- Sam Mayer heads to Darlington Raceway fresh off a solid third-place effort in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Dover Motor Speedway two weeks ago.
- In five NXS starts at the 1.366-mile asphalt oval, the Wisconsin native has scored one top-five and two top-10 efforts with his best of fifth coming at this event in the spring of 2022.
- The young driver has tallied two wins on tracks measuring 1.5 miles or less in length, with his most recent win coming in April in a photo finish at Texas Motor Speedway.
- Mayer will carry the exciting new blue colors of RTIC Outdoors as the new partner will ride along for its first race with the 20-year-old driver and JR Motorsports.
Sam Mayer
“I am ready to get back in the drivers seat after a relaxing off-week, especially heading to Darlington. We have had great runs there in the past but just have not been able to execute and get that finish we deserve and know we can achieve. I am also super-excited to have RTIC Outdoors with us this weekend for their first run with our No. 1 Chevrolet. I am confident that we can battle for a great finish and hopefully get this No. 1 RTIC Outdoors Chevy to Victory Lane.”
- Justin Allgaier is a two-time winner at “The Lady in Black,” having gone to Victory Lane in this event in both 2021 and 2022.
- Overall, in 17 career starts at Darlington, Allgaier has amassed seven top fives and 13 top 10s to accompany the two victories.
- Additionally, the Illinois native has placed no worse than seventh at the hallowed speedway dating back to his win in 2021.
- This weekend marks the second consecutive year that Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet will be paying homage to the heritage of BRANDT Professional Agriculture. Last year, Allgaier finished in the runner-up position in the platinum-and-red BRANDT Chevrolet.
Justin Allgaier
“Darlington has always been a really strong place for us and I feel extremely confident that we will be just as quick again this weekend. The last couple weeks didn’t go quite as we had planned, but I know that Jim(Pohlman, crew chief) and all the guys on this BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet are ready to go and get back to the track. Hopefully we can have a nice, smooth day and be up front when it matters at the end. We’re ready.”
- Sammy Smith has two races under his belt at Darlington, with a best finish of 11th coming in the Spring of 2023.
- Smith has 18 starts on tracks measuring 1.366 miles in length or shorter with, 11 of those being top-10 finishes.
- The No. 8 TMC Chevrolet is a throwback to honor the history of TMC’s first sponsorship in racing on Harold Annett’s “Mickow Sprinter” sprint car with the late Mike Brooks behind the wheel.
Sammy Smith
“After a rough time in Dover, I’m glad my No. 8 team and I had a week to relax but also dive into what we can do to turn our luck around. We’ve gone back to the drawing board with a few ideas and I know we’ll come out on top soon. I would love to be able to get our throwback No. 8 TMC Chevrolet in the winner’s circle this Saturday for such a special longtime partner.”
- Brandon Jones has made 12 starts in the NXS at “The Lady in Black” and has compiled one win, two top-five and five top-10 finishes. Jones’ win came during the 2020 season after taking the lead with two laps remaining.
- In 137 career starts, on tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length, the 27-year-old has recorded four wins, 19 top fives and 61 top 10s.
- This weekend, Jones’ No. 9 machine will be paying homage to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s 2018 Hellman’s paint scheme, that he ran to a fourth-place finish at Richmond Raceway.
Brandon Jones
“It was nice having a weekend off to reset, but now I am ready to get back on track at Darlington. I have had some success here in the past and this No. 9 team is committed to giving me a fast car every week, so I am hoping we can be in contention for the win at the end. Our results so far this season don’t reflect the hard work this team has been putting in every day so I am ready to give them the finish they deserve.”
- Carson Kvapil will travel to Darlington for his third NXS start this weekend, seeking a third straight finish in the top four. The 20-year-old driver was fourth at Martinsville Speedway in his debut and second at Dover last month.
- Kvapil will make his maiden start at “The Track Too Tough to Tame” in the No. 88 Clarience Chevrolet. Saturday’s race will be his first in the NXS on a track measuring more than a mile in length.
- The No. 88 team, led by crew chief Andrew Overstreet, is on a roll, posting sixth-, fourth- and second-place finishes in three starts this season. That’s an average finish of 4.0.
Carson Kvapil
“After Dover, I’m looking forward to making this start at Darlington. It’s one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks. This has been a whirlwind lately, with Martinsville and Dover, and I know that Andrew (Overstreet) and the No. 88 team will have our Clarience Chevrolet ready for me. It’s a big step up for me, and thanks to JR Motorsports, Clarience and Chevrolet for this opportunity.”
JRM PR
