Joe Graf Jr. | RSS Racing Pocono Raceway July NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

No. 38 RSS Racing Team:

Driver:Joe Graf Jr.

Primary Partner(s): No. 38 CoverSeal® Ford Mustang

Manufacturer: Ford Mustang

Crew Chief:Steve Addington

Spotter: Joe Campbell

Engine: Roush-Yates Engines

Driver Championship Point Standings: 21st

Team Championship Point Standings: 24th

S

Notes of Interest:

6a2e7165 7639 491b 8003 A4571510e11f
S

Settling In: After spending the last three seasons with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (2020 – 2022), Joe Graf Jr. moved to RSS Racing during the offseason where he’ll spend the majority of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season competing for the Sugar Hill, Ga.-based team.

In addition to RSS Racing, Graf will also compete in a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Welcome Aboard: Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing welcome back CoverSeal® as the primary partner of the team’s No. 38 Ford Mustang for Saturday afternoon’s Explore The Pocono Mountains 225.

The annual summer trip to Pocono Mountains will mark the fourth time the company has been represented by RSS Racing and Joe Graf Jr. this season.

CoverSeal® supported the organization in the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April and most recently at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway earlier this month.

We Have You COVERED: Racing fans know the importance of keeping cars in top-quality condition, and they can extend an unmatched level of care toward their own vehicles with CoverSeal®.

These covers don’t just protect vehicles from nature’s damage: whether fans plan to tailgate at the track or barbecue in the backyard, CoverSeal® craftsmanship can protect grills and furniture when not in use.

The CoverSeal® weighted apron helps seal the cover to the ground on each version, making the cover easy to use and hard to beat.

Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 54 percent of the 2023 Xfinity Series season complete, Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing would like to thank their associate marketing partners: ArmsList.com, AVOID, Bass Reaper Bait Company, Bucked Up Energy Drink, CoverSeal, EAT SLEEP RACE Apparel, fgrACCEL, G-Coin®, GTECHNIQ, JACOB Companies, Lefcourt Brothers Racing, Love Motorsports, Model Electronics and ShopRite for their continued support.

Catch Him On The Dial: Before Joe Graf Jr. straps into his No. 38 CoverSeal® Ford Mustang on Saturday, the RSS Racing driver will be featured on “The Frontstretch” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90 with host Pat Patterson on Saturday morning, July 22, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET.

Graf will also spotlight a commercial featuring CoverSeal® in several spots throughout the weekend, including the full four-hour program on Sunday, July 23, 2023.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Pocono Raceway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 will mark Graf’s third Xfinity start at the 2.5-mile triangle.

In his previous two efforts, Graf earned a track-best finish of 32nd in the 2021 edition of the Pocono Green 225 after starting 35th for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt.

In addition to his two Xfinity starts, the Mahwah, New Jersey native also has four ARCA Menards Series starts in Long Pond, including collecting three top-10 finishes, including a track-best of seventh in 2018 driving for Chad Bryant Racing.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Speedway Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a speedway greater than 2.0-mile in length, Graf has competed in 23 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with three top-10 finishes to his credit. He holds an average starting position of 24.5 and an average result of 25.4.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Ambetter Health 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Joe Graf Jr. made his fourth start of the season driving the No. 19 Rocky’s Ace Hardware Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR).

After practicing inside the top five, Graf qualified his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra 19th for the race. Methodically throughout the race, Graf was able to overcome some early race challenges and maneuver himself inside the top five and even led eight laps of the race.

Unfortunately, in the closing laps of the race, Graf was collected in a late-race accident which regulated him to a 29th-place finish.

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 monthly.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Steve Addington is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will be crew chief for his 282nd NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his second at the three-turn 2.5-mile triangle facility in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

In his previous 281 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected 11 wins, 10 poles, 68 top-five and 118 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has two teammates at RSS Racing.

Veteran Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 39 CMRroofing.com Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 28 US Hydrations | Sparkling Ice Ford Mustang.

Ryan Sieg is set to make his 320th career Xfinity Series start overall and eighth at Pocono.

Kyle Sieg hopes to make his 36th career Xfinity Series start and second at Pocono.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on TikTok (@JoeGrafJr), Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on RSS Racing, please like them on Facebook (RSS283839) and follow them on Instagram (@rss283839) and Twitter (@RSS283839).

S

Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:

S04d3e6f5 7f01 44a2 B4a4 F3dac44d3190

On Pocono Raceway: “I’m excited to return to Pocono Raceway. I haven’t been to the track since 2021, but I feel really good about returning and contending for a strong finish with our No. 38 CoverSeal® Ford Mustang.

“I have not had the best luck in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but I have a bunch of top-10 finishes in ARCA. They don’t call Pocono the “Tricky Triangle” for nothing, but its unique track characteristics and one I enjoy racing at.

“Last weekend at New Hampshire was a positive weekend for me and my career even though we did not have the finish we should have earned, but I’ll look to complete that with my RSS Racing team on Saturday afternoon.”

On The 2023 Season: “We started the year off really strong between RSS Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, but unfortunately we’ve been on a rollercoaster throughout the season.

“I know we just have to survive this stretch of unique races which includes a street course, a hybrid superspeedway, a flat track, a fast track and another road course. Hopefully in-between all the different types of tracks we’ll find a rhythm that will allow us to continue to accelerate in a positive direction.

“I just need to continue to stay focused, communicate with my team and utilize the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past three years to recover and have my best Xfinity Series season yet.”

S

Race Information:

The Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 (90 laps | 225 miles) is the 19th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, July 21, 2023, from 3:35 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. Qualifying is set to follow practice beginning at 4:05 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag the next afternoon, Saturday, July 22, 2023, shortly after 5:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

RSS Racing PR