The upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway puts Legacy Motor Club in the spotlight, as drivers and crews work to build on past successes and chase a win on Sunday, February 22. With a strong history at the 1.54-mile track and recent energetic performances, drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones look to carry the team’s storied legacy forward in the Atlanta 400.
Legacy Motor Club’s Atlanta Dominance Through the Years
Legacy Motor Club has made a significant mark at Atlanta Motor Speedway through the achievements of its prominent figures. Team owner Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, notched five career wins at Atlanta from 2004 through 2016 on the old track layout. Over 29 starts, Johnson amassed 14 top-five finishes, 17 top-tens, and led a total of 586 laps, underscoring his reputation for consistency and competitiveness.
Matt Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series Champion and now Legacy Motor Club’s competition advisor, also showcased consistent results at Atlanta. In 30 starts on the previous configuration, Kenseth claimed 11 top-fives, 17 top-tens, and led 363 laps, with a close runner-up finish in August 2014, only .574 seconds behind winner Kasey Kahne.
Team ambassador and motorsports icon Richard Petty—affectionately known as “The King”—won six times in 65 career starts at Atlanta. Petty’s dominance is evidenced by 22 top-five and 33 top-ten finishes, alongside 1,827 laps led. His victories at the track spanned from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, establishing a legacy that continues to inspire the organization.
Historic Moments at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway has been the stage for significant milestones in NASCAR history, notably on November 15, 1992. Richard Petty bid farewell to his legendary career with a final race at the venue, drawing a record crowd of 160,000 spectators. That same race saw future superstar Jeff Gordon make his Cup Series debut, creating a bridge between generations and solidifying Atlanta’s pivotal role in the sport.
John Hunter Nemechek’s Ambition on Multiple Fronts
John Hunter Nemechek heads into the Atlanta weekend with momentum, following an impressive showing at the Daytona 500 where he led 19 laps—the second-highest single-race total in his Cup career—and matched Kyle Busch for third-most laps led in that event. Nemechek’s Cup Series record at Atlanta features five starts with a personal best 10th-place finish last February.
Nemechek’s skill extends into the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, where he claimed a victory in July 2023 after edging Daniel Hemric by .245 seconds. His twelve total starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway—spanning Cup, Xfinity, and Truck series—include two track victories and multiple top-five and top-ten results. This weekend, he’ll also race in the Fr8 Racing 208 Truck Series event, piloting the No. 62 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Halmar-Friesen Racing, aiming to further boost his experience and odds on Sunday.
“I’m really excited about going to Atlanta this weekend. I think we showed that we have a lot of speed in our LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Camrys at Daytona, so I’m looking forward to building off that in Atlanta. Our speedway program has been really good, so I’m confident we’ll go down there and lead some laps and have a shot to be there at the end.”
— John Hunter Nemechek, Driver
Crew Chiefs Bring Expertise and Preparation
Crew chief Travis Mack brings a wealth of knowledge to Atlanta, with ten previous Cup Series races at the track. His top result came in July 2023 when his driver, Daniel Suarez, finished second behind William Byron under caution. Mack also helped steer John Hunter Nemechek to a 10th-place finish at Atlanta last February. Additional experience in the Xfinity Series with Michael Annett, where finishes included 12th and 11th, reinforces Mack’s reputation for steady results.
“I think Atlanta will be a good opportunity for the No. 42 Dollar Tree team. We should be able to carry over the speed we showed in Daytona into this weekend, and we had solid runs in both races there last year. I’m looking forward to John Hunter running the Truck race again to get more reps with Hayden (spotter) and hopefully get the win.”
— Travis Mack, Crew Chief
Erik Jones Seeks Redemption after Daytona Drama
Erik Jones enters Sunday’s race at Atlanta eager to rebound from a dramatic Daytona 500, where he exhibited notable skill in the closing laps. After a late-race caution and a four-lap dash to the checkered, Jones powered his No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE from the mid-20s to inside the top five in a single lap. Despite his charge, contact on the final lap sent him spinning, ultimately resulting in a 21st-place finish.
At Atlanta, Jones has made 14 Cup starts with two top-five and four top-10 finishes. His best run came in July 2022, finishing fourth after the track’s reconfiguration. In the most recent race in June, Jones started 26th and finished an impressive fifth. His performances in Atlanta’s lower divisions include a third-place run in the 2016 Xfinity race and a solid seventh in his lone Truck Series appearance, where he also led 37 laps.
“I’m looking forward to Atlanta, especially after our run last week at Daytona. We had a shot. Obviously, it’s kind of become a wild card race where it’s not exactly a superspeedway, but also not an intermediate. It’ll be interesting to see how the track is aging and how these cars will run there this time around. We’ve ran well at Atlanta in the past, so I’m excited to get back there and see what we’ve got. This could be another shot for us to win, for sure. We’ll hopefully be there when it matters at the end.”
— Erik Jones, Driver
Supporting the Next Generation and Community
Besides his on-track ambitions, Erik Jones continues engaging with the community through literacy-focused partnerships. On Friday before the race, Jones and partner AdventHealth will visit Calhoun Early Learning Academy in Georgia to support young readers as part of the #READwithErik initiative. He will share some of his favorite childhood titles with students, including “Big Farm Tractor” by Mary Packard and “The Puppy Book” by Jan Pfloog, supporting the literacy pillar of the Erik Jones Foundation established in 2021.
The Crew Chief Perspective: Mastering Atlanta’s Unique Challenge
Justin Alexander, crew chief for the No. 43 team, prepares for his tenth Cup Series race at Atlanta. Under the track’s new reconfiguration, Alexander has overseen three recent Cup races and helped Austin Dillon secure a sixth-place result in March 2021. Alexander’s prior Xfinity Series experience at Atlanta includes an eighth-place finish with Dillon in February 2017.
“Atlanta’s kind of its own deal. It races like a superspeedway with the pack and the drafting, but the surface and tire falloff make it more similar to a downforce track. You lean on some of the same concepts as Daytona, but the balance window is tighter and handling matters a lot more, so it ends up being its own package in a lot of ways.”
— Justin Alexander, Crew Chief
Fan Engagement and Race Details
Legacy Motor Club’s Atlanta race weekend is set to offer fans multiple ways to connect, including an autograph session with John Hunter Nemechek at the trackside merchandise hauler on Sunday, February 22, at 12:00 p.m. local time. The Atlanta 400 goes green later that day at 3 p.m. EST, broadcast on FOX, MAX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). The club encourages fans to tune in and support their drivers as they compete for another checkered flag at one of the sport’s most storied venues.
What’s at Stake and Looking Ahead
For Legacy Motor Club, the Atlanta race presents a critical opportunity to extend its tradition of success and collect valuable championship points early in the season. The combination of proven veterans like Jimmie Johnson, seasoned advisors such as Matt Kenseth and Richard Petty, and energetic drivers including John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones, makes the club a formidable presence. As NASCAR’s landscape continues to evolve, Atlanta’s challenges and possibilities remain central to the team’s ongoing pursuit of victory lane. The outcome of Sunday’s race may well set the tone for the rest of the season as Legacy Motor Club aims to etch another chapter into its impressive history.
