Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bank of America Roval 400 Advance | Charlotte Motor Speedway
Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Menards/Sylvania Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series, heads into this weekend’s Round of 12 elimination race in 11th place, 29 points below the cut line. He participated in a NASCAR media call about his situation earlier today.

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Sylvania Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET THIS WEEK WITH THE ROVAL AND IT BEING AN ELIMINATION RACE? “I think it’s a cutoff race and two pretty tragic races to start the Round of 12 here. We kind of have to go in here with the mindset of winning the race, which simplifies things in a lot of ways. It certainly simplifies strategy thoughts and thoughts in preparation for the race. It’s not the situation you want to be in, but it’s something we’re certainly prepared to go after and fight for.”

CAN YOU TAKE ME THROUGH THE CHANGES WITH THE ROVAL AND PLACES LIKE 6 AND 7 AND THE FRONTSTRETCH CHICANE? “I think both are gonna be something that kind of changes your approach from a driving standpoint. From the race and the flow of the race, I don’t know how much of that all changes, but with the frontstretch chicane basically just really tightening up the radius of that first apex to finish the lap there, and obviously I haven’t done any laps on the racetrack. I’ve done some laps on the Ford simulator, but I definitely see that making it more likely to miss the corner, to be quite frank. You’re just basically taking away your runoff and the ability to have a mistake and maybe kind of just cut the curb. I think the curb strikes are gonna be a lot more aggressive with the car, believe it or not. They’re already pretty aggressive, but I don’t think how useable the curb is, I think is gonna be taken away because you’re essentially making the curb even more perpendicular to the track than it already is, so the approach angle is gonna be a lot different and I think how you have to approach it as a driver is gonna be a little different. How it affects restarts. That is in the middle of the restart zone now, so it seemed like the outside lane had a little bit of an advantage with being able to take that apex and accelerate out of it. What does that do to the left lane? Does it make that even more extreme? Does it equal out both lanes? That’s definitely something we’ll be looking for throughout the weekend.”

HOW DO YOU MOVE PAST WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST SUNDAY? “I think you kind of just have to move past it. That’s kind of one that was a lot more in hand, not saying a win was in the hand, but a really good finish and really good points were seemingly in our grasp there and definitely changes the outlook for this weekend and the results for our season. That one obviously stings. Kansas was a lot more my fault, which I can process how to deal with those problems and be better at my seat, but the opportunity lost there is definitely a little bit more difficult to deal with, but that’s kind of all part of it. If I had a point for every time I’ve said that’s the way it is or that’s the way she goes over the last 72 hours, I’d probably be above the cut line right now. That’s the way it goes.”

WHAT HAVE THESE FIVE WEEKS BEEN LIKE WITH THE UPS AND DOWNS? “I think from a short-term perspective, a complete 180 for the first round and for the second round, but I think the consistent factor has been how fast our cars have been, how fast we’ve been, how well we’ve performed on track. That’s been an improvement throughout probably our standard of what we’ve been building up to throughout the season, so long-term perspective, I said in our Monday meeting, I was like, ‘I wish the season wasn’t five races left’ because I feel like the way we go about things as a group, success is usually repeatable. When Brian and I have have been able to get things figured out, we’ve put down solid results. On the flip side, when we’ve had something wrong or something we’ve been fighting, that issue is usually repeated until it’s solved and then what we’ve solved is usually repeated until something changes. I’m really encouraged by a lot of what I’ve seen from my team, from myself in the playoffs and in these races, but in the short term the last two weeks really sting. You can’t do anything about it. At Talladega, if you’re going into that race hoping that’s gonna be your big points day, you’re already probably a little bit behind and that was the case. We obviously find ourselves in pretty much what looks like a must-win situation and we’ll just take it in stride and go for it. It’s pretty simple.”

