The World Center of Racing will be the largest sports facility in the world and first major motorsports facility in North America with Musco’s LED lighting system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 21, 2026) – Daytona International Speedway today announced a transformative, venue-wide LED lighting project that will introduce the next generation of lighting technology to the “World Center of Racing,” marking the next step in how motorsports are experienced by fans, competitors and viewers around the world.

In collaboration with Musco, Daytona International Speedway will install LED lighting across all existing oval track high mast pole-mounted fixtures, the road course, infield, pit box and emergency lighting systems. The project will also feature LED RGB accent lighting on track light poles synchronized with the caution light system, as well as uplighting for the upper-level underside of grandstand seating—creating dynamic, visually engaging moments throughout race events.

“The new LED lighting system at Daytona International Speedway underscores NASCAR’s continued commitment to reinvest in its facilities, enhancing the overall experience for fans attending events at Daytona as well as those watching around the world,” said Ben Kennedy, Chief Operating Officer, NASCAR. “The project will create new, visually compelling moments that drive fan engagement, elevate partner visibility and generate excitement across the sport.”

This comprehensive upgrade represents more than a modernization—it is a generational leap that reinforces Daytona International Speedway’s legacy of innovation while positioning the iconic venue to lead motorsports into its next chapter.

“Daytona International Speedway has long set the standard for motorsports venues, and this project ensures we continue to do so for the next generation of race fans,” said Frank Kelleher, President, Daytona International Speedway. “From enhanced visibility for drivers to a more immersive atmosphere for fans in the stands and watching at home, we are proud to partner with Musco for this new LED lighting system that will transform the racing experience.”

The new Musco LED lighting system will deliver brighter, more consistent illumination across the facility, significantly improving visibility for competitors and race teams, enhancing the in-person fan experience, and elevating broadcast quality for global audiences. Additionally, the new lights are expected to reduce energy consumption by approximately 50 percent, supporting NASCAR Impact’s broader goal of achieving net zero operating emissions by 2035.

“We’re excited to partner with NASCAR to relight the iconic Daytona International Speedway,” said Musco CEO Jeff Rogers. “We installed the original system in 1998 and appreciate our long-standing relationship to deliver exciting new LED solutions for drivers, television, and fans.”

The project officially began in April and is expected to be completed in Jan. 2027.

Daytona International Speedway Continues Legacy of Innovation

Since breaking ground in Nov. 1957 and opening with the inaugural DAYTONA 500 in Feb. 1959, Daytona International Speedway has been synonymous with NASCAR’s most defining moments. The track once again raised the bar in 1998 when it installed lights, becoming the largest lighted outdoor sports facility in North America at the time, with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 serving as its first night race.

From 2013 to 2016, the $400 million “Daytona Rising” redevelopment reimagined the facility as a world-class motorsports stadium. The new LED lighting project continues that tradition of reinvestment, ensuring the venue remains at the forefront of innovation for generations of fans.

Industry-Leading Technology with Musco

Through its partnership with Musco, a global leader in sports lighting for 50 years, Daytona International Speedway will become the largest sports facility in the world to feature Musco’s state-of-the-art LED lighting system—and the first major motorsports facility in North America to do so.

Musco’s lighting solutions, known for innovations in glare reduction and precise light control, are utilized across a wide range of venues, from local fields to premier global sporting events, including NFL and MLB stadiums, NBA and NHL arenas, collegiate facilities, and the Olympic Games.

The addition of RGB lighting—capable of producing more than 16.7 million color combinations—will allow for synchronized lighting effects tied to race action and cautions, creating new opportunities for fan engagement, partner integration and broadcast storytelling.

Upcoming Race Events

NASCAR returns to the World Center of Racing for intense action as the NASCAR Cup Series closes out the regular season during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 29. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will compete in the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola on Aug. 28.

The 65th running of the Rolex 24 will take place Jan. 28-31, 2027, preceded by the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 22-24, 2027.

The 69th running of the DAYTONA 500 is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2027.

Tickets for all Daytona International Speedway events are available at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can also follow @DAYTONA on social media for the latest updates.

About Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. Some of the exciting racing events include January’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and Roar Before The Rolex 24, February’s DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, March’s Bike Week At DAYTONA featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, the August Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend, and much more. The Speedway grounds are also used extensively for other events that include concerts such as Welcome to Rockville, sporting events including CLASH DAYTONA, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.  

About Musco

For nearly 50 years, Musco has specialized in sports lighting and technology, with innovations in glare reduction and light control responsible to the needs of facility owners, players, fans, neighbors, and the night sky. Musco’s TLC for LED® system, Show-Light® Pro special effects technology, and Mini-Pitch System™ modular sports solution provide unmatched quality, performance, and reliability. Musco’s solutions are found at neighborhood ballfields, professional tracks and speedways, NFL and MLB stadiums, NBA and NHL arenas, major collegiate facilities, and the Olympic Games. Every Musco system is backed by a long-term parts and labor warranty, eliminating maintenance concerns and costs well into the future. Learn more at www.musco.com.

Event: Coca-Cola 600
Date/Time: Sunday, May 24, 2026, 6 p.m. ET
Location: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina
Layout: 1.5-Mile Oval
TV/Radio: Prime Video, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 600 Miles of Remembrance has become a Memorial Day weekend tradition for the NASCAR Cup Series, with each car in the Coca-Cola 600 carrying the name of a fallen service member on its windshield.

This year, Josh Berry and the No. 21 eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse team will honor John Calvin Morgan of Fayette County, Georgia, who lost his life on Nov. 29, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Island, one of the pivotal campaigns in the Pacific during World War II.

Morgan grew up in a family of sharecroppers and enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 29. He served with the 184th Infantry, 2nd Battalion Medical Department, where he worked as a medic.

In one of his final letters home, Morgan expressed hope that the war would soon end so he could return home to help his family with the harvest. In February 1945, the Morgan family received word that he had been posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in recognition of his service and sacrifice.

Five years later, Morgan’s remains were returned home and laid to rest in the family cemetery. While an early monument honoring fallen service members in Fayette County unintentionally omitted his name and several others who served in World War II, a later memorial in a county park corrected those oversights.

Now, more than 80 years later, Morgan’s legacy will be recognized at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where his sister, niece and several members of his family are expected to attend the race weekend.

For Berry and the No. 21 eero team, NASCAR’s longest race also presents an opportunity to regain momentum after a challenging stretch on intermediate tracks.

“We’ve certainly had our troubles,” Berry said in a recent interview. “Intermediate tracks have been our biggest disappointment.”

Ironically, it wasn’t that long ago that intermediate tracks were among the team’s stronger tracks.

“The focus is to get back to that performance level as quickly as possible,” Berry said. “I feel good about the relationship with [crew chief] Miles [Stanley]. We’re working hard to get performance back where we want.

“It’s tough in this sport. It’s all about learning and moving forward.”

Practice for the Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 2:40 p.m. ET.

Sunday’s 400-lap, 600-mile race is scheduled to begin shortly after 6 p.m. ET, with Stage 1 concluding at Lap 100, Stage 2 at Lap 200 and Stage 3 at Lap 300.

Prime Video will carry television coverage throughout the weekend.

Josh Berry

Age: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Miles Stanley

IG: @joshberry88

X: @joshberry

About eero
eero was founded to make wifi and networking the way they should be—fast, reliable, secure, and, most importantly, easy to use. After introducing the first home mesh wifi system with a high-quality design that blends into its environment and technology that intuitively works behind the scenes, eero became known for sweating every single detail and delivering award-winning hardware and software for homes, businesses, communities, and service providers. Founded and headquartered in San Francisco in 2014, eero is an Amazon company. For more information, visit eero.com.

This Week in Motorsports: May 18 – 24, 2026

NCS/NOAPS/NCTS: Charlotte Motor Speedway – May 22-24
ARCA West: Colorado National Speedway – May 23

PLANO, Texas (May 20, 2026) – NASCAR heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for its annual Memorial Day weekend of racing around the 1.5-mile oval, culminating with the Crown Jewel Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night. Meanwhile, the ARCA Menards Series West heads to Colorado National Speedway Saturday night for its fifth race of 2026.

