Michael Annett to Retire

 

With a career spanning 16 years in the top tiers of NASCAR competition and over 90,000 laps turned, Michael Annett announced today his retirement from full-time driving duties at the conclusion of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

 

“I’m just so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had,” the 35-year-old Annett said. “Being able to drive racecars for a living is honestly a dream come true for me. It’s been a privilege to work with some great teams and alongside some of the most talented folks in the garage. None of this would have been possible without the support of my partners, and I am happy to call them life-long friends. It’s those relationships and friendships that are the most rewarding.”

 

NEWS: @MichaelAnnett to retire from full-time competition after 2021 season.

Read more: https://t.co/z2YGeu4E9N pic.twitter.com/00uEJ4OhB1

— Michael Annett (@MichaelAnnett) October 6, 2021

Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, has been a staple in NASCAR with the familiar colors of Pilot Flying J, TMC Transportation, Allstate Peterbilt Group, WEX EFS and others sponsoring his entries over the years. He competed in his first full-time season in 2009 and has made more than 430 starts across NASCAR’s top three series.

 

We appreciate everything @MichaelAnnett has done for @JRMotorsports and we are all wishing the best for him in his next chapter https://t.co/jdzjkpxoKu

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) October 6, 2021

 

 

source: JR Motorsports

NXS “Tennessee Lottery 250”

NASCAR Xfinity Series at Nashville Superspeedway

• The Date: Saturday, June 19
• The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBCSN, 3 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 250.04 miles (188 Laps)
• Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45)
• Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90)
• Final Stage (Ends on Lap 188)

 

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Nashville Superspeedway this weekend for the Tennessee Lottery 250 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio the 15th race of the season.

 

The last time the Xfinity Series raced at Nashville Superspeedway was in 2011 and a few of the drivers entered to run in this weekend’s race competed at Nashville back then.

 

Time to ride at @NashvilleSuperS! #XfinitySeries practice is rolling on NBCSN and https://t.co/593lUV9Jw2! pic.twitter.com/iW0X1Jhg4D

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 18, 2021

 

Those drivers are Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett, Jeremy Clements, Timmy Hill, JJ Yeley, David Starr, Landon Cassill and NASCAR Cup Series two-time champion Kyle Busch. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Busch is the only driver entered this weekend that has previously won at Nashville (2009).

 

Who Has the Upper Hand At Nashville?

With some drivers having made previous starts in the Xfinity Series at Nashville Superspeedway, those drivers might feel a little more confident heading into this weekend’s race than others.

 

Especially for someone like Kyle Busch who has won here before and is coming off of his 99th career Xfinity Series win last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch will make his 11th career start this weekend at Nashville in the Xfinity Series. He has one win (2009) from the pole position and four top fives and five top 10s in his 10 starts. He has an average start of 8.9 and an average finish of 12.8. He’s led 490 laps and completed 2,197 laps of 2,250 attempted.

 

In six starts, Justin Allgaier has three top fives, three top 10s and one pole award. He led 58 laps and has an average start of 11.2 and an average finish of 10.8. Allgaier has finished fourth three times – both races in 2010 and most recently in 2011.

 

Michael Annett’s best finish in six starts at Nashville is ninth in 2010. He has an average start of 18.0 and an average finish of 17.0.

 

In five starts for Jeremy Clements, he has a best finish of 19th that came in 2010 and in only two starts, Landon Cassill has a best finish of ninth that came in 2008.

 

JJ Yeley will make his ninth start on Saturday at Nashville. He has a best finish of fourth from 2006. In total, he has one top five and three top 10s with an average finish of 15.4.

 

In two Xfinity Nashville starts, Timmy Hill finished 33rd and 22nd and in David Starr’s one start at the track, he finished 29th.

 

Who's ready for some more #NASHCAR today?

The @NASCAR_Xfinity Series makes its return to @NashvilleSuperS for the first time in 10 years.

