Bristol Motor Speedway | RACE RECAP
BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 21, 2024) – The NASCAR Cup Series visited “The Last Great Coliseum” of Bristol Motor Speedway for the final race in the first round of the playoffs. The No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE rolled off the grid in 28th. Erik Jones in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE started 32nd. Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race saw Alex Bowman start from the pole but it was Kyle Larson dominated by leading 462 of 500 laps for the win.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | NO. 42 Pye-Barker TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 28TH | FINISH: 33RD | POINTS: 34TH
Entering the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season, the entire LEGACY MOTOR CLUB organization knew that it was going to be an uphill battle, but everyone was up for the challenge. The NCS returns to Bristol Motor Speedway for their second visit of the season, for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
This was one that many in the organization had circled on calendar. During the first visit to Bristol Motor Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team started 26th. The North Carolina native put on a clinic and drove his way up through the field that resulted in a career day with a sixth -place finish.
Fast forward to mid-September, the No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota Camry XSE were in a similar starting spot as the spring event with a 28th-place starting spot. As the field was starting to get up to speed, the 27-year-old was running the bottom groove when he lost control of his Toyota Camry that sent him spinning to the outside wall. Slight contact was made. When they came down for service, the team was put on the NASCAR Damage Vehicle Policy (DVP) giving them five-minutes to fix the car. The team was able to do so and sent Nemechek back onto the track. However, he rejoined the field minus five laps to the leader. Despite falling out of contention early, the No. 42 Pye-Barker team still showed promising speed, as he turned the fastest lap of the race of any driver.
Nemechek came over the radio and apologized to the No. 42 LEGACY M.C. Team that he was sorry for taking them out of contention early. It snapped around on him and he was along for the ride.
A night that many had high hopes for ended with disappointment. Nemechek and the No. 42 Pye-Barker team finished in 33rd-place.
ERIK JONES | NO. 43 dollar tree TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 32ND | FINISH: 30TH | POINTS: 30TH
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway kicked off as the sun was setting on the Tennessee mountains. An early caution on lap five resulted in a quick GEICO restart and an opportunity for Erik Jones to share how the car was handling. He noted that the car was free, but suggested it would get better as the track rubbered up. During the break, spotter Rick Carelli radioed to Jones asking if he’d rather ride the top or bottom - Jones preferred the bottom. The No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE restarted on lap 10 in the 32nd position. With silence on the radio, the No. 43 went a lap down on lap 75, in the 30th position. Battling a loose car, the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE completed Stage 1 in the 32nd position.
During the stage break, the Dollar Tree crew came down pit road to add four new Goodyear Tires, Sunoco fuel, and made adjustments before beginning the second stage.
Jones started Stage 2 with an adjusted race car, hoping to move to the front and get back on the lead lap. Carelli supported Jones from afar, telling him “good job” and that he had “good pace” on lap 176. With a caution late in the stage, on lap 243, the team took a gamble and stayed out in hopes to receive the “lucky dog”. Unsuccessful, the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry finished Stage 2 in the 27th position.
Stage 3 kicked off and the No. 43 Dollar Tree was racing hard towards the back of the pack, struggling with exits off the turns. During a pit stop due to a caution on lap 329, the Dollar Tree Toyota Camry briefly caught on fire towards the rear, resulting in the left rear tire to not be replaced. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Camry XSE battled hard in the last stage, getting aggressive with the No. 99 on lap 361. The No. 43 fought hard all race long but ended the Bass Pro Shops Night Race in the 30th position.
NEXT UP: The second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs kicks off next week when the Series heads to Kansas Speedway for their second visit of the year. The Hollywood Casino 400 takes place on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 3:00 p.m. ET live on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio (channel 90).
ABOUT OUR PARTNERS
ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit dollartree.com.
ABOUT PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY: The U.S. leader in fully integrated life safety systems, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety provides complete fire protection and security systems nationwide. With over 200 locations and 6,000 team members nationwide, Pye-Barker is an industry leader and ranks No. 954 on the Inc 5000 and No. 9 on the SDM 100.
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice "Maury" J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty "The King" serves as Club Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.
