Martinsville Speedway | Race Recap
RIDGEWAY, Va. (March 30, 2025) - The NASCAR Cup Series visited Martinsville Speedway for the first time this season. The No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota driven by John Hunter Nemechek rolled off in 16th while teammate Erik Jones in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota started in the 31st postion. It was Denny Hamlin who was victorious at “The Paperclip”.
Below is a look at how each of the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries fared.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK | NO. 42 FAMILY DOLLAR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 16TH | FINISH:26TH | POINTS: 17TH
John Hunter Nemechek rolled off from the 16th position for the Cook Out 400, marking his best career starting spot at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. With the tight, paperclip-shaped track making it easy for leaders to catch the tail of the field, maintaining track position was going to be critical.
On lap 35, the first caution flag slowed the pace. Nemechek radioed to his crew, reporting that his No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota was tight through the center of the corners and loose on exit. He worked on adjusting his driving style to improve the car’s handling.
During the caution, Nemechek pitted for four fresh tires and fuel. However, as he attempted to leave the pit stall, the car wouldn’t go. The team quickly discovered that first gear wasn’t engaging, costing Nemechek valuable track position. After the issue, he cycled out near the back of the field in 35th, erasing the gains made in qualifying.
Before the restart, crew chief Travis Mack came over the radio with a steadying message: “Keep our composure here. We’re going to work through it. We’ll be thrown a lot of stuff. Deep breath.”
With under 10 laps remaining in the first stage, the second yellow was thrown for a spinning No. 17. The No. 42 Family Dollar team elected to stay out and restart in seventh for the short sprint to the end of Stage 1. The gamble paid off with a sixth-place Stage 1 finish, giving the team their first stage points of the year.
Mack made the call to keep Nemechek on track during the stage break, opting not to pit. This strategy lined up the No. 42 Toyota in third for the restart. Although they were on older tires than the rest of the field, the team believed the track position gain was worth the risk.
However, the tire disadvantage became evident as the run progressed. Nemechek gradually lost spots to the cars on fresher rubber, eventually settling into 29th by the time the next caution flew. During the ensuing pit stop, the team bolted on four fresh tires, added fuel, and made an air-pressure adjustment.
After the stop, Mack came over the radio to talk through the strategy: “We tried it early, we know what we need. We need to be at a tire advantage, not a disadvantage. Keep our head in it.”
With 10 laps remaining in the stage, the leader was rapidly closing in on the rear of the field. Despite the pressure, Nemechek stayed focused and managed to remain on the lead lap, finishing 32nd in Stage 2.
Nemechek still stuck in the back of the field, the North Carolina native asked for quiet so he could focus as the leader was barreling down on the rear of the field. With a 159-laps remaining, the No. 11 entry got past Nemechek to put him a lap down in 34th position.
A slew of yellows afforded the No. 42 Family Dollar team to get the free pass with 83 laps remaining in the race however, a long green-flag run saw Nemechek go down a lap down before the end of the 400 lap race. Nemechek and the No. 42 Family Dollar Tree team finished the race in 26th, one lap down.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTABLE:
“Not a very good day for us. First gear blew up trying to leave the box when I was running 18th. We got our lap back and salvaged a 26th place finish. We will move on to Darlington.”
ERIK JONES | NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
START: 31ST | FINISH: 38TH | POINTS: 29TH
Erik Jones started the 400-lap event at Martinsville from the 31st staring position. Jones said the No. 43 Dollar Tree Camry was loose before the first caution on Lap 30. The team pitted for four tires and fuel. He restarted in 32nd with 42 to go on Stage 1. With 15 laps left in Stage 1, Jones said the handling of the No. 43 had gone to the tight side. A caution with less than ten to go in the stage provided an opportunity to stay on track while others pitted, and Jones finished the finished the stage fifth.
After pitting at the caution on Lap 86, Jones restarted 32nd to begin Stage 2. He moved to 26th before a Lap 121 caution flag flew. The team adjusted the car during a pit stop as Jones said the handling was better, but he was still very tight. The team restarted on Lap 131 from 23rd and clawed his way to 18th with 40 to go in Stage 2. As the rubber buildup continued on the half-mile track, Jones said the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota wouldn't handle, and he finished 26th in Stage 2.
During the stage break, the No.43 crew gained five spots on pit road during their four tire stop, sending Jones back out on track in 21st.
As the final stage played out, Jones ran as high as 20th before slipping back to 25th as the leader was closing in with 150 to go.
On Lap 266 the leader passed the No. 43 putting Jones down a lap as the car had lost all grip. A caution flew shortly after, and Jones got the free pass putting him back on the lead lap. The team pitted for four tires, air adjustments and fuel.
With 114 to go and rain threatening, Jones restarted 22nd. He worked his way up to 19th and held on through multiple cautions and a tight car to prevail 24th, one lap shy of the leader.
*During post-race inspection, it was found that the No. 43 was under minimum weight, resulting in a disqualification from the event.
ERIK JONES QUOTABLE:
“We got some stage points and worked hard but overall, I just got so tight when the track rubbered up, I just couldn’t do anything with it there at the end. Looking forward to Darlington.”
NEXT UP: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the track "Too Tough to Tame", Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, April 6. The race will broadcast on Fox Sports 1, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
