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Building a Legacy: Jones, Nemechek Break Through at Texas

 

FORT WORTH, TX — For most of 2025, Erik Jones and Legacy Motor Club have been stuck in NASCAR’s version of a group text with no replies: plenty of effort, not a lot of response.

 

But on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway — where patience usually goes to die and tires go to the marbles — Jones turned in a performance that felt like someone finally found the reset button.

 

In his 300th Cup Series start, Jones finished fifth in a race that featured more twists than a soap opera marathon: twelve cautions, pit road penalties, and a chaotic final stage that thinned out contenders like a bad buffet. It was Legacy Motor Club’s first top five of the season and Jones’ first non-superspeedway top five since checks notes the Kansas playoffs… of 2023.

 

A Team in Transition

Legacy Motor Club entered 2025 with fresh paint: new leadership, a new manufacturer in Toyota, and high hopes after a rocky 2024. There were flashes of optimism — Owner Jimmie Johnson finishing third in the Daytona 500 at age 49 (because why not?), and John Hunter Nemechek logging early top 10s — but most weekends since have been filled with frustration and flickers.

 

Texas, for once, flipped the script.

 

Jones wasn’t the only one to cash in on the chaos. Nemechek rallied late to finish eighth, giving Legacy its first multi-car top-10 result on a non-drafting track. For a two-car outfit trying to move from “also ran” to “actual threat,” this was progress you could measure — and maybe believe in.

 

The Texas Tornado

Texas Motor Speedway in the Next Gen era has become NASCAR’s version of a trap door: you’re fine, then you’re gone. The cars are faster, the margins thinner, and Sunday’s race proved that survival is the first — and often only — metric that matters.

 

Legacy survived.

 

Jones ran Stage 1 like a man with a plan, finishing 10th and earning his first stage point since March. Then came the penalties — plural. By Stage 2, he was buried in 21st. But Stage 3 became a game of who wasn’t wrecking, and Jones stayed clean. On the final restart, he lined up behind Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney — rare air for the No. 43 car this season — and battled into the top five, passing Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the last lap like a man chasing overdue karma.

 

Eyes on the Climb

Jones jumped a spot in the standings to 29th. Nemechek, now 23rd, sits 33 points below the playoff cutline — a margin that in May feels both manageable and maddening. But here’s the thing: momentum in NASCAR is a funny beast. It doesn’t show up in lap times or wind tunnel data. It shows up in confidence. And suddenly, Legacy’s got some.

 

No one’s confusing this team with Joe Gibbs Racing. But they’re not being confused with “field fillers,” either. If the cars keep showing speed — and the crew can keep the penalties off the stat sheet — there’s potential for more top 10s. Maybe even a playoff push.

 

Sure, the road is long. But at least now, there’s a road.

 

The Verdict

Texas didn’t crown a new champion. But for a team that’s been bruised, rebuilding, and frankly a bit invisible most Sundays, this was a shot of belief. Jones, the veteran who somehow still flies under the radar, got his moment. Nemechek continues to learn on the fly. And Legacy — for a few precious laps — looked like a team that belonged.

 

Erik Jones’ 300th race won’t end up in the NASCAR Hall of Fame archives. But it just might mark the turning point in a season — and a rebuild — that’s been begging for one.