CLUB ENTRY LIST
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
POINT STANDINGS: 34TH
ERIK JONES
POINT STANDINGS: 30TH
JIMMIE JOHNSON
CLUB NOTES
Kansas 1 Recap: John Hunter Nemechek rolled off the grid in 29th-place for the AdventHealth 400. By the time the first pit cycle started, Nemechek found himself up to 13th. A few pit road penalties (lap 83 and 181) set the North Carolina native back in the running order, but he kept fighting back and scored a 13th-place finish.
Erik Jones was sidelined for the first Kansas race in 2024 after recovering from an injury that was sustained at Talladega Superspeedway. Corey Heim stepped into the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE in Jones’ absence. Heim stayed level throughout the day as he had his second ever NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) start. Heim brought the famed No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE home clean in 22nd-place.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Jimmie Johnson was behind the wheel of the No. 84 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE for his fourth of nine races in the 2024 season. After qualifying in the 19th position, Johnson started the race handling super tight and fell back to 30th in the running order. After some adjustments to the AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, Johnson was starting to work his way forward. At the green flag on Lap 173 Johnson vied for position with three and four wide racing and was hit from behind on Lap 176, spinning into the infield grass, causing heavy damage to the No. 84 AdventHealth Toyota. Johnson and the No. 84 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team retired for the day with a 38th place finish.
EJ Stats: From 14 starts at Kansas Speedway, Jones has earned six top-10s and four top-fives, his best finish being 3rd in both the spring race of 2019 and the fall race of 2023. Due to an injury at Talladega in the spring of this year, Jones did not race at Kansas Speedway. He hopes to return at the track to mimic the outcome from the fall race of 2023.
Elenz Stats: Dave Elenz has had five starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway, four of those with Erik Jones and one with Corey Heim in the spring of this year. Earning a pole position with then Xfinity driver Noah Gragson in 2020, Elenz has an average finish of 18 in the Xfinity series, with two top-fives. The Jones and Elenz duo will team up for the first time at Kansas this year on Sunday, September 29th.
JHN Stats: John Hunter Nemechek has two victories in three attempts at Kansas Speedway in the Xfinity Series. Nemechek has an average start of 11.7 and an average finish of 3.3. Nemechek has never finished outside of the top-10 in the Xfinity Series at Kansas, leading for 218 laps. In the NASCAR Cup Series, Nemechek has three starts, with his best finish of 13th this past Spring.
Beshore Stats: Ben Beshore, the crew chief on the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE has five NASCAR Cup Series races under his belt. In 2021 he visited Victory Lane while at Joe Gibbs Racing with Kyle Busch behind the wheel. The duo followed that up in 2022 with a third-place finish. Last year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series that success translated over to John Hunter Nemechek, as the pair visited Victory Lane together.
JJ Stats: Johnson is one of five drivers to have won three Cup races (2008, 2011, 2015) and this is the only track for his limited racing schedule that he will compete at twice in the same season. Johnson has 30 starts at Kansas Speedway with three wins, nine top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. He has led 601 laps around the venue and is looking to break the record for most wins at the track this weekend.
Crew Chief CLUB: Gene Wachtel will be making his crew chief debut this weekend for the No. 84 Dollar Tree Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE driven by Jimmie Johnson. Wachtel holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Early in his career, he gained experience at Dodge Motorsports, Hendrick Motorsports, and Stewart Hass Racing, focusing on design engineering, data acquisition, 7-post rig testing, and simulation. Gene provided simulation support as a contractor for GM Racing through Performance Concepts of the Carolinas. He later joined Joe Gibbs Racing as a race engineer, further honing his skills. His career continued to evolve at Pratt & Miller, where he developed data analytics strategies and software utilizing track data to extract performance. Currently, he serves as the Performance Director for LEGACY M.C., managing simulation tool sets to optimize vehicle performance.
