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Legacy Motor Club To Honor Deputy Devin Mason In Cook Out Southern 500

by Hunter Thomas August 31, 2025 0 comments

DARLINGTON, SC – On Sunday in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Legacy Motor Club will honor Darlington County Sheriff’s Office’s Deputy Devin Mason, who was killed in an ambush back in July.

Seven hours before Deputy Mason was shot and killed, John Hunter Nemechek visited the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office to promote the Cook Out Southern 500. On Sunday, Nemechek and his Legacy Motor Club teammate, Erik Jones will run a special decal honoring Deputy Mason. Nemechek’s No. 42 Toyota will also feature Deputy Mason’s name in place of his traditional signature above the driver’s side door.

“Overall, it’s just great to have the family here, Sherrif here, and I think the significance of it is we were down here on June 30, seven hours before he was killed, so it’s definitely one of those things you take to heart for sure,” Nemechek said. “From my side, I’ve had some family in law enforcement and whatnot, so you never know if you’re going to get the phone call, right? With that, they’re laying their lives on the line every time they step out to protect our communities and to honor those who do that is a very special in my heart.”

Deputy Mason was just 27-years-old, and he had just graduated from the criminal justice academy back in March. Deputy Mason had just completed his field training the week before the shooting on July 1. Left behind was his fiancée Madi Church and two-month-old son, Brooks Mason. On July 7, law enforcement from around the state of South Carolina paid their respects to Deputy Mason at the Darlington County Courthouse and then he was laid to rest in Columbus County in North Carolina.

“What’s ironic is, I first met John Hunter on the night Devin had started his shift on June 30, 2025, after a call from Russell Branham (Darlington Raceway Director of Development),” Darlington County Sheriff Michael August said. “John Hunter was our guest at the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office for that tour. Why is this significant? As the tour was taking place, like I said, Devin Mason and his shift, were beginning shift. We didn’t know, only seven hours later, Devin’s life and this community would be forever changed.

“Last month, John Hunter reached out to me and wanted to honor Devin’s sacrifice on his race car, and we’re truly honored and humbled by that gesture. John Hunter’s unwavering commitment to law enforcement is a testament to his character.”

Nemechek will start 30^th on Sunday at Darlington Raceway. He enters the weekend coming off a 17th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway. In his nine NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington, his best finish was ninth back in 2020. Nemechek is a 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner at the track, Too Tough To Tame as well.

“It means the world to me to be able to honor and remember those who lay their lives down and make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and our country and protecting Darlington County is amazing,” Nemechek said. “To be able to have him riding along with us tonight, I know he’s up there watching over us and hopefully it’ll bring us a little good luck and pushes us tonight.”

Jones is historically a strong contender at Darlington. In 2022, he won the Cook Out Southern 500. In 15 starts, he has finished inside the top-10 in eight, and he has an average finish 13.5. Jone will start 19^th on Sunday.

“I feel like we have a shot to win when we come here,” Jones said. “I feel like this is our best chance in a few years – our cars are getting better. The last couple of years, I don’t feel like we’ve had the cars that we’ve needed to contend, but this year, I feel like we will be a bit closer. This is a similar car to what we had in Indy, where we had a lot of speed, so I think that will transfer over a bit. I know it is a different track, but it will transfer some speed over. Definitely feel good about it. It is a hard one to win. Everything has to go really well.

The Cook Out Southern 500 will broadcast live on the USA Network at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Photo Credit: Hunter Thomas/TheFourthTurn.com