JJ 700: Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is set to mark a significant milestone at the Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) on May 25 with his 700th Cup Series start. It’s a poignant moment for Johnson, returning to the venue where he kickstarted his Cup Series journey back in 2001.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: Johnson got his first taste of NASCAR Cup Series competition by running three races in 2001 with Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 48 Power of Pride Lowe’s Chevrolet, a car co-owned by Rick Hendrick and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. Johnson’s first start was Oct. 7, 2001, at Charlotte, followed by races at Homestead and Atlanta that same year. While the results – finishes of 25th, 29th, and 39th – were modest, it marked the beginning of a legendary career.
HOUSE JJ BUILT: Johnson has earned legendary status at Charlotte Motor Speedway with four victories in the Coca-Cola 600 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014), four in the Bank of America 500 events (2004, 2005, 2009, 2016), and four All-Star Race wins (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013).
OCT. 7, 2001 IN HISTORY: On October 7, 2001, President George W. Bush launched US military operations in Afghanistan, marking the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom as a direct response to the September 11th terrorist attacks. Johnson was just 26 years old at the time.
KENSETH AT CHARLOTTE: Competition advisor Matt Kenseth’s most significant accomplishment at Charlotte Motor Speedway is winning the Coca-Cola 600 in 2000 as a rookie. He remains the only rookie to win that prestigious race. In addition to his 2000 victory, Kenseth also won the pole for the fall 500-mile event race in 2015 and the All-Star Race in 2004. He also finished fourth in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2005.
RICHARD PETTY AT CHARLOTTE: “The King” made 64 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, beginning with the track’s inaugural race in 1960 and continuing through his retirement in 1992. During that span, he claimed five victories (1961, 1975, 1977, and 1983), earned three pole positions, recorded 23 top-five finishes, 31 top-10s, and led a total of 1,702 laps.
CLUB MEMBERS WHO SERVED: This Memorial Day weekend, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB takes time to honor and recognize those who have served—and continue to serve—in the United States Armed Forces.
Carl Garcia, mechanic for the No. 42 team, served in the U.S. Army. Earl Barban, longtime spotter for Johnson, served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and is a recipient of the Navy Achievement Medal. Zach Casada, mechanic on the No. 43 team, served in the U.S. Army. Shop Foreman Tony Cardamone served in the United States Coast Guard. Additionally, Joshua Horton, a mechanic on the No. 42 team, and Matt Ridgeway, who works in the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB shop, both served in the U.S. Army. Hieu Bui, who is in the IT department, also served in the United States Marine Corps.
NEVER SETTLE: Join ESPN’s Marty Smith and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s co-owner, Johnson for their weekly podcast, “Never Settle”. The podcast airs live on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 at 2 p.m. ET every Wednesday and can be downloaded wherever fans source their podcasts. This week’s guest is Seven-time NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King”.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
ALL-STAR RECAP: Last weekend at North Wilkesboro, Nemechek started eighth in the NASCAR Open, needing a top-two finish to advance to his first NASCAR All-Star Race. Thanks to a valiant effort by everyone on the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team, he was able to secure that spot and make the transfer. Starting deep in the field for the All-Star Race, Nemechek delivered valuable track time that helped the team gain insights and continue developing their short track program.
SEVEN STARS FOR JJ: This week, the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE driven by Nemechek will feature a red, white, and blue scheme. However, there is a subtle nod to LEGACY MC co-owner, Jimmie Johnson, as he makes his 700th start. On the hood and rear bumper of the Toyota Camry XSE, there are seven stars, representing Johnson’s seven championships.
NEMECHEK AT CHARLOTTE: Nemechek has two attempts in the longest race of the year, with his first coming in 2020 when he finished 16th. In 2024, he finished 30th in the rain-shortened race. He is no stranger to Charlotte with multiple starts across the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series, where he won in 2021.
POINT STANDINGS: Nemechek and the No. 42 LEGACY MC team enter Charlotte sitting 18th in the point standings, just 10 points shy of the playoff cut line. In the 12 races this season, Nemechek has one top-five, four top-10 finishes, and has led two laps.
HONORING PFC, WALTER “RAY” THETFORD”: The No. 42 team will honor PFC, Walter “Ray” Thetford from the United States Marine Corps. Thetford was from Copiah County, Mississippi. He served and died at the age of 21 in Iwo Jima in 1945. The unit in which Thetford was serving raised the flag on Iwo Jima. His name will ride along with Nemechek and the No. 42 Dollar Tree team during the Coca-Cola 600.
TMACK AT CHARLOTTE: Mack has been atop the pit box calling races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series for a total of seven events. During the two NXS starts, he recorded two top-10 starts and finishes with driver Michael Annett. In the five NCS starts, he has an average finish of 22.2
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“The 600 at Charlotte is always a great weekend – it gives us the opportunity to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. This weekend, we will have PFC Walter “Ray” Thetford riding along with us, who served in the USMC. Our goal is to continue the momentum that we have built up during the last several weeks and bring it into the race this weekend.
“I’m really excited for Jimmie to get his 700th start at Charlotte [Motor Speedway] that’s an amazing career achievement from everything he’s done in the sport, from the seven championships and 83 wins – he’s a super legend, super GOAT.”
TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:
“I love the Charlotte 600 week, we usually have family in town, people visiting the shop from out of town wanting to see the cars. I don’t think people really realize how long that race is until you experience it. This is one of those races where you get a ring if you win; there are a few races that you get a ring. Luckily I was a part of that during the Jimmie Johnson days.
We’ve been working on our mile-and-a-half program ever since Vegas, we keep evolving and improving on our program. Hopefully we can improve it going into Charlotte – hopefully qualify in the top-15 and run inside the top-15 most of the race and get up there and compete for the top-10, top-fives. That’s where you need to be to back into one of these wins. We have our higher downforce package tuned in compared to our low downforce.”
We have Jimmie back to race this race for us at LEGACY, since we’ve improved the cars, I’m excited to see his feedback as well.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 ADVENTHEALTH TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES CHARLOTTE STATS: Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will mark Jones’ 11th NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte. In his 10 previous runs, Jones has one top-10 with his best finish of seventh in his Coca-Cola 600 debut in May 2017. While the challenge of the longest race of the year has proven to be hard, Jones has run finished inside the top-20 for a majority of his races. Outside of the Cup Series, Jones has a total of six starts on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte – five in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He owns two top-fives in the Xfinity Series with his best finish of second in October 2015 after starting third. He has a best finish of second after starting in the same place in the Truck Series.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: In Jones’ first NASCAR start at Charlotte in the Craftsman Truck Series, he made quite the impact and turned heads for the future 2015 Truck Series Champion. After starting second, Jones led 88 of the 139 laps before battling Kasey Kahne in the closing lap to finish just .005 of a second behind Kahne to finish second. The finish is tied for third closest in Craftsman Truck Series history with the 2008 finish between Erik Darnell and Johnny Benson, Jr.
BESHORE AT CHARLOTTE: Beshore has a total of three races on top of the box for the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In these three races, he’s scored back-to-back top three finishes in the Coca-Cola 600 in May 2021 and 2022 with Kyle Busch. In last year’s Coca-Cola 600, the team scored a 30th-place result after starting 26th.
MELANOMA AWARENESS INITIATIVE: The Erik Jones Foundation is continuing its longest-standing activation at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend with its distribution of sunscreen samples during the Coca-Cola 600 race weekend. Jones and his team plan to hand out over 5,000 samples of EltaMD products as part of the initiative. Since its first distribution in 2022, the foundation has distributed over 15,000 samples to campers and fans at Charlotte, which equates to approximately $450,000 in product. This is just a small testament to Jones’ commitment to protecting NASCAR and its fans while honoring his personal connection to Melanoma Awareness.
600 MILES OF REMEMBRANCE: As part of NASCAR’s Memorial Day weekend activities, Jones will honor a fallen soldier on his No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE. Riding alongside Jones will be SSG Justin R. Whiting from the United States Army. Born on Sept. 24, 1980, Justin was one of four siblings, most of whom enlisted in the military. Justin’s older sister Amanda joined the military prior to her younger brother’s enlistment in 1999. His younger brother Nathan joined after him and both were deployed to Iraq in 2008 at the same time. SSG Whiting gave his life on Jan. 19, 2008 near the city of Mosul, Iraq.
ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“I’m looking forward to Charlotte and the Coca-Cola 600. It’s honestly such a fun race for a lot of reasons. Obviously being at home is really nice, but also the way that Charlotte Motor Speedway honors our fallen soldiers on Memorial Day weekend. It’s just really special. I’m honored to have U.S. Army SSG Justin Whiting on the car for his family. I’m looking forward to meeting his family over the weekend and really letting them see what this weekend and the Charlotte race are all about. It’s honestly been one of the best mile-and-a-half races over the past few years. I’m ready to put on a show.”
