RICHMOND RACEWAY | RACE RECAP
RICHMOND, Va. (August 11, 2024) – After a two-week break, The NASCAR Cup Series traveled to Richmond Raceway to take on the 0.75-mile track. The Cook Out 400 kicked off Sunday with Denny Hamlin leading the field to the green. John Hunter Nemechek rolled of the grid in the 35th spot, while Erik Jones took the green flag in the 27th position. The 400-lap race saw Austin Dillon in Victory Lane.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 35TH | FINISH: 31ST | POINTS: 32ND
John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team started deep in the field for the Cook Out 400. History showed that the first stage of the race at Richmond would go caution free. If that was going to be the case, Nemechek would need to try to move forward to stay ahead of the leader based off his starting track position. With his Toyota Camry XSE tight in the middle, loose off to start the race, the 27-year-old was able to fend off the leader until lap 51 before falling a lap down. Nemechek finished Stage 1 in 34th, minus one lap.
For this race, teams had two options for tires; a harder “prime” Goodyear tire and a softer “option” Goodyear tire. The option tire would be faster of the two but wouldn’t last as long as the prime tire. With only two sets of option Goodyear tires per team, the teams needed to strategize on when to use them. During the second stage, a couple teams elected to bolt on their option tire, resulting in faster times than those that did not. The No. 42 elected to wait and use the prime tires the first three runs of the race.
On lap 150, Nemechek gave up the 31st position and ducked down pit road under green flag conditions for four prime Goodyear tires, Sunoco fuel and to reverse the previous adjustments as his Camry XSE was now “plowing tight”.
Similar to the first stage, the second stage went caution free, as the field set a fast pace throughout the entire 160-lap stage. Prior to coming down pit while in 35th, two laps down, Nemechek reported in to his team that his Pye-Barker Camry was handling similar to the first run, a little loose off.
During the second stage break, the team took the opportunity to bolt on their first set of option tires in an effort to regain some track position. Nemechek started the final stage off in the 33rd position. The option tires provided speed in the No. 42 Pye-Barker Camry XSE passing the cars in the short run. After several laps on the option tires, Nemechek radioed to his crew that his Camry was lacking rear drive.
The lone yellow flag on lap 398 sent the race into overtime, resulting in an exciting finish at the front of the field.
With only one yellow flag to slow the field down during the entire race, track position proved to be important. After falling back early in the night, Nemechek wasn’t able to claw back, as he closed out the Cook Out 400 with a disappointing 31st place finish.
ERIK JONES | NO. 43 FAMILY DOLLAR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 27TH | FINISH: 29TH | POINTS: 28TH
At 6:06pm EST, NASCAR kicked off its first race after the two-week break at Richmond Raceway. The No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE rolled to the green in 27th place. NASCAR allowed teams two sets of tires this weekend - a prime, harder tire, and an option, softer tire. The option tire previously ran at North Wilkesboro and allows for more speed, but quicker wear. All teams chose to start the race with the prime tire, keeping the option tire for a choice later on. The No. 43 team picked up a few positions early and steadily made gains throughout Stage 1. Wheelman of the No. 43 car, Erik Jones, reported to the Family Dollar crew that the center of the car was really tight on the bottom and that he was running out of track to race on, noting the wear of the tires. At the end of Stage 1, Jones offered crew chief, Dave Elenz some notes on how the car was feeling, while Elenz responded with hopeful solutions. The No. 43 crew finished Stage 1 in 24th position.
During the competition caution, Elenz told Jones to pit deep, as he had to go around another car upon entry. When doing so, the No. 20 car of Christopher Bell knocked the rear of the No. 43 car, sliding the Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE into the pit stall vertically, adding a challenge for the pit crew, but resulting in no damage. The Family Dollar team completed the pit stop, adding four prime tires, fuel, and made adjustments before returning the No. 43 car back to the 0.75-mile track. Under the setting sun at Richmond Raceway, the Family Dollar Toyota stayed consistent in the 29th position, battling the No. 99 to try and avoid going a lap down. Ultimately, the competition caught him, resulting in the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE to go a lap down on lap 119. On lap 126, the team pitted and added four option tires to the No. 43 car, along with fuel and adjustments. The tire wear off happened quickly, and Jones mentioned to the Family Dollar crew that he felt as if he was about to blow a right front tire. The quick wear off resulted in the black, red, and orange Toyota Camry XSE to come back to pit road on lap 160 to put on four prime tires and to add fuel - no adjustments were made. The No. 43 car finished Stage 2, two laps down.
As Stage 3 began, Jones and Elenz agreed that they didn’t see much of a benefit using the option tires, so they chose to run the primes. Only 14 other teams opted for the primes, which was less than half of the field. Trying to adjust the car on the fourth pit stop, the Family Dollar crew made adjustments to the right front, knowing it would be a longer stop. Still laps down, Jones seemed to have little improvement. The team came down pit road a couple more times to change tires and add fuel during the third stage. The No. 43 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB crew completed the race with a 29th-place finish.
NEXT RACE: Next week, the NASCAR Cup Series circuit makes it's way to Michigan International Speedway, home track of Erik Jones. The Firekeepers Casino 400 takes place on Sunday, August 18 at 2:30 p.m. EST on USA Network, listen on MRN or on SiriusXM / NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
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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.
