The Texas Motor Speedway became the venue for NASCAR fans to finally see defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano return to winning ways since his championship triumph last year. While the win marked a significant achievement for Team Penske, the event also brought positive tidings for Legacy Motor Club.
Erik Jones and John H. Nemechek finished the Würth 400 in fifth and eighth place, respectively, marking a pivotal moment in the team’s history since Jimmie Johnson became a majority stakeholder of the team earlier this year.
Legacy Motor Club Achieves a Historic Feat in Texas
In the Next Gen Era, racing at the Texas Motor Speedway has become more about surviving than winning. The last five races in the “Lone Star State” have reached double-digit cautions, and this year was no different. Sunday’s Würth 400 saw a season-high 12 cautions, halting racing frequently.
Thankfully for LMC and their drivers, the cautions did not hinder any of the progress they made throughout the race, as both of their drivers finished inside the top ten. The feat meant it was the first time in LMC’s history that the team had put two cars in the top ten in a single race at a non-drafting track.
Previously known as Petty GMS, the last time the camp was able to achieve the feat was back in 2014, given Ty Dillon only ever had one top-ten finish for the team. Should one consider that as the last time the camp had all their cars inside the top ten finishers, Jones and Nemechek’s achievement has ended an 11-year streak.
Today, @Erik_Jones and @JHNemechek finish fifth and eighth at @TXMotorSpeedway, respectively.
It's the first time @LEGACYMotorClub has two cars finish in the top 10 in a single race at a non-drafting track. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/6lPPCmbWuG
— Justin Schuoler (@JSchuoler)
Meanwhile, LMC had hit a dry spell since February, with Texas being their first top-ten finish since Atlanta. It has also marked the first time since the rebranding that the team has put both its cars inside the top ten at a track other than Daytona (2023 & 2024).
With the result, both drivers moved up the ladder in the drivers’ standings. Jones is now up by one spot to P29, while Nemechek moved up three spots to P23. However, he is still below the playoff cutoff line.
The feat wasn’t easy to come by either, given Jones had to tread along a tricky path to finish P5 on the day. He had qualified in P14 for the main race on Sunday, but a pair of pit road penalties halted his progress.
Racing in his 300th career Cup start, he charged up to P10 and earned his first stage points since Martinsville before fading to P21 when the second stage ended. Meanwhile, Nemechek had climbed up to P12 by then.
Eventually finishing P5, Jones recorded his first top-five finish since last fall’s Talladega Playoff race. Moreover, the result also marked Jones’ first top-five finish at a non-superspeedway since the 2023 Kansas postseason event.