Xfinity Series qualifying at 12:30P ET, and racing at 3:30P ET on NBCSN! pic.twitter.com/OxaojTKRio

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 19, 2021

 

RACE WEEKEND DIGNITARIES
SATURDAY, JUNE 19 - “Tennessee Lottery 250” NASCAR Xfinity Series

• Welcoming Remarks: Erik Moses, Nashville Superspeedway President; Rebecca Hargrove, Tennessee Lottery President & CEO
• Invocation: Pastor Chris Nichols, Cross Point Church, Nashville, TN
• Honor Guard: National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
• National Anthem: Brandon Lay, EMI Records Nashville singer/songwriter
• Grand Marshal: Rebecca Hargrove, Tennessee Lottery President & CEO
• Honorary Starter: Shea Ralph, a seven-time national champion as a player and coach and current Vanderbilt University Women’s Basketball Head Coach
• Evening Fireworks Show: Pyrotecnico

 

source: NASCAR Media

Annett’s Oreo Throwback Best 2020 JRM Paint Scheme

Fans Weigh In with Their Vote

After a tense fan-vote battle for the Best Paint Scheme of 2020 among JR Motorsports Chevrolets, a winner has emerged. 

The No. 1 Oreos Throwback, courtesy of primary sponsor Pilot Flying J, driven by Michael Annett to an eighth-place finish in September’s event at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, was selected by fans as the best paint scheme of the year, topping the No. 8 Hellmann’s Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber® Camo/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet of Noah Gragson.

The three were chosen as the finalists through several rounds of fan voting on JRM’s social media channels, with the championship bout taking place solely on Twitter.zzz

We asked and #Jrnation voted. The best 2020 JRM paint scheme goes to @MichaelAnnett and @PilotFlyingJ’s @Oreo throwback.

Full story ➡️ https://t.co/GHySRiDMxb pic.twitter.com/d07R7fAKJr

— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) December 22, 2020

Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to Annett and the No. 1 team for the victory!

source

JR Motorsports Xfinity Preview

Cheddar's 300 presented by Alsco

• TRACK: Bristol Motor Speedway
• RACE: Cheddar's 300 presented by Alsco (300 laps / 159.9 miles)
• DATE: Monday, June 1, 2020
• TV: 7 p.m. ET on FS1
• RADIO: 6:30 p.m. ET on PRN and SiriusXM Ch. 90

All you need to know about the JR Motorsports drivers before today’s Cheddar’s 300 Xfinity Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. 

Quotes:

Michael Annett: “We had such a great Pilot Flying J Chevrolet the past two weeks, and I can’t wait to take the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro to Bristol. We’ve been solid there, running at the front and racing for top fives, and with the way we’re running, I think we are certainly capable of that again this weekend.”

Justin Allgaier: “Bristol is a place that has always been special to me. It’s where I got my first win and I’ve just always felt comfortable on the track there from the day I turned my first laps. Last year, we nearly won twice there, but bad luck struck us both times. That’s definitely something you don’t forget and I know this Suave Men team is just as eager as I am to get back there and get another shot at ending the day in Victory Lane.”

Daniel Hemric: “I’ve always loved racing at Bristol. It’s one of those tracks that I’ve had a good feel for since the first time I raced there in the Truck Series. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do on Saturday once we get there with our South Point Chevrolet. Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and all of these guys on this No. 8 team have been working their tails off and it shows with the speed we’ve had in these two first races back. Hopefully we can keep that positive momentum going and get one spot better on Saturday.”

Noah Gragson: “Bristol is a tough track both mentally and physically. The amount of banking in the turns slams you down in the seat and you have to remind yourself to blink and breathe every lap or you end up falling out of the seat. The 9 team has proven to be really strong when we get to the track and go straight to the race, so I have faith that we will unload a fast Camaro and you’ll see us battling towards the front like the last two races.”

Notes:

• • Michael Annett is on a roll at the Bristol Motor Speedway oval, logging top-10 finishes in each of his last three starts and four of his last six, all in Pilot Flying J livery.
• • Annett’s best finish on the bullring is sixth, coming in 2011. In his last three starts there, Annett has earned finishes of seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.
• • Consistency continues to be a strong point for the Iowa driver, and Bristol’s banks are no exception. Annett has completed 99.6 percent of the laps run in his 15 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts there.
• • BMS is also the home track of Pilot Flying J, based in nearby Knoxville, Tenn.
• • This year marks the 10th anniversary of Justin Allgaier’s first career NXS victory, which came at Bristol in the spring of 2010.
• • In 18 NXS starts at the Tennessee track, Allgaier has one win, eight top fives and 11 top 10s. He’s led a staggering 482 laps at Bristol, his highest total among tracks on the NXS circuit.
• • Allgaier has proven to be fast on speedways 1-mile or less in length, earning five of his 11 NXS career victories at Bristol (March 2010), Phoenix (March 2017, November 2019), Dover (May 2018) and Iowa (June 2018).
• • Coming off a season-best finish of second at Charlotte, Daniel Hemric will make his fifth NXS start at Bristol on Saturday afternoon.
• • In four previous NXS starts in “Thunder Valley”, Hemric has earned two top fives and three top 10s with a best finish of third coming in this event in 2018.
• • Hemric has also made a combined eight starts across the NASCAR Cup Series, the NXS and the NGROTS at Bristol, earning a total of four top fives and five top 10s.
• • Saturday marks the second primary race of 2020 for South Point Hotel & Casino with the No. 8. South Point previously partnered with Hemric during his 2018 NXS campaign.
• • Gragson has two starts at Bristol in the NXS and holds an average start of 8.5 and an average finish of 13.0.
• • In seven starts on tracks that are less than 1-mile in length, Gragson has recorded two top fives, five top 10s and holds an average finish of 9.6.
• • After six races in the 2020 season, Gragson sits fifth in the standings with one win, three top fives, four top 10s and has led 92 laps.
• • Gragson’s No. 9 Camaro will sport the colors of Plan B Sales for the first time in 2020 this weekend in Bristol.

source

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Daytona Sets Xfinity Stage For Season Opener

The 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is upon us and Daytona International Speedway is all set to host this weekend’s ‘NASCAR Racing Experience 300’ at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Justin Haley, Driver of the #11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet,
leads AJ Allmendinger, Driver of the #16 Ellsworth Advisors Chevrolet, and
Ross Chastain, Driver of the #10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet, during practice

Daytona International Speedway has hosted fifty-six (56) NASCAR Xfinity Series races (1982-2019) producing 41 different pole winners and 31 different race winners.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

• Next Race: NASCAR Racing Experience 300
• The Place: Daytona International Speedway
• The Date: Saturday, February 15
• The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 2 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 300 miles (120 Laps);
• Stage 1: (Ends on Lap 30),
• Stage 2: (Ends on Lap 60),
• Final Stage: (Ends on Lap 120)

Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick won the pole for the NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona last season and JR Motorsport’s Michael Annett won the race.

I can’t wait to get on track @DISupdates in my @American_Heart / @PilotFlyingJ Chevrolet in a few short weeks. #NASCAR | @XfinityRacing | @JRMotorsports pic.twitter.com/OKS7hZJhFC

— Michael Annett (@MichaelAnnett) January 27, 2020

Xfinity Party Part-Timers at Daytona

For some drivers, this weekend is the beginning of a 33-race championship, but for others it’s just about the checkered flag, the win and the celebration in Victory Lane. Which makes it no surprise several part-time Xfinity Series drivers are taking aim at Daytona this weekend.

One such driver specifically tapped to drive this weekend to challenge for the win is veteran AJ Allmendinger. The California wheelman will be jumping into the Kaulig Racing No. 16 Chevrolet this weekend with crew chief Lennie Chandler calling the shots from the pit box. Allmendinger was dominate in his lone Xfinity Series Daytona start last season leading 33 laps and crossing the start-finish line in the top five but was subsequently disqualified and dropped to 38th after failing post-race inspection. In total last season Allmendinger made five starts with Kaulig Racing, posting one win (Charlotte ROVAL), two top fives and a pole.

2018 Gander Trucks champ Brett Moffitt will help the newly formed Our Motorsports  make their NASCAR Xfinity Series debut this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Moffitt will pilot the No. 02 Chevrolet. Moffitt has only made three Xfinity Series starts in his career with a best finish of ninth at his home track Iowa Speedway. This will be Moffitt’s series track debut this weekend.

Hattori Racing Enterprises made their NASCAR Xfinity Series debut last season with driver Austin Hill and this weekend return to the series for a shot at Daytona. Hattori Racing Enterprises primarily races in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and the organization won the Gander Trucks season-opener last year. Hill made his Xfinity Series debut last season with owner Carl Long at Indianapolis – he started 17th and finished ninth.

