Information By: COLBY GORNIEWICZ / LEGACY MOTOR CLUB – STATESVILLE, NC
CLUB ENTRY LIST
- JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
- POINT STANDINGS: 27th
- ERIK JONES
- POINT STANDINGS: 28th
CLUB NOTES
With its inaugural start in the 2023 season, the Chicago Street Course has its second annual race this weekend on Sunday, July 7th.
WINNER WINNER: Last week in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver, John Hunter Nemechek went to victory lane at Nashville Superspeedway piloting the No. 20 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. This was Nemechek’s second NXS victory of season, and his 11th of his career.
TRAINING FOR CHICAGO: Erik Jones had the opportunity to test for Chicago with Skip Barber Racing School at VIRginia International Raceway.
“Making some laps with Skip Barber was good. Just being able to talk to those guys and pick their brain about road course racing and what they focus on, how they find lap time, and how they adjust to what the track is doing was helpful for me and I was able to take away some good notes and some good things to focus on and be able to work through. Hopefully we can take some of that to Chicago, focus on some different things that I hadn’t always looked at and make it worthwhile.”
Double the Street Fun: Nemechek will once again be pulling double duty at Chicago Street Course this weekend. He will pilot the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NXS and the No. 42 for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
JHN on the Chicago Streets: This year will mark Nemechek’s first Cup Series start on the Chicago Street course. Last year, he piloted the Joe Gibbs Racing NXS entry to a runner-up finish with his current Cup crew chief, Ben Beshore on top of the pit box.
Erik Jones at Chicago: Erik Jones will drive the No. 43 UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE through the streets of downtown Chicago this Sunday, July 7. Jones finished last year’s race with a top-20, finishing in 16th position.
Elenz at Chicago: Dave Elenz, Crew Chief of the No. 43 UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, led the sole Chicago Street Course race with Erik Jones last year. The duo finished 16th after moving up five spots throughout the race.
Partner Spotlight: This weekend in Chicago, the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE piloted by John Hunter Nemechek will carry vendor partners, Tyson, Unilever, Bic, and Coca-Cola on their LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entry.
AdventHealth joins UChicago Medicine to partner with the No. 43 for this weekend at Chicago. UChicago Medicine and AdventHealth will team up with Erik Jones to get involved with the community before the race on Sunday. The Sun Bus will make an appearance Friday morning at the UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Cancer Institute, providing free cancer screenings – an initiative that AdventHealth and Jones are passionate about. Later Friday afternoon, Erik Jones will visit the UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital for a book reading and to hand out hero cards.
Going for G.O.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will honor store #4215 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 #4215 is located in Chicago, Ill.
CLUB QUOTES
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:
“I think it’s really cool being able to race downtown, Chicago. It’s a different market that brings new fans into the sport. If you’re somebody walking on the street, we’re going to be able to see racing right there. It’s a pretty cool weekend with all of the events and the music that is planned; it brings a different atmosphere to the city of Chicago. With this being the only city course that [NASCAR] has, it’s unique in itself so it’s a really neat venue and I am glad that we’re going back this year. I hope that we can run well.”
“With me running the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year that should help. I also I think there were some track trends and different things that I learned last year, like getting the scope of the layout. Last year we ran in the wet and the dry in the [NXS] car, so I felt like I’ve learned quite a bit but I’m not really sure what to expect going into the Cup race. Last year was pretty crazy for sure so battle of attrition and being there at the end; helpfully it doesn’t turn out this way again, but if it does you need to keep your nose clean and be there at the end and be one of the last one standing.”
Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:
“With John Hunter running the NASCAR Xfinity Race, getting some laps prior to the Cup race should give him a better idea of braking markers and certain driving techniques that will cross over to the Cup car. Chicago is a tight street course, so trying to avoid mistakes and limit your time on pit road generally will put you in a good position for a solid finish.”
Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE:
“Looking forward to Chicago. I thought last year’s event went really well and the rain hampered some of it. Overall, I thought it was one of our better road courses last season, as far as the car we had and how we ran. I think everybody will be a bit better this year. I think we all learned what it takes to race on a street course and what you have to focus on and what you have to be good at, like track layout and what grip levels are like.”
Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE:
“It’s pretty neat going to Chicago and having the race downtown, definitely a different environment. Last year we had a really exciting show with all of the rain and a lot of passing and a lot of different things going on. We had a pretty good car last year and some circumstances kept us out of a good finish, but hopefully we can build on that – we had a good run at Sonoma, and we just continue to take that momentum and finish good at Chicago.”
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.
This Week in Petty History: Happy Birthday to The King himself – Richard Petty! On July 2, The King turns 87-years-old.
On July 4, 1984, Richard Petty won his 200th win, the final of his career, at the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
The King’s Hat and Q&A: The King’s Hat will be located in Butler’s Field all weekend for photo ops. Additionally, Richard Petty will be conducting a Q&A on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at the NASCAR Experience.