POCONO RACEWAY | RACE RECAP
LONG POND, Pa. (July 14, 2024) – The NASCAR Cup Series made a stop at Pocono Raceway for the 21st points race of the 2024 season. The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VisitPA.com saw Ty Gibbs start from the pole position. Erik Jones rolled off the grid in the 23rd-position while John Hunter Nemechek started the 160-lap race from the 32nd spot. At the conclusion of the 160-lap event, it was Ryan Blaney capturing his second victory of the 2024 season.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | NO. 42 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 32ND | FINISH: 28TH | POINTS: 31ST
Under partly cloudy skies and in front of a sold-out crowd, The Great American Getaway 400 got under way with the No. 42 Dollar Tree team starting in the 32nd position.
The first stage was the shortest in terms of laps but John Hunter Nemechek got up on the wheel and picked up several positions moving up to 24th just before the first stage was complete. With three laps remaining in Stage 1 that is when the pit strategy throughout the field started to play out. The stage concluded with Nemechek in the 18th spot. Crew chief Ben Beshore quickly told his driver to save fuel during the break.
The No. 42 Dollar Tree team restarted in the top lane in the 12th spot. When the field made their way around the ‘Tricky Triangle’, contact in traffic and a tight handling race car relegated the No. 42 back in the running order to 30th place as the next pit stop on lap 55 took place.
With the No. 42 Dollar Tree team within their fuel window, they would stay on their race strategy for the rest of stage. While running in 21st on lap 73, green flag pit stops for some of the field kicked off. Nemechek took a moment to report into his crew that his Toyota Camry XSE was now loose.
At the end of the Stage 2, the No. 42 Dollar Tree team worked their way up to the 19th spot. During the stage break, the team came back down pit road for a balance adjustment to tighten up their Camry, put on four Goodyear tires, and add two cans of Sunoco fuel; with some of the teams electing to stay out on the track, Nemechek would restart in the 27th position.
There were 60 laps remaining in the 160-lap race when Nemechek restarted in the 27th position for start of the final stage. At the time of yellow on lap 115 due to the No. 38, Nemechek moved up a couple spots to 25th position. Nemechek said that his balance was pretty good for this part of the stage. Needing to pit, the team ducked down pit road for two tires and fuel; however, still outside of their pit window, Beshore told his driver to save fuel where possible. The two tire call put the No. 42 up to the 12th running spot with 40 laps remaining.
On a restart with 34 laps remaining, Nemechek got caught up in a multi-car wreck while running 4-wide and exiting turn 1, that sent his No. 42 spinning into the inside wall. This accident would end the No. 42 Dollar Tree teams day early, with a 28th place finish.
ERIK JONES | NO. 43 FAMILY DOLLAR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 23RD | FINISH: 14TH | POINTS: 26TH
The green flag at Pocono Raceway waved just before 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. The No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE started in the 23rd position. On lap 11, Erik noted to the No. 43 team that the car was tight. A few laps later, there was a caution that allowed Jones to bring the car on pit road for new tires, fuel, and to make adjustments. The new tires allowed Jones to propel forward moving to 15th on lap 23. The No. 43 kept up the momentum and finished in 10th in Stage 1.
Stage 2 kicked off and Erik Jones started in the second row, in fourth. Through the restart, Jones managed to run as far as second for multiple laps until the team came in for full tank of fuel and tires. Due to the added time getting the extra fuel, the No. 43 team rolled off 17th. Gaining five spots on the restart, Jones was determined to make the most of the car the Family Dollar team brought to Pocono Raceway. The competition was steady and the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE completed the stage with a promising fifth-place finish.
The No. 43 team restarted Stage 3 in the fifth spot, but lost positions as the green flag waved. With a couple of cautions and a visit to the Family Dollar pit crew to help with adjustments, Jones steadily climbed back up to 11th. With four cautions in the final stage, it gave multiple opportunities for position changes on restarts. At the end of the day, the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE finished with a strong 14th place position, the sixth top-15 of the 2024 season.
NEXT RACE: For the last race before the NASCAR Cup Series takes a two-week break, the Series returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Series takes to the 2.5-mile oval for the first time since 2021. The Brickyard 400 takes place on Sunday, July 21 at 2:30 p.m. on NBC, listen on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network or on SiriusXM / NASCAR Radio (channel 90).
ABOUT OUR PARTNERS
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.
