SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series | Talladega Superspeedway | Ag-Pro 300 Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Z Grills
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Mike Tyska
Ag-Pro 300 Starting Position: 35th (Based on event formula)
Driver Points Position: 21st | Owner Points Position: 25th
Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 702; competed last at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on February 13, 2021 (Start: 18th | Finish: 11th)
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)
Notes of Interest:
Welcome Back: This weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, SS GreenLight Racing and Joe Graf Jr. welcome back Z Grills as the primary partner of the team’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday afternoon’s Ag-Pro 300.
Talladega marks the second of a multi-race deal where Z Grills, one of the most respected names in pellet grills will be the primary partner.
About Z Grills: As an industry leading manufacturer for more than 30 years, Z Grills manufactured grills, kitchen equipment and outdoor products for several top brands in the industry.
Five years ago, Z Grills launched its own brand. With more than 500% yearly sales growth, Z Grills has quickly become the best pellet grills in the market and received tons of great reviews among mass media sites, BBQ influencers and Z Grills customers.
Now, Z Grills has grown into one of the most respected brands in the pellet grill industry.
Z Grills 8 in 1 pellet grills can grill, smoke, bake, roast, sear, braise, barbecue or char-grill.
See how Joe Graf Jr. cooks with Z Grills by clicking here.
Saving You Some Money: A new partner to Joe Graf Jr. and still excited about their debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last month at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway, Z Grills is still celebrating their partnership with Graf and the team.
To celebrate the partnership, Z Grills Racing (ZGrillsRacing.com) is offering a 10 percent discount off your total purchase, using the code JoeGraf07 at checkout.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Talladega Superspeedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway on Saturday and looks to improve on his 31st place finish from last October’s Ag-Pro 300 where he experienced engine failure at Lap 77 of 113.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series Superspeedway races, has completed 430 of the 668 laps available. He holds an average starting position of 16.5 and an average result of 28.6 with a best finish of 11th at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2021.
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.
Year of the Underdogs: NFL’s Buffalo Bills running back Antonio Williams and a personal investor in Joe Graf Jr.’s racing career recently launched a video on Twitter offering an exclusive glimpse into his personal life and his reason for wanting to be a part of NASCAR – exclusively with Graf Jr.
Since its release on Feb. 25, 2021, the video has gone viral with over 136,000 views and feedback from some of the sports’ icons including retired NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and current 23XI Racing driver Darrell Wallace Jr.
The video has since been uploaded on YouTube and can be seen clicking here.
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway Race Recap: In the series’ most recent race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Graf contended for a top-20 finish but was crashed out by another competitor 179 laps into the 250-lap event.
The impact left the SS GreenLight Racing team with a disappointing 38th place finish, their worst effort of the 2021 season.
Man vs. Machine: To help prepare himself for this weekend’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega, Joe Graf Jr. has been extremely active with his workout routine, which included a 25-mile cycle earlier this week.
Negotiating elevation and corners, Graf completed the cycle in 1:30:05 seconds at an average speed of 17.1 miles per hour and burning more than 1,146 calories in the process.
Graf has been working with coaches and former NASCAR Cup Series drivers Josh Wise and Scott Speed.
Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 80 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Mike Tyska is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.
He will crew chief his eighth NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon.
Tyska joined SS GreenLight Racing in January after honing his skills in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions and working for teams like Germain Racing, GMS Racing and Rick Ware Racing.
Tyska was a part of Todd Bodine’s 2006 championship season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Germain Racing.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Veteran Joey Gase will drive the No. 28 Register Me Ford Mustang on Saturday afternoon.
Gase is set to make his 245th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and seventh at the famed superspeedway. His best Xfinity track finish occurred in the 2015 Winn-Dixie 300 edition where he finished fifth after starting 39th driving for Jimmy Means Racing.
Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.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 (@SSGLR0717) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.
Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:
On Talladega Superspeedway: “After our Daytona finish in February, everyone on the SS GreenLight Racing team is looking forward to Talladega this weekend. Starting so deep in the field, I’m sure we will be a little conservative, but that may work to our benefit to have an opportunity to earn us another strong finish.”
On Z Grills Partnership: “I am thrilled to have Z Grills back on board this weekend at Talladega. Grilling at race tracks has always been a staple of the environment whether you are up close and personal with the race team or race fans bonding in the infield talking about their race track experience.
“I’m excited about all the levels we can make the partnership grow throughout the season.”
On 2021 Season: “The last few races have been tough, but we will bounce back. As a team, we know what we are capable of. We started off the year very strong and we are determined to do everything in our power to get back to that consistency and look ahead with positivity.”
Race Information:
The Ag-Pro 300 (113 laps | 300.58 miles) is the eighth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-car field will take the green flag on Sat., Apr. 24, 2021, shortly after 4:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.
About SS Green Light Racing:
As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter has been a mainstay in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.
SS GreenLight Racing will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021.
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