NASCAR National Series – NCS/NOAPS/NCTSS

Toyota seeks another Coca-Cola 600 triumph … Team Toyota enters this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 in search of its eighth victory in the Crown Jewel event. Christopher Bell was the most recent winner in a Toyota Camry in 2024. Martin Truex Jr. has the most Coke 600 wins for Toyota with two – 2016 and 2019.

Hamlin looks to continue 600 success … Denny Hamlin has a knack for putting up strong finishes in the Coca-Cola 600. Sunday night will be his 21st start in the Crown Jewel event, where he has top-10 finishes in three of the last five Coca-Cola 600s, including his win in 2022. In 34 starts on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval – which includes the fall race which was last run in 2017 – Hamlin has 12 top-fives and 21 top-10s, as well as poles in the 2013 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2017 fall race.

Heim returns to the No. 67 … 23XI Racing’s Corey Heim is back behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE this weekend in the Coca-Cola 600. Should he qualify for the event, Heim would make his 11th career Cup Series start and fourth of the 2026 season. In his last start at Texas Motor Speedway earlier in the month, Heim led 69 laps before an incident resulted in a 31st-place finish. Heim returns to Charlotte after sweeping both Truck Series races there last year on the oval and the ROVAL – enroute to his Truck Series title.

Thompson returns to favorable Charlotte … Charlotte Motor Speedway has become one of the better tracks for Sam Hunt Racing’s Dean Thompson. The driver of the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra earned his best career O’Reilly Series finish in last season’s race at Charlotte, coming home fifth in his second start at the track. In his time in the Truck Series, Thompson earned two top-10s in three starts on the 1.5-mile North Carolina oval, which includes a third-place result in 2023.

Jones continues strong run … With his sixth-place finish last weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, Brandon Jones now has five consecutive top-10 finishes in the O’Reilly Series dating back to Kansas Speedway in April. In total, Jones has eight top-10s, and three top-fives, in 14 races so far this season. Jones currently sits fifth in the driver’s point standings entering this weekend in Charlotte, which will be his 350th career O’Reilly Series start.

Honeycutt continues strong 2026 start … Kaden Honeycutt extended his strong start to the 2026 Truck Series season with a fourth-place finish last weekend at Dover. Honeycutt now has seven top-10s and six top-fives in nine Truck Series races this season, and remains in the points lead, 38 points atop the standings. He makes his third career start on the Charlotte oval this weekend, where he’s finished inside the top-10 in both previous starts – seventh in 2024 and third in 2025.

Jones, Sawalich again do double duty … Jones and William Sawalich will again take on double duty, this time at Charlotte this weekend. Jones, who will drive the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage on Friday, makes his third Trucks start this season after a sixth-place finish at Dover last weekend. Jones also finished fourth at Texas. Sawalich, who will pilot the No. 5 Tundra TRD PRO for TRICON, makes his fourth Trucks start of 2026. He’s coming off a 14th-place finish in the Dover race and makes his Truck Series debut at Charlotte this weekend.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series West

Lovell takes on Colorado … In Saturday night’s ARCA Menards Series West race at Colorado National Speedway, Mia Lovell will pilot the No. 15 Toyota Camry for Nitro Motorsports. Lovell makes her fifth start in the West Series this season and is coming off two top-10 finishes at Tucson Speedway (eighth) and Shasta Speedway (ninth).

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs approximately 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 36 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Ford Racing Media Zoom Call
Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse, has been Ford Racing’s top finisher in each of the last two NASCAR Cup Series races, including last week’s All-Star Race in which he was sixth. Cindric spoke about not only this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600, but some of the other key races taking place on Memorial Day Weekend.

