Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Race Recap
LAS VEGAS (March 16, 2025) – The NASCAR Cup Series wrapped up its West Coast swing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the Pennzoil 400. Erik Jones delivered another impressive qualifying performance, securing the fifth starting spot in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE. John Hunter Nemechek showed solid race pace in Saturday’s practice but faced an uphill battle after qualifying 30th in the No. 42 Backstreet Boys Toyota Camry XSE. In the end, it was Josh Berry who captured his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory in the fifth race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Below is a look at how the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries fared:
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | NO. 42 BACKSTREET BOYS TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 30TH | FINISH:20TH | POINTS: 15TH
John Hunter Nemechek, piloting the No. 42 Backstreet Boys Toyota Camry XSE, initially secured the 30th starting position. However, following a throttle body change on Saturday afternoon after qualifying—a modification that NASCAR mandates forfeiting the starting spot—the team started from the rear of the field in 36th. As the race unfolded, they planned their first pit stop just before a caution on lap 34. This timely yellow flag allowed them to pit under caution, resulting in significant track position gains. Despite this advantage, Nemechek struggled with the car’s tight handling, resulting in a 29th-place finish for Stage 1. In response, the team opted for an extended pit stop to raise the front ride height, aiming to enhance downforce and improve performance in the middle stage of the race.
In Stage 2, crew chief Travis Mack emphasized the importance of maintaining discipline and wrapping the bottom groove of the 1.5-mile track—a strategy aimed at assisting the car’s handling. This approach proved beneficial, as John Hunter Nemechek, driving the No. 42 Backstreet Boys Toyota Camry XSE, sustained a mid-pack position throughout the stage. He concluded Stage 2 in 20th place, finishing just behind his teammate, Erik Jones.
Stage 3 began with Nemechek starting in the 19th position. On lap 187, a caution flag was displayed, during which Nemechek experienced difficulties firing off that previous green flag run. Shortly after, on lap 195, a multi-car incident occurred on the backstretch; Nemechek skillfully navigated through the chaos, mostly avoiding involvement but did tap the nose of his car on the one in front of him when slowing. Opting for track position, he stayed out during the caution and restarted in 9th place—the first time he had broken into the top 10 that day. However, as the race progressed, Nemechek’s car struggled to maintain pace with some slight damage to the hood, leading him to a drop back to the 23rd position by lap 221.
With under 25 laps remaining, the field was slowed once again, bringing another opportunity for adjustments. The No. 42 team took advantage of the caution to put on fresh tires and fix the bowed-up hood from the lap 195 incident. Restarting 24th with a tire advantage on cars in front of him, Nemechek pushed forward and secured a 20th-place finish by the checkered flag, gaining 16 spots from the start of the race.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTABLE:
“The race started out not as a great day as the balance wasn’t there in our No. 42 Backstreet Boys Toyota Camry XSE. We had issues getting through traffic but luckily there was some cautions there and we didn’t go a lap down and that saved our day. We had some strategy calls that got our car better continuously throughout the day and we finished with a 20th-place finish. Hats off to the men and women at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, and thanks to Brian [Littrell], Kevin [Richardson] and Nick [Carter] for coming out today and hanging with us. I feel good about our result after we started but we still have some work to do on our mile and half program but step in the right direction.”
ERIK JONES | NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 5TH | FINISH: 27TH | POINTS: 25TH
Erik Jones rolled off fifth in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, but he slipped back slightly in the early laps as the race settled into a rhythm. On lap 34, just as the yellow flag waved, Jones was already heading down pit road. To avoid a penalty for pitting when it was closed, he drove straight through without service and rejoined the field. The rest of the stage proved challenging as he fought a loose-handling race car, working hard to maintain position while searching for adjustments to improve the balance. The Michigan native finished the first stage in 15th.
In Stage 2, with 14 laps remaining, crew chief Ben Beshore made a strategic call for the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE to take only two right-side tires during a pit stop, propelling Erik Jones to the front row for the ensuing restart. Jones maintained a strong position for six laps; however, upon encountering bumps in Turns 1 and 2, his car washed up the track, resulting in the loss of several positions. He ultimately concluded the second stage in 19th place.
Jones started the third stage in 18th position but gradually slipped to 24th in the running order. On lap 195, an incident involving the No. 47 car spinning down the backstretch triggered a chain reaction. Positioned on the outside in a four-wide formation, Jones’s No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE was collected in the ensuing chaos, sustaining damage from other spinning vehicles. The team addressed the cosmetic damage during the caution period, enabling Jones to rejoin the race at the tail end of the field.
Jones continued to battle handling issues throughout the race and went down a lap under 30 laps remaining by in the race. The team took the wave around and got back on the lead lap but wasn’t able to pit. Managing worn tires in the final laps, he ultimately secured a 27th-place finish, one lap down in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE.
ERIK JONES QUOTABLE:
“Our Dollar Tree team had an up-and-down day at Las Vegas. We struggled with the handling and got caught back in the pack. Towards the end of the race, we got hit in the rear, which sent us spinning and caused some damage to our No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE. We’ll continue to work hard and try to get back on the other side of this with a great result.”
NEXT UP: The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, March 23, for an action-packed race on the iconic 1.5-mile oval. Drivers will chase victory in one of the season’s most challenging and dynamic races. The race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
