JR Motorsports — NXS Las Vegas Preview

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
RACE: Boyd Gaming 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 2019

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett’s best finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is 13th, and he’s finished there three times in his seven starts on the 1.5-mile speedway (2011, 2012, 2018).
• The No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will debut its regular paint scheme this weekend after racing the first two weekends in American Heart Association colors.
• After the first two races of the season, Annett has averaged a finish of 6.5, his best two-race opening in seven seasons as a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver.
• In the NXS point standings, the Iowa native sits in eighth. Annett is locked into the NXS Playoffs by way of his victory at Daytona International Speedway.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier is one of only two drivers to have two top fives just two races into the 2019 NXS season.
• In nine NXS starts at Las Vegas, the Illinois native has four top-five and eight top-10 finishes.
• Last year, Allgaier finished inside the top three in both the spring and fall races at the 1.5-mile track, placing third in March and second in September.
• With an average finish of 6.4, LVMS is the 32-year-old’s most consistent track on the circuit.
• Allgaier is currently third in the NXS point standings, just 18 points out of first.

Zane Smith
No. 8 The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Chevrolet
• Zane Smith will make his NXS debut at Las Vegas this Saturday driving for JR Motorsports.
• Earlier this year, Smith participated in the two-day test at LVMS with his No. 8 team, where he logged lap times second quickest and quickest of the field, respectively.
• In June 2018, the California native made his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Gateway Motorsport Park, a 1.25-mile track. Smith brought home a top-five finish after starting 10th in his first and only NASCAR top-tier event to date.
• So far this season, the No. 8 team has collected two top-10 finishes with drivers Chase Elliott (Daytona International Speedway) and Ryan Preece (Atlanta Motor Speedway).

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Switch Chevrolet
• Las Vegas native Noah Gragson will make his first career NXS start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.
• In three previous starts in the NASCAR Truck Series at Las Vegas, Gragson has an overall average start of 6.3 with one pole position and 57 laps led.
• In 20 career starts at 1.5-mile tracks in the Truck Series, Gragson earned one win (Kansas 2018), five top fives and 13 top 10s.
• This weekend also marks a homecoming for primary partner Switch, headquartered just 14 miles from LVMS. Switch is a technology infrastructure corporation built on the intelligent and sustainable growth of the internet.

Driver Quotes
“Heading out west is always fun for us, and we’re looking to get back to Las Vegas. Our teammates tested out there earlier this year, so we have some data we can use to continue this strong start to the season. Our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet had speed at Atlanta, but we couldn’t shake the tight condition and that cost us. We’ll have speed again this weekend and keep pushing for solid finishes on the way to the playoffs.” – Michael Annett

“Las Vegas is always such a fun track to go to and it’s a great way to kick off the West Coast swing. This is a track that our BRANDT Professional Agriculture team has had a lot of success at in recent years. We’ve led laps the past two races there and have come close to getting a win. Hopefully we can finally make that happen this weekend.” – Justin Allgaier

“This weekend is going to be big being my Xfinity Series debut and at a track close to home. I can’t thank everyone who has gotten me to this point enough – especially Dale, Kelley and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Having been able to shadow my No. 8 team in Daytona and Atlanta, and also test at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) with them earlier this year, I have good confidence heading into Saturday’s race. Hopefully we can have a solid weekend from start to finish and be in contention to win in the end.” – Zane Smith

“I’m really excited to get to my home track of Las Vegas this weekend. It’s great to be racing in front of my hometown and to have a lot of friends and family in attendance. It really makes for a special weekend. Plus, it’s also the home track for Switch, which makes this weekend even more of a homecoming. We tested here a couple of weeks ago and I felt really comfortable with our JR Motorsports Chevrolet so I am really looking forward to seeing what we can do once we unload Friday.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates
JRM at Las Vegas: In 36 NXS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports has one win, 13 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Mark Martin’s lone win at the 1.5-mile track is historic as it was the organization’s first victory as an NXS team. Last season, JRM kicked off the West Coast swing at Las Vegas with three top-eight finishes and all four cars within the top 13.
• Gragson Fan Fest Appearance: Las Vegas native, Noah Gragson, will be attending the Ultimate Vegas Sports Weekend Fan Fest at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (200 S 3rd St, Las Vegas, NV, 89101), participating in a Q&A and autograph session on stage from 4-5 p.m. PT on Thursday, Feb. 28.
• Gragson, Smith Media Availability: No. 9 driver, Noah Gragson, is scheduled to stop by the LVMS media center on Friday, March 1 at 12:15 p.m. PT. Zane Smith, who will make his NXS debut this Saturday, will follow his teammate, joining the media at 12:30 p.m. PT.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Best New Zealand Online Casinos

RacingJunk.com and Leaf Racewear Safety Equipment Giveaway

Rocketplay Casino

10 deposit casinos

Best Betting Sites in Canada

bettingtop10.ca

Latest articles