Erik Jones and the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club team will be under new leadership for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Legacy announced Monday that Justin Alexander will assume the role as crew chief for this upcoming season.
Brandon Beshore, who took over as Jones’ crew chief near the end of the 2024 season, was named the team’s director of race engineering. Jones finished 24th in the points standings and compiled four top 5s in his lone season with Beshore sitting atop the pit box.
Alexander is a veteran of the series, having previously served as crew chief for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team. Five of Dillon’s six career Cup victories came with Alexander, including the 2018 Daytona 500. Alexander also worked as a shock specialist for Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team, becoming lead engineer in 2005. Johnson is a co-owner of Legacy.
“We’re continuing to evolve and refine every part of our race program, and Justin is a tremendous addition to our crew chief lineup,” Johnson said. “His experience, communication style, and leadership align perfectly with the direction we’re headed. We appreciate Ben’s hard work and look forward to his continued contributions as he transitions into his new role.”
Erik Jones will have a new crew chief in 2026
The 2026 season will be Jones’ 10th full-time season in Cup and fourth with Legacy. He finished as high as 15th in the points standings in 2018, then driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones has three wins and 95 top 10s in 316 career starts in Cup. His last win came in September 2022, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Legacy is making these changes in hopes of providing a spark to Jones and the No. 43 team. Time will tell if the moves pay off.
“Justin is a proven race winner, and we believe there’s the potential for a strong chemistry with Erik,” said Cal Wells III, Legacy CEO. “We’ll also have Ben raising all ships with the performance engineering group. With all these changes, we’re hoping to continue the growth we saw in 2025.”