Great Sports Legend Honoree: Jimmie Johnson is going to be crowned in the 2024 class of “Great Sports Legends” at the 39th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner to benefit The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis on Monday evening, September 30th, 2024 at the New York Hilton Midtown. Johnson is in elite company as the 2024 honorees include: Roger Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion; Tony Gonzalez, NFL Hall of Fame tight end; Gary Payton, NBA Champion and Basketball Hall of Famer; Henrik Lundqvist, NHL Hall of Famer and Vezina Trophy winner; Kerri Walsh Jennings three-time Olympic Beach Volleyball Gold Medalist and three-time World Champion; Arantxa Sanchez Vicario International Tennis Hall of Famer and 14-time Grand Slam Champion; Tamika Catchings, Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer and four-time Olympic Gold Medalist; and Johnny Velazquez, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame member.
JJ on Today Show: Johnson will be a guest in the third hour of NBC’s Today Show on Monday, Sept. 30th to talk about the Great Sports Legends honor as well as the 2024 racing season.
3 Reasons to Race: The Erik Jones Foundation (EJF) is hosting a fundraiser and online auction on the evening of September 24 in Michigan, known as “3 Reasons to Race”. Attendees will enjoy a fun event with live music, a quarter midget race, and much more. All proceeds benefit the three pillars of the Erik Jones Foundation: children’s literacy, early cancer detection and awareness, and promoting animal welfare. To bid on auction items and for more information visit: Three Reasons to Race Fundraiser & ONLINE AUCTION – Erik Jones Foundation
Appearances: Erik Jones and Jimmie Johnson will make an appearance at the Union Adventist University in Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday, Sept. 27th in partnership with AdventHealth. There will be an autograph session alongside a panel for a Q&A style interview regarding the NASCAR partnership.
John Hunter Nemechek has a host of appearances this weekend. On Sunday, he will be signing autographs at the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB merchandise rig located in the Fan Zone at 10:00 a.m. He will have two question and answer sessions, one at Toyota Racing Experience at 10:30 a.m., again located in the Fan Zone then he will go inside the track to the Cabo Wabo Fan Stage at 10:55 a.m.
CHOPT Gives Campaign: Chopt Creative Salad Co. has teamed up with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson to give back to schools across the country. By ordering one special salad off of their limited-time menu, fans can change a student’s life for the better. From now until October 9, if you order the “Jimmie Johnson Kale Caesar Salad” Chopt will donate 15% of sales to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation (JJF). Fans can also enter to win a VIP race experience, including travel, lodging and VIP passes for two to the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 13.
Honor A Cancer Hero: This weekend at Kansas Speedway, the fifth annual Honor A Cancer Hero (HACH) program will commence. The three LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries of No. 42, No. 43, and No. 84 will carry the names of individual on the car doors. Bob Perry and Tom Goddard will be riding along on the No. 42 Pye-Barker entry driven by John Hunter Nemechek. David Weinrach will be on the No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry driven by Erik Jones and Jimmie Johnson in the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar has the name of Marlin Bitz. On behalf of AdventHealth, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation (MTJF), and The NASCAR Foundation, the campaign aims to raise funds to help women, children, and their family’s battling cancer. Since its inception in 2020, MTJF has raised over $400,000.
There’s No Place Like Home: Director of Pit Operations Chris Hall is a native of Springfield, Mo., and Kansas Speedway is his home track. Hall returns to the track that he called “The Motherland”.
Prince Promoted: Sydney Prince will serve as the lead/primary engineer on the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar Toyota Camry this weekend in Kansas. Prince is 24 years old and a graduate of the University of North Carolina Charlotte in 2022 with a degree in mechanical engineering. She interned at Spire Motorsports and then landed a position at then-Petty GMS, serving as a quality control engineer. She was promoted in 2023 to engineer on the Truck Series No. 24 entry with driver Rajah Caruth. Prince moved up to the No. 84 Cup team this season as a second engineer for the first five events of Johnson’s schedule. This weekend marks the first race for Prince as the lead engineer heading into Kansas Speedway.
New Partner: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB today announced a partnership with DriveValue.com, powered by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), to serve as the primary partner on the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Camry XSE. The partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will prominently feature the DriveValue.com brand/marks on the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek at Nashville Superspeedway on June 1, 2025.
Going for GO.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree Family Dollar has a “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) progr. am. Each week throughout the season, the No. 42 and No. 43 will feature one of the local store on the decklid of the Toyota Camry XSE.
