14 Days to Daytona: #43 Legacy Motor Club

In two weeks, Daytona 500 qualifying will commence on Valentine’s Day. At the time of this writing, 41 confirmed entries will shoot for the front row of the Daytona 500. Among these 41 entries is the #43 Legacy Motor Club team. With the iconic number on the car, Erik Jones and team will lead the organization with the switch to Toyota. Will the manufacturer switch lead to better success? Fans will find out soon since there are only 14 Days to Daytona.

#43 Legacy Motor Club

Driver: Erik Jones

Crew Chief: Dave Elenz

Sponsors: AdventHealth, Dollar Tree/Family Dollar, Allegiant, Club Wyndham

2024 Season Preview

Returning to Toyota

While the switch to Toyota might be new for Legacy Motor Club, it is a reunion for Erik Jones. Before driving the 43 car, Jones was a former Toyota prospect with Joe Gibbs Racing. With Toyota, Jones enjoyed moderate success in the Cup Series. In the lower series, Jones is a former Truck Series champion and tallied 16 wins combined. Despite being replaced by Christopher Bell at JGR, it never seemed that Toyota wanted to get rid of Jones. Rather, Toyota only had one Cup team at the time and Bell was considered the better prospect. Now that Toyota and Jones are reunited, it will be interesting to see how well the 43 team runs this year.

Rebound Season

After 2022, it felt that Petty-GMS was on the upswing. Erik Jones won the Southern 500 and turned some heads with strong runs on the intermediates. It seemed that the NextGen car was truly helping the lower-tiered teams compete with the big boys. Then, Jimmie Johnson bought a stake in the organization. Thus, Legacy Motor Club was born. With the awful name came an awful season, including a downturn for the 43 team. While things looked better at the end of the season, the 43 teams need to rediscover their 2022 form this coming season. Many expect that to happen now that the team actually has a manufacturer backing them.

Avoiding a Penalty

On top of the downturn in performance last year, Erik Jones and the 43 team also got served a L1 penalty from NASCAR. After Sonoma, NASCAR handed the team the 60-point penalty. In addition to the lost points, crew chief Dave Elenz was fined $75,000 and suspended for 2 races. That 60-point penalty cost Jones and the team 4 spots in the final point ranking. Legacy Motor Club will need to avoid any massive penalties in 2024.

Darlington Special

No matter how well his team is performing, Erik Jones always pulls out a great drive at Darlington. Easily, Darlington is his best track. To start his Cup career, Jones rattled off 6 straight Top-10s, including his Southern 500 win in 2019. Since joining Petty/LMC, Jones still flashes his Darlington skill despite the poor finishes. If he avoids trouble, Jones runs Top-10 (if not Top-5). In 2022, Jones collected his second Southern 500 win. No matter how well LMC runs this season, expect Erik Jones to have strong performances in South Carolina.

Daytona 500 Chances

Days to Daytona: #43 Legacy Motor Club - Erik Jones — Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Erik Jones is considered a solid superspeedway racer. The Daytona International Speedway is home to Jones’ other Cup Series win. However, luck usually is not on his side. This is especially true for the Daytona 500. In his 7 starts, Jones has only finished on the lead lap once. That lead lap finish was a third in 2019. The skill is there, but that does not help much when the car is getting junked regularly.

Speedweeks Outlook

It will be interesting to see Legacy Motor Club flash the Toyota speed for the first on February 14. Usually, the former Petty team qualifies poorly for the Daytona 500. However, Toyota will likely help Erik Jones qualify better. When it comes to the duel race, Jones alternates every season whether he runs well or not. Last year, Jones finished outside the Top-10. This year, Jones will likely place in the Top-5 if the pattern holds true. The Great American Race will likely find its conclusion without the presence of the 43 car on track.