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse – THERE IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT RACING GOING ON THIS WEEKEND. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR WATCHING AND THEN RACING IN THE 600? “Obviously, we have a big job to do on Sunday night, but the other side of the shop has a big job to do in Indianapolis, so I always look forward to that race. I spent my entire lifetime before being a Cup Series driver going to that race, so I definitely have FOMO not being there. It’s becoming more normal to watch it on TV, but it doesn’t feel very normal. It’s one of the few years also I haven’t also made it up there at any point in time, so, either way, the last couple of years I’ve just been getting to the racetrack really early on Sunday and watch the entirety of the race from Charlotte at the track, just because by the time the race is ending is when our meetings are close to starting and I obviously don’t want to miss the end, so I’m super excited to see how the guys go. That event, ever since Roger and obviously the folks at Fox have really been making the Indy 500 as big as it has ever felt in my lifetime, so it’s definitely cool to see.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU WHEN YOU ARE THE TOP FORD FINISHER IN THESE RACES AT THIS TIME OF YEAR? “I wish that meant I was winning. I feel like that’s a very important piece, but it’s important as an individual, sure, and someone’s got to do it. It might as well be us, but, otherwise, I can’t say it’s a metric I pay a ton of attention to, but nonetheless I think for us right now in highlights that we’ve had some really solid weeks and some solid runs. We’re doing a lot of the right things as a team as far as execution. It’s important to do that with the format the way it is and everything that comes with it, so we just need to make sure we continue that streak of good execution and solid speed in our race cars.”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE FEELING OF WATCHING THE END OF THE INDY 500 AS IT’S ENDING? “At the end of the day, I think anyone that’s in the industry grew up as a race fan, and I don’t think you can call yourself a fan of motorsports of any kind and not be absolutely enthralled with what happens on Memorial Day Weekend on that Sunday and the Indy 500 and Coke 600 because the flip side happens when you’re in Indy. I’ve been on the other side where they get done with the race and they’re tearing everything down and whether it was a good day or a bad day, they’re gonna flip on the Coke 600 and cheer on their favorite drivers or whatever else. That changes a little bit this year. Our friends across the pond really screwed this up if you ask me because on the flip side, like getting to Indy early in the morning and watching Monaco was awesome. It’s the best day in racing. It probably still is the best day in racing, but it’s missing the opening act if you will, which is kind of a bummer. I want to get the right people together to get the Indy 500 played on the big screen at Charlotte. I don’t know if that conflicts with anything there, but you’ve got this massive TV. I want to be able to watch it on the massive TV we have at the racetrack if I’m sitting there doing it, so maybe we can talk to the right people to get that to happen because I think all of the campers in the infield would enjoy that too.”

DO YOU THINK THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE MORE ABOUT SURVIVAL AND POINTS OR DO YOU REALISTICALLY THINK THERE’S GOING TO BE A TOP 10 OR BETTER FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM? “I think, for me, my only goal this weekend is to run 600 miles. I know that may sound like a very vanilla answer, but I have yet to run all 600 miles of the Coke 600 and I think you are rewarded if you run all 600 miles, not necessarily to finish first, first you must finish, but you will always go through adversity. Re-watching the race from last year and looking at the finishers and where they were running and how they ran throughout the day, I would say that of the top 15 cars last year only three of them didn’t have to overcome some sort of adversity and they just remained where they were the entirety of the race. It’s a marathon no doubt. It’s the closest thing we have to an endurance race. There are racing categories that would categorize the length of this race as an endurance race, so I think you have to have that mentality to a certain extent, but there are points on the line for four stages not three this weekend, so as far as the championship is concerned, we’re certainly hungry for more and feel as though we need to be further up the standings to have a shot at a championship, so I think this is the natural halfway point in the regular season, so as rollercoaster as things have been for us to get to where we are, there is still more to gain.”

NASHVILLE IS COMING UP IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. WHAT IS THAT TRACK LIKE? “Nashville kind of has an identity crisis in regards to the racetrack because I feel like, depending on how your car is driving, sometimes it’s a short track and sometimes it’s an intermediate. It obviously has the big speeds, but I feel like a lot of your handling concerns and your driver inputs are much more similar to a shorter track even though the length of the circuit is not very short, so I think it’s always an interesting conversation on what you prioritize, but it’s been fun going there over the last couple years. I can’t think of a better combination of location and sporting body than NASCAR in Nashville. I think it’s a perfect fit and the crowds that we get there and the fans are very much with the culture, so that’s always fun for me to see and it’s always a fun weekend because of it.”

