LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Preview | Richmond Raceway II

CLUB ENTRY LIST

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
POINT STANDINGS: 31st

ERIK JONES
POINT STANDINGS: 27th

CLUB NOTES

NASCAR and the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action this weekend at Richmond Raceway following a two-week hiatus for the Olympic break. This weekend will mark the second stop at the 0.75-mile oval in the 2024 season.

Recap From the First Trip: During the first stop at Richmond Raceway, John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team started in 18th and finished in 25th while Erik Jones and the No. 43 team gained 13 spots from his 27th place starting spot to finish inside the top 15 with a 14th place finish.

Where the CLUB Left Off Last: John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team was having a promising day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A strong 10th-place qualifying effort for the 27-year-old driver provided Nemechek the opportunity to vault to the top of the leaderboard. In all, the North Carolina native led 16 laps on the day and turned 18 fastest laps, the most of any driver in the field. A wreck in overtime ended what was looking like what could have been a career best day. For Erik Jones, Indy didn’t go as planned as he was dealing with fuel-pressure issues resulting in several pit stops to try to correct the problem. Those issues ultimately hindered Jones from going forward in the standings. Jimmie Johnson returned the seat of the No. 84. During the Brickyard 400, Johnson climbed the standings to run as high as 11th from his 33rd-place starting spot. Again, what was looking like a good result for Johnson, he fell victim to a turn 1 accident that resulted in a DNF ending his quest to tie his former teammate, Jeff Gordon with five Brickyard 400 wins.

Tire Options: This weekend NASCAR and Goodyear will provide options for which tire teams would like to use. Similar to the NASCAR All-Star Race earlier this year at North Wilkesboro, there will be a standard ‘prime’ Goodyear racing tires, as well an ‘option’ tires for use during the weekend. The option tire uses the same compound as the oval wet weather tire and provides faster short run speeds vs. standard the prime tire.

JHN at Richmond: John Hunter Nemechek has an impressive resume when it comes to Richmond Raceway. In his career, he has a total of 10 starts across the top three NASCAR Series. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he has three top-five finishes, including two second place finishes. In the Truck Series, he also has two starts but he was victorious in 2021, and he came close to repeating that feat in 2022 with a runner-up finish. Nemechek looks for those results to translate over to the NASCAR Cup Series.

Beshore at Richmond: Crew chief, Ben Beshore enters Richmond with five NASCAR Cup Series races under his belt. While calling the shots for Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing, Beshore has four top-10 finishes at the 0.75-mile speedway.

Erik Jones at Richmond: Jones has had 14 starts at Richmond Raceway. He has earned one top-10 finish, and four top-15 finishes, his best being sixth in 2017. Earning his fourth top-15 finish back in the spring of this year, Jones is hopeful to improve during the second stop at Richmond Raceway for the 2024 season.

Elenz at Richmond: Crew chief of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE has a strong resume in the Xfinity Series at Richmond Raceway. With six total top-10s and one win in the Xfinity Series, Elenz comes to Richmond determined to add another black and white checkered flag to his resume. The Jones and Elenz duo has one top-15 together at Richmond Raceway in the Cup Series.

Partner Spotlight: This week the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE driven by Erik Jones will have partners, Energizer, Unilever, Henkle, and BIC riding along during the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway

Going for G.O.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will honor store #11378 this weekend as a part of the company’s “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) program. The Dollar Tree and Family Dollar primaries will highlight these stores on the deck lid of all three LEGACY M.C. entries throughout the race season. Store #11378 is located in Richmond, Va.

PETTY 75TH ANNIVERSARY

ABOUT PETTY 75th: The 2024 season marks a significant milestone in the history of the Petty family as they have helped define stock car racing for 75 years. Their commitment to the sport and the people who make it possible – behind the wheel, under the hood, in the back office, and beyond – has shaped the growth and success of NASCAR. Their LEGACY lives on with the countless fans, drivers, technicians, and team members they touched. Throughout 2024, LEGACY M.C. will celebrate the Petty family and share countless memories with friends and fans at race tracks across the country.

Grand Marshall: The King, Richard Petty will serve as the Grand Marshall for Saturday evening’s NASCAR Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway. The King will kick off the Clean Harbors 250 when he gives the command to start the engines.

This Week in Petty History: This week in Petty History, Richard Petty won five races; Aug. 8th was a big day in petty history having won on three different occasions.

Before Richmond Raceway was named such, it was Lee Petty who won the first NASCAR sanctioned event at the venue in 1953.

Kyle Petty at Richmond: On Feb. 23, 1986, Kyle Petty drove to victory lane at Richmond Raceway for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. With the victory, Kyle became the first third generation driver to win in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The King at Richmond: Richard Petty is the most decorated driver to compete at Richmond Raceway, with 13 Cup Series victories.

The King’s Hat: The King’s Hat will be in the Fan Zone at Richmond Raceway. Be sure to check to the track’s social media handles for exact location.

CLUB QUOTES

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE:

“Going back to Richmond for the second time this year, we now have a notebook to look back on. We’re hopeful to improve and continue with the speed that we have had the last couple of races. Richmond has been a really good place for me having won in the NASCAR Truck Series and coming close in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Hope to have a solid run for Pye-Barker, and the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team.”

Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE:

“Hopefully we will be able to work on the issues we had in the first Richmond race earlier in the year. With a few more short tracks under our belt, we hopefully can find a good package that has some speed. The tire option is another variable we’ll have to work with. At North Wilkesboro, the balance of the car was quite a bit different between the two tire options, so we’ll have to adjust accordingly.”

“It’s kind of hard to say how the option tire will react at Richmond, there was more fall-off with the option tire at North Wilkesboro, but the option tire was quite a bit faster. We get two sets of the option tires so I assume most cars will save the option tire for the end of the race, but some may use it if we get a caution at the end of the stage or if they are in jeopardy of losing a lap.”

Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

“I like the challenge Richmond brings, it’s always a tough race to conserve some tires and also have some good track position. The tough part is sometimes it gets to be a bit one groove and challenging to move through the field. I feel good about going back. Our short track program this year is something I’ve felt good about, so hopefully we can kick off our last half of the year strong.”

Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

“We’re excited to go back to Richmond. Had a decent run in the spring. Looking forward to building on that and getting the car a little bit better. It’s going to be interesting to see how this option tire plays out. We’ve never had it in a points race yet and the balance with the option tire is quite a bit different, so we’ll have to see how people use it and at what times in the race they use it. We have a limited amount of them, so you can’t just switch to it and stay on it so there will definitely be a little more speed for a few laps and if you get the balance right, I think you can end up the winner at the end of the race.”

BROADCAST INFO

RICHMOND RACEWAY

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 @ 6:00 PM ET

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit www.DollarTree.com.

ABOUT PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY: The U.S. leader in fully integrated life safety systems, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety provides complete fire protection and security systems nationwide. With over 200 locations and 6,000 team members nationwide, Pye-Barker is an industry leader and ranks No. 954 on the Inc 5000 and No. 9 on the SDM 100.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as CLUB Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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