Track: Circuit of the Americas (3.41-mile road course)

Race: Focused Health 250 (46 laps/156.86 miles)

Date: Saturday, March 23

TV: 5 p.m. ET on FS1

Radio: 5 p.m. ET on PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

Sam Mayer: “Although we have had a rough start to the season, I am super stoked to get back to a road course, finally. We had a ton of success on road courses last year, scoring three wins. We have also run really well at COTA in the past so I am looking forward to a good run there this weekend. Through all the struggles we have had, this No. 1 team has never given up and I could not be more thankful to have the work ethic these guys do on this team. I am thrilled to have another new partner on board this weekend with Roto-Rooter and I am hopeful that we can be in contention to steal a win this Saturday in Austin.”

Justin Allgaier: “I’ve always enjoyed racing here at COTA. This is such a technical road course that really keeps you on your toes all day long. We’ve had some really strong runs here in the past with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet and I know that Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) will give me another car capable of doing that again this weekend. Hopefully we can keep all of our fenders clean all race long and be up there fighting for the win when it’s all said and done.”

Sammy Smith: “I’ve only run at COTA once and came out with a top-five finish so I’m hoping to better that with my JR Motorsports team so we can park our No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet in Victory Lane. We’ve been consistent this season with our top-10 finishes and I think a win, especially at a road course, would be a great confidence booster for us.”

Brandon Jones: “This No.9 team has put fast cars on the track all season but we haven’t had the finishes to show for it. I am looking forward to our first road course to see what this team can really do. Phillip (Bell, crew chief) has put together a strong strategy and we are ready to go out and execute. We barely missed the top 10 last time we came here, so hopefully we can get not only a top-10, but a win this weekend.”

Notes:

• Sam Mayer returns to Circuit of the Americas for his third career start at the 3.41-mile road-course and the first of the road courses on the NASCAR Xfinity Series 2024 schedule.
• In two starts at COTA, Mayer has raced to one top-five and a pair of top-10 efforts with his best of fifth coming at this event in the spring of 2022.
• The young driver is no stranger to the left-and-right combinations, as he scored his first career win at Road America last season and raced his way to two more road-course victories shortly after at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval.
• The Wisconsin native will have new partner Roto-Rooter riding on the No. 1 Chevrolet for the Saturday afternoon NXS event in Austin, TX.     
• In three previous NXS starts at COTA, Justin Allgaier has scored two top-fives, with a best finish of third coming in the inaugural event in 2021.
• In his NXS career, the Illinois native has been strong on road courses, having scored three wins, 18 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes in 53 career starts.
• Two of Allgaier’s three road-course wins came behind the wheel of a JRM Chevrolet, with both happening during the 2018 season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America.
• This weekend Allgaier’s BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet will be sharing colors with Rev1 Energy, the global leader in integrated commissioning and electrical services.
• Sammy Smith has one start at COTA coming in this race last season, where he qualified second and raced his way to fourth in the 46-lap event.
• Of Smith’s 10 career NXS road-course starts over the past two seasons, he has amassed two top-five and four top-10 finishes.
• The Iowa native’s best finish on a road course is third, which came at Watkins Glen in 2022.
• Smith tallied his third straight top-10 finish of the season at Phoenix two weeks ago to keep him in the top-10 in points.
• In 40 starts on road courses in the NXS, Brandon Jones has earned five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. His best finish of second came during the 2020 season at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.
• Jones has made three starts at the 3.41-mile road course, with a best finish of 11^th coming last year during his first season with JRM.
• Spectracide will adorn the hood of the No.9 this weekend. This will be the first time this brand will appear on Jones’ car at COTA.