LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
NORTH WILKESBORO PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Window World 450
DATE: July 19, 2026
Race: NASCAR Cup Series 21 of 36
TRACK: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway | .625-Mile Oval
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JHN AT NORTH WILKESBORO: John Hunter Nemechek spent an early portion of his career at North Wilkesboro in the Allison Legacy Racing Series. This weekend will be his first points-paying NASCAR national series start at the 0.625-mile oval and his third overall. Nemechek has been to the short track twice before this weekend for the NASCAR All-Star race weekends in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, Nemechek finished the All-Star Open in 14th. In 2025, he finished the Open in second allowing him to qualify for the main event where he ultimately finished 19th.
T-MACK AT NORTH WILKESBORO: Sunday’s race will mark crew chief Travis Mack’s 34th career short track race atop the pit box in the NASCAR Cup Series, and his first points-paying race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. In the 2025 All-Star race, Nemechek and Mack finished second in the 100-lap All-Star Open, earning them a spot in the main event. The duo finished the race 19th.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“North Wilkesboro will be a fun one this weekend. It’s fun to go back to our roots as a sport and North Wilkesboro is a key part of my early racing career, so it’s a special place. I’m excited to get back to a short track, because I feel like those are a test for us at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. We’ve had fast cars the past couple of weeks so I’m ready to see what we can put together this weekend.”
TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:
“The No. 43 team tested at North Wilkesboro back in January, and I think that gave us a solid baseline to build from. We’ve continued to work on our short track package, and we’re looking to put together another strong run this weekend. We’ve built some momentum over the past several races, and hopefully we can keep that going over the next few weeks as we continue working our way into the top-20 in the point standings.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES NWB STATS: Sunday’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway will mark Jones’ fourth time at the track – three non-points paying races with the NASCAR All-Star Race and now his first points-paying at the 0.625-mile oval. When the NASCAR Cup Series first returned to the track in May 2023, Jones was already locked into the main event by virtue of his Southern 500 victory in September 2022. He started the race 21st but finished an impressive eighth in the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE. In 2024, Jones had to race his way into the main event via the All-Star Open. Jones qualified 11th for the 100-lap race but fell back to finish 18th. He did not advance to the 2024 All-Star Race. Last year, Jones started the All-Star Open in 12th and worked his way up to fourth by the checkered flag.
TESTING AT NWB: Prior to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Jones and the No. 43 team participated in the NASCAR organizational test at the .625-mile track of North Wilkesboro. Him along with drivers from other teams evaluated a new 750-horsepower engine package for tracks under 1.5-miles along with some different tire configurations.
ALEXANDER AT NORTH WILKESBORO: This Sunday’s race at North Wilkesboro, crew chief Justin Alexander will make his first start on top of the box at the .625-mile oval. Despite not having called a race at North Wilkesboro, Alexander has called 45 races on short tracks with one win in August 2024 at Richmond Raceway with Austin Dillon. In total, he earned three top-fives and nine top-10s at North Wilkesboro.
ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“I think North Wilkesboro has changed so much over the last couple of years when we held the All-Star Race there. It’s exciting for it to get a points race on the NASCAR schedule now. North Wilkesboro is a tough place with the repave as it changes year by year. Unlike the past couple of years, there’s now points on the line so you want to perform well here. We’re building our cushion on our spot in the Chase and a good finish would help with that. Hopefully we have another fast car so we can continue to protect our spot. I’m looking forward to getting up there again and seeing what we can do.”
JUSTIN ALEXANDER QUOTE:
“Looking forward to North Wilkesboro this weekend. We’ve been to this track for a few years now, but this will be the first time were going to do a full race. There will be a lot of unknowns for all the teams, and since we were able to do a tire test here this past winter, we feel like we learned a few things that we can take with us this weekend. We have six races left until the Chase cutoff, so our plan is to go out and continue the momentum we’ve had these last few months and keep ourselves above the cutline.”
CLUB MINUTES:
JJ ON SHORT TRACKS: 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 NASCAR 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 KING AT NORTH WILKESBORO: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB ambassador and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty owns 66 starts at North Wilkesboro. In total, he earned 15 wins, 33 top-fives, and 42 top-10s at the historic short track. He also led 5,315 laps at North Wilkesboro. Petty earned his first victory at the .625-mile oval in September 1962 and his final in April 1981.
THE SHORT TRACK KING: 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.
SHOP TOURS WITH THE CLUB: On Thursday, July 16 and Friday, July 17 prior to the North Wilkesboro weekend, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will be hosting shop tours for members of the CLUB. For more information or to sign up for the CLUB, click HERE.
SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT:
What happens when NASCAR pit crew athletes take on the biggest race in IndyCar? When Tony Kanaan called Jimmie Johnson looking for help ahead of the Indianapolis 500, Legacy Motor Club answered.
CLUB APPEARANCES:
Both drivers will visit the Dollar Tree display in the fan zone for an autograph session this weekend. John Hunter Nemechek will stop by on Sunday, July 19 at 3:45 p.m. local time. Erik Jones will also visit the display on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. local time. 100 wristbands will be handed out at the display prior to each signing for fans.
TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, July 19 at 7 p.m. EDT on TNT Sports, MAX, PRN, 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.
