Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval
Race: 8 of 38
Event: Alsco Uniforms 500 (312 miles, 208 laps)
John Hunter Nemechek
No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang
Started: 5th
Finished: 13th
Stage One: 24th
Stage Two: 8th
Stage Three: 13th
A top-20 finish in Sunday’s race and an invert to start Thursday’s event saw John Hunter Nemechek take the green flag in 5th place for the “Alsco Uniforms 500.” Not long after, he radioed an issue with a part coming loose on his No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang. He pitted during the Competition Caution on Lap 20 to take 4 tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment, in addition to having the crew fix the loose part. Lightning was reported in the area shortly afterwards and the race came to a red flag pause for just over an hour. Once the cars refired, Nemechek indicated his car’s handling was still tight, finishing Stage 1 in the 24th position.
Stage 2 started off tight for Nemechek’s Scag Power Equipment machine. The crew made some adjustments to the track bar and Nemechek fought his way up into the top 10 towards the end of the stage. He would pass fellow Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year Contender Christopher Bell to finish P8 in Stage 2, earning stage points for the first time this season.
An issue on pit road took Nemechek out of the top 10 to start the final stage. He noted over the radio that the track had gotten freer as the night progressed and his No. 38 Ford needed to tighten up a tick. The Scag Power Equipment crew made some slight air pressure adjustments in later pit stops, and Nemechek continued to find speed on track. He would cross the finish line in 13th place and earn the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award.
Nemechek on Charlotte:
“Overall, it was a solid night for our No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang. I’m worn out… It was a hard-fought night. We had to overcome a couple of mistakes and we weren’t great in traffic, but we never gave up. Seth [Barbour] and the crew did a really good job of tuning her up and making improvements so we could find some speed. We were able to bring home another top-15 finish for our Front Row Motorsports team. Thank you to our partners at Scag for your support and coming on board with us. I’m looking forward to heading to Bristol on Sunday.”
