Information By: COLBY GORNIEWICZ / LEGACY MOTOR CLUB – STATESVILLE, NC
CLUB ENTRY LIST
- JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
POINT STANDINGS: 28th - ERIK JONES
POINT STANDINGS: 25th
CLUB NOTES
Happy Birthday, JHN!: On Tuesday, June 11, John Hunter Nemechek celebrates a birthday as the North Carolina native turns 27-years-old!
Newest Member of the CLUB: Bryan Backus, the front-tire changer on the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team, and his wife, Felicia welcomed a new little boy to the family last week. Both mom and baby are doing well.
JHN Double Duty: John Hunter Nemechek is in the middle of his double-duty stint. Including last weekend at Sonoma Raceway, Nemechek will be racing both the NASCAR Xfinity (NXS) and NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) in the next three race weekends in Iowa, Nashville, and Chicago.
Winner, Winner: As John Hunter Nemechek has come up through the NASCAR Truck Series (NTS) and NXS ranks, he has raced at the Iowa Speedway a total of nine starts, five top-10 finishes, one pole, and a victory (in the NTS in 2017).
Beshore at Iowa: Crew chief of the No. 42 entry at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Ben Beshore has called the shots at Iowa Speedway on two different occasions, both coming in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning one top-five.
Veteran in Iowa: Erik Jones has experience in Iowa in the NASCAR Trucks and Xfinity Series’. With four starts in Xfinity, Jones has two pole positions, one win, two top-five, and three top-10 finishes with 154 laps led. In the Truck Series across four starts, Jones has two wins, one pole position, three top-five, and four top-10 finishes and has led 243 laps around the 0.875-mile short track.
Elenz at Iowa: No. 43 crew chief Dave Elenz has ten starts in the Xfinity Series at Iowa. He coached driver William Byron to a win in 2017 and called drivers to three top-five and eight top-10 finishes throughout his racing career. This will be his first start in the NASCAR Cup Series at the track.
Money in the Bank: Jones will go back to Michigan this week to race his Late Model at Berlin Raceway for the Money in the Bank 150. Last year, Jones won the 150-lap feature in emotional fashion and became only the second driver to win both the Battle in Berlin and the Money in the Bank 150 at the storied event venue. Fans can tune in to FloRacing or RacingAmerica.TV on Wed. June 12 beginning at 1 p.m. ET for practice and qualifying. The racing begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information go to BerlinRaceway.com.
Going for G.O.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will honor store #13304 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 #13304 is located in Tama, Iowa.
CLUB QUOTES
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:
“Iowa [Speedway] is a place that I’ve run so well at so many times and the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series really had a shot to win in the GMS Racing car there in 2019 and ran really well. It’s a place that i’ve really loved going to. Not sure what to expect going back with the patches in the corner and different sort. I really like the old Iowa where it’s rough and tires wore out so we’ll just have to see what is on tap when we get there but looking forward to Iowa. They have really great crowds, I love the weather up there — it’s hot, slick racetrack in the middle of some cornfields in Iowa; what gets better than a race track.”
Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:
NASCAR Cup Series is heading to Iowa for the first time this weekend. What type of racing do you expect to see with these cars on the track? Is there a similar track on the schedule that will help you going into this weekend?
“The track has paved some patches in the corners which will really change the way the track races. Prior to the patches the fast line was either on the bottom or the very top against the fence. Now I think the patches will have a lot of grip and we’ll be running the bottom primarily. Richmond is probably the closest track in terms of size and banking to Iowa.”
John Hunter Nemechek has raced at Iowa nine times, you have two races under your belt in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, does any of that knowledge transfer over leading into this weekend? With JHN running the Xfinity race on Saturday, is there anything you can learn from that race and apply to Sunday, either from adjustments or strategy standpoint?
“I think a little bit of the knowledge will transfer over but with the partial repave it’s not quite the same track as we raced on a few years ago. With John Hunter running the NXS race I think it will help him get a heads up on the grip level and the line that is the fastest. The track will be changing quite a bit as it gets seasoned in to start practice.”
There are some new patches on the Speedway, do you expect those to play a factor into any of the setup?
“Yes, Iowa used to be fairly old pavement and a little rough in spots. Now that there are some patches in the corners it should be very smooth and have a lot of grip. We have an open practice this weekend so we’ll be ready to try a few different packages to see if we can find some speed.”
Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:
“Iowa is one of my favorite tracks and I’ve had a great career there in Xfinity and Trucks. It’s a neat little track and it’s going to be fun to see the Cup Series on track. It’s a busy week for me as I am racing in Berlin so it’s going to be great to race my Late Model and have some fun, catch up with friends and family, then I’ll take a little road trip over to Iowa.”
Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:
“Erik’s success in Xfinity and Truck will for sure transfer at Iowa to the Cup race even with the new surface. He will still have a feel for what the corner radiuses are and what the bank is for entry so he is familiar with the transitions – it plays into our favor that both of us had success there and will translate over. It’s also where I beat our lead engineer Evan Bensch in the Xfinity Series as a crew chief at Iowa when we won with William Byron – that was a great day.”
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.
The King’s Hat: This week’s King’s Hat will be unveiled at Iowa Speedway during race weekend outside of the Newton Club Suites. Be sure to stay tuned to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s social media channels for details of location and time.
Previously in Iowa: Although he hasn’t raced there, Richard Petty waved the green flag for a NASCAR Truck Series event at Iowa Speedway on May 17. 2009 and attended an event for then -track owner, Rusty Wallace.
Crusin’ Through: The 28th Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America made stops in central Iowa along the 2,100 mile-week-long journey from South Dakota to North Carolina in early May. The ride raised money and awareness for Victory Junction, a camp for children with serious and chronic medical issues.