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Between 2014 and 2018, JR Motorsports won 3 of the 5 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championships, but, they have not won a title since 2018 with Tyler Reddick. JRM has come close, but they have not been able to close the deal, but, 2024 is a new year. They bring back a hungry driver lineup for 2024, so, how will JRM perform?
Sam Mayer returns to JRM in the #1 car for 2024 for his third full-time season. He finally turned the corner in the second half of 2023 by winning 4 of the last 14 races and making the Championship 4. This was the breakout season he was hoping to have in 2023, and he will return to JRM in 2024.
Mayer’s expectations are naturally higher in 2024 as a result. He is expected to win races and compete for a Championship. He may not be the Championship favorite in the Xfinity Series, but, he is certainly up there.
The key for Mayer is cutting down the DNFs and improving on ovals in 2024. He had 7 DNFs in 2023, including 3 in a row between the last race of the regular season and the first two races of Round 1, so, he needs to cut that down. He also got 3 of his 4 wins on road courses, which is a great skill to have, but, he needs to improve on ovals. He did get his first oval track win at Homestead to make it to Phoenix, so, the ability is there.
Justin Allgaier begins his 9th season with JRM in 2024. He recorded his 6th Championship 4 appearance in his JRM career in 2023 including 4 wins, which is the second most wins he has gotten in his career. With how well he did in 2023, he should be the anchor driver for the team in 2024.
Allgaier may be the best Xfinity Series driver on the grid that has not won a Championship. He is regularly either in the Championship 4 or close to the Championship 4, so, his goal is to win a Championship. Is this the year that Allgaier finally does so?
The question with Allgaier is finding a way to win in the Championship race. Every time he gets there, he just does not get the job done for one reason or another. He can win races, but can he do so when it counts the most?
Sammy Smith joins JRM after one season at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023. He won one race, and he finished 6th in the final standings at age 19. He surprised many by jumping ship from Toyota and JGR to Chevrolet and JRM.
The goal for Smith is improvement in 2024. He won races and consistently ran well throughout the season, but, can he take that next step? He needs to win multiple races to set himself apart from the other JRM drivers, and maybe even a Championship 4 appearance is in order.
The question with Smith is his youth. He will still be 19 years old when the season starts, and making that big of a shift to a new team can be a struggle. Will he make the transition a smooth one?
Brandon Jones had a season to forget in 2023. He finished 14th in points, and he failed to win a race. This came after he narrowly missed out on the Championship 4 at JGR in 2022.
This year, Jones wants to get back to victory lane and make the Playoffs. He knows he can win races, and he can advance in the Playoffs. Each of his JRM teammates made the Playoffs in 2023, and each of his 2024 teammates won races. The pressure is on for Jones.
The question for Jones is can he put it all together? Something just did not click in 2023, and he looks to turn that around in 2024. If he does not, then there could be some major changes with the team.
Which JRM driver could win the team a Championship in 2024? Join the social conversation below.
