STATESVILLE, N.C. (February 18, 2023) — LEGACY MOTOR CLUB owners Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson, along with Team Ambassador Richard Petty, today announced U.S. Air Force will return to the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Chevrolet and driver Erik Jones for the 2023 season.
“It’s been an honor to represent the U.S. Air Force the last few years and I’m excited to continue our partnership to have them on our No. 43 Camaro for this season,” said Jones. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet some pretty remarkable Airman the last few seasons and I look forward to meeting many more this year. Our partnership with the Air Force is such a great program to be a part of and I hope we can give them a little excitement this season and a few trips to victory lane.”
The U.S. Air Force has a storied history with NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and the famed No. 43. This season will mark the 15th consecutive season of the partnership. The U.S. Air Force will appear on the No. 43 for three primary races: Talladega Superspeedway (April 23), Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, (May 28) and Bristol Motor Speedway (September 16).
“I’m very proud of the program we have built with the U.S. Air Force for the last 15 seasons on the No. 43,” said Petty. “I’ve had the honor to meet many men and women who are serving over the years and it’s great to see their association with our team be successful both on and off the track.”
Through their partnership with the team, the U.S. Air Force utilizes their recruiting team and at-track activation to recruit the next generation of Airmen and Guardians. Throughout the season, the U.S. Air Force will host a display at various events for fans to learn about the U.S. Air Force and at select tracks, meet Jones before the race.
“I have so much respect for the military as both my grandfathers have served,” said Johnson. “The relationship we have with the U.S. Air Force is something I am very proud of as a new team owner, and Erik and the No. 43 team will be very competitive this season. I’ve had some very close ties with military sponsors and organizations in the past, and we will do everything we can to help the U.S. Air Force meet their goals both on and off the track.”
This season the No. 43 will showcase a unique paint scheme featuring U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Known as the “Pride in the Sky,” the Thunderbirds perform around the world to display the pride, precision, and professionalism of the U.S. Air Force. The Thunderbirds showcase the elite skills of its pilots and demonstrate the phenomenal capabilities of the Air Force’s legendary multi-role fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, through air shows and flyovers.
“The U.S. Air Force is thrilled to announce the renewal of our partnership with Erik Jones and the No. 43 team, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, and the addition of Jimmie Johnson as team owner. A partnership that solidifies our commitment to excellence and success in the 2023 racing season,” said Tech. Sgt. Tyson Wagstaff, Program Manager, U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service. “This partnership also supports our recruiters in finding skilled individuals, who share a passion for competition and teamwork and appreciate science, technology, engineering and math, to serve our country. We look forward to cheering on the No. 43 team as they soar to new heights and inspire the next generation of Airmen and Guardians.”
The next race for the drivers of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. ET live on FOX, the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SIRIUS XM Radio.
ABOUT THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE:
The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win – airpower anytime, anywhere. Whether full time, part time, in or out of uniform, everyone who serves plays a critical role in helping us achieve mission success.. For 2023, the Air Force Recruiting Service is hiring over 26,000 new Airmen. An emphasis is on recruiting people with no prior military service into one of over 130 enlisted career opportunities. The Air Force recruits to retain, so we recruit the brightest candidates possible, then provide them with tough, highly technical training that gives them the right skills to sustain the combat capability of America’s Air Force. For more information about Air Force benefits and opportunities, go to www.airforce.com.
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson. LEGACY M.C. operates two full-time entries, the No. 42 Chevrolet of Noah Gragson and the No. 43 Chevrolet of Erik Jones. The team also fields a third part-time entry, the No. 84 Chevrolet, for Johnson’s limited racing schedule.
For the last 75 years, the iconic Petty family name has been synonymous in NASCAR, spanning four generations. Over the course of his driving career, Team Ambassador Richard Petty forever enshrined himself as “The King”, earning 200 wins and seven NASCAR Cup Series championships alongside NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Dale Inman. GMS Racing entered the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021, later acquiring Richard Petty Motorsports to form Petty GMS.
The team was rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in 2023 with the addition of Johnson, another seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, to the ownership structure. As a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for the automobile racing enthusiast, fostering a team environment that will breed success for years to come. LEGACY M.C.’s vision is to honor the rich history of its past and acknowledge the future of the sport with some of today’s most iconic drivers.
LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing, which fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS Racing in 2012, Gallagher, along with one of the NASCAR garage’s most accomplished figures, Team President, Mike Beam, built a victorious organization, capturing the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.
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