Post-Race Report: Martinsville
No. 38 Fire Alarm Services, Inc. Ford Mustang
Started: 18th
Finished: 25th
- Stage One: 21st
- Stage Two: 18th
- Stage Three: 25th
- John Hunter Nemechek took the green flag in Wednesday's race at Martinsville Speedway in the 18th position. He quickly radioed that his No. 38 FAS Ford Mustang was "super loose center" and that the car "wants to over-rotate." He pitted under caution for 4 tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment, which he said helped. By the time he took the green- and white-checkered flag to end Stage 1 in 21st position, Nemechek said the car "turned center pretty well."
- For much of Stage 2, Nemechek noted that his No. 38 FAS machine was "free on entry" but "tight center off." The crew made additional packer and track bar adjustments under caution in an effort to improve Nemechek's handling as the race went on and track conditions changed under the lights. Nemechek fought hard to stay inside of the top 20 for most of Stage 2 and finished P18.
- At the beginning of the final stage, Nemechek noted that his FAS Ford Mustang was still too loose and he "needed lateral drive." Under caution on Lap 325, Nemechek pitted for 4 tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment, which he said helped, but continued to battle a loose-handling racecar for much of the final stage. He would take the checkered flag 25th on the leaderboard.
Nemechek on Martinsville:
- “It was a tough night for our No. 38 FAS Ford Mustang. We fired off pretty loose and Seth and the crew tried to make adjustments as the night went on, but we weren't able to get it to where we needed. My team worked hard and I'm proud of the effort everyone continues to put in each and every week. Big thanks to Fire Alarm Services for continuing to support us. We'll take our learnings and head to Homestead on Sunday."
John Hunter Nemechek Teams Up with FAS at Martinsville
NEMECHEK TALKS MARTINSVILLE:
"Martinsville is a really fun and unique track. It's somewhere that I've done really well. I made my debut there in the Truck Series when I was 16 and won there a few years ago. I like Martinsville a lot; we've gotten along well together in the past and I feel like our Front Row Motorsports team is strong on short tracks. We want to be able to capitalize on our opportunities throughout the day so that we can be contenders and have a strong finish at the end. We've got FAS back on board our No. 38 Ford Mustang this week. It's the first time they've been on track with us in person since Fontana, so I'm looking forward to putting on a good show for them.”
Post-Race Report: Atlanta
No. 38 YANMAR America Ford Mustang
Started: 18th
Finished: 23rd
- Stage One: 29th
- Stage Two: 24th
- Stage Three: 23rd
- John Hunter Nemechek started Sunday's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway from the 18th position. Early on, he struggled with the handling in his No. 38 YANMAR America Ford Mustang, noting that he was very loose, to the point of driving "sideways through the corner." Nemechek lost control and spun coming off of Turn 4 on Lap 94. Thankfully, he avoided contact and sustained minimal damage. The crew made various wedge, packer and track bar adjustments throughout Stage 1, but Nemechek continued to struggle, taking the green- and white-checkered flag in 29th place.
- During Stage 2, the No. 38 YANMAR America Ford Mustang continued to be loose, particularly when Nemechek ran the top line around the track. Seth Barbour and the crew attempted to improve the car's handling with adjustments to tire pressure, wedge and packer during pit stops in Stage 2. Nemechek radioed on Lap 186 that he was "tight on entry and loose off," and by the end of the run, he said he still needed to be tightened up. He finished Stage 2 in the 24th position and pitted for 4 tires, fuel, and wedge and packer adjustments.
- Nemechek started the final stage at the rear of the field, receiving a penalty for removing equipment (fuel can) during his pit stop at the Stage Break Caution. He kept quiet over the radio for much of the stage, but still felt the handling of his No. 38 YANMAR America Ford Mustang was too loose. Nemechek crossed the finish line in 23rd place, two laps down.
Nemechek on Atlanta:
- “We had a challenging day in our No. 38 YANMAR America Ford Mustang. Wish we could have had a better result for our partners at YANMAR at their home track. It was a difficult day from the start. We fired off really loose and the car just kind of stepped out on me early on. Managed to avoid contact and damage, and we kept trying to tighten up the handling, but we just couldn't find that sweet spot. I'm proud of my team for never giving up. We'll go get 'em in Martinsville."