HAVE YOU OR YOUR TEAM LEARNED ANYTHING IN THIS PLAYOFF RUN THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO THE REGULAR SEASON NEXT YEAR? “I think the speed and the performance we’ve had, I think that’s a combination of a year’s worth of work. It doesn’t just happen in one race, it happens with a lot of data, a lot of talking and a lot of conversations – a lot of smart people trying to figure things out. Like I said, a lot of hard work. I don’t think there’s one week or one thing that really clicks for everyone, but I do think, and I say pretty much every time I’m in a playoff media day, you learn the most about yourself and you learn the most about your competitors in the playoff format. I really do like that. I like that mentality because every race, it doesn’t matter if you’re as good as Kyle Larson or Denny Hamlin, it is a challenging format that really puts a ton of pressure on even guys that are excelling above the rest. I’m proud of how we’ve handled that. I said it when the playoffs started, there’s quite a few guys on my team in their roles that it’s their first time in the NASCAR playoffs in the Cup Series, so I’m just really proud of how everyone has really stepped up. A lot of things for us haven’t changed mentality-wise and process-wise and they’ve heeded results for us and that, to me, is the best-case scenario. That’s what I want to see out of me and what I want to see out of my team, but, at the same time, I see all these good things and I’m still in a must-win situation. All of that being said, I feel great about the spot my team is in and where I’m at from a long-term perspective and kind of even heading into next year.”

LOOKING AT VEGAS NEXT WEEK. SOME CALL IT THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE OF THE SEASON BECAUSE OF THE PREP TIME FOR PHOENIX IF YOU WIN. IS THAT RACE ANY MORE INTENSE? “I think every playoff race you could make the argument for some reason to have some heightened sense of urgency for somebody, if not most everybody in the field. It kind of just ebbs and flows that way. Talladega looked to be the most important race of my season last week and now that’s Charlotte. That’s the same for me and a couple other guys. It’s no different than guys that think they can not only win the championship, but if they have extra time to prepare for Phoenix, they could be even better. You can look at that for Vegas and some drivers might look at Homestead as their best chance to win and Martinsville – all these places. I just think that more than not every race is – for 50 percent of the drivers in the playoffs, every race is the most important race of their season and that’s why you have mistakes. That’s why you have big, crazy things happen to playoff drivers and cars and teams because the pressure is on.”

DID YOU GET OUT OF THE CAR TOO EARLY BASED ON THIS CONFUSION AROUND THE DVP POLICY? HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE IT MOVING YOUR FORWARD? “For us, we had some broken control arms, so do I know that at the time? Had I inspected the car? No, but at the same time you can go back and forth on what the right thing to do is or isn’t to do, but obviously it was the biggest, most cars collected in a wreck ever and I was just kind of amazed at all of the stranded cars and what that scene was like. I’m sure it was not a very great environment to be one of the safety workers and first responders because that’s just a lot of cars and a lot of damaged cars still trying to move. I think that was the thing that really stood out to me the most was observing all of that as it was.”

AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS, HOW DO YOU MOVE FORWARD IF YOU’RE PUT IN A SIMILAR SITUATION IN THE FUTURE? “I was put in a similar situation in Daytona in ‘23 with guys telling me I’ve got to get our or move and at that point you either try and argue or plead your case. It’s a social interaction with a human. I mean, there’s a guy standing at your window net telling you that you’ve got to get out and he’s being told by somebody else to do that. It’s not necessarily what he’s saying, so don’t shoot the messenger and you kind of have to manage that a little bit. The moment your window net gets dropped, it’s over, so if there’s anything, you’re a momma bear for your window net more than anything else. And it’s just situational awareness too about what’s happening and how much damage you actually have and how likely is it you’re gonna be able to fix it. You have to play all those things in your head, but the last resort is definitely if you think you have a chance, you’ve got to protect that window net.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WILL GO FOR STAGE POINTS ON SUNDAY OR ARE YOU TOO FAR BACK? “I think, look, if something happens – I think the 45 and the 9 and the 11 in the first stage to where they’re not getting points or they’re out of the race or something like that, I think a lot has to happen for us to not just go for the win. Honestly, if you look at these road course events with how much flipping stages versus race finish and all that, I feel like everyone kind of averages out with a lot more similar points than they would if the race was just run straight up without the ability to flip stages, so I think the opportunity to gain points on road courses or lose points on a road course is pretty average, honestly. So, from that standpoint, 29 points back, I think you just put your best foot forward and go for a win.”

