LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
CHARLOTTE II PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Bank of America 400
DATE: October 11, 2026
RACE: NASCAR Cup Series 32 of 36
TRACK: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway | 1.5-Mile Oval
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JHN AT CHARLOTTE: John Hunter Nemechek has five NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with his highest finish at the track of 13th coming in May 2020. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Nemechek has two starts with a best finish of second in May 2023. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he has earned four top-10 finishes, including two top-fives and a race win in May 2021.
TRUCK SERIES WINNER AT CHARLOTTE: In May 2021, Nemechek took home the checkered flag in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race after starting fourth. He led 71 out of 134 laps and won with a .419-second margin of victory over Carson Hocevar. Nemechek was running a full-time season in the Truck Series in 2021, and Charlotte marked his third of five wins that season.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“I’m excited for a race at home this weekend. We’ve shown speed in our intermediate program in the past, and I’m hoping we can use that to bounce back after last weekend in Vegas. We’ll see how Sunday plays out.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES CHARLOTTE STATS: Sunday’s Bank of America 400 will mark Jones’ 13th NASCAR Cup Series start on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte. In his 12 previous runs, Jones has one top-10 with his best finish of seventh in his Coca-Cola 600 debut in May 2017. Jones has finished inside the top-20 for a majority of his races on the oval at Charlotte. Outside of the Cup Series, Jones has a total of six starts at Charlotte – five in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He owns two top-fives in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with his best finish of second in October 2015 after starting third. He finished second as well in his one and only Truck Series start in May 2015.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: In Jones’ first NASCAR start at Charlotte in the Craftsman Truck Series, he turned heads and showcased his ability to become the future 2015 Truck Series Champion. After starting second, Jones led 88 of the 139 laps before battling Kasey Kahne in the closing lap to finish just .005 seconds behind Kahne to finish second. The finish is tied for third closest in Craftsman Truck Series history with the 2008 finish between Erik Darnell and Johnny Benson, Jr.
WINDOW OF HOPE STEPS UP: The Window of Hope steps in in 2026 as it pivots to a new type of auction this year. Jones and the Erik Jones Foundation continue their efforts to raise money for Breast Cancer research but instead of running pink window nets in the Cup Series, they have asked drivers from all three National Series to donate an autographed pair of race shoes that will go up for auction from November 2-9 on Pristine Auction. The money raised from this auction will be donated to several organizations to support breast cancer research.
JONES MAKES HISTORY: After last Sunday’s checkered flag in Las Vegas, Jones surpassed Aric Almirola as the driver with the second-most starts in the No. 43 car in NASCAR history. He was tied with Almirola heading into the weekend with 208 starts and left with 209. While Jones still has some work to do before matching Richard Petty’s 1,123 starts behind the wheel, Jones has once again made his mark in the NASCAR history books with his tenure in the historic number.
ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“I’m looking forward to getting back on the oval in the fall race at Charlotte. We ended up with the Roval for a few years, but it’s nice to switch it back to the oval. We didn’t have the weekend we had hoped for at Las Vegas, but LEGACY MOTOR CLUB has been working to make sure we hit the mark this weekend at Charlotte. We’ve always had a strong intermediate program, so I’m hoping we can showcase that again this weekend in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE.”
CLUB NOTES:
BACK ON THE OVAL: For the first time since the 2018 season, Charlotte’s second race is being held on the iconic 1.5-mile oval versus the infield road course known as the Charlotte Roval. First introduced to expand the road course footprint of the NASCAR schedule for the 2018 season, the course was used as a unique addition to the NASCAR Playoffs. With the new layout and the return of the Chase though, Charlotte Motor Speedway and NASCAR opted to go back to the traditional oval for the October 2026 race for all three national series.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: Johnson got his first taste of NASCAR Cup Series competition by running three races in 2001 with Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 48 Power of Pride Lowe’s car, co-owned by Rick Hendrick and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. Johnson’s first start was October 7, 2001, at Charlotte, followed by races at Homestead and Atlanta that same year. While the results – finishes of 25th, 29th, and 39th – were modest, it marked the beginning of a legendary career.
HOUSE JJ BUILT: Johnson has earned legendary status at Charlotte Motor Speedway with four victories in the Coca-Cola 600 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014), four in the Bank of America 500 events (2004, 2005, 2009, 2016), and four All-Star Race wins (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013).
KENSETH CHARLOTTE: Competition advisor and 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth’s most significant accomplishment at Charlotte Motor Speedway is winning the 2000 Coca-Cola 600 as a NASCAR Cup Series rookie. He remains the only rookie to win that prestigious race. In addition to his 2000 victory, Kenseth also won the pole for the fall 500-mile event race in 2015 and the NASCAR All-Star Race in 2004. He also finished fourth in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2005.
PETTY AT CHARLOTTE: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB ambassador and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Richard “The King” Petty made 64 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, beginning with the track’s inaugural race in 1960 and continuing through his retirement in 1992. During that span, he claimed five victories (1961, 1975, 1977, and 1983), earned three pole positions, recorded 23 top-five finishes, 31 top-10s, and led a total of 1,702 laps.
DAY WITH THE CLUB: Join LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Thursday, Oct. 8 at the shop in Statesville, N.C. to help celebrate the 2027 season and prepare for the race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Parking, schedule, and shuttle information can be found on LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s social pages.
SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT:
CLUB APPEARANCES:
John Hunter Nemechek will visit the Dollar Tree display in the fan zone for an autograph session on Sunday, October 11 at 11:45 a.m. local time. He will then visit the Toyota Racing Experience for a Q&A session at 12:15 p.m. local time, followed by a stop at the trackside merchandise trailer at 12:30 p.m. local time for an autograph session.
Erik Jones will stop by the Cracker Barrel stage for a Q&A session at 11:15 a.m. local time on Saturday, October 10. He’ll follow that up at 11:30 a.m. local time with an autograph session at the Dollar Tree Display.
TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 11 at 3 p.m. EDT on USA Sports, HBO MAX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
ABOUT 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. The No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE driven by Riley Herbst will debut full time in the 2027 season, while Johnson will make his final NASCAR Cup Series start at the 2027 DAYTONA 500 in the No. 48 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.
