“What the F*ck”: Erik Jones Livid Frustration in Phoenix Sums Up Jimmie Johnson & Co’s Short Track Struggle

Toyotas were the headline in the Shriners Children’s 500 at the 1-mile Phoenix Raceway. It was the #11 Camry XSE for JGR that picked up P1 in qualifying and it was the #20 Toyota with Christopher Bell behind the wheel that won Joe Gibbs Racing their first victory in 2024. But amidst the heavy Toyota domination in the foothills of the Sierra Estrella, TRD’s latest technical partners, Jimmie Johnson and Maury Gallagher’s Legacy Motor Club (LMC) turned in the worst representation for the Japanese automakers on Sunday.

#42 and #43 Display Average Performances for Jimmie Johnson and LMC

#43 Erik Jones showed early promise in Phoenix. The first driver to win ROTY in all three NASCAR national series qualified at P4, behind fellow Toyota drivers Hamlin and Ty Gibbs at P2. He even started in front of last-to-last week’s Vegas runner-up, 23XI’s Tyler Reddick, another TRD driver in P6. Jones showed finesse throughout the 312 laps, signaling great things for LMC.

However, after pole-sitter Denny Hamlin spun due to a Tyler Reddick-induced situation on lap 92, it was Chase Briscoe and Bubba Wallace’s four-wide side draft that caused the #43 to get nudged into the outside wall by Wallace’s #23 on the final restart. Jones’ and Legacy’s expectations to follow up on dual-Daytona’s top 10 finish ended up in disappointment as the Michigan native landed up in P31. This incident had the #43 team furious at SHR’s #14, with Jones hurling expletives on the team radio during the situation. He even publically stated that he would “call him (Briscoe) this week,” in post-race interviews.

On the other hand, the #42 car for Jimmie Johnson’s organization with 2021 CTS champion, John Hunter Nemechek manning the driver’s seat, had their own share of problems. LMC’s #42 had a post-race fallout with the fastest car on Friday’s practice – the #22 of Joey Logano. The Team Penske star was raging at JHM after he triggered a multi-car pileup on lap 206 that ended Logano as well as his day at a meager P25. This marks his third straight finish outside the Top 20 for Legacy Motor Club in 2024. The 7-time Cup winner, Johnson, and part-time driver of the #88 car for LMC will certainly be looking for better performances from his drivers in the upcoming weeks.

Read More: Infuriated Joey Logano Ruthlessly Trashes John Hunter Nemechek’s ‘Slow’ Claims in 7-Words

A Real Short Track in the Next Race

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The next race is the Food City 500, and it is coming up at a real short track – “fastest half-mile in the world,” the Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17th, albeit without the much-discussed package on an actual short track. A closer look at Jones’ previous results paints a stark picture. He now has back-to-back finishes outside the Top-20 in Bristol, his first in the #43 Camry XSE since LMC partnered with Toyota in a technical alliance.

Last year in the Bristol dirt race, however, Jones secured the 14th spot. His runs at the other short tracks of the season, Richmond and Martinsville did not bear much fruit either, resulting in dismal displays in all four of last year’s races at the short track venues. Jones is also coming off of a 48-race losing streak.

His teammate, 26-year-old Nemechek, stepping into his first full-time season with Jimmie Johnson’s organization does not have much to show for at the half-mile oval circuit. In his previous stint with Front Row Motorsports in 2020, Nemechek finished P13 and P20 respectively in the Bristol races. His P13 finish at the Supermarket Heroes 500 was the last time Bristol 1 was run on a paved circuit instead of the 3-year Dirt experiment, taking effect just the next year. Could this be a silver lining in the clouds of uncertainty plaguing Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club’s short-track fortunes?

Read More: Livid Legacy MC Crew Goes After Tony Stewart’s Star as They Acquit Bubba Wallace of Jeopardizing Erik Jones