Talladega Race Preview
DRIVER: Jade Buford / No. 48 Big Machine Spiked Coolers Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Patrick Donahue
TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway
RACE: Ag-Pro 300 (113 laps / 300.58 miles)
DATE: Saturday, April 24, 2021
QUOTES
JADE BUFORD, DRIVER
“I’m eager to get to Talladega this weekend for my first superspeedway race! It was helpful being able to sit atop the pit box at Daytona earlier this year. I know I still have a bit of a learning curve ahead of me, but I’ve been absorbing as much information as I can and getting a good game plan together with my team. Our goal is to avoid ‘the big one’ and be there at the end with our Spiked Coolers Camaro.”
PATRICK DONAHUE, CREW CHIEF
“Talladega is a chaotic race. Things can change in an instant and you never know what the outcome is going to be. We’re going to focus on the things we can control and let Jade get comfortable as he can. He’s been doing a great job learning all of these new tracks and I don’t think Talladega will be any different. We also have a great asset with us in veteran spotter Keith Barnwell.”
NOTES
TALLADEGA: Jade Buford is coming off his best finish of the season as he heads to Talladega Superspeedway for this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event. The 33-year-old driver scored a 19th-place finish in his first-ever start at Martinsville Speedway. He’s looking to continue that momentum this weekend as he makes his first superspeedway start. Earlier this year he competed on the Daytona Road Course but did not run the season-opening race on the 2.5-mile high-banked tri-oval the week prior.
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR: Buford returned to the challenging courses of NBC’s hit show American Ninja Warrior for the upcoming 13th season, which premieres on May 31. An avid climber, Buford has previously put his fitness skills to the test by competing in seasons nine and 10. Tune in next month to see if he made the cut!
BUFORD’S DARLINGTON THROWBACK UNVEILED: Last week it was announced that Big Machine Racing and Jade Buford will run a special throwback paint scheme honoring legendary racer Dan Gurney at the upcoming NXS race at Darlington Raceway. Gurney’s iconic All American Racers, Inc. (AAR) livery from the 1970 Trans Am Series season will be featured on Jade Buford’s No. 48 Big Machine Chevrolet. Get the full story here.
SPIKED COOLERS NOW AVAILABLE: Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers hit shelves in multiple states earlier this month, debuting to impressive numbers. The refreshing ready-to-drink vodka juice pouches are made with real fruit juice and are available in three flavors – Tropical, Lemonade and Cranberry. The eco-friendly pouches come eight to a box and can be served chilled or frozen. Find out more at www.spikedcoolers.com.
BIG MACHINE SPONSORING NASHVILLE FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY: Last week Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway announced Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers as a major sponsor for the 2021 season. In addition to being named the official vodka of the track, Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers will also sponsor the Pro Truck Series and serve as presenting sponsor for the season-ending All American 400 in October. Find out more here.
TUNE IN
TV: FOX at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT
RADIO: MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90 at 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT