SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway | Unhinged 300
Fast Facts
No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy | Core Development | EAT SLEEP RACE
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Patrick Donahue
Starting Position for Unhinged 300: 23rd based on random qualifying draw
Driver Points Position: 20th | Owner Points Position: 23rd
Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 702; competed last at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on February 15, 2020 (Start: Fifth | Finish: 36th)
Chassis No. 702 also ran at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2019 with a second-place finish after an eighth-place starting position.
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)
Welcome Aboard: Bucked Up Energy will make its debut this weekend as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 08 Chevrolet Camaro. Talladega is the second race in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the 21-year-old driver.
Bucked Up is the everyman (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days. We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all, delivers long-lasting energy.
Talladega Xfinity Repeat?: In April 2020 during the coronavirus quarantine, Graf earned a podium finish in iRacing’ s “Saturday Night Thunder” – the Xfinity Series version of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
After starting mid-pack, Graf dodged many accidents to finish third without utilizing any “fast repairs.”
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Talladega Superspeedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in Saturday afternoon’s Unhinged 300 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In two NASCAR Xfinity Series Superspeedway races, has completed 129 of the 220 laps available. He holds an average starting position of 5.5 and an average result of 29.5 with a best finish of 23rd at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in July 2019.
Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In three career ARCA superspeedway track races, Graf Jr. has two top-10 finishes. He has been running at the finish of all three races. He holds an average starting position of 15.3 and an average result of 11th with three (3) laps led.
In 2018, Graf Jr. was involved in the closest finish in ARCA Menards Series history at Talladega Superspeedway in a photo finish.
The margin was so narrow in the 69-year history of the series, it was a statistical dead heat, the margin of victory on the computerized scoring monitors showing 0.000 seconds. Only a video replay and the photo finish camera were able to determine Graf finished second by a matter of millimeters.
From The Pit Box: Industry veteran Patrick Donahue is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief. He will crew chief his 163rd NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon. In his previous 162 races, he has two wins, eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes to his resume.
He has three Xfinity races as crew chief at Talladega with a best finish of second in 2019 with Gray Gaulding.
Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).
For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.
Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:
On Homestead-Miami Speedway: “I was really proud of the efforts of everyone on the SS GreenLight Racing team at Homestead. I had never been there before, but Patrick (Donahue) worked hard adjusting on our No. 08 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet Camaro to give me a fast race car both days and that showed with our finishing positions.”
On New Partner Bucked Up Energy: “It’s extremely rewarding to bring a new partner into NASCAR and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to represent Bucked Up Energy. They are a growing brand with a lot of ambition and goals.
“They see NASCAR as a great branding opportunity, and I believe the exposure they received at Homestead was proof of that. Hopefully, we can build on that at Talladega this weekend.”
On Talladega Superspeedway: “I love Talladega. I have had some really good runs there in the ARCA Menards Series and now I look forward to making my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut there.
“We had a strong superspeedway car at Daytona and got taken out. Hopefully, we’re able to build off the speed from Daytona on Saturday and have another good finish for everyone.”
Race Information:
The Unhinged 300 (113 laps | 300.58 miles) is the 10th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2020 schedule. The 39-car field will take the green flag shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Sat., Jun. 20, 2020 with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Central).
About SS Green Light Racing:
As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing has been a developmental hub for drivers looking to climb the ranks. Led by owner and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team has fielded entries in either the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.
Coming off a successful 2019 Xfinity campaign, SS GreenLight Racing looks to build further momentum with their two-car program in 2020.