LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
COTA PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Circuit of the America’s Grand Prix
DATE: March 1, 2026
RACE: NASCAR Cup Series 3 of 36
TRACK: Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas | 2.4-Mile, 17-Turn Road Course
CLUB MINUTES:
HISTORY OF COTA: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) opened its gates in October 2012 as the first in the United States to be purpose-built for Formula One (F1). It held its first F1 Grand Prix in 2012 and continued to hold an annual race until 2019. After a short hiatus, COTA not only welcomed back F1 but also ushered in a NASCAR race in 2021. Now run on two different track layouts, the F1 Grand Prix circuit is a 3.426-mile, 20-turn layout whereas the NASCAR layout switch to the 2.4-mile, 17-turn layout. 2026 marks NASCAR’s sixth trip to the track which has seen exciting races throughout the years. COTA has welcomed other motorsports as well throughout the years with MotoGP and INDYCAR.
JJ AT COTA: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson has made one start at Circuit of the Americas in the No. 84 car in March 2023. Johnson started 31st but was collected in a multi-car wreck on Lap 1. Despite the team’s best efforts to repair the car, Johnson was unable to continue and retired from the race, finishing 38th.
JJ ON ROAD COURSES: Johnson has a total of 41 Cup Series starts on road courses. Through those he earned one win, one pole, nine top-fives, and 20 top-10s in addition to 161 laps led. He earned his road course victory in his home state of California at Sonoma Raceway in June 2010. Johnson started second, led 55 laps, and bested Robby Gordon by 3.105 seconds.
KENSETH ON ROAD COURSES: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Competition Advisor and 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth owns 39 Cup Series starts on road courses in his career. In total he earned two top-fives, nine top-10s, and led a handful of laps. He earned his best finish of second in August 2017 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International after starting 15th. He finished just .414 of a second behind race winner Martin Truex Jr.
HONORARY CREW CHIEF AT ST. PETE: Before heading to Sunday’s race at COTA, Johnson will head to Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida to support four-time INDYCAR Champion and longtime friend Dario Franchitti, as he enters Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Johnson will serve as the “Honorary Crew Chief” alongside Jerame Donley as Franchitti pilots the No. 1 Dollar Tree Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Tricon Garage. Franchitti was an integral part of Johnson’s two-year INDYCAR stint at Chip Ganassi Racing serving as a mentor and driver coach for the NASCAR Cup champion. This will mark Franchitti’s first time competing since October 2013.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JHN AT COTA: Sunday’s race marks John Hunter Nemechek ‘s third NASCAR Cup Series start at COTA, where he’s earned a best finish of 21st in the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE in March 2024. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Nemechek has made two starts and earned a third-place finish in March 2024. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Nemechek secured a runner-up finish in March 2022.
T-MACK AT COTA: Crew chief Travis Mack’s will make his sixth NASCAR Cup Series start on top of the box at COTA this Sunday. While working with Daniel Suárez, the duo secured strong qualifying results, earning two top-five starting positions—2nd in 2022 and 5th in 2023.
BBQ TASTING: While in Austin, Nemechek and Mack will stop by the iconic Terry Black’s BBQ to get a true taste of Texas. Fans can follow along on social media to watch their experience touring the pits and enjoying a generous spread.
PYE-BARKER IS BACK: Pye-Barker Fire and Safety returns to the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE for the first of 17 races this season, bringing a bold new look to the track. The car will sport a freshly designed white, green, and blue paint scheme, highlighted by flames that sweep along the side, reflecting the brand’s focus as the nation’s largest fully integrated, full-service provider of fire protection, life safety, and security services.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“I’ve been working really hard on my road course skills over the off-season, so I’m looking forward to putting what I’ve learned to the test this weekend at COTA. I’ve had good results in the Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, but the Cup car has been a challenge for me. We’ve put a lot of effort into improving our road course program over the past couple of months, so I’m excited to see these improvements come to life.”
TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:
“We’ve been working really hard the past couple of weeks to capitalize on some changes we made during the off-season to improve our road course program. John Hunter has also been doing a lot of driver training to get ready to go road course racing. With the new points system, it’s going to be really interesting to try to collect stage points and win the race. To collect stage points, you’ll probably sacrifice the race win, so maximizing our points for the day will be really important. It’s going to definitely be a balancing act between collecting points and going for the win.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES AT COTA: Sunday’s race at COTA will mark Erik Jones’ sixth NASCAR Cup Series start at the road course. He earned his best finish at the track in March 2022 when he started 30th and finished an impressive ninth, his only top-10 at COTA. Finishing every race on the lead lap, Jones has completed 100% of the attempted laps at COTA in his career.
JONES HISTORY ON ROAD COURSES: In the NASCAR Cup Series, Jones has a total of 37 starts on road courses. These amounted in three top-fives and nine top-10s. His best finish of third came on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval in October 2020. Jones owns an additional five starts on road courses in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where he has a best finish of sixth earned in August 2016 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington. He has two more starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where he won at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in August 2015 and finished third the year prior.
DOLLAR TREE VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: Dollar Tree will serve as the primary partner this weekend on the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE, driven by Erik Jones, at COTA. The bold green and white Dollar Tree scheme will hit the track alongside support from vendor partner Coca-Cola showcasing a strong collaboration for the race weekend across LEGACY MC’s social platforms.
ALEXANDER AT COTA: Crew chief Justin Alexander has been on top of the box for two NASCAR Cup Series races at COTA in May 2021 and March 2022, both with Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team. Alexander and his team finished 12th and 10th respectively at the tricky road course. He’s hoping to carry that success over to the No. 43 team at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
ERIK JONES QUOTE
“This weekend’s race at COTA will be a good test to see just where our road course program is at for the start of the 2026 season. It’s something LEGACY MOTOR CLUB as a group has been working on with over the last few years with the NextGen car. We’ve been trying to hit on something to get better. I’m looking forward to getting there and seeing where we stack up with some of the stuff we’ve changed, we’re trying some different options from the past. I think the short course at COTA is a little bit better for the NASCAR Cup Series and how we race. I’m looking forward to going back and seeing where we can end up.”
JUSTIN ALEXANDER QUOTE
“Road courses were definitely a place where LEGACY MOTOR CLUB could improve last year, and COTA was no exception. We’ve been putting a bigger emphasis on our road course program this offseason, spending more time in the sim, really digging into what we need. We’re not going to fix everything overnight, but we want to show improvement this weekend and keep building from there.”
CLUB APPEARANCES:
John Hunter Nemechek will sign autographs at the trackside merch hauler for fans on Sunday, March 1 at 10:00 a.m. local time.
TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Circuit of the Americas Grand Prix in Austin, Texas on Sunday, March 1 at 3:30 p.m. EST on FOX, MAX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a premier auto racing organization owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. 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 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.
