Legacy Motor Club endured a difficult 2023 season as the team transitioned from Chevrolet to Toyota, causing setbacks throughout their driver lineup. This year has started out even tougher, with the team’s performance dropping below expectations compared to 2022, their rookie campaign. Despite these struggles, both Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek have recently begun showing encouraging progress during the 2024 NASCAR season, suggesting a turning point is underway.
Entering the Chicago race weekend, Jones acknowledged the uphill battle ahead. Positioned 39 points below the Playoff cutline, the driver of the No. 43 Toyota understands the reality that success requires either consistent high finishes or a victory to open a path into the postseason. Lesser mistakes will be crucial in the coming weeks, as opportunities to secure essential points are narrowing.
Erik Jones Focuses on Steady Performance to Close Playoff Gap
Jones’ current strategy centers on maintaining momentum and accumulating necessary points rather than taking unnecessary risks. He believes that sustaining recent form will improve his chances of playoff qualification, provided no unexpected winners with lower points emerge to complicate the standings.
For us, I mean, it’s just doing what we’re doing. If we keep running the way we’ve ran since Charlotte, we’ll probably point our way in, barring another kind of obscure winner farther back in points.
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
So, that’s the plan right now, just to keep running well and keep racking these points up. I hope it goes well again this weekend. Kind of three strange weeks: here (Chicago), Sonoma, and Dover, so it’s going to kind of make-or-break us.
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
Jones is aware that a single poor race could critically damage his chances. Without fortunate circumstances, any significant slip-up could undermine his bid to advance, demonstrating the slim margin for error he faces as the regular season progresses.
Despite the pressure, the team’s recent upward trend is a cause for cautious optimism. Jones highlighted the importance of capitalizing on key races where they could contend for wins, reinforcing the dual approach of consistency and seizing victory opportunities.
We’ve been on a great roll, tons of momentum. It’s easy to look at it right now and say it’s going to keep going, but you don’t know how things ebb and flow. Pointing our way in is the number one goal, but we’re banking hard on a couple of races that we can win, too,
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
Season Performance Split Shows Growing Competitiveness for Jones
The first half of Jones’ 2024 season was marked by modest results, including no top-10 or top-5 finishes in the first nine races, with four finishes inside the top 20. In contrast, the latter half has displayed marked improvement. Over the next nine events, Jones secured three top-10 finishes—two of which were top-5s—along with eight top-20 results overall, signaling that both he and the No. 43 Toyota are beginning to effectively compete within the field. Yet, the driver emphasizes that this increased pace still leaves little room for mistakes.
The Elusive Final Step: Jones Discusses What It Takes to Become a Front-Runner
Even with steady progress, Erik Jones admits that breaking into elite company remains a significant challenge. When asked what differentiates his team from dominant powerhouses like Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), and Hendrick Motorsports, he described the fragile nature of advancing from solid finishes to winning performances as “the magic zone.”
So, in racing, I think if you’re running 30th, like we were last year, it’s not easy to get better to run in the top-15 or top-10, but it’s a lot easier to get to that point than it is to go from top-10 to top-five, to winning.
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
So, this is kind of where that magic starts to happen, and it takes some really good people to find some really minute things in race cars, and then it comes down to the drivers as well.. And execution, making it happen in the seat, so yeah, I wish I could just tell you what that is. I think we’re right there, a step away of being up there with the Penskes, JGR, Hendrick (Motorsports). We’re real close to that mark, but it definitely takes some magic.
—Erik Jones, NASCAR Driver
Currently, Jones holds 16th place in the driver standings with 379 points earned so far this season. Meanwhile, teammate John Hunter Nemechek has built a quietly competitive campaign despite sitting 23rd in the standings. Nemechek has already notched six top-10 finishes, including an impressive top-5 result in the Daytona 500, indicating that both drivers from Legacy Motor Club are steadily closing the gap on more established teams.
Implications for Legacy Motor Club’s Playoff Aspirations
Erik Jones’ playoff push in 2024 depends heavily on sustaining recent momentum while carefully navigating a demanding race schedule. The upcoming events at Chicago, Sonoma, and Dover will be pivotal, serving as critical tests that could either solidify his postseason chances or end them if results falter. Jones’ remarks reflect a clear understanding of how narrow the road to victory is and the technical and driver execution required to take that final step into championship contention.
As Jones and Nemechek continue to improve steadily, their performances will draw increased attention to Legacy Motor Club, assessing whether the team’s adjustment to Toyota can finally yield competitive success after a rocky start. The outcome of the next few races will be crucial in determining the trajectory of their 2024 season and their prospects in the NASCAR playoffs.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. How did Erik Jones fracture his back?
A. Jones broke a lower back bone when he hit the outside wall in a big car crash on April 21 at Talladega. Because of his injury, he did not race in the next two events at Dover and Kansas.
