The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Built in 1937, this quarter-mile asphalt flat oval short track will host the Cook Out Clash after last hosting a NASCAR Cup Series race in 1971. Nicknamed “The Madhouse”, Bowman Gray is known for its hot racing and hot tempers.
Welcome Knighthead: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB announced on Monday the team joined forces with Knighthead Capital Management See more here: LINK
First Time for All: This weekend will mark John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones’ first time competing at the Bowman Gray Stadium. With no prior experience at the quarter-mile oval, LEGACY MC is relying on simulator time to get up to speed.
Partner Spotlight: “The Madhouse” will host two LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries. John Hunter Nemechek will support the familiar green, white, and gold Dollar Tree colors on his No. 42 while Erik Jones will have the black, red, and orange colors of Family Dollar on his No. 43 Camry XSE.
LEGACY MC Debut: Travis Mack will make his debut with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB at Bowman Gray Stadium as the crew chief on the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE. Throughout his career, Mack has called the shots as a crew chief for 156 races for drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Daniel Suarez, A.J. Allmendinger, Ty Dillon, Shane Van Gisbergen, and Josh Williams. He has one victory to his record and 11 top-five finishes.
Richard Petty’s 100th Win: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s ambassador, Richard Petty “The King” is no stranger to Bowman Gray Stadium. Petty is a four-time winner at the track, most notably, including his 100th NASCAR Cup Series win at “The Madhouse” on Aug. 22, 1969. A special shirt commemorating this historic win is currently available for purchase by visiting the Petty Museum’s website: Shop | Pettymuseum.
Hometown Hits: Rick Rozier, the fueler for the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE pit crew, attended Winston-Salem State University, where he majored in exercise science and competed as a football and track student-athlete. For those visiting the Winston-Salem area, Rozier recommends checking out Forsyth Seafood, Milner’s, or Jeffery’s Adams on Fourth for a great meal.
Off-Season Fun: When he’s not at the track or at the LEGACY MC race shop, Nemechek enjoys quality family time with his wife and two daughters. During their break, the Nemechek family headed to Aspen, Colo. for some fun on the slopes. Nemechek also made a trip to the X-Games to catch the action and cheer on some friends who were competing.
EJ Dad Duty: The off-season was different this year for Erik Jones as he and his wife Holly welcomed their first child, David, during the Thanksgiving break. David will attend his first DAYTONA 500 On Feb. 16 to cheer on his Dad.
Eyes in the Sky: Both Jones and Nemechek will have new spotters in the spotters stand this year. Jones will be matched up with Will Rodgers while Nemechek will be paired with Hayden Reeves.
Reeves comes from a racing family as he is the son of Stevie Reeves, a former NASCAR and Open-Wheel driver in the 1990s. His father would go on to become a spotter for Jimmie Johnson, Ernie Irvin, Robbie Gordon, Christopher Bell, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., leading him to his first Daytona 500 victory in 2004. Hayden has a vast background in racing himself, having raced quarter-midgets up to sprint cars. Reeves has also been a mechanic, a shock mechanic, and currently a spotter.
Rodgers began his racing career in go-karts at the age of nine and quickly rose to the ranks as state champion. At age 13, he switched to motocross racing, becoming a regional champion. In 2015, he became a West Coast NASA Champion, and the following year he competed in six starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series – winning two races, one of which came at Sonoma Raceway, where he won over five NASCAR Cup Series drivers. In 2018, Rodgers made his ARCA debut and followed that up with his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway in 2019. Since 2021, Rodgers has competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, mainly racing road courses. Rodgers will make his full-time Cup Series spotting debut with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB at the Clash.
QUOTABLE:
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:
“I think [The Cook Out Clash] is going to be wild for sure. I believe that the qualifying and the heat races, are going to be intense and it’s going to be really tough to qualify for Sunday’s main race. At the same time, it will be exciting from a fan perspective. With that many cars on a quarter-mile racetrack, around a football and so much history there, it’s neat to be able to go back there. We’ll see what the Cup cars can do and if we’re able to live up to the hype and hopefully we can put on a great show for them.”
Travis Mack, Crew chief of the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:
“It’s a great practice before going to the Daytona 500. This is a new team with new processes, we started from the ground up – it’s going to be new to everybody just to get family with each other, and how we work together before get to the Daytona 500.”
“I am excited about this weekend. I grew up racing at a track just like [Bowman Gray Stadium] it’s a lot that I can remember about growing up. I hope we see some good racing and fights on the track, some of the normal stuff that the fans see on a Saturday night!”
Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:
“I think Bowman Gray is special for everyone because of the history. The Cup series went there for a long time years ago, and to be able to go back is always fun as a driver and as a fan to go to historic tracks. We’re looking forward to going back and hopefully put on a great show for everybody.”
Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:
“The history of the track makes it a special one to race at. To be able to go back to one of the original tracks that got NASCAR started is really cool and I think it will put on a great show for the fans”
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.
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 DollarTree.com