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Three Top-Five Finishes For JR Motorsports

• Race 25 of 33: Indiana 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Track Specs: 2.5-mile oval / 100 laps
• Weather: Partly cloudy; 78 degrees
• Allgaier's Finish: 2nd
• Gragson's Finish: 3rd
• Burton's Finish: 4th
• Annett's Finish: 12th

Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 Suave Men team came close to getting back-to-back wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing second in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race after leading 24 laps. The result was Allgaier’s fourth runner-up finish of the season. The Illinois native remains fourth in the NXS point standings as the series heads into the final race of the regular season next week.

“Hats off to our guys. Our Suave Men Camaro was on rails, especially on the long run. We had a couple late-race restarts that just didn’t go our way and unfortunately that put us a little behind. Hats off to everybody at JR Motorsports. To have three cars in the top five is huge. Man, you don’t realize what this place means to you until you come that close to kissing those bricks again. We’ll go on to next week and finish out this regular season strong and hopefully go into the playoffs carrying this momentum on.”

Four wins away from 100 in @XfinityRacing for @KyleBusch.

He held off Justin Allgaier to win the #Indiana250 at @IMS. pic.twitter.com/w9o1RYAzxh

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 7, 2019

Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 9 Switch Chevrolet Camaro, scored his seventh top-five finish of the 2019 season on Saturday afternoon in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after taking the checkered flag in the third position. With the result, Gragson has scored 13 top-10s in the last 15 NXS races and has improved to an average finish of 7.0 over that same stretch.

“Today was a really good day for this Switch Chevrolet and for JRM as a whole. To have three cars in the top five is pretty awesome and I am incredibly thankful for all of the hard work each and every person at JRM is putting in to these cars each week. We battled hard today and were able to come away with another really strong run. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going next week in Vegas and carry it on through to the start of the playoffs.”

With a stout fourth-place finish, Jeb Burton claimed his season-best finish in Saturday’s Indiana 250 for the Xfinity Series machines at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Burton spent the bulk of the day running among the top five with the No. 8 State Water Heaters machine, even racing as high as second for a time. The team put together a solid performance in all facets of the race to bring home its sixth top five and 17th top 10 of the season.

“Really proud of the effort today from our State Water Heaters group. Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) did a great job keeping up with the race car and making the right adjustments. We’ve been working better and better together every race. We’ve only ran five races this year and we finished top five in two of them. Hopefully we can get us a win in my next races at Texas or Miami. We got a good thing going and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”

#NASCAR ... ⁦@JebBurtonRacing⁩ gets emotional talking about his 4th-place finish at ⁦@IMS⁩ pic.twitter.com/6a9nfaCN7M

— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) September 7, 2019

With four laps remaining in Saturday’s Indiana 250 for NASCAR Xfinity Series machines at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Michael Annett was in the middle of a late-race hornet’s nest in his No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet. Running as high as seventh with three laps remaining, the Iowa native fell victim to a pack of his opponents down the long backstretch on the 2.5-mile oval and eventually came home in 12th position at the end of the 100-lap event.

“We were in a good position there at the end and we just got mobbed. A group of cars came up on us and they had all the momentum. Our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet was really fast at times and we could get awesome runs all day, but it is just so hard to finish them and even harder to defend against a line of cars once they get past the rear bumper. It was a good day for us, overall, but it could have been a lot better if not for that last bit of the race.”

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JR Motorsports Practice Report: Darlington Raceway

Race 24 of 33: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway

• Weather: Partly cloudy; 94 degrees
• Qualifying Info: Saturday, Sept. 1, 12:35 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
• Race Info: Saturday, Sept. 1, 12:35 p.m. ET (NBCSN)

First Practice Results:

• Elliott Sadler: 4th
• Michael Annett: 21st
• Justin Allgaier: 7th
• Tyler Reddick: 9th

Final Practice Results:

• Elliott Sadler: 1st
• Michael Annett: 20th
• Justin Allgaier: 9th
• Tyler Reddick: 2nd

Quotes & Tweets:

Elliott Sadler, driver No. 1 Armour Chili team

“We brought one of my favorite cars this weekend and my guys did a heck of a job getting it ready. We had a fast Armour Chili Chevrolet right off the truck and made good adjustments throughout today’s practices. I’m looking forward to getting things started tomorrow and having a good last race at this historic track.”

