PHOENIX | RACE RECAP
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | NO. 42 MOBIL 1 TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 28th | FINISH: 31st | POINTS: 25th
John Hunter Nemechek started the final race of the season at Phoenix Raceway from 28th. As he reported needing more rear grip, he began to lose track position and fell to 30th after the green flag. Nemechek fought throughout Stage 1 to stay on the lead lap but ultimately fell a lap down with only four laps to go in the stage. He then began to battle for the Lucky Dog position but was unfortunately not able to secure it before the end of the stage. The No. 42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE finished Stage 1 in 29th.
During the stage break, crew chief Travis Mack brought Nemechek down pit road for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. Nemechek started Stage 2 from 28th. On Lap 72, slight contact with the No. 34 car sent the No. 42 Toyota around and brought out the caution. Once he got the car rolling, he brought it down pit road to take right side tires and assess the damage. He came back down pit road one lap later for left side tires. He rejoined the field two laps down and in the 37th position.
On Lap 107, the caution came back out. Mack opted to keep Nemechek off pit road to take the wave around and get one of his laps back. The No. 42 pitted for four tires and fuel under green on Lap 135, putting him two laps down again in 36th when he rejoined the field. On Lap 149, the yellow flag flew again, and Mack once again kept Nemechek off pit road to gain a lap back. He restarted 35th and fought to stay one lap down and secure the Lucky Dog position. On Lap 183, the caution flag flew once again. The stage ended under caution with the No. 42 Toyota finishing 32nd. During the stage break, Nemechek came down pit road for four tires and fuel.
The No. 42 Toyota started the final stage in 30th with 119 laps remaining. He began battling the No. 88 and the No. 3 for the lucky dog spot and was hovering around the 31st position. On Lap 219, the caution came back out. Nemechek stayed off pit road to take the wave around to get his final lap back and restart 29th with 88 laps to go. Nemechek reported a small vibration on Lap 240, and the No. 42 Toyota came down pit road for four tires and fuel just three laps later under green. He exited pit road in 34th, one lap down.
The caution came back out with 53 laps left in the race, and the No. 42 Toyota was back in the top-30. The team opted to take the wave around again to restart 28th with 46 laps to go. With 34 laps remaining, Mack brought Nemechek down pit road for four tires and fuel under yellow. He restarted 27th with 28 laps to go. He quickly entered the top-25, but began losing track position, and with 15 laps remaining he was running 28th.
With three laps to go, the ninth and final caution of the race came out. Nemechek came down pit road for the last time. The No. 42 received a penalty for too many crew members over the wall, putting Nemechek in 31st for the overtime restart. With only one NASCAR overtime attempt, Nemechek was unable to overcome the penalty and finished 31st at Phoenix.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“Our No. 42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE drove well today. We had some unfortunate circumstances that didn’t give us the finish we wanted, but I’m proud of our No. 42 team and how far we’ve come throughout the 2025 season. Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the year. I’m looking forward to continuing our progress in 2026.”
ERIK JONES | NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE ZIPLOC TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 15th | FINISH: 16th | POINTS: 24th
After starting 15th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway, Erik Jones initially fell back on to 23rd at the drop of the green flag. He reported that his No. 43 Dollar Tree Ziploc Toyota Camry XSE was plowing tight in the beginning of the race, and he was unable to find speed. As Stage 1 went caution free, Jones was unable to pit before the stage end to address the handling issues. Ultimately, he finished 27th in Stage 1. During the stage break, Jones pitted for four fresh tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment. The team also addressed some damage on the right front from contact with another car during the run.
Jones restarted Stage 2 in 27th. A quick caution three laps into the stage saw Jones sitting 26th, and crew chief Ben Beshore made the call to bring his driver down pit road for another four tires, fuel, and an adjustment. Jones restarted 27th once again and despite an initial lag on the restart, he began his pursuit forward. He was running 22nd by the time the caution came back out on Lap 107. The team pitted for another four tires and fuel during the caution to restart in the same position. He continued to climb up through the field to break into the top-20 on Lap 126. His car was more on the tight side and during a Lap-150 caution, Jones pitted for tires and fuel to restart 17th. He continued to climb as the stage came to an end to finish 15th in Stage 2.
Jones restarted the final stage in 12th. He once again had his hands full with a tight car and initially slipped back to 16th. As strategy calls in the final stage differed among the teams though, Jones opted to take his final set of sticker tires during a pit stop on Lap 259. He restarted 20th and launched to 15th by the time the caution came out again on Lap 279. Jones was running 18th when the final caution came out with three laps to go in the race. Without any fresh tires, Jones and his team took two tires on the final stop to restart 12th in NASCAR overtime. Unable to compete with the fresh tires, Jones slipped back in the final laps to finish 16th in the final race of the 2025 season.
ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“We just needed more today. If we had a fresh set of tires there for that overtime restart, I think we could’ve been more competitive as we worked our way up through the field, but overall, we overcame some difficulties to have a solid day. Proud of the No. 43 Dollar Tree Ziploc team for this season. Can’t wait to continue the growth in 2026.”
NEXT UP: The NASCAR Cup Series will kick off the 2026 season in the pre-season exhibition race of the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 1.
