Information By: COLBY GORNIEWICZ / LEGACY MOTOR CLUB – STATESVILLE, NC
- CLUB ENTRY LIST
- JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
- POINT STANDINGS: 30th
- ERIK JONES
- POINT STANDINGS: 28th
CLUB NOTES
Pocono Raceway, also known as “Tricky Triangle”, held its first NASCAR Cup series race 50 years ago. This weekend it will host the Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday, July 14. This race will be the 21st points race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Welcome to the CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB CEO this week welcomed a long-time veteran in the motorsports industry, Bobby Kennedy as the new General Manager at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
JHN at Pocono: John Hunter Nemechek has amazed 10 starts at 2.5-mile raceway in his NASCAR career. His most success came in the NASCAR Truck Series which includes four top-10 finishes plus a victory in 2021. This weekend will mark the 27-year-old driver’s third Cup Series start, his first since 2020.
Jersey Swap: Last week while in Chicago, John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team hosted two Major League Soccer players from the Chicago Fire FC, Andrew Gutman and Chase Gasper. The two organizations share a partner with Carvana. During Sunday, the three-athletes participated in a jersey swap. Check out LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s social media outlets for images.
Happy Birthday!: Happy Birthday to the No. 42 carrier, Ernest Holden who celebrates a birthday on Friday, July 12!
Erik Jones at Pocono: For the past two races at Pocono Raceway, Jones has earned top-10 finishes. Since his Pocono Cup debut in 2017, Jones has averaged a 14.25 finish. Erik Jones will drive the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE around the 2.5-mile tri-oval on Sunday.
Elenz at Pocono: Dave Elenz has led Erik Jones around the track since 2022, but he has tackled the Tricky Triangle multiple times before, with his best finish being fourth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021, as well as winning the pole position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2020.
Partner Spotlight: The No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE will ride in style with vendor partners Pepsi and Frito Lay onboard this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE will have Bic and Smithfield riding along.
Going for G.O.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will honor store 12459 this weekend as a part of the company’s “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) program. The Dollar Tree and Family Dollar primaries will highlight these stores on the deck lid of all three LEGACY M.C. entries throughout the race season. Store #12459 is located in Brodheadsville, PA.
CLUB QUOTES
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:
“You got to focus on all three corners, there’s a reason it’s called the ‘Tricky Triangle’. There are three completely different corners, and it is difficult trying to get your car to work in all three. It’s huge to have exit speed and being able to get back to throttle and carry it down the straightaways at Pocono; It kind of makes or breaks your day as far as having speed or not having speed.
“I think we know the potential is there, it’s just putting it all together, being able to bring fast cars to the race track and all of us doing our jobs. [Last weekend] was a confidence builder knowing that we can get speed out of our Toyota Camry XSE’s, it’s just a matter of how we do that and execute. We showed up with a lot of speed last weekend which was good right off the truck. I had a really solid race in the wet, in the dry, and we were able to make the most of that, however, the finish doesn’t show that but a bunch of small wins and hopefully something to build off of. ”
Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:
“We will be working hard using our tools to try to make the balance consistent through the three corners. If you are loose on one end of the track and tight on the other, it puts you in a box for adjusting on the car during practice and the race. I’m optimistic that we can carry some of our momentum from last week into Pocono.”
Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:
“I look forward to Pocono because it’s been one of my better tracks. I’ve run really well there. I feel like it’s one of those places where we’ve ran well but haven’t gotten that win but we’ve been in contention for a lot of them over the years. I get excited to go there knowing it’s been a good track, a place I’m comfortable at and a place I’ve had some good cars at, feel like I know what I need out of my car to have a good day. The three corners are very different and turn three has probably become the most important over the last handful of years and has been important for a long time – it’s kind of a technical corner. Two is kind of a flat-out corner and one is kind of a traditional corner at any race track, you can find it in a lot of places. I think it’s fun to break it up, do something completely different and have a track that challenges you as a driver but also challenges your team to find something that will be balanced in all three corners.”
Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:
“Pocono is always a challenge, because the corners are so much different. Turn one, you have a lot of speed and a lot of load. It really requires a car that turns good and has a lot of capability to get through that corner. Then you go to turn two that is fast and is a lot of commitment from the driver, but not as much load, so it’s really hard to give the driver the confidence he needs to get through the corner and stay on the gas. Then you get into three and it’s more like a short track corner where you don’t have a lot of load and its really just kind of out of the race track and hard to navigate. The challenge with that one is it leads into the longest straightaway, so you have to have the throttle down with the least amount of downforce right there. They’re pretty unique, each corner, and it’s very difficult to come up with a set up that maximizes each one of those corners to its full potential so you really have to work on your compromise and make sure your overall speed is good and know which straightaway you’re trying to set up for the most.”
PETTY 75TH ANNIVERSARY
ABOUT PETTY 75th: The 2024 season marks a significant milestone in the history of the Petty family as they have helped define stock car racing for 75 years. Their commitment to the sport and the people who make it possible – behind the wheel, under the hood, in the back office, and beyond – has shaped the growth and success of NASCAR. Their LEGACY lives on with the countless fans, drivers, technicians, and team members they touched. Throughout 2024, LEGACY M.C. will celebrate the Petty family and share countless memories with friends and fans at race tracks across the country.
On this Week in Petty History: On July 12th, 1958, Lee Petty, father of Richard Petty, won his 3rd Grand National Championship.
The King’s Hat: The King’s Hat will be located in the infield at Pocono Raceway this weekend. Be sure to check out Pocono Raceway’s social media handles for additional details.