LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
IOWA PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol
DATE: August 9, 2026
Race: NASCAR Cup Series 23 of 36
TRACK: Iowa Speedway | .875-Mile Oval
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JHN AT IOWA: John Hunter Nemechek has two starts at Iowa Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, and he earned his highest finish of 15th in last year’s race. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Nemechek has made five starts earning two top-fives and four top-10s, with a highest finish of third in July 2019. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Nemechek five starts at Iowa. During those five starts, he earned a pole in June 2016 and won in June 2017.
TRUCK SERIES WINNER AT IOWA: Nemechek took home the checkered flag in the 2017 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Iowa. He led six of 200 laps and won with a 1.652 second margin of victory over Johnny Sauter.
T-MACK AT IOWA: Sunday’s race will be crew chief Travis Mack’s third NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa. His first outing was in the inaugural event in June 2024 with A.J. Allmendinger, and his highest finish came last year with Nemechek where the duo finished 15th. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Mack has two starts with Michael Annett in both of the 2019 races, where the pair finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“I felt like we had a decent car at Iowa last year. I’ve had success in the past here in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Truck Series, so I’m looking forward to building off of that to put together a good run on Sunday. It was nice to have a week off to reset, but I’m ready to get back racing.”
TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:
“Iowa was one of our better short track races last year. John Hunter was really happy about the car, so we’re trying to look back and study that for our short track package to help us there. I’m looking forward to going back to Iowa with the new package especially after North Wilkesboro to really hone-in and improve our package and be more well-rounded. We need to be more competitive, especially with the next few races coming up.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES IOWA STATS: Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 will mark Erik Jones’ third NASCAR Cup Series start at Iowa Speedway. He participated in the inaugural event in June 2024 where he started 32nd and finished in the same position. Last year, Jones started 25th and finished 16th. He has four total NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at the track where he won in July 2016, four in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where he never finished outside the top-10 with two victories in July 2014 and June 2015, and an additional start in the ARCA Menards Series in July 2012 where he finished 11th after starting sixth.
WINNER AT IOWA: Jones visited Iowa like many of his competitors before the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race two seasons ago in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Truck Series. Not only did he race there, but he’s also a winner at Iowa in both series. In four O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts, he earned two poles in May 2015 and June 2016, three top-10 finishes, and one win. In his final O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at the track in July 2016, Jones qualified second for the race. He led the opening 42 laps of the race, and another three times throughout the race for a total of 154 laps led. Jones bested his full-time competitor Ty Dillon with a 3.533 second margin of victory.
JONES GOES BACK-TO-BACK AT IOWA: In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Jones went back-to-back on his Iowa wins early in his career. He has also never finished outside the top-10 at Iowa in his Truck Series career. His first victory came in July 2014 when he was only running a part-time schedule in the Truck Series. Jones started second and led 131 laps on the way to a .629 second margin of victory over Ryan Blaney. He followed that up when the series returned in June 2015 during Jones’ championship season. The Michigan-native started from the pole and led 112 laps to find victory lane with a 5.860 seconds ahead of runner-up Brandon Jones.
ALEXANDER AT IOWA: This Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway will mark Justin Alexander’s second NASCAR Cup Series start on top of the box at the short track. In his one prior start in June 2024, Alexander and his driver Austin Dillon started 36th and finished 19th. He has one additional start in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Joe Graf Jr. where the duo finished 19th.
ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“I think Iowa will go well for the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota team. This package has been better for us in a lot of ways on the short tracks, so I’m excited to get there and see where we stack up with it. Iowa is a tough place with the new pavement and the old pavement. You run a really unique line, and you want a really unique balance out of your racecar. It’s not easy but I feel good about the package and I like the track. I think it’ll go well.”
JUSTIN ALEXANDER QUOTE:
“Iowa is another great opportunity for us to continue building our short track program. We’ve made good strides as a team throughout the season, but we know there’s still room to grow in this area. Iowa is a short track in every definition, but it can race more similar to an intermediate in a lot of ways as well. We’ve put a lot of effort into Iowa and plan to unload solid to give Erik a car we can contend with. We’ve raised our expectations as a team over the last couple of months, and that’s the standard we want to continue carrying into every race, including Iowa.”
CLUB MINUTES:
JJ’S SHORT TRACK SUCCESS: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson knows how to find victory lane at tracks less than a mile in length. In 113 total short-track starts, Johnson won 14 times and earned 63 top-10 finishes while leading 4,307 laps in his career. In total he earned three wins at Richmond Raceway, nine at Martinsville (Va.) Raceway, and two at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. He has an average finish of 12.7 on short tracks in his career.
KENSETH – A SHORT TRACK WINNER: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB competition advisor and 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth has had his own share of success at short tracks in the Cup Series. In 115 starts, Kenseth won six races and earned 53 top-10s. He won four races at Bristol Motor Speedway and two at Richmond Raceway.
THE SHORT TRACK KING: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB ambassador and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Richard Petty was “The King” when it came to winning on short tracks. Of his 200 total wins in the Cup Series, 107 of them came at short tracks. In 448 starts, he also earned 259 top-fives and led 30,984 laps on the smaller tracks. He has an average finish of 8.4 on short tracks in his legendary career.
SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT:
Throughout the 2026 NASCAR season, our team has utilized testing from Nix Biosensors to ensure our athlete’s are always at the top of their game. Through Nix sweat testing technology, our pit crew athletes and drivers like Jimmie Johnson are able to know exactly how they need to replenish and hydrate.
CLUB APPEARANCES:
John Hunter Nemechek will visit the trackside merchandise trailer for an autograph session on Saturday, August 8 at 10:30 a.m. local time.
TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, August 9 at 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA Sports, HBO MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY MC) 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.
