CREED, GRAY EARN TOP-FIVE FINISHES IN XFINITY SERIES RACE AT POCONO
Results give Creed his eighth top-five of 2024; second for Gray
LONG POND, Pa. (July 13, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray notched top-five finishes in Saturday’s Pocono Mountains 225 at Pocono Raceway, finishing in fourth and fifth position, respectively. After claiming his first pole with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing Saturday morning, Creed fell back early in Stage 1, but managed to stay within the top-10 in the 20-lap stage and for most of the 90-lap race. A few late cautions and restart opportunities gave the driver of the No. 18 GR Supra a shot at victory, but he settled for fourth, earning him his eighth top-five of the 2024 season.
In just his eighth career Xfinity Series start, Gray claimed his second career top-five with today’s result. The 19-year-old Toyota Development Driver qualified fourth but had to start at the rear of the field for unapproved pre-race adjustments. Overcoming the adversity, Gray drove his No. 19 GR Supra methodically through the field to end up in fifth at the day’s end.
The Xfinity Series is back in action next weekend as NASCAR returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Coverage begins next Saturday, July 20, at 3:30 p.m. EST on USA Network.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Pocono Raceway
Race 19 of 33 – 225 Miles, 90 Laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Cole Custer*
2nd, Justin Allgaier*
3rd, William Byron*
4th, SHELDON CREED
5th, TAYLOR GRAY
15th, CHANDLER SMITH
16th, COREY HEIM
19th, RYAN TRUEX
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th
How important is this result for you and your race team?
“Yeah, always happy with a top-five. Had to battle there, the first half (of the race) was a struggle. Sat on the pole and fell really hard, just way too tight there. And then, jumped the fence and kind of free the rest of the day, but was able to capitalize on some good restarts there at the end and get myself in position and held on. I don’t know if I was a fourth-place car at the end, but just fortunate to have good restarts there at the end and kind of fall into line. Proud of everyone, going to keep working. Another top-five is great, but still searching for that first win.”
TAYLOR GRAY, No. 19 Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
Take us through your day and how you managed the top-five result today?
“Yeah, honestly, just managed the day and executed the day. It stunk having to start in the back. I think we had better than a fifth-place car, truthfully. Just kind of stuck in the back, couldn’t really go anywhere, and trapped for a while. Once we got some clean air there at the end, felt we were pretty good there. Can’t think my Joe Gibbs Racing guys enough. They brought me a really fast GR Supra, almost as fast as Xfinity internet, and just need a little more and mostly just track position.”
About Toyota
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