YOU GET TWO 20-MINUTE PRACTICE SESSIONS, HOW MUCH MORE CAN YOU TRY OR IS IT JUST GETTING USED TO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE TRACK? “I think it worked really well at Watkins Glen when we had this practice format, just between learning the tire. I mean, it’s a new tire for this racetrack, so any time you do that it’s always good to get tire wears and put in a long run. During our normal weeks where we just have 20 minutes of practice, it’s either we unload close and we do a long run, or we don’t unload close and we have to work on it and then have no idea what our fall off looks like until we get into the race. It kind of gives us an opportunity to work on it for the first run and then kind of put laps on tires for the second run ideally, so I think you can even look at it that you could maybe even do a mock run if you really wanted to with two sets of tires, but I think getting used to the track early on, see what your car drives like for the first session, and then the second one expect a lot of long runs.”

• In eight NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS), Spire Motorsports has logged one top-15 and two top-20 finishes with six different drivers. Corey LaJoie earned a team-best 12th-place finish in 2022 Bank of America ROVAL 400. The Mooresville, N.C., team fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with Justin Haley, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The Bank of America ROVAL 400 from Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on NBC Sunday, Oct. 13 beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 32nd of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on NBC will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Mattress Warehouse Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
• In three previous Cup Series starts on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Haley has earned one top-five finish. He finished fifth in the division’s 2022 fall visit to the suburban-Charlotte venue. In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, the 25-year-old racer has also logged three starts on Charlotte’s 2.28-mile road course configuration and notched a series/venue best fourth-place finish in 2021.
• Spire Motorsports will host its second fan day of 2024, Friday, Oct. 11, when the team will open its doors prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Following the conclusion of the 2023 season, Spire Motorsports relocated from Concord, N.C., to a 77,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in Mooresville. Events will run from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., and feature a Ferris wheel, carnival games, food trucks, show cars, raffles, and music from DJ James Stanley. Spire Motorsports’ team retail store will open at 9 a.m. where race fans can purchase team merchandise, diecasts, body panels and race-used team gear. The team’s NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series drivers will be available for autographs from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The first 77 fans in attendance can paint a pumpkin and qualify for special prizes. Giveaways include t-shirts, hats, and gift cards from Chili’s Grill & Bar, as well as tastings from Katz Coffee products. Spire Motorsports is located at 351 Mazeppa Road, Mooresville, NC 28115.
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• The veteran racer has collected four NASCAR Xfinity Series checkered flags and three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins, making him one of just 41 drivers in history to have earned victories across all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series.
• The 25-year-old is a veteran of 139 Cup Series starts and has notched one win, five top fives, 16 top 10s and led 102 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.
• Last weekend, Haley started 35th and finished seventh in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The spirited effort marked the No. 7 team’s fourth top-10 finish of the 2024 campaign.
• In total, Haley has made 37 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, with the bulk of races coming during the 2021 season behind the wheel of the team’s No. 77 machine.
• Haley has signed a multi-year agreement with Spire Motorsports and will pursue NASCAR Cup Series championship honors behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevy in 2025.
• Haley recorded top 10s at Darlington Raceway (May), Worldwide Technology Raceway (June) and Talladega Superspeedway (Oct.) this season. He has paced the field for 29 laps and completed 99.3 percent of the laps contested in 2024.
• Haley, a native of Winamac, Ind., made his Cup Series debut for Spire Motorsports on April 28, 2019 at Talladega Superspeedway on his 20th birthday. He picked up both his and the team’s first win – an upset of practically unprecedented proportions – less than three months later in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro.

Justin Haley Quotes
Spire has had success at the road courses this season. How do you feel jumping in and running your first road course race in your return to the team?