NORTH WILKESBORO IS A POINTS RACE THIS YEAR. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT GOING THERE EVEN THOUGH IT’S STILL A WAYS OUT? “I’ll be honest, we’re looking ahead but I don’t even know what month that race is. I could tell you that Nashville is the next week, but that’s it. Nonetheless, knowing that it’s coming up I look at North Wilkesboro as a potentially physically taxing race. We’re gonna have to run a lot of laps there and you don’t really get a ton of rest time and it’s obviously a very quick lap. I’m looking forward to it. It’s been fun to learn a lot about the racetrack. Before it was revived the last race happened before I was born, so I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that I am a wealth of knowledge on North Wilkesboro and what it means to the sport, but I can tell what it means to the sport by the fan response and those that were involved in previous years. It’s cool to see things like that. I definitely enjoy the history of the sport, so I feel like we’re definitely a part of history being back to the first points race there. It’ll be a fun event and it will be interesting to see what that many laps on that track really does and how it’s gonna race.”

CAN YOU GIVE A SENSE OF THE PROGRESS YOU GUYS MADE AT TEXAS COMPARED TO HOW YOU RAN AT THE OTHER 1.5 MILE TRACKS? “I think you highlight the mile-and-a-halves and the clear obvious weakness for us as a company. I think there has been a slow, gradual evolution or refinement from our first couple races in Vegas and Kansas, which are definitely two more similar racetracks than necessarily maybe Texas and I’d even say Charlotte is more similar to Kansas and Vegas, but I think we’ve been refining our package for those races. Even as you mention, Texas still was not quite good enough to go contend for probably a top three and getting a race win and I think that is obviously the goal. We’re still missing a bit on those tracks. If I could tell you what it is, we would be going out there and doing it, but I think Charlotte provides some different challenges to those tracks that we’ve mentioned, but I think it’s important. I think ever since we’ve introduced this tire at the tail end of last year, at the beginning of last year mile-and-a-halves were probably our best, especially on the 2 car and now we’re trying to understand what it takes to be the best again, so that sometimes takes a couple of race events. As you mentioned there is some clear progress, but we still need to go get more.”

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS LIKE RUNNING ALONG THE FENCE AT CHARLOTTE AS COMPARED TO HOMESTEAD OR DARLINGTON OR SOMEPLACE ELSE? “I think you’ve got to start with what makes running up high a challenge. You’re trying to gauge your speed and your grip level, keep up momentum, keep the car up off the fence. Obviously, you’re running within a couple inches or less than a foot and doing all that, but the difference at Charlotte with that challenge is in three and four you have a tough time seeing because the bumps are so bad. As someone who wears glasses, I have to really secure those things back over my ears when we go over Charlotte. Re-watching the race yesterday morning, it was a good reminder that I’m gonna be beat up in three and four. There’s really no way around it. We go to Vegas and we talk about the bumps in one and two, and there is a lot more vertical load, you’re kind of bouncing up and down in one corner, where Charlotte is more side to side. It’s like you’re getting hit from both sides. You’re just left to right, left to right, left to right. It’s disorienting and something you have to get used to and almost anticipate, but at the same time can be challenging to determine the grip that you have, and it’s definitely a deterrent physically. You don’t want to go do something that makes you feel bad, but if there is speed, go get it. It’s a challenge with this car for sure. You do get a break in one and two. One and two is ultra smooth. You have the big vertical drop going into the corner, but the bumps are difficult to navigate and having 600 miles to kind of learn where each of them are and understand within an inch of where car placement needs to be is critical for making lap time at that part of the racetrack.”

DOES THAT MAKE THREE AND FOUR AMONG THE MOST CHALLENGING CORNERS ON THE CIRCUIT? “I haven’t thought of it in that context, but I think you’re spot on. I can’t think of too many corners that are more challenging on the schedule than three and four at Charlotte, and the reason being I just got done describing what it took to run one lane. Well, we have three available and the bottom lane is just as challenging because you have to go down the staircase of the bumps and make sure you hit the paint. If you don’t, you lose three-tenths of a second because there’s this trough and all these factors that then you get to the exit and the wall comes out super quick. It’s a very difficult corner to navigate. I think traditionally on paper and even watching the race it doesn’t really do it justice as far as the challenge of it, but, yeah, I would probably agree with that statement.”

