STATESVILLE, N.C. (April 25, 2023) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB today announced that STP, the longtime-partner of Richard Petty, will continue its own racing legacy as the primary partner of Erik Jones and the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race on May 21 at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Jones unveiled the car privately to Petty at a recent production day for STP that took place at the Petty Museum in Level Cross, N.C., and will unveil the paint scheme for fans on FOX Sports 1’s (FS1) award-winning show “Race Hub” on Thursday, April 27th – check local listings for times.
‘Looking good’ was Petty’s initial response upon seeing the artwork presented by Jones.
“It’s like a copy of one of my older model cars. One thing about this scheme is Erik won’t be able hide from me on the track because I’ll be able to see that car from anywhere,” said Petty while giving the seal of approval to the iconic look of the car he and STP made legendary.
For his part, Petty logged an impressive list of 66 starts at North Wilkesboro, collecting 15 wins, 33 top-five and 42 top-10 finishes. Of those 15 victories, eight came while Petty carried the famed STP colors.
His final win at North Wilkesboro came in the 1981 Northwestern Bank 400 making him the winningest driver in NASCAR Cup Series history at the legendary .625-mile Wilkes County oval. The victory was his 194th overall, and 107th and final short-track victory. Petty will also serve as this year’s co-Grand Marshal with fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip for the 39th running of NASCAR’s annual All-Star race.
Jones, who was just four months old on Sept. 29. 1996, marking the last time the NASCAR Cup Series raced at North Wilkesboro, is one of the 22 drivers eligible for the All-Star Race field due to his win last fall in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
“Fans are going to love this car no matter who you root for,” said Jones. “It’s going to bring back a lot of really great memories for Richard Petty fans at one of the most historic tracks in NASCAR history. I’m thankful to STP and happy they decided to go in the direction they did on this design. When I showed the car to Richard he thought it was very cool. Carrying on the No. 43 car legacy at North Wilkesboro will be one of the highlights of my career. I’m looking forward to May 21.”
STP, which stands for Science, Technology and Performance, is a brand of oil additives, fuel additives and brake and power steering fluids, and was one of the original sponsors in the sport of NASCAR. The pioneer brand entered NASCAR in 1972 by sponsoring the world-famous Richard Petty team. Petty’s dominance on the track dubbed him “The King” during his era as he holds more records than any driver, including 200 career wins, more than 1,185 starts, and 27 victories in one season with a streak of ten in a row. STP sponsored Petty from 1972 until 1992 when he retired. The agreement between Petty and STP marked the first national-level sponsorship deal in NASCAR.
“STP is thrilled to partner with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Richard Petty and Erik Jones for NASCAR’s return to legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway,” said STP Global Brand Manager Laura Bogart. “STP has been actively involved with Richard Petty for over five decades and we couldn’t think of a more fitting way to mark 52 years in the sport. Erik Jones is a phenomenal race car driver and brand champion for STP so we’re very proud to have him carry STP’s legacy forward. We can’t wait to see the paint scheme unveiled for all our loyal consumers and race fans Thursday night on NASCAR Race Hub and see it on the track next month at the NASCAR All Star Race.”
Jones and the NASCAR Cup Series will experience North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996 on Sunday, May 21 for the All-Star event with coverage starting at 8pm ET on FS1, Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
ABOUT STP: For over 60 years, and for more miles than anyone can count, STP® has been one of the most trusted names in automotive care. Car enthusiasts, “Do-it-Yourselfers” and professional racers rely on STP® oil additives, fuel additives and brake and power steering fluids to keep their vehicles running better, for longer. STP® is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. and is part of Energizer Holdings, Inc.
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 visit www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com and follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