“We feel good heading into the ROVAL. I get excited because I love road courses and it is a lot of fun to race at them. The Spire cars had a lot of speed at Watkins Glen with all three cars finishing in the top 10, so I’m curious to see where we end up this weekend. I feel like the road course stuff is really good and the team is confident about it. I have a road course background myself, and have ran well at the ROVAL throughout my career. We will see how the new configuration mixes things up. The new re-entrance to the oval should open a new passing zone and make for some physical racing. There’s nothing as special as the Charlotte ROVAL.”

You’ve collected great runs at road courses in your career. Why has road racing come so natural to you?
“I grew up Trans Am racing. I was kind of the first to do the NASCAR-Trans Am crossover, and now it is a huge steppingstone for guys like Connor Mosack and Connor Zilisch. I did a bunch of sports car racing when I was younger. I won at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the Truck Series. I always ran well at the road courses in Xfinity and I have a pair of top fives in the Cup Series at Chicago and the ROVAL. I’ve always been comfortable at those kinds of places.”

Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Sunday will mark Zane Smith’s fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway but only his second start at the Charlotte ROVAL, a 2.28-mile racetrack that is combination of the speedway’s infield road course and 1.5-mile oval.
• Last year, Smith made his first Cup Series start at the ROVAL in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports entry where he started 34th and finished 30th.
• Smith has posted four top 20s this season on road courses, including his highest finishing position of fifth at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in September.
• Last weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Smith started 37th and, after sustaining damage to his Chevrolet in a massive wreck with four laps remaining, went on to finish 21st.
• Smith will sport the Ambetter Health livery on his No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Ambetter Health is on a mission to get everyone affordable, high-quality health insurance. Our drive to break down barriers and help make insurance more accessible to all has made us America’s #1 Marketplace health insurance. Learn more about how we are paving the way to better coverage at ambetterhealth.com.
• Fans can see Smith at the Trackside Live Stage in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Fan Zone on Sunday at 11 a.m. local time.

Zane Smith Quotes

Are you looking forward to the Charlotte Roval this weekend?
“Yes, I really am. I enjoy racing road courses, and I know this isn’t a typical road course but it’s still a pretty fun track. My Spire Motorsports team has had solid runs on road courses this season and I’m confident heading into this weekend. Excited to see how my Ambetter Health Chevrolet stacks up with the rest of the field on Sunday.”

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• In last week’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Hocevar rolled off 37th and opted to remain at the tail of the field in hopes to avoid ‘The Big One.’ When the 28-car incident set off with four laps remaining, he received minimal contact that caused a broken toe link. Heads up work by the No. 77 team got the toe link replaced without falling a lap down. He went on to finish the event 14th.
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• Hocevar will make his first Cup Series start on Charlotte’s ROVAL.
• Last time out on a road course, the Portage, Mich., native earned a career-best third-place finish at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. In four road course events in 2024, he’s averaged a starting position of 18.25 and an average finish of 16.5.
• The youngest NCS driver in the field ranks 21st in the division’s championship point standings, leading the Sunoco Rookie of The Year standings by 88 points. Over the course of the season’s first 31 races, he’s notched one top-five, five top-10 and 10 top-15 finishes.
• Crew chief Luke Lambert called Noah Gragson’s third-place effort in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the Charlotte ROVAL.
• Tune in to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET to hear Hocevar discuss his rookie campaign with host Dave Moody.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You earned a career-best finish last time at a road course, and you will be making your first start at the Roval this weekend. How do you expect your day to go?
“I didn’t think we were going to run as good as we have on the road courses this year. Luke (Lambert) and everyone at Spire has put a lot of emphasis on the road course package. I think we can run really good. Not only did the No. 77 team run well at Watkins Glen, but the company got all three cars in the top 10. We have a little bit of a question mark since I’ve never been to the Roval, but we look to replicate the speed we had at Watkins Glen.”

How does the change in the layout of the course help you in your first start on the Roval?
“The reconfiguration and layout change has taken a little bit away from the guys who have experience there. It allows us to approach it with an open mind and no preconceived notion on how the track should be. On the flip side, the guys who have run there before have a couple major areas of the track in which they have to change their approach. Hopefully it takes them a little bit to forget the old and figure out the new while I am catching up on the other areas of the track!”

