Axalta 400
Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa.
Brett Moffitt | No. 34 Dockside Logistics Ford
“I have about three laps of experience at Pocono in my life. Last year I went for a test and was able to hop in the car for one run. So, it’s still very new to me, but at least I do have that experience and that helps going back. I have at least a little bit of a baseline. Obviously, there’s a different rules packages this year, so it will be a little bit different. But I’ve got experience shifting into those corners. It’s a really fast track, and we’re not used to shifting at tracks that fast. So, for a driver going there for the first time, it’s a little bit tricky, but I think we’re going to be decent.”
JUST THE FACTS: Sunday’s Axalta 400 will be Moffitt’s first Sprint Cup start at Pocono Raceway … The Dockside Logistics colors return to the No. 34 Ford for the race at the 2.5-mile triangular track.
Cole Whitt | No. 35 Front Row Motorsports Ford
“Pocono was my biggest challenge last year for sure. It was a place I’d never really run before. I’d run one truck race, so I didn’t have a whole lot of experience going into it last year. And you go there with shifting and braking, so it was totally different. I think the thing that’s going to be pretty interesting this time is we’re going there with less gear, the shifts are going to be that much more important, and you’ll have the tapered spacer. So, our speeds will still be up, but it’s going to be super important to not lose too much momentum in each one of those corners. But at least now I’ll have some experience from last year, so I should be a little more comfortable.”
JUST THE FACTS: Whitt has two Sprint Cup career starts at Pocono Raceway … His best finish at the Long Pond, Pa., track is 21st (2014).
David Gilliland | No. 38 MDS Transport Ford
“These cars are tough on a weekly basis when you go to a symmetrical race track, and Turns 1 and 2 are very similar to 3 and 4. But when you go to Pocono, it’s three times harder because you have three separate corners. You’re not going to get the car driving great in all of them. You’re just not. That presents its own challenge on where to sacrifice and where to make up the speed. We always go for Turn 3 because that big, long, front straightaway is where you can make up the most time. It’s unique, it’s fun and we look forward to it.”
JUST THE FACTS: Gilliland has 16 Sprint Cup starts at Pocono Raceway … He has two top-20 finishes at the “Tricky Triangle” … His best finish at Pocono is 16th (2008) … MDS Transport returns as primary sponsor of the No. 38.
About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports is a race-winning organization competing in NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup Series, fielding the No. 34, the No. 35 and the No. 38 Fords. The team is owned by Bob Jenkins and is headquartered just outside of Charlotte, N.C. FRM was named to INC Magazine’s “INC 5000” list in 2012, recognizing the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. The team’s partnership base is representative of more than $200 billion of the U.S. economy and includes organizations such as Ford Motor Company, Love’s Travel Stops, Colgate-Palmolive, CSX Transportation, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s. Visit teamfrm.com.