I had a great time yesterday with growers and @NutrienCBWest at the Farm Progress Show. I heard they still have some signed hats to give away at the Futuredome in space #902, and of course the chance to win a hunting trip with me. Visit https://t.co/Qeu6WMPqlx to learn more. pic.twitter.com/JpufHbOJIW

— Elliott Sadler (@Elliott_Sadler) August 29, 2018

Michael Annett, driver No. 5 Pilot Flying J team

“Travis (Mack, crew chief) and the guys made some really good improvements to our Pilot Flying J Camaro throughout today’s practice sessions. Overall I’m pretty happy with our No. 5 Chevy and looking forward to racing our throwback-inspired paint scheme here at Darlington.”

.@PilotFlyingJ @TooToughToTame Race Preview

Full Story: https://t.co/0ig1y1W1Vj#NASCAR | #SportClips200 | #TeamMA pic.twitter.com/gXvaeBGqfG

— Michael Annett (@MichaelAnnett) August 30, 2018

Justin Allgaier, driver No. 7 Chevrolet Accessories team

“Darlington is a tough track to get the handling the way you want it all the way around. We tried some different things on our Chevrolet Accessories Camaro in practice and we were able to get some good notes for tomorrow’s race. We still have some work to do, but I’m confident in this team and know we’ll have a fast Chevy. Hopefully we can stay out of trouble and be up front at the end.”

My @TDJF skeleton gloves from the @WGI are up and ready to bid on! Please join @DaleJr and @NationwideKids to help kids everywhere. It’s amazing what they are doing. Pretty cool Dale took the time to sign them as well. Bid here: https://t.co/7atuno4Rsv #NCHGloves pic.twitter.com/OoAv2MXIup

— Justin Allgaier (@J_Allgaier) August 10, 2018

Tyler Reddick, driver No. 9 Old Milwaukee Throwback team

“Our Old Milwaukee Chevy is driving really good. It was really consistent in both practice sessions and Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and I stuck to our game plan and tried to keep the day as smooth as possible. I did get my Darlington stripe out of the way too, so hopefully we can keep this awesome Tim Richmond throwback clean all day tomorrow and be up front and in contention for the win.”

Practice day was a blast. Now it’s all on the line for tomorrow’s big race! pic.twitter.com/87FbiKz9CO

— Tyler Reddick (@TylerReddick) September 1, 2018

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JR Motorsports - California 300 Preview

TRACK: Auto Club Speedway
RACE: NXS 300 (150 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, March 17, 2018
TV: 5 p.m. ET on FS1
RADIO: 4:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Quotes

Elliott Sadler: “Fontana is a race track where I have had some success. The surface is one of my favorites to race on in the circuit. As a driver, you have many options to find fast lines and grip, especially in Turns 1 and 2. With the strong start to the season that this Cessna team has had, I’m really looking forward to seeing how we finish out the West Coast swing. To have three top fives and a ninth-place finish after an engine change says a lot about my group of guys, JR Motorsports and Hendrick Engines. I can’t thank them enough for all of the solid weekends we have week in and week out.”

Michael Annett: “Auto Club Speedway is big and fast, and I like tracks like that. You can run different grooves there, and that’s what we need to have. At Phoenix, it is fairly line-specific, and when you get pinned on the bottom there’s not much you can do to change your position. Jason (Stockert, crew chief) and the Pilot Flying J team worked hard last week to get spots, and the pit crew has been really good all season. We’re looking for a good result this weekend that we can take into the break and hit the ground running in Texas.”

Justin Allgaier: “This No. 7 team has had a lot of momentum the past few weeks and I’m hoping we can continue that into this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. This is definitely a race where you need to bring your A game. Jason Burdett (crew chief) and the guys have really been working hard, so I know they’re up for the challenge. The West Coast swing is always a lot of fun and it would be awesome to get this Hellmann’s Camaro into Victory Lane to wrap things up before we head into the two week break.”