FOR CLARIFICATION, YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUMPS IN THREE AND FOUR AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT MOTION YOU FEEL. THAT’S JUST TRYING TO KEEP THE CAR GOING STRAIGHT, CORRECT? “Correct. It’s like running over a pothole with the left side and then the right side over and over again.”

WITH THAT IN MIND, IS IT SOMETHING THAT BOTHERS THE DRIVERS? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A REPAVE OR JUST LEAVE IT AS IS BECAUSE IT ADDS TO THE CHALLENGE OF THE 600? “I think it definitely adds to the challenge, no doubt. When we were re-watching the race there were a lot of single car spins in that corner, maybe not necessarily due to the bumps, but it definitely creates character as far as like, ‘Hey, do we need to fix this?’ I think if it gets any worse, yes.”

YOUR GOAL IS THE FINISH THE 600 MILES. THAT ASIDE, AS YOU PREP AND PREPARE FOR THE RACE, WHAT IS THE OTHER CHALLENGE THERE? IS EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT A CONCERN AND MAKING SURE YOU HAVE YOUR BEST STUFF AT THE END? “I would say in a general context compared to maybe times that saving the actual physical pieces on the car, I would say no – other than just like the right side of the car and the toe links and the upper control arms and all that. That’s about it. As far as saving bits and pieces on the car to be fresh at the end, I don’t expect any loss in performance from the engine, and I certainly don’t expect any loss in performance from the brakes. We use them some at Charlotte, but I wouldn’t expect an issue to get to the end of the race. So, with that being said, the runs are naturally going to be quite a bit longer than our normal intermediates. From the beginning of a stage we can kind of only go 30-40 laps, whereas this is gonna be 50-60 depending on when you split up the stages if there are no cautions, so we’ll be taking this tire longer than normal. You get to the conversation of running out fuel runs more often than not, like it was surprising to me watching the race last year guys screwing up short filling the cars and then the 11 car had to pit at the end of the race because they didn’t get the car full, so I think that provides a different element given the length of the race, but, otherwise, it’s kind of business as usual.”

DO YOU WATCH THE INDY 500 AS A RACE FAN OR AS A GO PENSKE GUY? “All of the above. I think in order to consume sports you’ve got to have someone to root for. I’m pretty close with a lot of people on the Indy Car side, whether it’s drivers or team members, and obviously our partners at Team Penske, so I feel like I’ve got some skin in the game on who I’m rooting for, that’s for sure. But I think number one is definitely as a race fan.”

KATHERINE LEGGE IS DOING THE DOUBLE. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WILL TAKE FOR HER TO ACCOMPLISH? “She’s run the 500 quite a few times. I don’t know how many, but she was running the Indy 500 when I was a teenager. I’m not gonna say it’s a walk in the park there, but I think the Coke 600 is definitely maybe the greater challenge just due to the lack of experience that she has driving stock cars with as challenging as the track is at Charlotte, but also it’s not like she’s getting in a car or with a team that has a bunch of data and notes on how to go make a car go fast at Charlotte if I’m going honest. I’m not taking anything away from the effort there. I think the fact that she’s doing it is awesome. The list of drivers and names that you see who have done it, they are some of the best of the best and I think year over year and with some of the accomplishments she’s had in IMSA she’s had a great career. If I was at the stage in her career that she is, I would think that would be a very cool thing to accomplish. All the power to her to get it all done, and I hope she gets uninterrupted with no weather and all that, and I hope she gets to do all of it. It’s a cool thing to do and it’s something that I always like to understand what it all takes to make that happen.”

WHAT ABOUT THE ENDURANCE SIDE OF IT? WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WOULD TAKE TO DO BOTH? “It’s a great question because I don’t know, if I’m a well-conditioned Indy Car driver that races every week, I don’t know what that takes out of you doing the Indy 500. I’m sure it would be more challenging not being used to that, but I can tell you that as a rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series and as someone that’s been in the series for five years now, the physical toll is much less just due to the fact that my body is conditioned to that. I would say that could be a large challenge, just for the fact that she doesn’t race full-time in either. That plays a huge role in driver fitness, driver stamina. The challenges that you go through physically and mentally throughout a race, so I don’t think it’s gonna be a walk in the park at all. It would be different if you were full-time in at least one of the racing series. I think that could be one of the larger challenges for sure.”

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
COCA-COLA 600 PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Coca-Cola 600
DATE: May 24, 2026
Race: NASCAR Cup Series 13 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 four NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte, 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 margin of victory over Carson Hocevar. Nemechek was running a fulltime season in the Truck Series in 2021, and Charlotte marked his third of five wins that season.

HONORING 1SG HARRIS: This weekend, the No. 42 team will honor 1SG Glenn L. Harris of the United States Army. A native of El Paso, Texas, Harris served for 16 years, including during Operation Gothic Serpent, now widely known as Black Hawk Down, and earned both the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal for his bravery and leadership. Harris tragically lost his life in 1994 during an airborne training exercise at Fort Benning, Ga., and is remembered as a devoted husband, father and leader who always put his Rangers first, living a life defined by character, sacrifice and unwavering leadership.

T-MACK AT CHARLOTTE: Sunday’s race will be crew chief Travis Mack’s seventh NASCAR Cup Series race at the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte. His first outing came in May 2018 with Kasey Kahne. Mack returned to Charlotte with Daniel Suárez in the 2021 season. The duo competed in three races together through the end of 2023 and earned a highest finish of 15th in May 2021. In 2024, Mack returned with Shane van Gisbergen. In May 2025, Mack called his first race at Charlotte with Nemechek, where the pair started sixth. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Mack has two starts with Michael Annett, where the pair earned top-10 finishes in both races. The duo earned a best finish of sixth in May 2019.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“The Coca-Cola 600 is always such a special weekend commemorating those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I’m honored to have U.S. Army 1SG Harris onboard our No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE this weekend. We showed speed in our intermediate program in Texas, so I’m confident it will show up at Charlotte, and we’ll really make an impact. Our finish at Watkins Glen should put us in a good spot for qualifying metrics-wise, so as long as we show up and execute the way we know how, it should be a good show.”

TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:
“I always love the 600-mile Memorial Day race at Charlotte. I’m looking forward to our red, white, and blue No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE. We had a really good car there last year, but we got in the fence and got a little damage in the last 100 miles, so I’m excited to go back and build off of that, especially with the speed we had at Texas. We should have good metrics for qualifying after our top-10 at Watkins Glen, so hopefully we set ourselves up to run up front all day.”

ERIK JONES
NO. 43 ADVENTHEALTH TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES CHARLOTTE STATS: Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will mark Jones’ 12th NASCAR Cup Series start on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte. In his 11 previous runs, Jones has one top-10 with his best finish of seventh in his Coca-Cola 600 debut in May 2017. While the challenge of the longest race of the year has proven to be hard, Jones has finished inside the top-20 in a majority of his races. Outside of the Cup Series, Jones has a total of six starts on the 1.5-mile oval 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 has a best finish of second in the Truck Series.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: In Jones’ first NASCAR start at Charlotte in the Craftsman Truck Series, he made quite the impact and turned heads for 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 of a second 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.

600 MILES OF REMEMBRANCE: As part of NASCAR’s Memorial Day weekend activities, Jones will join the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series field as he honors a fallen soldier on his No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE. Riding alongside Jones will be Senior Airman Jason Plite from Grand Rapids, Michigan from the United States Air Force. SRA Plite was a part of a small group of elite pararescue troops in the Air Force. He passed on March 23, 2003 while on a rescue mission attempting to save two young children in Afghanistan. SRA Plite will be remembered as one who lived by the United States Air Force Pararescue Forces motto of “That Others May Live.”

