Information By: COLBY GORNIEWICZ / LEGACY MOTOR CLUB – STATESVILLE, NC
CLUB ENTRY LIST
- JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
- POINT STANDINGS: 34TH
- ERIK JONES
- POINT STANDINGS: 31ST
CLUB NOTES
EJ Stats: Erik Jones has 15 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts at Martinsville Speedway and five NASCAR Truck Series (NTS) starts at the Virginia track. His best finish in the NCS is eighth, earned in the fall of 2021. This past April, Jones finished the race 12th overall. Jones has one top-10 and five top-15s at the short track. With five starts in the NTS, Jones has two top-fives, earning a third-place finish in the spring of 2015, and four top-10 finishes overall.
JHN Stats: This weekend, John Hunter Nemechek will be making his fourth NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) start at the track that they call “the paperclip”. During those three starts, he has an average starting spot of 23rd and an average finishing spot of 29th. However, the North Carolina native has seen success at the half-mile speedway as he collected the grandfather clock with his 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, that being is his second, as he also secured one in 2018 when he won the NASCAR Truck Series race.
Beshore at Martinsville: Crew chief Ben Beshore has four NCS starts at Martinsville Speedway, to include three starts with Kyle Busch who finished second in the fall race of 2021. He has three starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and a pair of wins to show for it – finding victory at the Virginia short track with driver Harrison Burton in 2020 and with John Hunter Nemechek in 2023.
Appearances: Richard Petty and Kyle Petty will stop by the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB merchandise trailer on Sunday, at 10:00 a.m. In addition, they will have a question and answer session at 10:30 a.m. in the Fan Zone.
John Hunter Nemechek will also stop by the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB merchandise rig to sign some autographs on race morning at 11:30 a.m. EST.
Going for G.O.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree Family Dollar has a “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) program. Each week throughout the season, the No. 42 and No. 43 will feature one of the local stores on the deck lid of the Toyota Camry XSE.
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 racetracks across the country.
Petty Legacy at Martinsville: The Petty’s have a long history with the half-mile, Martinsville Speedway. In the early days of NASCAR, in 1949, Lee Petty won his very first NASCAR race at the historic short track. It was 10 years later, Richard “The King” Petty earned his first victory at the track. Petty currently holds the record for most wins at Martinsville Speedway at 15. LEGACY M.C. co-owner, Jimmie Johnson has nine victories at the track they call the paperclip.
Grand Marshall: Over 40 members of the Petty family, including the “King” himself, Richard Petty, are set to give the command ahead of the second-to-last race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season at Martinsville Speedway, calling for drivers to start their engines before the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Nov. 3.
The King’s Hat: Earlier this spring, Martinsville Speedway unveiled their version of the King’s Hat. Be sure to check out Martinsville Speedway social media handles for location and activities surrounding the King’s Hat.
CLUB QUOTES
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE:
“The spring race at Martinsville was a rough race for our No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team, however, Erik [Jones] and the No. 43 bunch had a decent run. We are looking back at all the notes plus see what we were able to learn from the test session there earlier this summer to help us out as a whole organization. Things can happen fast at Martinsville, so it will be important to have a good qualifying lap then just stay out of trouble in the race to set us up for a good finish and something we can build on for 2025.”
Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:
“I think we can build off of (the) spring Martinsville (finish), for sure. It’s been a place we’ve had a handful of tests over the last few years, fortunately, we got to go test there again this summer and I think we learned some things that should help us out. Martinsville has become a lot about track position. Last year we were able to qualify well and keep up front all day and not have mistakes and stay on the lead lap and have an opportunity to run in the top-10, and just missed out. I think we’ve been building week to week, Ben and I, and what we need from each other and getting our cars better. Hopefully, we can put everything together for Martinsville to have a good weekend through Saturday and qualify well and race well on Sunday.”