Joe Graf Jr. | RSS Racing Michigan International Speedway NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

No. 38 RSS Racing Team:

Driver:Joe Graf Jr.

Primary Partner(s): No. 38 Gtechniq Marine 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

Notes of Interest:

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 Back: Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing welcome back Gtechniq, a leader in automotive protective coatings products as the primary marketing of the No. 38 Ford Mustang for the 20th NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the 2023 season.

Headquartered in Cumming, Ga., the Gtechniq range includes composite ceramic coatings, leather protection, fabric protection, wheel and trim protection, shampoos and much more.

The Cabo Wabo 250 will mark the company’s sixth event as a primary partner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series but the fifth of the 2023 season.

Promoting Marine: This weekend, Graf, RSS Racing and Gtechniq will continue to promote one of their newest products, Gtechniq Marine.

Your boat is an investment and Gtechniq Marine strives to protect and clean all surfaces to maintain a pristine appearance.

Gtechniq Marine utilizes science and technology to develop top-of-the-line products for anti-staining, surface protection and cleaning.

Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 60 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 Gtechniq Marine 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, August 5, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET.

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

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Michigan International Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Cabo Wabo 250 will mark Graf’s third Xfinity start at the 2.0-mile speedway.

In his previous efforts, Graf delivered a track-best of 23rd after starting 24th for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt during the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

In addition to his previous two Xfinity starts, he has two ARCA Menards Series starts in Brooklyn, delivering two top-five finishes during the 2018 and 2019 seasons respectively.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Speedway Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a speedway greater than 2.0 miles in length, Graf has competed in 23 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with three top-10 finishes. He holds an average starting position of 24.3 and an average result of 25.0.

Road America (Wisc.) | Road America 180 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America (Wisc.), Graf made his third start in Elkhart Lake, Wisc.

After experiencing engine issues during practice for the Road America 180, the RSS Racing team skipped qualifying in order to repair their No. 38 Gtechniq EXOv5 Ford Mustang.

Throughout the race, Graf steadily moved forward and withstood a chaotic ending to the race to finish a respectable 23rd – his best finish at the famed road course.

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 284th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his ninth at Michigan International Speedway.

In his previous 283 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 RSS Racing Ford Mustang.

Ryan Sieg is set to make his 322nd career Xfinity Series start overall and ninth at Michigan.

Kyle Sieg is poised to make his 38th career Xfinity Series start and second at Michigan.

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).

Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:

On Michigan International Speedway: “I have always loved racing at Michigan International Speedway. Its incredible speed and room to race and the unique track characteristics certainly make it an entertaining race behind the wheel and for NASCAR fans.

“I feel like our RSS Racing team is trending in the right direction during the second half of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season. We continue to learn with every week on the track and it’s not out of the question that we can roll out at Michigan on Friday and have a successful weekend.

“I am excited to carry the Gtechniq Marine colors on our No. 38 Ford Mustang this weekend and I hope we’re able to have a productive race and carry some momentum towards the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course race next weekend.”

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. Lately, I feel like we have taken the right steps to get back on track.

“It’s been a good couple of weeks for myself personally between competing for the Joe Gibbs Racing and RSS Racing teams and I hope we’re able to continue our upward trend heading into the rest of the summer stretch and overall, the remainder of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with some strong results.

“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.”

Race Information:

The Cabo Wabo 250 (125 laps | 250 miles) is the 21st of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, August 4, 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, August 5, 2023, shortly after 3:30 p.m. with live coverage on NBC, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern)