Ryan Truex / No. 19 Toyota Genuine Parts GR Supra Preview – Raptor 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - Speedway Digest

No. 19 Toyota Genuine Parts GR Supra News and Notes:

TRUEX AT ATLANTA: Ryan Truex will make his second start of his 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign at Atlanta Motor Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota Genuine Parts GR Supra. Truex has experience at the iconic track, having competed in three NXS races there over the years. In these races, he has one top-five finish, two top-10 finishes, an average start of 13.3, and an average finish of 7.7, along with 8 laps led. In his only start since the track’s reconfiguration, Truex posted an impressive third-place finish last summer. He also has one start at the track in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and four in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
PHOENIX RECAP: In his first start of the 2023 season, Truex made a statement with an impressive second-place finish behind teammate Sammy Smith. After starting 12^th and finishing Stage One in 19th, Truex found his groove in the second stage and methodically worked his way through the field to 11^th place heading into the final stage. During late-race restarts, Truex made some veteran moves to quickly secure track position and earn his place right behind his teammate, Smith, to set up a 1-2 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing.
PREVIOUSLY AT JGR: In 2011, Truex made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). He ran six races for the organization and finished four of those races in the top 10. Truex ran seven races for JGR in 2012, adding on four more top-10s and a pole award. 2022 saw Truex return to JGR for a six-race stint where he finished in the top-10 in three of those races. This season, Truex has one prior start with JGR, where he finished 2nd at Phoenix.
ON THE PITBOX: Crew Chief Jason Ratcliff will oversee the No. 19 team and its driver rotation in 2023. Ratcliff is in year 18 under the JGR banner. He won the 2009 NXS Championship in tandem with Kyle Busch after an eight-win season. The championship-winning crew chief has 54 NXS wins across five different drivers, including current JGR NCS driver, Christopher Bell. He has 15 NCS wins as crew chief between two former JGR drivers – Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano.
NO. 19 IN 2023: The JGR No. 19 will have a rotating schedule of drivers throughout the 2023 season. Drivers on the schedule as of Atlanta are Myatt Snider, Joe Graf Jr., Connor Mosack, and Truex.
JGR AT ATLANTA: JGR has 5 NXS victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway, including a win in each of the past two seasons with Ty Gibbs in 2022 and Kyle Busch in 2021. In 63 combined starts at the track, the organization has 20 top-five finishes, 33 top-10s, 7 pole awards, and 969 laps led.
FOLLOW ALONG: Follow along for updates and a behind-the-scenes look at Truex’s 2023 season.

Twitter: @Ryan_Truex I Facebook: Ryan Truex I Instagram: @ryan_truex

RACE INFO: The NXS Raptor 250 at Atlanta is scheduled for 5:00 PM EST on Saturday, March 18. The race will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, MRN, Sirius XM and available to stream on the FOX Sports app.

From the Driver’s Seat:

Ryan Truex: “I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota Genuine Parts GR Supra for the second week in a row. We put a strong run together last week, and Atlanta has been good to me over the years. I’m hoping we can take this momentum and turn it into a trip to victory lane.”

Truex’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Atlanta Motor Speedway: