SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series | Martinsville (Va.) Speedway | Draft Top 250 Fast Facts
No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): EAT SLEEP RACE | Bucked Up Energy | myFace
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Patrick Donahue
Starting Position for Draft Top 250: 25th (Event Formula)
Driver Points Position: 23rd | Owner Points Position: 29th
Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 711; competed last at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on September 5, 2020 (Start: 28th | Finish: 23rd)
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)
Notes of Interest:
New Colors: This weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Joe Graf Jr. and the No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Chevrolet Camaro will showcase the EAT SLEEP RACE colors.
EAT SLEEP RACE (eatsleeprace.com) is a racing lifestyle apparel company based out of New Jersey. Since 2001 the brand has offered a full product line including accessories and apparel for men and ladies. As one of the pioneers of motorsports apparel, the brand has deep roots in the racing industry and was created to offer fresh designs for all racing enthusiasts.
The company has expanded to now offer a dedicated children’s product line of apparel and accessories branded as the Fast Kids Club (fastkidsclub.com) with it’s hot selling ABC book for future race car drivers.
myFace Returns: myFace, an organization that helps kids and families living with craniofacial differences will return to the No. 08 Chevrolet Camaro as an associate partner for the Xfinity Series return at Martinsville Speedway.
myFace, is a leading nonprofit focused on providing the comprehensive care, education and information to help people with craniofacial differences lead full and productive lives.
Texas Motor Speedway Recap: A strong run at Texas Motor Speedway last Saturday was thwarted when Joe Graf Jr. became an innocent victim in a mid-race accident. Despite starting 29th, Graf patiently worked his way to the front and ran as high as 12th before being hit from behind in a multi-car accident.
The SS GreenLight Racing team made repairs to his No. 08 BassReaper Bait Co. Chevrolet Camaro, but the repairs removed the team from a competitive finish. Graf Jr. settled for a 22nd place run in his second race at the 1.5-mile speedway.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Martinsville Speedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his Martinsville (Va.) Speedway debut in Saturday afternoon’s Draft Top 250, the penultimate race of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Short Track Nuggets: At tracks classified as short tracks with a track length of under 1.0-mile, Graf has six previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, including most recently at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
He holds an average starting position of 23.8 and an average result of 19.8 and has been running at the conclusion of all six events.
Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Career Short Track Nuggets: At tracks classified as short tracks with a track length of under 1.0-mile, Graf has competed in 18 ARCA Menards Series races. He holds an average starting position of 9.8 and an average result of 8.8, including a win at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway in 2018.
Say Whaaat?: For at least the next month, Joe Graf Jr. and partner Bucked Up Energy are allowing one lucky fan the opportunity to win a year’s supply of Bucked Up Energy or over $1,000 in cash!
Winner’s choice!
Plus, the more you promote the contest yourself, the more entries you receive!
To view contest rules and enter, click here.
Vote For Me: Voting is open for the 2020 edition of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Most Popular Driver.
Approved voters are allowed to vote for their favorite NASCAR Xfinity Series driver at least one time per day for the next two months through Mon., Nov. 9, 2020.
To cast your vote for Joe Graf Jr. visit, nascar.com/xfinitymostpopulardriver.
TikTok, TikTok: Continuing to increase his social media presence, Joe Graf Jr. recently joined TikTok. Search “Joe Graf Jr.” and follow the NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie for a glimpse of his entertaining life on and off the track.
School Back In Session: While juggling a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with SS GreenLight Racing, college life has resumed for Joe Graf Jr.
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Graf Jr. has resorted to online classes at the University of New York, where he is pursuing a degree in business, media and sports management.
The Second Half: Despite the coronavirus pandemic which shuttered NASCAR Xfinity Series races for more than two months, the series recently reached the halfway point of their season at Kansas Speedway in late July.
Now, 31 races down, two races to go, Graf Jr. is ranked 23rd in the Xfinity Series championship standings and looks to improve his average finish of 24th over the final two weeks of the season.
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 Patrick Donahue is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief. He will crew chief his 185th NASCAR Xfinity Series races on Saturday. In his previous 184 races, he has two wins, eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes to his resume.
Saturday’s Draft Top 250 will be his first race as crew chief at the 0.526-mile oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
This Is 2020: Entering Martinsville, Graf Jr. has 34 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts to his credit with five top-15, 11 top-20 and 19 top-25 finishes. After 31 races in 2020, he stands 23rd in the championship standings with two races remaining.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. NASCAR veteran Gray Gaulding drives the No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Chevrolet Camaro. The 22-year-old will make his sixth Xfinity start of 2020 on Saturday.
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 Texas Motor Speedway: “First, I’m super proud of Patrick (Donahue, crew chief) and the entire SS GreenLight Racing team. Our No. 08 BassReaper Bait Co. | Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet was really fast and we got ourselves inside the top-12.
“Unfortunately, someone got turned around ahead of me and I got hit from behind and our car got damaged in the aftermath. From there, we just had to salvage the day and ended up 22nd.
“Pretty disappointed, because my guys did a great job, and our car was fast, and we don’t have anything to show for it. That’s racing I guess. We’ll move onto Martinsville and see what happens.”
On Martinsville Speedway: “I’m optimistic about my Martinsville debut this weekend. I feel I’ve done everything in power to prepare myself. Whether it was studying video, iRacing and even spending time in the simulator, I really hope we can execute a good race start to finish and carry some momentum to Phoenix for the season finale.
“I’m really excited to have EAT SLEEP RACE as our primary partner on Saturday. They have been an instrumental partner in my career since last season and do a lot for not only those in Motorsports, but kids too. Hoping to give them a Spooktacular finish on Halloween.”
Race Information:
The Draft Top 250 (250 laps | 131.50 miles) is the 32nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2020 schedule. The 39-car field will take the green flag shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 31, 2020, with live coverage on NBCSN, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Eastern).
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 its two-car program in 2020.
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