CLUB QUOTES
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota Camry XSE:
“Unfortunately, we’ve had a rough second half of the season, but Kansas [Speedway] is definitely a place that we can turn it around. Earlier this year we had a solid No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Camry XSE; we were able to overcome a couple mistakes and work our way back up for a solid finish. Kansas is one of my favorite tracks – I have a win in both the NASCAR Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, it would be awesome to complete the trifecta. We just need to minimize any mistakes and run like we know we can.”
Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota Camry XSE:
“Hopefully we can build off the speed we had late in the race at Kansas in the spring. John Hunter [Nemechek] has had a lot of success [at Kansas Speedway] and he knows what it takes to make speed here. When the groove moves to the top that is where he can really push the car to make speed. Kansas normally comes down to a late restart and since the track widens out it makes for an exciting finish because you can be 3 or 4 wide at times.”
Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE:
“Kansas has been historically one of my better tracks over the last handful of years, especially with the NextGen car. I thought Corey in the spring looked pretty strong. They had a handful of issues that held them back from a better finish, but the No. 42 was good, the No. 84 was strong before they got caught up in a wreck. I thought we had three good cars there in the spring, so hopefully we will have a similar thing going back and have some good speed. I really enjoy racing at Kansas, we had an opportunity to win there in the fall last year, came up just a bit short. Hopefully have a similar one this year and can go out and give ourselves a good finish.”
Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE:
“With Corey in the car in the spring, it’s obviously a little bit different for us, but he did a good job – had a really good day with him that could’ve been better. We had a very good car on the long run and can take some notes from that and then try to get a balance that we can run on restarts in shorter and make it better in traffic with him, so I think it will be as useful as any form of race, even with Corey being in the car.
The spring race was pretty cool. It will be a little bit different of a race. We will be to the top quicker and more dominant to the top side. Qualifying is going to be a little different – they were wide open on the throttle in the spring , we will probably be lifting a little bit. Other than that, the race should play out pretty similar, with a fixation on the top side.
As far as last year’s strategy, it should be pretty similar to what we had last year. Tires and cars are close to the same rules package, so you should have an opportunity to take right sides towards the end of the race or towards the stage break and try to get some track position. It always makes it a little more fun when you have an option to do some strategy to get to the front. So, look forward to it.”
Jimmie Johnson, Driver of the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:
“It’s been a few weeks since I have been behind the wheel of a NASCAR vehicle so I’m ready to get back to work. Having Gene on board as crew chief will be great for our team, as he has great experience on the engineering side. We had a great run going at Kansas in the spring, and our day got cut short so my goal is to pick up where we left off and put together a competitive race for the No. 84 team.”
Gene Wachtel, Crew chief of the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE
“I’m excited to work with Jimmie and the 84 crew this weekend in Kansas. I had a very small role as Jimmie’s data engineer during his first championship season and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to come full circle and lead the 84 team this weekend at Kansas.”
PETTY 75TH ANNIVERSARY
ABOUT PETTY 75th: The 2024 season marks a significant milestone in the history of the Petty family as they have helped define stock car racing for 75 years. Their commitment to the sport and the people who make it possible – behind the wheel, under the hood, in the back office, and beyond – has shaped the growth and success of NASCAR. Their LEGACY lives on with the countless fans, drivers, technicians, and team members they touched. Throughout 2024, LEGACY M.C. will celebrate the Petty family and share countless memories with friends and fans at racetracks across the country.
Petty History: Adam Petty visited Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway during ARCA Series’ Kansas City Excitement 300 on June 27, 1998. LEGACY M.C. co-owner, Jimmie Johnson finished runner-up to Petty on that day.
The King’s Hat: A brand-new King’s Hat design will be revealed this weekend at Kansas Speedway. The King’s Hat will be located at the base of the Wyandotte Suite Tower and available for fans to take their picture with it all weekend. Be sure to check out Kansas Speedway’s social media handles for any additional plan activities throughout the weekend.
BROADCAST INFO
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29 @ 3:00 PM ET
ABOUT OUR PARTNERS
ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit www.DollarTree.com.
ABOUT PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY: The U.S. leader in fully integrated life safety systems, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety provides complete fire protection and security systems nationwide. With over 200 locations and 6,000 team members nationwide, Pye-Barker is an industry leader and ranks No. 954 on the Inc 5000 and No. 9 on the SDM 100.
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as CLUB Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for 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, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.
