MICHIGAN INTL. SPEEDWAY | RACE RECAP
BROOKLYN, Mich. (August 19, 2024) – The NASCAR Cup Series made its annual stop in the Irish Hills of Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday. Rain showers on Saturday cancelled qualifying, resulting in the field being set by the NASCAR qualifying metrics system. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries of John Hunter Nemechek in the Mobil 1 Toyota Camry started 33rd while Erik Jones in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE started 28th. The initial start of the race was delayed by over two hours because of a rain shower that soaked the two-mile speedway. Once the race got going, they were able to complete 51 laps before being halted again for another rain shower. The remaining portion of the race was moved to Monday.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | NO. 42 MOBIL 1 TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 33RD | FINISH: 29TH | POINTS: 32ND
With the Mobil 1 colors dawning the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entry for the first time this season, John Hunter Nemechek was going to have to work his way from the back of the field due to the starting order being set by the metric.
With spotty showers surrounding the Irish Hills of Michigan, the start of the race was delayed. Once the 200-lap FireKeepers Casino 400 got underway, Nemechek was mired back in the 33rd spot. During the early laps, the 27-year-old found himself battling two and three-wide as he was trying to make his run up the standings. In the tight quarters racing action, the No. 15 and the No. 42 Mobil 1 entries came into contact with one another, causing some slight damage to the right side of the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE entry. Both the No. 15 and No. 42 of Nemechek were able to continue. During the remaining portion of Stage 1, the North Carolina native was able to get some runs on his competitors, but the damage and a tight handling race car stalled the forward progress.
With just a handful of laps to go in the first stage, the first yellow flag was displayed, bunching up the 36-car field. While under yellow, crew chief Ben Beshore took advantage of the extra time and had his crew go over the wall and address the body damage. The race went back green to close out Stage 1 with Nemechek finishing in 33rd. During the stage break, the Mobil 1 team elected not to pit, moving them up in the standings to 21st place.
Still shy of the halfway mark of the race and just as Stage 2 was set to get underway, another rain cell soaked the Michigan International Speedway. NASCAR was forced to postpone the rest of the race to Monday morning. With 51 laps completed, the race resumed at 11:05 a.m. ET under blue Michigan skies. Picking up where the race resumed, the No. 42 was in heavy traffic from the drop of the green. Just a few laps into the second stage, Nemechek got a big push from the rear that caused his Camry XSE to slap the outside wall, causing some damage to some internal components on the right rear of the car; again, he was able to continue but at a reduced speed. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team got an opportunity under yellow on lap 108 to take a peek at the damage and discover it was a bent lower control arm, a part they were not able to fix quickly during the race.
Lap 135 Beshore called his driver back down pit road to work on the toe to help compensate for the bent lower control arm. The adjustment gave the No. 42 Mobil 1 Camry a little bit more speed but unfortunately not enough to make a difference. Nemechek would continue to limp around for the remainder of the race, resulting in a 29th-place finish.
ERIK JONES | NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 28TH | FINISH: 16TH | POINTS: 28TH
The race at Michigan International Raceway started in a chaotic manner. The field ran the pace laps and then was told to park at their respective pit stalls due to the arrival of rain. A brief break seemed hopeful, and the NASCAR jet dryers took a few laps in an attempt to dry the track. Although successful, the next patch of rain arrived at the 2-mile track and it kept the cars on pit road. After the break, drivers were told to get back to their cars at 4:45 pm ET. The NASCAR field started rolling behind the pace car and finally took the green flag shortly before 5:00 pm ET. The driver of the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE battled some aggressive competition to maintain pace in the mid-20s. Jones gained five spots within the first 19 laps, despite the tough competitors. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB crew received information that the car was loose on lap 22, and crew chief, Dave Elenz, told the wheelman they’d make adjustments to make the Toyota Camry tighter on the next pit stop. A caution on lap 38 allowed the Dollar Tree pit crew to make adjustments, add four Goodyear tires, and to add the Toyota Camry with Sunoco fuel. With only a few laps left in Stage 1, the field was getting competitive to earn a good finishing position. The No. 43 Dollar Tree team completed Stage 1 in the 23rd position.
The NASCAR field was only able to run 51 laps before the race got red-flagged for over 17 hours. The race was postponed to 11:00 am ET on Monday, August 19th.
After a good night’s rest, the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team was ready to get to work on day two of competing in the FireKeepers Casino 400. Before the green flag, the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE visited pit road to top off with fuel. Making good strides, Jones gained 13 spots since going back green by lap 77. Carrying momentum, the pit cycle began, and the Dollar Tree Toyota Camry came down to pit road on lap 94 to gain new Goodyear tires and add fuel. The field ran through the cycle and Jones found himself mid-pack before a caution on lap 108 led him back down pit road again. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team was directed by crew chief, Dave Elenz, to put on right-side tires only as well as fuel. This strategy gained the team 11 spots off of pit road. Elenz directed the wheelman of the No. 43 to save fuel when able. The green, white, and gold Toyota Camry restarted 10th with five laps to go in Stage 2. A quick caution taking down a handful of competitive cars resulted in another restart with just two laps to go, Elenz continuing to tell Jones to save fuel when possible. The No. 43 restarted in the 8th position and completed stage two with an 8th-place finish.
The Dollar Tree team started stage 3 in 7th, keeping up the momentum from the previous stage. A one-car wreck caused another caution, and the No. 43 team aimed to come down pit road. The No. 14 team was pitted far back in their box, trying to assess some damage. There was a question as to why the pit road was open, as it would not be possible for the No. 43 pit crew to have a successful and fluid stop. Elenz, the No. 14 team crew chief, Richard Bosewell, and NASCAR went back and forth debating whether or not pit road should be open and discussed how to move the No. 14 car forward, without success. After debates between the two teams and NASCAR, the No. 43 pitted but lost approximately 12 spots in the process. Jones stayed focused, giving the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team feedback on the car as time went on. The green Dollar Tree team made a green flag pit stop, taking only right-side tires and fuel. Jones ended the race 16th.
NEXT RACE: The NASCAR Cup Series circuit heads to Daytona International Speedway for a Saturday night race on August 24th. Tune into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on NBC at 7:30 pm ET or listen to it on MRN or SiriusXM Channel 90.
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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 MOBIL 1: For 50 years, Mobil 1 has been trusted by drivers to keep their engines running longer. Our products combine the latest technology and innovation to exceed the toughest standards of vehicle manufacturers and tuning shops—so consumers can get the most out of their time behind the wheel, both on the road and on the track. Turn every day into an adventure with Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand. Learn more at www.mobil1.us or and follow @Mobil1Racing on Instagram and X. Join us. For the love of driving.
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.
