Nathan’s to Host Qualifier Event for International Hot Dog-Eating Contest at Track
Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Nathan’s Famous team scored their fourth consecutive Top-15 finish last weekend at Dover. The team looks to keep up the consistency and hopes to improve with a Top-10 finish this weekend at Pocono (Penn.) Raceway.
A Top-10 will be an uphill battle for the team. Almirola has just four starts at the “Tricky Triangle” in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and a best finish of 18th. In addition, Crew Chief Trent Owens will be making his debut as a crew chief at the 2.5-mile track.
Owens is not the only one making a debut at Pocono. Nathan’s Famous will adorn the hood of the iconic No. 43 Ford. In addition, Nathan’s Famous will hold a qualifier event for the annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest at the race track on Saturday. The top male and top female finishers from the 10-minute, all-you-can-eat contest will earn a spot to compete in the ESPN-televised finals at the original Nathan’s Famous in Brooklyn, NY, a holiday tradition since 1916.
This weekend, @originalNathans makes their debut on the #PettyBlue No. 43 Ford with @aric_almirola at @PoconoRaceway. #nascar
This weekend, @Nathan’s Famous makes their debut on the #PettyBlue No. 43 Ford with @Aric Almirola at @Pocono Raceway. They will also hold a qualifier for the annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest Saturday at 6:30pm.
“Pocono is one of the tougher racetracks to set up your car perfectly. Turn One is a very high-speed and high banked turn. The ‘Tunnel’ Turn is really high speed too but just somewhat of a turn. It is just enough to make you slow down a bit. Then, you have Turn Three that is a long, slow, sweeping corner. Turn Three is very important – you have to get off that corner so you can make that long run down the front straightaway. Pocono is always a very challenging place to get a good handling car.
“We have been very consistent lately running in the Top-15. We have to keep it up and continue to get better. This will be a challenging week for us, but I think we can continue our streak of Top-15 finishes.
“I’m excited to have Nathan’s Famous on the car this weekend. When you think of summer, you think of grilling hot dogs and the hot dog-eating contest, so it’s a perfect fit that they are making their debut in June. They will have a qualifier event this weekend at the track, which will be cool for the fans at the track to watch.”
No. 43 Nathan’s Famous Ford
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneurs Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners STANLEY, DEWALT, Mac Tools and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.
