LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Preview: Richmond Raceway

Race Information

• Round: NASCAR Cup Series race No. 7 of 36
• Track Location: Richmond Raceway – Richmond, Virginia
• Race Name: Toyota Owners 400
• Broadcast: Sunday, April 2nd at 3:30 PM ET live on FS1 (TV), MRN (Radio) Sirius XM NASCAR Ch. 90
• Team Entrants:

No. 42 | Noah Gragson & Luke Lambert – Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet Camaro Zl1
No. 43 | Erik Jones & Dave Elenz – U.S. Air Force Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Noah Gragson, No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Richmond Raceway Stats

• NCS Starts: 1; Best start: 19th; Best finish: 24th (2022)
• NXS Starts: 7; Wins: 1 (2021); Best start: 3rd; Top 5s: 3; Top 10s: 5; Laps led: 48

2023 NCS Season Stats

• Starts: 6, Best start: 10th; Best finish: 12th (Atlanta); Laps led: 1; Current points position: 26th
• About Sunseeker Resorts: Opening in 2023, Florida’s newest luxury resort located in Charlotte Harbor is the first resort property of Sunseeker Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Company. Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor occupies over 22 waterfront acres with 785 guest rooms, including 189 Signature Sunsuites™. Set upon the Peace River and Florida Gulf Coast, this premier resort offers 20 original food and beverage concepts; including seven stand-alone restaurants, eleven bars and lounges, two poolside offerings and a 25,000-square-foot multi-dining experience. Additional hotel amenities include a waterfront promenade, two unique rooftop and waterfront pool experiences, 60,000-square-feet of combined convention space, full-service spa and salon, a 7,100-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness center with four group exercise studios with specialty instructor lead classes, three retail and market shops, and an 18-hole championship level golf club exclusive to hotel guests only. The resort is conveniently located within a short drive of Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and Tampa airports. For more information, visit www.sunseekerresorts.com. Follow on Instagram: @sunseekerresorts and like us on Facebook: @sunseekerresorts.
• A memorable win: Richmond Raceway holds a special memory in the NASCAR career of Noah Gragson. At 23 years old, Gragson won the Xfinity race at Richmond on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Gragson’s post-race interview was one of reflection and he was able to honor America by stating the day wasn’t about the win, but about honoring those lost. Gragson’s crew chief at the time was Dave Elenz.
• Above Average: Throughout Gragson’s seven starts at Richmond in the Xfinity Series, he has an average finish of 9.4 coupled with three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Gragson has led 48 laps around the track with one win. He has one start at Richmond in the NASCAR Cup Series but with a 22nd place finish in 2022 completing 397 of 400 laps.

-Lambert at Richmond: Crew chief Luke Lambert has 17 starts with four different drivers at Richmond in the NASCAR Cup Series. He’s coached drivers to two top-five and five top-10 finishes with 36 laps led throughout the years.

-Don’t forget the coffee: As announced prior to the Circuit of the Americas race event, Black Rifle Coffee Company will support Gragson and the No. 42 team for six races this season. They are offering NASCAR fans 25% off a first time purchase or subscription. To redeem the offer, go to Black Rifle Coffee Company and use the code “BRCCMOTOR” at checkout. Follow on Instragram, Facebook, and YouTube, or subscribe to Coffee or Die’s daily newsletter for updates.

• NG Appearances:

Sunday, April 2nd | Trackside Merchandise Trailer: Noah will sign for fans at his souvenir/merchandise rig located in the Midway at Richmond Raceway from 12 – 12:30p.m. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB merchandise rig is shared with JR Motorsports.

• From the Drivers Seat: “I’m looking forward to Richmond this weekend. The No. 42 team has been rallying back the last two weeks with strategy and speed. The pit crew has been awesome. My first race win at Richmond in Xfinity was really special and I was able to drive the NextGen car last fall in a Cup car. We are making some progress as a team and each week things are coming together more and more.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Richmond Raceway Stats

• NCS Starts: 11; Best start: 5th; Best finish: 6th (Fall, 2017); Top 10s: 1
• NXS Starts: 4; Poles: 1 (Spring, 2016); Best finish: 2nd (Fall, 2016); Top 5s: 3; Top 10s: 3; Laps led: 19

2023 NCS Season Stats

• Starts: 6; Best start: 8th; Best finish: 8th (Atlanta); Top 10s: 1, Laps led: 14, Current points position: 21st
• 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.
• U.S. Air Force Adds to Partnership Schedule: The three-race partnership between LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the United States Air Force was announced prior to the start of the 2023 season-opening DAYTONA 500. In its 15th season with the team, The U.S. Air Force uses their partnership with the team to activate at-track for recruiting efforts. Due to excitement with the program and the proximity to headquarters in Washington D.C., the U.S. Air Force will add an additional primary to the schedule, which will hit the track this weekend. Driver Erik Jones will pilot a red, white and blue-themed U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds paint scheme on the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Richmond Raceway on Sunday.
• Qualifying Strength: Erik Jones continues to flex his muscle in qualifying sessions on several occasions this year. For a moment in Group A qualifying last weekend, Jones held the track record at Circuit Of The Americas, topping the charts in round one. Ultimately, Jones would start in the eighth position, besting his 10th place qualifying lap at Phoenix Raceway. Last year at Richmond, Jones put up a lap in his No. 43 Chevrolet that was fast enough to place him in fifth for the initial start. He looks to continue this single lap speed this weekend and turn it into more.
• From the Driver’s Seat: This weekend, you will have the added support from the U.S. Air Force on your No. 43 Chevrolet. What does it mean to you to drive this special Thunderbirds paint scheme?

“It’s pretty cool to have the U.S. Air Force on the No. 43 – its year three for me as a driver to represent them. Having the Air Force Thunderbirds paint scheme this weekend – its just a really good looking car – its probably my favorite Air Force paint scheme over the last few years. I’m happy to have them onboard and I hope to have a good run for them. We’ve come close a few times to getting them a win in some speedway races, so hopefully we can get it done this at Richmond this weekend.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional motor racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates two full-time entries, the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Noah Gragson and the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Erik Jones. The team also fields a third part-time entry, the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, for Johnson’s limited racing schedule in 2023.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY MOTOR CLUB 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.

Our mission at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is to create an inclusive environment for auto-racing enthusiasts, celebrate the past and future legacies of our partners and team members, and to compete for race wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.