RACE PREVIEW
DATE: March 2, 2025
RACE: NASCAR Cup Series / Race 3 of 36
TRACK: Del Valle, Texas / 2.3-mile road course
CLUB MINUTES
RECONFIGURATION: For the 2025 NASCAR season, Circuit of the Americas (COTA) will introduce a revised 2.3-mile “National” course layout for the Cup Series and Xfinity Series races. This marks a shift from the previously utilized 3.41-mile “Full” course. The updated track configuration is expected to present new challenges for drivers and teams, adding an exciting element to the competition.
LEGACY AT COTA 2024: Last year at COTA, the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY MC) entry driven by John Hunter Nemechek faced early challenges at the road course, including a lack of grip. The 27-year-old driver had contact with another car. A pass-through penalty dropped him to 37th in the running order. Despite the setback, strategic calls from crew chief Ben Beshore helped him climb back into contention, finishing seventh in Stage 2. In the final stage, Nemechek worked through the field after a late pit stop and ultimately secured a 21st-place finish.
Teammate Erik Jones battled handling issues early in the race, struggling with grip and balance in his No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE, ultimately finishing Stage 1 in 36th. Despite adjustments and strategic pit stops, Jones continued to fight for speed, cycling up to 15th during green flag stops, but a lack of caution forced him to fall back. A series of late-race setbacks, including contact with another car and a pit road speeding penalty resulted in a 32nd-place finish.
STRONG START FOR LEGACY: This past weekend was the first time in 46 NCS races that LEGACY MOTOR CLUB secured back-to-back top-10 finishes as an organization. Nemechek’s back-to-back top-10 finishes at Daytona and Atlanta have landed him seventh in the point standings. Jones had a 12th-place finish at Daytona and was on track for a strong run at Atlanta, running inside the top 20 for the majority of Stage 1 and a portion of Stage 2 before being collected in a multi-vehicle accident. The last time a LEGACY MC car finished back-to-back in the top 10 came in 2023 at Darlington and Kanas, with Jones finishing tenth and third, respectively.
NEVER SETTLE PODCAST GUEST: This week LEGACY MOTOR CLUB co-owner, Jimmie Johnson and Marty Smith interview Jake Peavy, a former professional baseball pitcher, who is currently an on-air analyst for MLB Network. In his past career, Peavy played Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants. New episodes of the podcast will debut every Wednesday and the show will also air Wednesdays (2 p.m. ET) on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90.
NO. 42 NOTES AND QUOTES
PYE-BARKER ON THE CAR: As announced in January, Pye-Barker Fire and Safety will adorn the No. 42 Toyota Camry for 14 races, the largest fully integrated and full-service fire protection, life safety and security services provider in the U.S. will be making its debut this weekend at COTA with a newly designed white, green, and blue paint scheme featuring flames down the side and rear of the Toyota Camry XSE.
NEMECHEK AT COTA: Nemechek has competed at COTA in all three NASCAR national series, with one start in the NCS, and four combined starts across the NASCAR Xfinity (NXS) and Truck Series (NTS). He finished 21st in his lone NCS start, while his Truck Series and Xfinity Series races have yielded stronger results. Nemechek secured a runner-up finish in 2022 with Kyle Busch Motorsports and a third-place finish in 2024 with Joe Gibbs Racing in NXS.
T-MACK AT COTA: Travis Mack has four NASCAR Cup Series starts as a crew chief at COTA. While working with Daniel Suárez, the duo secured strong qualifying results, earning two top-five starting positions—2nd in 2022 and 5th in 2023.
JHN TOP 10s: With the finishes in the last two weeks (Daytona fifth, Atlanta 10th), this marks the first time a Nemechek has secured back-to-back top-10 finishes in a NASCAR Cup Series season since 2005 when John Hunter’s father, Joe Nemechek, accomplished the feat at Watkins Glen and Michigan.
LAST TWO STANDING: Nemechek and the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team are one of only two teams to open the 2025 season with back-to-back top-10 finishes, joining 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney.
POINT STANDINGS: Following two races in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, Nemechek ranks seventh in driver points. This is his career-highest point-standing ranking to start a season as he heads into the third race of the year.
QUOTING JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK:
“I think COTA is going to be a great race. I’ve talked to a few guys who have run the cut-through, including Shane Van Gisbergen, who raced this layout in the Supercar Series—it has a lot of unique characteristics and bumps, while the rest of the track is fairly smooth. The shorter course will also make pit strategy more interesting. The No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team has had a fantastic start to the season, and everyone is gelling right now. We’re staying focused on the race ahead, controlling what we can, and aiming to keep delivering strong finishes.”
QUOTING TRAVIS MACK
“The poles that I’ve got in my career have come at road courses. Just bringing my knowledge of road course stuff, and hopefully, we can get John Hunter [Nemechek] on the same page and have a good showing in the next couple of weeks.”
“With the larger configuration of COTA, there were more cars that were able to pit before the end of the stage and not lose a lap. With the shorter track, the leader is going to be able to put a pace on people, whereas the back half of the field is not going to be able to short the pit cycle. It’s going to change quite a bit — strategy and the shortening of the stages.”
NO. 43 NOTES AND QUOTES
JONES AT COTA: Since the NASCAR Cup Series made its circuit debut at COTA in 2021, the driver of the No. 43 car has steadily improved his performance at the track. Over the course of the events held there, he has managed to earn one top-10 finish, with his best result being a solid ninth-place finish after starting in 30th position. His best starting position is eighth in 2023.
BESHORE AT COTA: Crew chief, Ben Beshore has accumulated one top 10 in three Cup Series starts at COTA with driver Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing. This will mark Beshore’s fourth Cup Series race at the Austin, Texas track as he had one Xfinity start with Nemechek in 2023, which resulted in a 27th-place finish.
DOLLAR TREE ON 43: Dollar Tree will serve as the primary partner on the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE for Jones at COTA. The white, green, and gold Dollar Tree scheme will hit the track with support from vendor partners Smithfield, Jack Link’s, Sunkist, and Utz, showcasing a strong collaboration of brands for the race weekend.
POINT STANDINGS: With on-track incidents out of his control and a 31st-place finish in Atlanta, the No. 43 team fell a few spots in the point standings to 17th, just one point below the playoff cut line.
QUOTING ERIK JONES
“With the new layout, we’re hopeful it will create more passing opportunities during the race. The changes seem to be a better fit for our cars, which should lead to more thrilling and dynamic racing for everyone. We’re excited to see how it all plays out and we are looking forward to the increased action on track.”
QUOTING BEN BESHORE
“There are a lot of unknowns going into this weekend. There is a new layout, most of the track has been repaved and we have a new tire. We will have plenty of options to try out in practice and see if we can find a good balance for the new configuration.”
CLUB APPEARANCES
JHN SIGNING: On Sunday, March 2 at 9:30 a.m. local time, Nemechek will meet with fans and sign autographs at the NASCAR merchandise hauler in the midway. This special appearance will give fans a chance to connect with Nemechek and pick up exclusive Pye-Barker gear ahead of the green flag.
HOW TO WATCH
Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s race at COTA take place on Saturday, March 1 at 11 a.m. ET and be shown Amazon Prime. The 95-lap main event at COTA will take place on Sunday, March 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET and broadcast on FOX, PRN Radio, and SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio, CH. 90. Fans may also tune in to the NASCAR Driver Cam streamed live on MAX.
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.
