TRACK: Phoenix Raceway
RACE: LS Tractor 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, March 7, 2020
TV: 4 p.m. ET on FS1
RADIO: 3:30 p.m. ET on MRN and SiriusXM Ch. 90
Quotes:
Michael Annett: “I love racing at Phoenix and the other 1-mile ovals, and our performance shows that. We’ve run in the top 10 the last two times out there, and we need a solid performance. We had another fast Pilot Flying J Chevrolet at California, but once again got caught in someone else’s mess. Despite the damage, we were able to overcome it and get a reasonable finish. We’re aiming for a lot better result this weekend.”
Justin Allgaier: “Phoenix is always a track that I have circled on my calendar as one of my favorites. We were fortunate enough to get another win here last year and it’s all because of how great of a job this BRANDT Professional Agriculture team does of preparing fast Camaros. I know we’ll have another hot rod this weekend and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish during the race on Saturday.”
Daniel Hemric: “I’ve always enjoyed racing at Phoenix. We’ve had some strong runs there in the past in the Xfinity Series and I feel like we can do that again this weekend with our Poppy Bank Chevrolet. I feel like we made a lot of positive gains last week in Fontana and hopefully we can continue that once we unload on Friday. I know that Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and everyone on this No. 8 team had some really good runs at Phoenix last year which gives me a ton of confidence that we can do that this year.”
Noah Gragson: “Phoenix is one of the tougher tracks we go to because it’s not only hard on the brakes but it’s also hard on the car because of the dogleg and how often you cut that part of the track. I ran pretty well here in 2019 so I hope to continue that trend and hopefully get back on the right path after being involved in an incident in California last weekend.”
Notes:
• Michael Annett heads to Phoenix seeking his third straight top-10 finish on the 1-mile desert oval after recording eighth- and ninth-place results in the two 2019 events there.
• Annett’s best finish at Phoenix is seventh in 2012, and half of his six top-10 results there have come in the Pilot Flying J Chevrolet at JR Motorsports.
• Annett has an affinity for 1-mile tracks in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His average finishes—14.8 at Phoenix, 12.7 at Dover and 13.0 at New Hampshire—are combined with a 99.3 percent laps completed standard on the short ovals.
• Justin Allgaier heads to Phoenix as the most recent race winner at the track, having scored the victory in the November 2019 race after leading 85 of 200 laps.
• In 19 total NXS starts at the 1-mile oval, the 33-year-old driver has two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s and 334 laps led. He also captured the pole award in the spring 2018 event.
• Allgaier has proven to be quite impressive on 1-mile tracks, earning three wins (Phoenix 2017 and 2019, Dover 2018), 16 top fives and 29 top 10s in 46 NXS starts.
• In four previous NXS starts at Phoenix, Daniel Hemric has earned two top fives and four top 10s, with a best finish of second coming in the November 2018 event.
• Hemric has also made a combined five starts in the Valley of the Sun between the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
• In 10 starts on tracks one mile in length in the NXS, Hemric has recorded four top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 7.0.
• Through his first two starts behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet for JRM, Hemric has earned a best finish of seventh and led for 10 laps.
• Gragson has two starts in the NXS at Phoenix Raceway with a best finish of 10th coming in the fall of 2019.
• At tracks that are one mile in length, Gragson has an average start of 7.7 and an average finish of 10.7.
• After three races in the 2020 season, Gragson sits ninth in the standings with one win, two top fives, two top 10s and 17 laps led.
• In three previous starts in the Truck Series at Phoenix, Gragson has recorded a best finish of second in 2018. Among those starts, the Las Vegas native has led 98 total laps.