Photo Credit: Mike Holloway/OnPitRoad.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – On the heels of three very strong finishes for B.J. McLeod Motorsports (BJMM) last weekend at Iowa Speedway, the sophomore NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) team hopes the momentum propels them forward to another string of solid finishes in Friday night’s Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Utilizing strategy to the max, Tommy Joe Martins in the team’s flagship No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro led the brigade to his career-best showing of 11th when the checkered flag flew in the American Ethanol E15 250 at Iowa Speedway.
Teammates David Starr and B.J. McLeod weren’t far behind as both drivers earned 14th and 17th place finishes respectively. For Starr, it was his best finish in nearly two years and for McLeod, it was also a career-outing bettering a 19th place finish at Dover (Del.) International Speedway last year.
Now, returning to restrictor plate racing at the 2.5-mile superspeedway of Daytona, McLeod is hoping for similar success that his team experienced at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, the other plate track where as a team they drafted to a career-best 10th with former XFINITY Series champion Jeff Green at the helm in May.
“After a tough start to the season with a lot of bad luck, it’s been a great couple weeks for our B.J. McLeod Motorsports team,” said McLeod. “I can’t thank the guys for their hard work over the last couple of weeks. It hasn’t been easy and we’re just at the beginning of a grueling stretch that will keep us on the road through October.
“We need finishes like we had at Talladega and Iowa to keep us surging forward. Daytona is unpredictable, but we’re hoping that we can play a little strategy like we did at Iowa Speedway last weekend and it pays off again for us with more finishes we can be proud of.”
For the final plate race of the year, Green returns to the wheel the No. 8 B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro for his 25th career start at the “World Center of Racing.” In his previous finishes, the Owensboro, KY native has earned two top-five and four top-10s and a pole in the season-opening race in 2003.
McLeod, a native of Wauchula, Fla. will make his third career start at Daytona. Looking to impress in front of his hometown crowd, the Floridian eyes to better a 24th place finish in his debut last February.
Starr, currently ranked 23rd in the XFINITY Series standings complete the three-car BJMM trio. The Houston, Tex. native is set for his 11 start in the Sunshine State and looks to better his sixth place showing after qualifying 18th.
For Daytona, B.J. McLeod Motorsports is also proud to welcome the additional support of Carefree Catering, ICE-FROST, @CouchCrewChief, GraphicSurge Media, EPIC Racewear, MOMO Motorsport, Safecraft Safety Equipment, ZAK Products, Circle Track Wearhouse, Mechanix Wear and WIX Filters who will serve as associate marketing partners for the team’s 47th career XFINITY Series race.
The Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at (100 laps / 250 miles) is the 16th of 33 NASCAR XFINITY Series on the 2017 schedule. Practice begins on Thurs., June 29 from 2:00 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. A second and final practice session is set from 4:00 p.m. – 4:55 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Fri., June 30 beginning at 2:10 p.m. The 40-car field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Eastern).
Be sure to follow B.J. McLeod Motorsports on social media; Facebook.com/bjmsinc, on Instagram (@BJMcLeodMotorsports) and on Twitter @TeamBJMcLeod.
About Carefree Catering:
Carefree Catering (carefreecater.com): Central Florida’s fastest growing full-service caterer!
Family owned and operated, their passion for elegant as well as tasteful catering goes back many years. Whether you’re hosting a cocktail party for 20, a 50th Anniversary celebration for 100, or planning a wedding for 250, look to Carefree to make your event a success. We also cater to the Pharmaceutical industry providing delicious luncheons on short notice. Our goal is to have you join our growing list of satisfied clients who rely on us for all of their catering needs.
About ICE-FROST:
ICE-FROST (ice-frost.com) is a combination of environmentally safe minerals that when added to the ice in your cooler, will take the temperature down from 30° (that’s the average ice temperature in a cooler) to a frosty -10°.
Extend the life of your ice. Turn your cooler into a freezer. Made in the USA.
Follow on Twitter @Ice_Frost.
About @CouchCrewChief:
Six years ago, Jonathan Gruenke, started the twitter handle @CouchCrewChief as a fun race day gag. In the following years, it has grown to include in-race updates and a motorsports blog focused on new drivers, new teams, and road crew members who sacrifice to entertain the motorsports fans.
About B. J. McLeod Motorsports:
B.J. McLeod Motorsports (BJMcLeodMotorsports.com) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is owned by B. J. McLeod and wife Jessica. The team will field three Chevrolet Camaros in the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway with drivers Jeff Green (No. 78), B.J. McLeod (No. 8) and David Starr (No. 99).
