DARLINGTON RACEWAY | RACE RECAP
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY CAMRY XSE
START: 30TH | FINISH: 4TH | POINTS: 24TH
John Hunter Nemechek started the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in 30th. The caution flag came out on the first lap. Nemechek kept the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE out of the commotion and restarted 24th. He quickly jumped to 19th. As green flag pit stops started on Lap 38, Nemechek found himself leading the field 45 laps into the race. Crew chief Travis Mack brought him down pit road on Lap 61 for a green flag pit stop in order to split the stage. Nemechek rejoined the field in 31st. He climbed back through the field and was back leading the field with 34 laps remaining in the first stage. With 20 laps to go, the No. 42 Toyota was holding strong in seventh. Nemechek ended the first stage in ninth, earning two stage points.
Mack brought the No. 42 Toyota back down pit road during the stage break for four tires and fuel, and Nemechek started Stage 2 in ninth. The No. 42 Toyota rode in 13th for a long green flag run. The caution flag flew on Lap 152, and Nemechek came down pit road under yellow for four tires and fuel. He left pit road in 11th with 73 laps left in the second stage. The No. 42 quickly cracked the top 10 and had a strong green flag run in eighth. Mack brought Nemechek back down pit road for a green flag stop with 44 laps remaining in the stage, and he exited pit road in 22nd. During the series of green flag pit stops, Nemechek cycled through to seventh with 35 laps to go in the stage. The caution flag was thrown again with 28 laps remaining, and Mack opted to bring the No. 42 Toyota back down pit road for four tires and fuel under yellow. Nemechek restarted eighth with 22 laps remaining in the stage. The caution flag flew once again with 21 laps left in the stage, and Nemechek restarted seventh with 16 laps to go. He battled hard until the end of the stage where he finished eighth, earning an addition three stage points.
The No. 42 team pitted during the stage break for four tires and fuel before starting the final stage in eighth. Nemechek entered the top five early in the stage where he ran consistently for a long green flag run. With 92 laps to go in the Southern 500 while the No. 42 Toyota was running third, Mack brought Nemechek down pit road for four tires and fuel. He exited pit road 18th. After a cycle of green flag stops, the No. 42 Toyota was back in third with 85 laps to go. Nemechek ran steadily in third for the long run when the caution was thrown with 54 laps left. The No. 42 Toyota came in for four tires and fuel under yellow and restarted third. Nemechek had a long run in fourth while attempting to chase down his teammate Erik Jones. The No. 42 Toyota ended the night under the lights in fourth, earning his career best NASCAR Cup Series finish and his best of the 2025 season.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“I wish we had more laps. The more that I ran, the better that I was. I hated to see that caution there at the end, because I felt like we were in a really good spot, long run speed wise with the green flag cycle coming and everything else. Just not a lot of short run speed but we made the most of it. Proud of the effort from everyone at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. We continue to get better. It’s pretty cool to have both the No. 42 and No. 43 Toyota Camry XSEs to finish in third and fourth in the Southern 500. I know I’m proud of the drive for myself. I’m proud of the effort. I’m proud of Travis (Mack, crew chief), and everyone that has been putting a lot into our Pye-Barker Toyotas and making them faster. It feels good to come home fourth. I think that’s my career-best finish in the Cup Series. Hats off to Pye-Barker, everyone that has supported me through my career. Thank you to Jimmie Johnson and Toyota for taking a chance on me to kind of revamp my career and getting me back to the Cup Series.”
ERIK JONES | NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 19TH | FINISH: 3RD | POINTS: 22ND
After qualifying 19th in Saturday’s qualifying session at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Erik Jones was on the hunt for his third Southern 500 victory. A wreck off Turn 2 brought out the caution before the end of Lap 1, but Jones found himself racing up through the field on the Lap 7 restart. By Lap 20, he was 17th and then found himself in 16th just eight laps later. Jones reported to the team that his forward drive was good although he was building loose on runs. He pitted for four tires and fuel on Lap 38 during green flag stops before rejoining the field in 17th. As the race continued to go caution free in Stage 1, Jones worked his way up to 15th before pitting again during green flag stops on Lap 77 for another set of fresh tires and fuel. He was 14th as the field cycled through. He finished Stage 1 in 13th.
After pitting during the stage break for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment, Jones restarted Stage 2 in 13th. He quickly worked his way up to seventh in just 12 laps and stayed there until the caution came out on Lap 151. Thanks to a fast stop by the No. 43 Dollar Tree pit crew, Jones was fifth off pit road after their stop and launched his Toyota Camry XSE into third on the Lap 158 restart. After a heated battle with the No. 1 of Ross Chastain for second, Jones prevailed and started chasing down the race leader Chase Briscoe.
He pitted once again under green on Lap 190 and cycled through to third. The caution came out again on Lap 202 while he was running in the same position. He pitted again for four tires and fuel to restart third on Lap 209. In a late restart near the end of Stage 2, Jones attempted to take it three wide for the lead before ultimately running fourth. He gained another spot in the final laps to finish third and earn eight stage points.
Jones restarted the final stage in seventh. He worked his way into the top five by Lap 269 and stayed there until he came down pit road on Lap 280 for a green flag stop. After cycling through to the same position, Jones continued to work his way up through the field. He got a chance on the Lap 320 restart to pass John Hunter Nemechek for third with only 47 laps to go. As the race wound down, he attempted to hunt down Tyler Reddick for second. In a heated top three battle at the end of the race, Jones, Reddick, and Briscoe all raced each other in an attempt to take the lead. Ultimately, Jones finished third in the Cook Out Southern 500, earning his fourth top five of the 2025 season and his second consecutive top-five after a fifth-place result last Saturday at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. It also marked his best finish of the 2025 season.
ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“Honestly what I needed was to come off in the lead leaving pit road. We were all kind of going the same speed in the top three. I felt like we were probably a little bit better than both of the cars in front of us. I couldn't get the run though. I thought I had the No. 45 there with maybe four or five to go. There was a little hole on the top. He squeezed up and filled it. That happens when you’re racing for the win. It’s hard to be that close. I would’ve liked to have had another Southern 500 win We were right there all day, good speed with the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE. We just need more of that. Hopefully, we keep these cars rolling and get one soon.”
NEXT UP: The NASCAR Cup Series will head to World Wide Technology Raceway for the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on Sunday, Sept. 7 in the Enjoy Illinois 300. The race begins at 3 p.m. EDT on USA, MAX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
