Preview: ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway

JR Motorsports | 3/28/2024

Brandon Jones Bubba Pollard Justin Allgaier News Richmond Raceway Sam Mayer Sammy Smith

The four-car JR Motorsports team swells to five this weekend at Richmond Raceway, as short-track ace Bubba Pollard joins Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones, Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith for 250 laps of action.

Quotes:

Sam Mayer: "Road course racing was exciting last week but I am super-pumped to get back to a short track these next two weeks at Richmond and Martinsville. We had a good run last week and were able to snag a solid top-10 finish. I am looking forward to taking that momentum to Richmond to be in contention for not only a good finish but to get the victory as well. I am pretty excited to have 10X Health on the car and introduce them to the NXS."

Justin Allgaier: "We have always had really strong cars on the short tracks at JRM and I see no reason why that won’t be the case again this weekend. I feel like Richmond is falling at the right time for us to get that positive momentum back going and I know that Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and everyone on this No. 7 team is ready to go once we hit the track on Saturday. This weekend is also a special one as we have the Defense Commissary Agency back on board, as well as Hellmann’s. We had good luck with them on our car last season and hopefully we can replicate that same success when we hit the track and give them another great show. I know that we are ready to go."

Sammy Smith: "Our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet was fast at COTA last weekend and I’m hoping we can bring that speed to the short track at Richmond. I’ve only run there once but I have strong finishes at short tracks and I know that my No. 8 team’s dedicated preparation is going to pay off soon. I’m looking forward to putting Pilot Flying J’s new coffee flavors in front of our fans."

Brandon Jones: "I am ready to get back to Richmond this weekend with this No. 9 team. Phillip (Bell, crew chief) and I have been working on our strategy and the rest of my crew have been working hard to put a fast racecar on the track, so I am determined to put on a good show this weekend.  Hopefully we can keep this Menards/NIBCO Chevrolet clean and be fighting for the checkered flag at the end putting us in the running for that $100,000 next week."

Bubba Pollard: "I couldn’t be more thankful to Rheem and JR Motorsports for giving me this opportunity. I have been working hard with the team to prepare for this weekend and am looking forward to showing everyone what I can do. I feel like it's a perfect fit among Rheem, JR Motorsports and myself to go out and have a good run."

Notes:

  • Sam Mayer heads to Richmond Raceway for his fourth NASCAR Xfinity series career start at the .75-mile short track in Richmond, Va..
  • The young driver is coming off a top-10 finish last weekend at Circuit of the Americas, finishing ninth.
  • In 11 starts on short tracks, the Wisconsin native has tallied four top-five and six top-10 efforts with his best of third coming at Richmond in this event back in 2022.
  • Mayer and the No. 1 team welcome 10X Health on board their JRM Chevrolet this weekend in Richmond.
  • Justin Allgaier is a two-time NXS winner in Richmond, having swept the double-header weekend at the Virginia short track in 2020, leading a combined 213 out of a possible 500 laps in the process.
  • Overall, Allgaier boasts strong numbers at the .75-mile tri-oval, having scored eight top-fives and 11 top-10s to accompany the two victories.
  • In 73 career starts on short tracks in the NXS, Allgaier has amassed six wins, 27 top-five and 45 top-10 finishes.
  • The Illinois native has also won the previous two events on short tracks in the NXS, scoring victories at Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway last fall.
  • The No. 7 Camaro will be carrying special colors this weekend, as Hellmann’s and the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) come on board for the first time this season. This marks the second time that the DeCA logo has been prominently featured on Allgaier’s Chevrolet and first since Charlotte Motor Speedway last May.
  • Sammy Smith has one start at Richmond coming in this race last season, where he started second on the .75-mile tri-oval.
  • Of Smith’s seven career NXS starts at a track less than one mile over the past two seasons, he has amassed two top-five and four top-10 finishes.
  • In the last four starts at a track less than one mile, Smith has finished in the top-five twice.
  • Smith's Chevrolet will carry Pilot Flying J’s new coffee flavors, Salted Caramel and Toffee Cold Brew, this weekend as well as at Texas and Talladega.
  • Brandon Jones has made 13 starts at the .75-mile tri-shaped oval and has recorded three top-10 finishes, with his best being an eighth-place finish (2018 and 2020).
  • Jones’ No. 9 Chevrolet will carry the colors of NIBCO on the hood this weekend. This is the third time in a row NIBCO will be featured on his car at Richmond.
  • Of the 323 laps Jones has led at short tracks, 24 of those came in his last trip to Richmond in the spring of 2023.
  • Jones will have the opportunity to qualify for the Dash 4 Cash this weekend if he places inside the top-four among NXS regulars. He last qualified for the bonus prize in 2022 after his win at Martinsville.
  • Bubba Pollard will make his NXS debut in the No. 88 Rheem Chevrolet at Richmond this weekend.
  • The 37-year-old Senoia, Ga. native comes off a strong performance last weekend at Five Flags Speedway where he finished third in the ARCA Menards Series East Pensacola 150.
  • Pollard, one of the top Late Model drivers in the Southeast, is Rheem’s most recent example of its dedication to grassroots racing and providing talented drivers opportunities at higher levels.
  • The NXS rookie has gone to Victory Lane in more than 100 Late Model races in his career, including the prestigious All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and, most recently, at Speedfest for the third time.

Articles

image

XFINITY Series Schedule

  • April 27 01:30 PM ET
    A-GAME 200Dover International Speedway
  • May 11 01:30 PM ET
    NXS Spring Race at DarlingtonDarlington Raceway
  • May 25 01:00 PM ET
    NXS Spring Race at CharlotteCharlotte Motor Speedway
  • June 1 04:30 PM ET
    Pacific Office Automation 147Portland International Raceway
  • June 8 08:00 PM ET
    Sonoma 250Sonoma Raceway

XFINITY Series Standings

After Dead On Tools 250

Martinsville Speedway | 10/28/2023
Results are not available.