From the Top of the Box

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for driver Justin Haley and the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NCS.
• Sparks has led the efforts for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team since 2021.
• Sparks will focus solely on Competition Director’s duties following the 2024 season.

Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Stephen Doran is in his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team.
• In 2006, Doran got his start in NASCAR at Petty Enterprises.
• Prior to his arrival at Spire Motorsports, Doran worked at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer, most recently on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick.

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Luke Lambert is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team with 2024 NCS Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar.
• The 2005 North Carolina State graduate has led the competition efforts for some of the sport’s most notable names including Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Chris Buescher.
• In 2014, Lambert led Newman to a berth in the Championship 4, and ultimately a runner-up finish in the NCS championship point standings.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Justin Haley, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team also fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth drives the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Silverados in the No. 77.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on April 12, 2024, when Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

This Week in Motorsports: October 7 – 13, 2024

NCS/NXS: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL – Oct. 12-13
NHRA: Texas Motorplex – Oct. 11-13

PLANO, Texas (Oct. 9, 2024) – NASCAR heads to the Round of 12 cutoff weekend for the Cup and Xfinity Series at the Charlotte ROVAL as just five race weekends remain in the 2024 season. Drivers will be faced with a new challenge with the new configuration of the 2.28-mile infield road course this weekend.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is back in action as the back half of the Countdown to the Championship begins at Texas Motorplex for the Texas Fall Nationals.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS

Bell, Hamlin and Reddick above the cutline entering ROVAL cutoff … After a chaotic race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, three Camry XSE Playoff drivers found themselves above the cutline heading to this weekend’s cutoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL to make the Round of 8. Christopher Bell enters the weekend 57 points to the good after a sixth-place finish at Talladega, while Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick are 30 and 14 points above, respectively.

Bell seeks to continue top-10 streak … With his sixth-place result last weekend, Bell now has eight top-10s in the last 10 races, dating back to Indianapolis in July, which has been a big reason as to why he now sits 57 points above the Playoff cutline. He returns to the ROVAL this weekend where he’s finished in the top-10 in half of his starts, including a victory in 2022.

Smith, Creed in ideal positions for cutoff race … Like their Team Toyota Cup teammates, Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed find themselves in great spots heading to the cutoff race this weekend at the ROVAL. Both finished in the top-five at Talladega last weekend, putting themselves 64 and 32 points above the cutline in the Xfinity Series Playoffs. It would mark the first time Smith advanced to the Xfinity Series Round of 8 while Creed aims to make his second Round of 8 Playoff appearance.

Bilicki, Jones return to GR Supras for the ROVAL … Team Toyota welcomes back two ‘road-course ringers’ in Josh Bilicki (No. 19 GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing) and Ed Jones (No. 26 GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing) to take on the ROVAL this weekend. Bilicki has made 15 Xfinity starts this season, and this will be his second with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota after finishing 12th at Portland back in June. For Jones, this will be his fifth start of the season with Sam Hunt Racing and Toyota, and his first since Watkins Glen. He earned his career best finish of fifth at Portland.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Toyota continues hold on Top Fuel … With just three races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship, Toyota firmly holds down the Top Fuel point standings with Antron Brown continuing to lead after his two wins to begin the Countdown at Maple Grove and Charlotte. Justin Ashley follows Brown in the standings, 34 points back, followed by Shawn Langdon in third, Doug Kalitta in fourth, Steve Torrence in fifth and Billy Torrence sits 10th. In Funny Car, Ron Capps is fourth after his final-round run in St. Louis, followed by J.R. Todd in sixth and Alexis DeJoria in 10th.

Billy Torrence to make 100th career race … As long as he is one of the top 16 Top Fuel dragsters after qualifying, Sunday will mark Billy Torrence’s 100th career race, which would be fitting in his home state of Texas. Over his career, Torrence has eight career victories, in 13 career final round appearances, along with 116 career round wins. His most recent win was at Reading in 2021.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CLUB ENTRY LIST

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
POINT STANDINGS: 34TH

ERIK JONES
POINT STANDINGS: 30TH

CLUB NOTES

EJ Stats: Since its debut in 2018, the Charlotte ROVAL has been a particularly tricky track for the driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE. Out of six starts, Erik Jones has earned one top-5 and one top-15, with a best result of third coming in 2020.

JHN Stats: The North Carolina native has one NASCAR Cup Series start at the 2.32-mile road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL that came back in 2020. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) the 27-year-old also has two starts, with two top-10 finishes.

Pink Window Net: This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, all NASCAR Cup Series entries will be sporting a bright pink driver’s window net. This marks the second season that the Erik Jones Foundation (EJF) is supporting the “Windows of Hope” program. This program is designed to drive knowledge about breast cancer awareness. All nets will be given to the EJF after the race and auctioned off to raise money for awareness, prevention, and early detection of breast cancer.

A Touch of Color: Throughout the month of October, Dollar Tree/Family Dollar has opted to alter each paint scheme with touches of pink to acknowledge the millions of women who are currently battling, have won their battles and those who have lost their battles with breast cancer. Keep an eye out for these unique paint schemes continuing at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

LEGACY M.C. Fan Day: This Thursday, Oct. 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will host Fan Day at the shop in Statesville, N.C. The event will include autographs, shop tours, show cars, pit crew demonstrations, food trucks, and much more. To find out more information, visit https://legacymotorclub.com/news/2024fanday

Appearances: Drivers of the No. 43 Family Dollar car, Erik Jones and No. 42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry, John Hunter Nemechek will make a trip to the LEGACY M.C. merch rig on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. for autographs and photos. Jones will also visit the No. 43 Family Dollar show car at the Blue Cross Blue Shield footprint in the fan zone at 11:05 a.m.

Going for GO.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree Family Dollar has a “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) program. Each week throughout the season, the No. 42 and No. 43 will feature one of the local store on the decklid of the Toyota Camry XSE.

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 racetracks across the country.

This Week in Petty History: On October 14, 1949, father of Richard Petty, Lee Petty made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Heidelberg Raceway in Pittsburgh, Penn. On the same date in 2000, the Adam Petty Foundation was established.

The King’s Hat: The King’s Hat was unveiled at Charlotte Motor Speedway back in May. Check out the Speedway’s and LEGACY M.C.’s social channels for activities.

CLUB QUOTES

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE:

“I feel like our road course program has improved throughout this season; however, we just don’t have the results to show for it because of some bad luck. With this being a cut off race for the playoffs, there likely will be some fireworks. If we can stay out of the mess, hopefully we can get a strong finish and get the ball rolling towards finishing the year out on a strong note.”

Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

“The ROVAL is always a tough place to get around, get your bearings. With the change in the layout, it’s definitely going to be a new learning experience compared to the last handful of years. I think we have some laps on the sim of what’s going to be a good idea of what’s going to be different about the layout and what the challenges are really going to be with it. The new turn is really sharp and really different than what we’ve had before, which was more of a gradual turn onto the banking. It’ll take some laps to get used to and figure out, Hopefully the sim is accurate and comparable and we kind of have a head start on it.”

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway for the YellaWood 500, LEGACY M.C. co-owner, Jimmie Johnson continued his stint with NBC Sports co-hosting the pre-race NBC Countdown to Green with Dale Jarrett and providing commentary and the driver’s point of view throughout the event on Sunday. (Photo by: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB)

BROADCAST INFO

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROVAL 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13TH @ 2:00 PM ET

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Jimmie Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as CLUB Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

ABOUT MOBIL 1: For 50 years, Mobil 1 has been trusted by drivers to keep their engines running longer. Our products combine the latest technology and innovation to exceed the toughest standards of vehicle manufacturers and tuning shops—so consumers can get the most out of their time behind the wheel, both on the road and on the track. Turn every day into an adventure with Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand. Learn more at www.mobil1.us or and follow @Mobil1Racing on Instagram and X. Join us. For the love of driving.

ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit www.DollarTree.com.