No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:
- CREED AT POCONO: Sheldon Creed and the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra crew head to Pocono Raceway this weekend for the 19th race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season. In two starts at the tricky triangle, Creed has one top-five and one-top-ten, which came from his fifth-place finish in his first start at the track in 2022. In last year’s race, Creed showed top-five speed for most of the day as he qualified third and finished fifth in stage one. After flipping his pit strategy prior to the stage two break, Creed finished the second stage in 34th but regained track position once pit strategy cycled through. Creed faced adversity when he was set back by uncontrolled equipment from the car a stall ahead. Creed rebounded to finish 11th on the day. In three starts in the Craftsman Truck Series at Pocono, Creed has scored two top fives with a pair of third place finishes in 2020 and 2021.
- CHICAGO RECAP: After starting 37th due to a blown motor in practice, Creed made quick work of the back half of the field and finished the first stage in 12th, The No. 18 crew continued the charge in the second stage, working themselves into fifth place heading into the final stage of the race. Despite the caution-filled stretch, Creed maintained track position and was primed for a top-five finish before falling victim to late-race contact that spun him out, and relegated him to a 26th place finish.
- STUCK ON SILVER: Creed’s second-place finish at New Hampshire marked his tenth career second-place finish in the Xfinity Series. Not only does that tie Creed with Daniel Hemric and Dale Jarrett for most second-place finishes without a win, but it also means that 55% (10/18) of his career top-fives have been second-place results.
- FRIENDS OF JACLYN FOUNDATION: Founded in 2005, the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers while raising awareness for said diseases. The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for children and their families battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers by pairing them with local teams, clubs, and community groups. FOJ has currently made over 1000 adoptions and their mission is to continue to raise awareness through our Adopt-A-Child, Safe on the Sidelines, and Guardian Angel Programs.
- ON THE PITBOX: Crew chief Sam McAulay will lead the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra crew this season. Despite his rookie status, McAulay is an established mind at JGR as he joined the organization in 2007 and worked his way up the ranks from intern to lead race engineer for the No. 11 Cup Series entry of Denny Hamlin. Since the start of his tenure on the No. 11 in 2017, McAulay has contributed to 25 victories, including three Daytona 500 wins and a Coke 600 win as a crew chief when he filled-in for the suspended Chris Gabehart in 2022.
- JGR AT POCONO: Kyle Busch scored the lone NXS win for JGR at Pocono in 2018. The team has also earned seven top-fives, 13 top-10s, and three poles since the series began racing there in 2016.
- FOLLOW ALONG: Follow along for updates and a behind-the-scenes look at Creed’s 2024 season.
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- RACE INFO: Coverage of this weekend’s Xfinity Series race in Pocono is scheduled for Saturday, July 13, at 3:00 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Sheldon Creed, Driver of the No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra:
“You have shown some strong speed at Pocono the past two years. Do you think that will carry over to this year now that you are with a new team?”
“Yeah, I would say so. I have felt comfortable here in both trucks and Xfinity which I think bodes well for us going into this weekend. The main focus is to be there at the end and execute from there. It feels like I’ve been close here multiple times. Hopefully I can take the next step forward here on Saturday and put our Toyota GR Supra in contention.”
JGR PR