Nemechek Ready for YANMAR America’s Hometown Race in Atlanta
NEMECHEK ON ATLANTA:
"Atlanta is a fun track. It’s going to be hot and slick, which is my favorite kind of race. Atlanta is known for its rough and weathered surface, which I think is what makes for such great racing. You can run the top, bottom and middle and you can continue to move around to find grip as the race goes on. We had YANMAR America on board with us before the COVID-19 pandemic started, and it’s great that we’ll be able to return to their home track this weekend. Our team has been making strides over the last few weeks and our performance continues to improve. I’m looking forward to continuing the momentum we’ve built up over the last couple of weeks with our No. 38 YANMAR Ford Mustang on Sunday."
About YANMAR America
YANMAR America Corporation, located in Adairsville, GA, is the regional headquarters of YANMAR Co., Ltd. a global company based in Osaka, Japan. YANMAR Co., Ltd. was established in 1912, and in 1933 became the world's first manufacturer to develop a practical small diesel engine. Today, YANMAR is a recognized leader in the design and manufacturing of advanced performance diesel engines and diesel-powered equipment, as well as gas engine-based energy systems. By focusing on the development of highly efficient diesel engines, YANMAR remains committed to their mission statement of providing sustainable solutions for modern power needs.
YANMAR America Corporation is located at 101 International Parkway, Adairsville, GA 30103. For more information Visit yanmar.com/us and follow them on social media: Twitter at @YanmarAmerica, Instagram at @YanmarAmerica and Facebook at Facebook.com/YanmarAmerica.
Post-Race Report: Bristol
No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang
Started: 18th
Finished: 13th
- Stage One: 19th
- Stage Two: 11th
- Stage Three: 13th
- John Hunter Nemechek started Sunday's "Supermarket Heroes 500" at Bristol Motor Speedway in the 18th position. The balance of his No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang was decent, but Nemechek radioed multiple times that he needed to be freer, noting that track position was a challenge at Bristol. Crew Chief Seth Barbour and the team made adjustments to the track bar and tire pressure as Stage 1 progressed. Nemechek took the green- and white-checkered flag in 19th place.
- Stage 2 was mired with caution after caution, including one on-track incident that briefly brought out the red flag for cleanup. Nemechek's No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford was on both sides of balance at various points, namely free at the end of a run, but "still a tick snug center." While running 13th towards the end of the stage, he told the team that he felt faster than the cars in front of him, but it was too difficult to pass. Nemechek would finish Stage 2 in the 11th position.
- Nemechek drove inside the top 20 through the majority of the final stage, cracking the top 10 with a little over 120 laps remaining. An issue with the car overheating led Nemechek down pit road multiple times under caution late in the race, but he still managed to stay on the lead lap. The No. 38 team continued their battle at "The Last Great Colosseum," never giving up. Nemechek's Scag Power Equipment Mustang crossed the finish line in 13th place.
Nemechek on Bristol:
- “It was a tough day, but we still fought to have a good finish under the circumstances. Seth and the crew put together a super fast Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang. We started off the day a little tight, needing more turn. In that last stage though, we had some issues with overheating and that cost us some precious track position. It's a challenge at Bristol to stay on the lead lap, let alone finish top-15 after the day we had. I'm so proud of my team for sticking with me and never giving up. We fought hard and still came out of it P13. Thanks to Scag Power Equipment for coming on board with us again. I'm looking forward to getting back after it at Atlanta next weekend.”
Scag Power Equipment Back with John Hunter Nemechek at Bristol
NEMECHEK TALKS BRISTOL:
"I feel like our No. 38 Scag Power Equipment team has a lot of momentum going for us right now. We've had some really encouraging, really strong runs at Darlington and Charlotte over the last couple of weeks. We've seen a lot of great speed and we're making improvements each week to make sure that our results reflect that speed.
"Bristol is a tough track all around. It's fast and slick and it can be really unforgiving, so you've got to be on top of your game each and every lap. Being able to pass and make the different grooves work for you will set you up for a good finish. It will be interesting to go in again without practice and qualifying.
"We've got Scag Power Equipment back on our car at Bristol. They've been such a great partner, coming on board and helping us get back to the track. I'm looking forward to getting another solid result for them on Sunday.”
Nemechek Earns "Rookie of the Race" Title at Charlotte
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.”