DOVER MOTOR SPEEDWAY | RACE RECAP
DOVER, DELAWARE - (April 28, 2024) -- Four hundred miles at Dover showed Denny Hamlin winning the event, and LEGACY M.C. drivers all finishing in the top-20. Here is how the race played out.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | No. 42 ACME TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 34TH | FINISH: 20th | POINTS: 23RD
John Hunter Nemechek started the 400-mile event from 34th. During the first stage, the No. 42 ACME Toyota Camry had no grip and got more free as the run went on. The team pitted on Lap 45 for four tires and fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. Later in the next run, he said the car was starting to tighten up but overall needed to be tighter. He said there was no grip in the car as Stage 1 came to an end with the No. 42 in 26th.
The second stage saw more of the same as the green flag runs wore on, Nemechek said he had no grip in the car and finished 24th at the end of Stage 2. The team fought the same condition throughout the entire last stage, but Nemechek gained some track position as he focused forward. He had a hard-fought 20th-place finish at the stripe.
Quoting John Hunter Nemechek: Can you talk about your race?
“P20 on the day. Hard fought day. I don’t really know if it helped us or hurt us, as far as pit strategy and the caution coming out in the end, but we were able to wave and get one lap back and we were able to fight for the lucky dog there. Solid quiet day for this Acme Toyota team. P20. Going to Kansas next week, one of my favorite race tracks.”
COREY HEIM FOR ERIK JONES | No. 43 DOLLAR TREE/PETTY 75 TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 32ND | FINISH: 25TH | OWNER POINTS: 20TH
Corey Heim qualified 32nd for his first NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, filling in for an injured Erik Jones. Heim struggled in the opening stage, falling to 30th, but quickly found comfort in the later half of Stage 1. During the day's first caution, Heim reported he was a bit on the free side but overall felt good. The No. 43 Dollar Tree/Petty75 Toyota Camry XSE finished 24th at the end of the opening stage.
Heim came out hot to start Stage 2, running inside the top-15 in lap times by lap 168 and moved up to 22nd by lap 224. Unfortunately, Heim fell off of the lead lap with just under five laps until the stage break. At the end of Stage 2, Heim reported, "I completely lost the right front. He crossed the finish line 23rd, one lap behind the leader.
Heim started the final stage 25th and was quiet on the radio. On lap 318, VP of Race Operations Joey Cohen (acting as crew chief for Dave Elenz, who returned home attending to a personal matter) called Heim down pit road early in hopes of earning their lap back on the long run. Unfortunately, trouble struck again, where Heim had expected to get his lap back turned into the team falling a second lap down as a caution came out, giving teams the option to pit under yellow. Heim never had the chance to earn either lap back, finishing 25th in his first NASCAR Cup Series start.
Quoting Corey Heim: Can you tell us what it was like competing in the Cup Series?
“It was definitely a lot different. I’ve been kind of saying it all weekend – a big change compared to what I’m used to. Really from the beginning to middle of the race, I felt like we had a ton of speed. We kind of got messed up on the cycle there when the leaders pitted. I pitted a lap later and then the caution came out right away, which pinned us an extra lap down. We were beating the guys that finished 15th through 20th, so I think that’s kind of where we were supposed to end up – but that is part of racing. I’m super thankful to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB for putting me in the Dollar Tree Petty 75 Camry this weekend and believing in me. I feel like we should have been six or seven spot better, but it just didn’t work out that way.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON | No. 84 DOLLAR TREE/FAMILY DOLLAR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 27TH | FINISH: 28TH
Jimmie Johnson started the race in 27th position. He said the car fired off very tight and the team pitted for the first time on Lap 45 for four tires and fuel. Johnson restarted 28th and the next run was a long green flag run. The end of Stage 1 found Johnson 31st at Lap 120.
He said the No. 84 Dollar Tree Family Dollar Toyota was still tight landing and the team made another adjustment at the stage break. At Lap 223, Johnson said the car had swung to the loose side, and the team made a rather large adjustment to lower the car for balance, and to allow the car to handle better in traffic.
The race only saw a few cautions, so the field spread out over the 1.0-mile track and Johnson lost laps to the leaders on track. During Stage 3, Johnson was running with the top-10 cars and they were unable to catch him, so he was having success with the handling. The race closed out clean and under green, and Johnson finished 28th.
Quoting Jimmie Johnson: How was your race?
“Tough day. We certainly had higher expectations for our performance today for our Dollar Tree, Family Dollar Camry. It was nice to get another race under my belt and get a better understanding of the car. We will just go back to the shop and get after it."
NEXT RACE: The NASCAR Cup Series moves west for next Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway (3 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tyler Reddick is the defending race winner.
ABOUT OUR PARTNERS
ABOUT ACME: The origins of ACME Markets Inc. can be traced back to 1891, when friends Samuel Robinson and Robert Crawford decided to open a neighborhood grocery store at the intersection of South Philadelphia’s Second and Fernon Streets. In 1917, Robinson and Crawford merged with four other local Philadelphia area grocery chains to form the American Stores Company, or ASCO as it was known to shoppers. As the grocery industry began to change with the new found freedom of the family car, American Stores Company decided to create a full-service supermarket in 1937 - ultimately deciding to call the company ACME Markets after the ACME Tea Company which was the largest of the five original companies that became ASCO. Under the ACME Markets banner, the chain prospered, enjoying decades as the largest grocery retailer in the Delaware Valley.
Today, the core values of that market remain the same as envisioned by Robinson and Crawford back in 1891: a selection of quality products at competitive prices, where customers can always rely on friendly service. Over the 129 years that ACME Markets has been in operation, we’ve remained dedicated to providing our shoppers with the superior grocery experience they’ve come to expect.
In the years since we first opened our doors, ACME Markets has grown and expanded to operate 164 stores throughout its native Pennsylvania, as well as serving shoppers in nearby New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, and Maryland. To date, we employ over 15,000 associates. We continue to offer consumers the freshest products, convenient supermarket locations, and handy additional services – such as ACME Sav-On® Pharmacies – all tailored to the specific needs of the neighborhoods we serve.
ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit dollartree.com.
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice "Maury" J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty "The King" serves as Club Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.
