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.