BEN BESHORE QUOTE:
“Honestly, the length of the Coca-Cola 600 doesn’t make our preparation too different from a car setup standpoint. It’s a unique race that you kind of start during the day and then transition to the sunset period and then end at night. You do have to keep that in mind as you’re setting your car up. You’re probably going to run your fastest laps at the end of the race as it cools off. We don’t to put ourselves in a box where you can’t adjust the car and it’s the longest race of the year so you’re never really out of it. You can go a lap down at multiple times during the race and gamble to get your way back on the lead lap. You can fight your way back through after a spin or damage or something. There’s a long time to get back in it, and it tends to get crazy at the end. We just need to keep our head down and keep fighting all night. Coming off of Texas where we had a good run, we’re hoping to carry over some of what we learned there into another intermediate track.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON
NO. 84 CARVANA TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
HONORING 1st LT MATTHEW DAVIS: Matthew Davis was from Drexel Hill, PA and graduated from Pennsylvania State University before joining the United States Marine Corps. Though eligible for a commission, he chose to enlist and served as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense Marine. After completing an overseas deployment and rising to the rank of sergeant, Matt later earned his commission as an infantry officer. As a platoon commander with Boat Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Matt led his Marines through demanding amphibious operations—navigating frigid surf in small rubber craft. He also completed rigorous mountain warfare training and deployed to the western Pacific. Whether among his Marines, his family, or the many others he impacted, Matt consistently brought out the best in those around him.
On the evening of November 7, 1st Lt. Matthew Davis was patrolling near his regimental headquarters at Camp San Mateo on the northern end of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, when he was tragically struck and killed by a drunk driver traveling at high speed. Matt died instantly and did not suffer, and was just 30 years old.
He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, son Logan, and daughter Aubrey, along with his parents, brothers, and family. Matt was honored with a memorial service and a military burial at Quantico National Cemetery. His legacy of service, strength, and selfless leadership lives on in all who knew him.
CARVANA-BASED LIVERY: The tribute extends beyond racing history. As part of NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” on Memorial Day weekend, Johnson’s No. 84 will carry the name of 1st Lt. Matthew Robert Davis, USMC, a fallen service member selected in partnership with CarVets, Carvana’s Veteran-focused Employee Resource Group, ensuring every lap is run in honor of a hero’s sacrifice.
LED BY LEGACY, NEON 84: For this milestone start and moving forward, Johnson’s No. 84 Toyota features his signature neon yellow numbers, a nod to his seven-time Championship-winning No. 48 he shared so much success in for the last two decades.
GOAT DRIVE: Before the 600-mile race, Johnson will take a short drive of his own at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with some precious cargo. Johnson and NFL legend Tom Brady will be participating in the “G.O.A.T. Drive” at the Indianapolis 500, leading the field to green in a two-seater INDYCAR before the race. This event, which is being dubbed the “G.O.A.T. Drive,” is a special pre-race ceremony where Johnson and Brady, both considered racing legends, will take a ride in the “Fastest Seat in Sports” live on FOX.
JOHNSON MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Johnson will be available to the media on Saturday, May 24 at 11:45 a.m. in the media center at Charlotte Motor Speedway to talk about his 700th career start and many other topics.
JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:
“To reach my 700th start at the very race and track where my Cup career began makes this moment incredibly special. It’s a full-circle journey, and to share it with fans on Memorial Day weekend while honoring a fallen service member adds even more meaning.”
“This week is going to be very special to me, busy as can be, but I am embracing it and will cherish each moment and interaction. Our LEGACY MC cars were awesome at Texas and Kansas so there is a ton of momentum for our CLUB right now and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the No. 84 Carvana Toyota.”
CLUB APPEARANCES:
JJ ON SIRIUS: Johnson will join the crew for The Morning Drive this week on Friday, May 23 at 9:00 a.m. ET on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Channel 90 live.
JJ IN MEDIA: Johnson joins hosts Mike Forde, Amanda Ellis, and Nate Ryan, for “NASCAR Hauler Talk” where they offer fans a closer look at what happens behind the scenes, from rule changes to officiating decisions, logistics, and broadcasting. Johnson will also join “Rubbin’ is Racing”, a NASCAR podcast hosted by Large and Spider of Barstool Sports. It provides a behind-the-scenes look at the sport, featuring interviews with NASCAR drivers and discussions about the betting aspects of the sport. The podcast is released weekly, typically on Thursdays. Post-race, Johnson will join Steve Letarte for “Inside the Race” after the 600 the week of May 27.
MELIN: On Friday, Nemechek will appear at the new Melin storefront in Birkdale Village (16942 Birkdale Commons Pkwy, Huntersville, NC 28078) from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to sign some autographs and take some photographs with the No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota Camry XSE.
TUNE IN:
The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway takes place on Sunday, May 25. The race will start at 6 p.m. EDT and will broadcast on Amazon Prime, MAX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
LMC PR
