MOORESVILLE, N.C. – The No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang, driven by NASCAR Cup Series rookie John Hunter Nemechek, will sport a special paint scheme for the NASCAR throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway, paying tribute to retired driver Elliott Sadler.
Nemechek will race a scheme similar to the No. 21 CITGO Ford Taurus that Sadler raced during his own rookie season with Wood Brothers Racing in 1999 and again in 2000.
CITGO Petroleum Corp. made its return to NASCAR with Front Row Motorsports in 2018 for this same race with David Ragan, also honoring a Wood Brothers Racing-CITGO entry with its CITGARD brand. Following success and continued positive feedback on- and off-track, CITGARD has become a staple of the FRM family.
“This is an exciting event for CITGARD and the CITGO Petroleum Corporation,” said Brian Paulson, General Manager of Lubricants at CITGO. “The Darlington Throwback weekend is always a fun way to remember the past and honor former drivers like Elliott Sadler. Our company has deep roots in NASCAR, and we’re glad there’s an opportunity to bring that heritage to the sport today. We’re proud of the success John Hunter Nemechek has had in his rookie season and we look forward to seeing the No. 38 car in Victory Lane this weekend.”
Though their premiere series debuts came nearly 20 years apart, Sadler and Nemechek have shown equally strong performances. In his rookie season, Sadler earned five top-15 finishes and one top-10, completing 97% of all competition laps in 34 starts. With 26 starts thus far in the 2020 season, Nemechek has scored seven top-15 finishes and two top-10s, also completing 97% of all competition laps.
“Like many in the sport, I had been racing against Joe Nemechek since John Hunter was a baby,” said Sadler. “I’ve watched him grow up in the garage and it will be really special to see him driving my rookie paint scheme in his rookie year of competition. It means a lot when someone wants to recognize part of your career. I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with the folks at CITGARD.”
“If you grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s, that red CITGO car always stood out on track,” said Nemechek. “It’s really cool to be able to bring that paint scheme back to life at Darlington. I know my No. 38 Front Row Motorsports crew will bring a fast car to the track, and we’ll do everything we can to win on Sunday.”