JR Motorsports shows speed but mixed results at Pocono
The JR Motorsports drivers combined for 71 of 92 laps led and earned points in each stage but only could finish as high as second Saturday.
Sam Mayer finished second after racing closely around Austin Hill and Josh Berry in overtime.
Berry and Mayer led entering overtime until Hill bumped Berry too hard on the restart.
A lap later as Berry came up to sidedraft Hill exiting turn one, Mayer came down to go three-wide and bumped into him.
The contact cut down Berry’s tire and sent him 24th, out of the race. He led 51 laps (race-high) and won stage one and two after winning the pole.
Mayer was dejected, however. He said he “felt bummed he cost the company a win.” Berry responded, saying, “It was just hard racing.”
Mayer finished seventh in each stage and finished second overall. He also finished second at Talladega last October and in Fontana, Cali. in February.
The only driver with a possibly more-heartbreaking than Berry is Justin Allgaier.
Allgaier was the only driver who challenged Berry on speed alone as he led eight laps and challenged Berry for the stage two win.
With eight laps to go, he still ran just behind Berry but then got damage after spinning Joey Gase with 11 laps to go.
The contact shuffled Allgaier to the back and eventually led to the wreck with Chandler Smith in overtime. Allgaier finished 23rd.
Brandon Jones finished 16 spots ahead, after finishing sixth and fourth in stages one and two. He led 12 laps in stage three before the caution with 11 laps to go.
With six laps to go, Jones had the freshest tires in eighth. However, he couldn’t do much with it as he finished seventh.
MORE ON THE RACE: Strategies get Austin Hill to the win at Pocono
Categories
Discover more from The Racing Experts
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com