Tyler Reddick: “Looking ahead to Fontana this weekend I was really excited about our mile-and-a-half speed in Las Vegas and hopefully that speed can carry over into this 2-mile track this weekend. Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and William (Byron) got a fifth-place finish there last year and hopefully we can build off of that and find some speed in our Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet Camaro and compete for a win.”

Find out which @JRMotorsports driver has a lasagna pet peeve..🤔

Watch this weeks #33TrickySeconds featuring @Elliott_Sadler, @J_Allgaier @TylerReddick and @MichaelAnnett below!

Get ready to laugh!😂😄🤣 pic.twitter.com/vKwXCnTDAy

— Pocono Raceway (@poconoraceway) March 14, 2018

Notes

• • Elliott Sadler and the No. 1 team broke the tie atop the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings with their ninth-place finish at Phoenix—Sadler is now one marker ahead of teammate Tyler Reddick.
• • In 13 NXS starts at Auto Club Speedway, Sadler has four top-five finishes, nine top-10 finishes and one pole award (2014). Sadler’s average finish at Fontana with JR Motorsports is 6.0.
• • In the last three seasons on 2-mile race tracks, the Virginia native has claimed four top fives and six top 10s in six starts. Sadler’s average start and finish in those events is 8.5 and 5.8, respectively.
• • Michael Annett’s best NXS finish at Fontana came in 2009, when he was sixth at the checkered flag.
• • Consistency is important, and Annett certainly has that at ACS. In seven starts there, Annett has completed 99.8 percent of laps attempted in NXS competition on the 2-mile oval.
• • On tracks measuring 2 miles or more, Annett has a topfive finish and six in the top 10 over his NXS career.
• • By virtue of making his 200th NXS start at Phoenix, Annett joins teammates Elliott Sadler (366) and Justin Allgaier (244) in the 200-start club.
• • Following his second-place run at Phoenix last weekend, Justin Allgaier moved up to third in the NXS driver standings, just seven markers behind the leader.
• • Through four events this season, Allgaier has the best average running position (6.7), most laps led (88) and highest driver rating (111.2) among NXS regulars.
• • Last season the 31-year-old driver finished ninth in the 300-mile race at ACS. In nine total NXS starts at the track Allgaier has four top-10 finishes.
• • This weekend the Illinois native will run Hellmann’s colors on the No. 7 Chevrolet for the first of two races this season.
• • Tyler Reddick currently ranks second in the Xfinity Series championship standings, trailing JRM teammate Elliott Sadler by one point and leading the Rookie of the Year standings by seven.
• • Reddick will make his first career NXS start at ACS this weekend. Crew chief Dave Elenz will call his fourth NXS race at Fontana. Of his starts, Elenz has recorded one victory in the 2015 event.
• • The California native is the only full-time NXS driver to have claimed a win this season and is ranked third in average running position (9.0) among those drivers.

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JR Motorsports Phoenix Race Recap

Byron Wins at Phoenix; Allgaier, Sadler Join Him in Xfinity Championship 4

• Race 32 of 33: Ticket Galaxy 200 at Phoenix Raceway  
• Track Specs: 1-mile oval / 200 laps  
• Weather: Sunny; 86 degrees  
• Race Winner: William Byron  

• Byron's Finish: 1st  
• Allgaier’s Finish: 10th  
• Annett’s Finish: 16th  
• Sadler’s Finish: 18th

 

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Chevrolet, celebrates after
winning NASCAR XFINITY Series Ticket Galaxy 200 at Phoenix
International Raceway on November 11, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona.

William Byron

For the fourth time this season, William Byron brought home the NASCAR Xfinity Series race victory on Saturday afternoon in the Ticket Galaxy 200. This win gives Byron the most wins in a single season by a JR Motorsports rookie, besting Chase Elliott’s previous record of three. The Charlotte-native secured his spot in the championship 4 and will compete for the NXS Championship next weekend in Miami.

The Liberty University Chevrolet was fast off the truck in practice on Friday afternoon and the team knew they would have a good car come race day. Byron qualified second for the 200-lap event after a fast qualifying lap. The No. 9 machine was running in second when the No. 22 of Ryan Blaney got by him on lap 17. Byron radioed to the team that his car was good in Turns 1 and 2, but a little tight off in Turns 3 and 4. When the caution flag waved on lap 24, the driver reported that he was a little free during the first five laps and the team elected to stay out on track.

Byron restarted from the third position on lap 30 and just seven laps later relayed to the team that his car was too tight overall. At the conclusion of Stage One, Byron was scored in the sixth position and he asked the team to free up his machine. The team brought the Liberty University Chevy to pit road for four tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment. After a slight delay on the left side, Byron restarted 14th on lap 68.

Within 15 laps, Byron was scored in the seventh position and told the team he needed some help on the exit of the corners. Stage Two went caution free and Byron was able to pick off one additional position to finish the stage sixth. Following the stage, the driver reported that his Chevrolet was building tighter and he needed to get off the corner better. The team came to pit road for four tires and fuel and restarted eighth on lap 128.

Byron worked his way up to the third position by lap 146 and on lap 152 the team relayed that they were going to be approximately three laps short on fuel. While running third on lap 182, the caution was shown giving the Liberty University team the break they needed. The team came to pit road for right-side tires and fuel. After a quick two-tire stop, the team was set to restart from the first position on lap 188. Byron would continue to lead the field until taking the checkered flag on lap 200.

This is Byron’s first NXS victory at Phoenix Raceway and his fourth overall victory this season. He was followed to the line by Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, Christopher Bell and Daniel Hemric rounding out the top five.

William Byron, driver No. 9 Liberty University team

“We have been building on the year and we had a great summer. This Liberty University team has been working non-stop and we are extremely lucky to be able to go after a championship next week in Homestead. Dave (Elenz, crew chief) made a gutsy call at the end, but it was exactly what we needed to be able to get out front. This victory definitely gives our team some good momentum going into the championship race next weekend and hopefully we can bring home a victory for JR Motorsports.”

Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet,
leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ticket Galaxy 200 at
Phoenix International Raceway on November 11, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona.

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier and the BRANDT Professional Agriculture team secured a spot in the Championship 4 following their 10th-place finish in Saturday’s Ticket Galaxy 200 at Phoenix Raceway. This marks the second consecutive season that Allgaier will compete for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Justin Allgaier, driver No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture team

“When you start the season in Daytona, this is the ultimate goal. I’m really proud of our guys. We knew that we had put enough points in the bank today that we needed to have two really good stages. We weren’t sure if that would put us in the position to make the Championship 4, but ultimately that was the case. We had a solid BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevy all day. We did what we needed to do and unfortunately had a rough pit stop at the end there and had to go quite a ways further back than where we felt we could have finished. I’m really proud of William. To have a JR Motorsports sweep here this year, it’s pretty incredible. We feel like we bring quality race cars to the track every week and that’s what we’ve got to do next week too, to battle it out with this guy (Daniel Hemric) and my two teammates for a championship.”

Michael Annett with Team Owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Michael Annett

All during the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Michael Annett and his No. 5 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet team have focused on putting a complete race weekend together, and on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway, they put another one in the books. Annett qualified 12th and finished 16th in the Ticket Galaxy 200 on the 1-mile oval, and is just two points out of ninth place in the points heading into the season finale next weekend

Michael Annett, driver No. 5 Pilot Flying J team

“We qualified better than we have lately, and that was a good start today. We were able to stay strong throughout the longer runs, and when we made changes they made the car better. The last run, on that late caution flag, we just got too tight to move up. The car would start out a run really, really free and then it would tighten up and we could make time. Our team has one more shot at it this year next weekend, and we’re going to go down to Miami and do even better.” 

Elliott Sadler - Regular Season Championship Winner

Elliott Sadler

Elliott Sadler and the Textron Aviation team took the checkered flag in 18th place Saturday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway in the Ticket Galaxy 200. Through points, Sadler secured his place in the Championship 4 and will drive for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship title next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Elliott Sadler, driver No. 1 Textron Aviation team

“I’m so proud of this team and all of their hard work week-in and week-out. We’ve had one goal all season long and that was to compete in Homestead as part of the final four. Now, it’s time to add to our regular season champion title and win the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.”

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#GivingTuesday: RT and give @PilotFlyingJ a like for your chance to win this @JRMotorsports #5 die-cast. Winner will be randomly selected on 11/17. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/7srZBzHphp

— Michael Annett (@MichaelAnnett) November 14, 2017