Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy Drinkand its sister products will continue their role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 07 Ford Mustang this weekend. Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway is the fourth race of 2022 but is the 35th race overall in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.
This weekend, Bucked Up will promote its Gym N’ Juice Energy Drink.
With Gym n’ Juice, Bucked Up Energy Drinkpays homage to those classic west coast vibes. This citrusy, smooth flavor drives you to early-coastal ‘90s.
Even if you weren’t there for the greats — The Chronic, California Love, It Was a Good Day.
Embrace your life — not someone else’s — and dive in. Take it from the generation that taught us, no matter where you come from, from the hills to the hoods, you better bring your A-Game with Gym N’ Juice.
About Bucked Up Energy: Bucked Up started in 2013 when twin brothers Ryan and Jeff Gardner started marketing a product called Deer Antler Spray. After selling thousands of bottles to GNCs nationwide, the company morphed into what is now Bucked Up, a full-fledged vitamins and supplements manufacturer.
The company has gone from its humble beginnings to becoming the No. 1 best-selling pre-workout brand that’s available in over 10,000 stores worldwide.
New Year, But New Look: In January, SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (SSGLRwJL) announced the organization would switch from Chevrolet to Ford and have a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing.
SHR will supply the organization with race cars while Roush Yates Engines will provide the legendary Ford horsepower.
In addition to providing race cars to SSGLRwJL, SHR will also provide technical support for the entire 33-race season.
Additionally, Graf will have NASCAR Cup Series and Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe as teammates for select events throughout the 2022 season.
Don’t Forget The New Partner Too: SS GreenLight Racing has added Jeff Lefcourt as a new co-owner of the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, as well as director of business development for the organization.
Lefcourt, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. joins SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (SSGLRwJL) with a long history of racing endeavors including owning Bethel (N.Y.) Motor Speedway in upstate New York, a current-NASCAR sanctioned race track.
The noted philanthropist, entrepreneur and real estate developer has deep ties to grassroots racing and was instrumental in helping secure the Stewart-Haas Racing alliance with SSGLRwJL in 2022.
Welcome Aboard: On Thursday, SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt announced the signing of Gtechniq as the primary partner for driver Joe Graf Jr. next weekend at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.
Gtechniq is a leader in automotive protective coatings products.
In addition to Atlanta, Gtechniq will also sponsor Graf at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International this summer and as an associate marketing partner for the full 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Phoenix Raceway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway in Saturday afternoon’s United Rentals 200.
In his four previous races, Graf finished 31st, 27th, 25th and 35th respectively. In his most recent trip to the desert, Graf Jr. easily contended for a top-20 finish, but an impatient driver on the restart spun Graf’s No. 07 Model Electronics machine and ended his final race of the season on Lap 97 of 204.
Last March, he finished a track-best 25th aboard the No. 07 Z Grills Chevrolet Camaro.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Speedway Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 34 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with an average starting position of 26.2 and an average result of 25.4.
Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway | Alsco Uniforms 300 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, Graf
embraced a fast No. 07 Bucked Up LFG Burn Ford Mustang but battled a series of obstacles in the race that ultimately led to a disappointing 38th place finish in Sin City.
School Back In Session: While juggling a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt, 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.
Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.
The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.
He will crew chief his 69th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his fifth at the 1.0-mile speedway.
In his previous 68 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt. Veteran David Starr will drive the No. 08 TicketSmarter Ford Mustang on Saturday for his first start of the 2022 season.
Starr is set to make his 235th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and 15th at Phoenix Raceway. His best Xfinity track finish occurred in the 2020 Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200, where he finished 16th after starting 29th for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt.
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 with Jeff Lefcourt, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Instagram (@ssgreenlightracing) and Twitter (@SSGLR0708).
Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:
On Phoenix Raceway: “I am determined to change my luck at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. I like the race track. It’s fun to race on for being one of the smaller tracks on the schedule, but for one reason or another something seems to always happen that prevents us from earning a finish I know our SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt team deserves.
“Our No. 07 Bucked Up Gym N’ Juice Energy Drink Ford Mustang looks awesome and I just hope we have a finish to go with its energy on Saturday afternoon.”
On Las Vegas: “I am proud of my SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt team for the speed in our No. 07 Bucked Up LFG Burn Ford Mustang throughout the race.
“Unfortunately, we had a series of setbacks during the race that ultimately hindered us from a better finish. Even though the finish was tough to swallow, we are remaining upbeat and confident we can bounce back in Phoenix this weekend.”
On 2022 Season Outlook: “We have made a lot of changes during the offseason. From switching manufacturers to bringing in new personnel, it’s all for the better. Honestly, I would be disappointed if we weren’t able to showcase ourselves as a strong capable team throughout the season.
“We’ve already shown what our SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt team can do when everything goes our way. The Auto Club win for Cole Custer was huge for our team and we definitely want to build on that in the weeks and months ahead.”
“Consistent top-10 finishes for myself should not be out of the question and hopefully by Phoenix in November, we will be racing near the front on a consistent basis.”
Race Information:
The United Rentals 200 (200 laps | 200 miles) is the fourth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Sat., Mar. 12 from 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Qualifying follows at 10:00 a.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag shortly after 2:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. ET) with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.
