Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway | Contender Boats 250 Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Mike Tyska
Contender Boats 250 Starting Position: 16th (Based on event formula)
2021 Driver Points Position: 12th | 2021 Owner Points Position: 14th
Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 708; competed last at Texas Motor Speedway on October 24, 2020 (Start: 28th | Finish: 22nd)
Chassis No. 708 is also the same car that Graf Jr. raced in both NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Homestead-Miami Speedway in June 2020.
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)
Notes of Interest:
New Year, New Number and New Paint: It is a sophomore season full of new!
To kick off his second season of competition at SS GreenLight Racing, Joe Graf Jr. will drive the No. 07 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet Camaro with a new sophisticated updated livery.
Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy and its sister products will continue its role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro to kick off the 2021 Xfinity Series season. Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway is the third race of 2021 but is the 25th race overall in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.
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.
Did You See All That Smoke: Z Grills, one of the most respected names in pellet grills was officially announced Friday as a new marketing partner for Joe Graf Jr. and SS GreenLight Racing with their debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series set for March 13th, 2021 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
As an industry leading manufacture for more than 30 years, Z Grills manufactured grills, kitchen equipment and outdoor products for several top brands in the 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.
Year of the Underdogs: Heading to Homestead-Miami Speedway, Buffalo Bills running back Antonio Williams and a personal investor in Joe Graf Jr.’s racing career 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 Thursday night, the video has gone viral with over 100,000 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.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Homestead-Miami Speedway Starts: Sophomore NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Joe Graf Jr. will make his third start at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021.
Graf Jr. made his debut the South Florida-track during a double-header weekend post-COVID-19 shutdown last June.
During the two-day show, Graf earned finishes of 16th and 13th respectively. His finish in the Contender Boats 250 on Jun. 14, 2020 marked what was a career-best finish in the Xfinity Series for the rookie driver.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 18 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 24.2 and an average result of 22.1.
Daytona International Speedway Road Course Race Recap: On the heels of a career-best 11th place finish in the season-opening Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Graf Jr. continued to show road course improvement during last weekend’s Super Start Batteries 188.
After starting ninth, Graf. was able to climb back from a late-race speeding penalty to earn his second consecutive top-20 finish of the season and his second-best effort on a road course.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Mike Tyska is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.
He will crew chief his third 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 JJ Yeley will drive the No. 17 SS GreenLight Racing Chevrolet on Saturday afternoon.
Yeley is set to make his 336th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and 11th at the 1.5-mile speedway. Last year, he finished 11th in the Saturday Hooter’s 250 race after starting 14th.
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 (@SSGLR0717) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.
Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:
On Homestead-Miami Speedway: “I’m looking forward to going back to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. It was one of my better tracks last season. I enjoyed the different racing grooves the track presented and I really enjoyed being able to ride the high line against the wall.
“It has been a good start to the 2021 season and I’d like to leave Homestead with similar or better result than last June.”
On New Z Grills Partnership: ““I am thrilled to welcome Z Grills to NASCAR and to our SS GreenLight Racing team. 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 Antonio Williams Viral Video: “Antonio is the real deal and he is determined to show everyone how much he loves NASCAR and the video was just the first chapter. We are all very excited about the upcoming chapters to be written in 2021.
“It’s the year of the underdogs. Stay tuned!”
Race Information:
The Contender Boats 250 (167 laps | 250.5 miles) is the third of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-car field will take the green flag on Sat., Feb. 27, 2021, shortly after 4:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, 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 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 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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