WAVE OF MOMENTUM: Jones and the No. 43 team are riding a wave of momentum after a third-place finish in last Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. After an impressive qualifying lap and pit stop on Saturday, the No. 43 team started third for the first of the two 75-lap segments. Jones finished 13th in Segment 1 to restart 14th after the inversion in Segment 2. He finished Segment 2 in sixth and had the second lowest average finish of the first two segments of the drivers who hadn’t locked themselves into the All-Star Race which advanced him to the main event. Jones started seventh for the final 200-lap segment. Despite battling some handling issues during the race, he found himself in third by the checkered flag.

ALEXANDER AT CHARLOTTE: This Sunday’s race at Charlotte will be crew chief Justin Alexander’s 12th NASCAR Cup Series race on top of the box at the 1.5-mile oval. Alexander is a Coca-Cola 600 winner – having won the crown jewel race in May 2017 with Austin Dillon after the duo started 22nd. He went on to earned one top-five and three top-10s at Charlotte in the Cup Series. He has an additional two starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Charlotte with Jimmie Johnson in October 2006 and Austin Dillon in October 2016. He earned a best finish of 14th with Dillon.

ERIK JONES QUOTE
“The Coca-Cola 600 is always a great race. It’s Memorial Day weekend, and we’re at home. Waking up Sunday morning and not having to travel far is always a pleasure. I’m excited for this race. It’s unique in the sense that it’s 600 miles, and it’s a different feel and pace than a normal 1.5-mile race. I’m really looking forward to it after Texas. I feel like we made some big gains on our mile-and-a-half program that weekend. Watching the race from last year, I think both LEGACY MOTOR CLUB cars were strong throughout the race. Excited to carry some momentum from Dover over to hopefully have a strong run and earn some good stage points to keep ourselves in contention for the Chase. We’ll see how it plays out this Sunday.”

JUSTIN ALEXANDER QUOTE
“The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of the toughest races we go to because of the length of the race. 600 miles is a long night, and what your car needs in the daytime can be completely different than what it needs late into the night. The track changes and the temperature drops. You have to stay on top of the balance all night and keep up with making the correct adjustments. I’ve been fortunate enough to win this race before, so I know the challenge that it presents and what it takes to overcome it. This is an endurance race like no other on our calendar, and I look forward to trying to go back to victory lane, especially with Erik and this whole LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team.”

CLUB MINUTES:
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 Chevrolet, a 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 Coca-Cola 600 in 2000 as a 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 “The King” Richard 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.

CLUB MEMBERS WHO SERVED: This Memorial Day weekend, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB takes time to honor and recognize those who have served—and continue to serve—in the United States Armed Forces.

Zach Casada, mechanic on the No. 43 team, served in the U.S. Army. Shop Foreman Tony Cardamone served in the United States Coast Guard. Additionally, Joshua Horton, the pit tech and equipment manager, and Matt Ridgway, who works in the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB shop, both served in the U.S. Army. IT Manager Hieu Bui also served in the United States Marine Corps.

FAST PIT STOPS AT DOVER: Last weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, the No. 43 team was fast during their pit stops. During Saturday’s Pit Crew Challenge, the No. 43 pit crew and Jones posted the 12th fastest time overall on pit road and the fifth fastest stop in the field. They recorded their best pit stop time in LEGACY MOTOR CLUB history with an 8.09 second stop.

HASHTAG SPORTS AWARDS FINALIST: Each year, Hashtag Sports honors the best campaigns, content, and media in all of sports entertainment. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB created film, “The Climb to Mt. Fuji | Building NASCAR for Japan”, is a finalist in the Best Original Film or Series: Long Form category. The film tells the story of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s journey to Japan last November and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation and events leading up to and during the trip. Fans can cast their vote through Hashtag Sports here until May 25, and the winner will be announced June 2.

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT:

CLUB APPEARANCES:
John Hunter Nemechek will be at the trackside merchandise trailer in the fan zone for an autograph session on Saturday, May 23 at 12 p.m. local time. On Sunday, May 24, he will visit the Dollar Tree display in the fan zone at 2:30 p.m. local time.

TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24 at 6 p.m. EDT on Prime, 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.