on a streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition.
• Annett finished ninth in the first NXS road-course event of 2020 at Indianapolis on the Fourth of July.
• Road America’s 4.048-mile course was the site of the Iowa driver’s best road-course finish, a second in 2017.
• Annett will carry the same black and red colors of Allstate Parts and Service on his No. 1 Chevrolet this weekend as he did in 2017 when he finished in the runner-up position. He finished sixth at Homestead-Miami Speedway earlier this season with Allstate on board.

Daniel Hemric
No. 8 Poppy Bank Chevrolet
• Daniel Hemric will make his third NXS start at Road America on Saturday afternoon.
• In two previous starts at the 4.048-mile road course, Hemric has scored a best finish of third, coming in this event in 2018.
• Overall, in seven previous starts on road courses in the NXS, Hemric has earned three top fives, four top 10s and a best finish of second in the 2017 event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
• Through 11 NXS starts in 2020, Hemric has earned a best finish of second at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson started fifth and finished fourth in his lone NXS start at Road America in 2019.
• Overall on road courses in the NXS, Gragson has an average finish of 5.2, including four top fives and no finishes outside of the top 10.
• After 17 races in the 2020 season, Gragson leads the way for JRM with two wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s and is currently third in the championship standings.
• Gragson is currently the series leader in stage wins, scoring a total of eight in the 2020 season.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier is a previous winner at Road America, having won there in 2018 after leading 14 laps. It was the second of two road-course victories for the JRM driver that year.
• In eight NXS starts at the Wisconsin track, Allgaier has two top fives and five top 10s, including his victory.
• The racing veteran has 29 career NXS starts on road courses, with three wins, nine top fives and 20 top 10s.
• Through 17 races in 2020, the Illinois native has won seven stages and led 417 laps. He currently sits seventh in the NXS point standings.
• Allgaier finished seventh in the first NXS road course event of 2020 at Indianapolis earlier this season.

Driver Quotes

“Road America has been a good place for us in the past, and we’re on a solid run right now with this No. 1 team. It’s all about strategy and being in the right place at the right time, and we’ve been good at that this season. I am proud to carry Chief Master Sergeant Darin Mauzy on our Chevrolet this weekend in honor of his service to our country as he retires from the Air National Guard. It’s always an honor to support the people who support us and our country every day.” – Michael Annett

“I’m really looking forward to heading to Road America and getting back to some road course racing. This BRANDT Professional Agriculture team continues to put together fast Camaros each week and we’ve proven to be really strong on road courses over the years. There are definitely some guys who will be tough to beat, but if we can avoid the chaos and keep our car on the track, we’ll have a great shot at battling for the win.” – Justin Allgaier

“I’ve really enjoyed racing on road courses. We’ve had some solid runs on these kinds of tracks in the past, in all three series, which gives me a lot of confidence heading into this weekend. The last time I was at Road America we were able to come away with a top-three finish and hopefully we can replicate that success on Saturday with our Poppy Bank Chevrolet. JRM has always had fast cars on the road courses and I can’t wait to see what we can do come race time.” – Daniel Hemric

“Road courses are some of my favorite tracks that we visit each year. They just seem to fit my style of driving. My first start at Road America was last year in the Xfinity Series and I am thankful that we had a full weekend so I was able to learn the track. Going back this year without practice, I think you will see who really excels at road courses and who doesn’t. I am hopeful that we can get our momentum back and put our Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro in a spot to be contending for the win. ” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates

• JRM at Road America: In 29 NXS starts in Elkhart Lake, JRM has scored one win, nine top fives and 16 top 10s. Justin Allgaier earned the organization’s lone victory at the 4.048-mile road course in 2018 after starting from the 11th position and leading 14 laps en route to the win.
• JRM on Road Courses: JRM has netted four wins, 29 top fives and 61 top 10s in 117 previous starts on road courses in the NXS. Ron Fellows and Regan Smith earned the organization’s first two road course victories at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal in 2008 and at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in 2015, while Justin Allgaier went to Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio and Road America in 2018.
• Fitting Tribute: Michael Annett’s No. 1 Allstate Parts and Service Chevrolet will carry a special decal this weekend at Road America in honor of Chief Master Sergeant Darin Mauzy, Wing Command Chief, 158 Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard. Mauzy, a good friend of car chief Jonathan Davis, is retiring this year after 25 years of service. The team will present Chief Mauzy with a flag flown at JRM and signed by all JRM drivers and employees for reaching the finish line of his career.
• Moonshot Mask Challenge: Through the inspiration of their home state of Utah’s challenge, Alsco has embarked on a 55-day #moonshot mask challenge, which began July 13. For the 55 days leading up to Labor Day, Alsco will be sharing information on face masks and featuring social media posts of users wearing masks! Tag @alscoinc in your post and use #maskup to help combat COVID-19.