LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
PHOENIX II PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Freeway Insurance 500
DATE: October 18, 2026
RACE: NASCAR Cup Series 33 of 36
TRACK: Phoenix Raceway | 1-Mile Oval
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JHN AT PHOENIX: John Hunter Nemechek has eight NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix, with a highest finish of 14th coming in March 2025. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Nemechek has made eight starts, where he earned one pole in November 2018, six top-10 finishes, and two top-fives. He earned a best finish of fourth in November 2019. In his nine starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Phoenix, he earned six top-10 finishes, including three top-five finishes. He earned a best finish of second twice in November 2015 and November 2017.
SUNS UP IN PHOENIX: John Hunter Nemechek will visit the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix and take in the NBA action as the Suns face the Utah Jazz on Friday, October 16 ahead of the Freeway Insurance 500 on Sunday.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“We had pretty consistent speed in Phoenix in the spring until we got caught up in a late-race wreck. Hopefully that can translate into our No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE this weekend and we can bring home a solid finish.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES PHOENIX STATS: Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway will mark Erik Jones’ 21st Cup Series start at the mile oval in the desert of Arizona. In his career, he’s collected one top-five, four top-10s, and led 25 laps at the track. He earned his best finish of fourth in November 2017 after starting 11th. He has an additional 10 starts outside of the Cup Series at Phoenix – three in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and seven in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He won twice in the Truck Series in November 2013 and November 2014. He never finished worse than ninth in all three of those starts. In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Jones also never finished outside the top-10 with five top-fives and seven top-10s. He earned a best finish of second after starting from the pole in March 2016, finishing just 2.285 seconds behind race winner Kyle Busch.
JONES’ FIRST NASCAR WIN: In November 2013, Jones captured his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory and his first win in NASCAR’s top-three series at Phoenix when he was just 16 years old. The Michigan native was running a limited five-race schedule for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2013 and never finished worse than ninth in those starts. Jones qualified second for the race at Phoenix and led 84 laps en route to a 1.616-second margin of victory over Ross Chastain. He defended that win the following season in November 2014 with another victory at the track while once again running a part-time schedule. Jones started from the pole and led 114 of the 150 laps to best Matt Crafton. Across his three Truck Series starts at the track, he boasted an impressive average start of 1.3 and an average finish of 3.7.
ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“We’re hoping that Phoenix will be good for us after the past few weeks. This is a track where I think we saw a good bit of improvement in last year’s November race. The past few weeks haven’t turned out like we’ve wanted, but we’re not giving up. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB has put in a lot of work to try to figure out what went wrong the last two weeks and how we can continue to get better. I’m looking forward to this weekend as I’ve always liked Phoenix. We’ll see where we stack up on Saturday and Sunday.”
CLUB NOTES:
JJ AT PHOENIX: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson owns 36 Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway. In his career, he has collected four victories, 16 top-fives, and 22 top-10s, and led 998 laps. Johnson scored three back-to-back wins at Phoenix between 2007 to 2008. His first victory came in November 2007 when he started sixth, led 55 laps, and finished .870 seconds ahead of Greg Biffle. He followed that up in April 2008 where he started seventh and led 120 laps en route to besting Clint Bowyer by 7.002 seconds. The series returned in November 2008 and saw Johnson as the victor for the third straight race. He started on the pole, led 217 of the 312 laps and finished .295 seconds ahead of Kurt Busch. Johnson scored his final win at Phoenix in November 2009 after starting third, leading 238 of 312 laps, and beating Jeff Burton by 1.033 seconds. He owns four additional starts at Phoenix in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where he earned a best finish of 12th in March 2013.
KENSETH PHOENIX STATS: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB competition advisor and 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth has 32 career Cup Series starts at Phoenix where he scored two wins, seven top-fives, and 13 top-10s as well as led 29 laps. Kenseth scored his first win at Phoenix early in his career in November 2002 in just his third start at Phoenix. He started 28th, led 55 laps, and bested Rusty Wallace by 1.344 seconds. His second victory came in November 2017 where Kenseth started seventh, led 62 laps and beat runner-up Chase Elliott by 1.207 seconds. He has an additional 15 starts at Phoenix in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where he scored a total of one win, six top-fives, and 13 top-10s. From November 2004 to his final O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start in March 2015, Kenseth never finished outside the top-10 at Phoenix. He won from the pole in November 2006 after leading 125 of 200 laps and besting Kevin Harvick by .337 seconds.
THE KING AT PHOENIX: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB ambassador and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Richard Petty owns five NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway in his career between 1988 and 1992. He earned a best finish of 23rd in his November 1990 start after starting 36th.
LOCAL TIES: Born in nearby Mesa, Ariz., pit crew fueler Kellen Mills is a former Arizona State football defensive end who has emerged as one of the top talents in the current pit crew lineup with the No. 42 Dollar Tree team. Before his NASCAR career, he played defensive end for Arizona State University in the early 2000s and was an all-state fullback at Mesa Mountain View High School. After college, Mills moved to North Carolina, where he has spent the last six years as a pit crew member beginning his career as a fueler before transitioning to a jackman in 2019, gaining experience with powerhouse teams like Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing. Along the way, he contributed to championship pursuits alongside drivers such as Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr. In January, it was announced that Mills was the inaugural recipient of the Richard Petty Award of Excellence, a LEGACY MOTOR CLUB honor meant to recognize individuals who embody the values and enduring spirit of Richard Petty, “The King.” After being the jackman on the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE for most of the season, Mills moved to serve as the fueler on the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE to close out the 2026 season.
SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT:
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB proudly announced Kellen Mills, the No. 42 Fueler, as the inaugural recipient of the Richard Petty Award for Excellence, at the 2026 season kickoff in January. This newly created award is the organization’s highest internal honor recognizing individuals who embody the values and enduring spirit of Richard Petty, “The King.”
CLUB APPEARANCES:
John Hunter Nemechek will make an appearance at the NASCAR 26 Activation in the NASCAR Experience Fan Zone on Saturday, October 17 to test out the new game at 10:45 a.m. local time and follow that up with the trackside merchandise trailer at 11 a.m. local time for an autograph session. On Sunday, October 18, he will stop by the Toyota merchandise trailer at 9 a.m. local time for an autograph session.
TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, October 18 at 3 p.m. EDT on USA Sports, HBO MAX, MRN, 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.
