Pocono, PA -
The JD Motorsports with Gary Keller flag was flying high this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Leading the way for the team was North Carolina rookie Jesse Little, who was able to earn his best-career finish and his first Top 10.
Little, who has been knocking on the door of a Top 10 finish since the start of his rookie campaign this season, entered Sunday’s Pocono Green 225 hungry. A random draw in qualifying gave Jesse a 14th place starting spot, and it was all uphill from there. In a race that saw a total of nine caution periods, Little drove a smart race and avoided numerous crashes.
Though it was his first ever race at the 2.5-mile triangular track, Little raced like a veteran throughout the entire race impressing many. Crew chief Bryan Berry threw caution to the wind with a strategy call to leave Jesse out on the track late in the race, gaining spots and positioning Jesse up inside the Top 10. Through the late race restarts, Little capitalized and was able to hold off his nearest competition to bring his No. 4 Chevrolet home in 10th place.
Following in Little’s footsteps was fellow rookie Ryan Vargas, who made his first start of the season at Pocono. Vargas and crew chief Mark Setzer utilized a similar strategy of their teammates to position themselves up in the Top 10 late in the race. Though the California rookie ultimately did not earn the finish they were looking for, Vargas still notched his best-career NXS finish of 13th.
Fellow teammates BJ McLeod and Jeffrey Earnhardt had solid outings as well, ending the day in 14th place and 16th place, respectively. This past weekend proved to be the team’s best race of the season by far, a great showing for drivers, partners, and crew members all around.
Looking at the drivers’ points standings, Jesse Little finds himself sitting 18th with teammate BJ McLeod not far behind in 19th. Despite missing the first four races of the season, Jeffrey Earnhardt has climbed his way up to 24th position, not far behind his nearest competitors.
Next Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a curveball of a race. For the first time ever, the road course layout will be used instead of the iconic oval circuit. JDM looks to build on their momentum with drivers Jeffrey Earnhardt, Jesse Little, BJ McLeod, and the returning Mike Wallace. Live coverage of the weekend’s Pennzoil 150 will be on NBC at 3:00 PM ET, so be sure to tune in for another exciting race.
To keep up with all things JDM, follow the team along on social media with the handle @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM