HAMPTON, Ga.: With the plan to run 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this year, John Hunter Nemechek plans on having fun while learning and gaining confidence between racing on Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s big for me to come back this year and have fun and try to go win races, not really knowing what the Cup side has in store for the first few as far as speed and other things,” Nemechek said Saturday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Looking forward to gaining valuable lap time and experience the Toyota driver goes on to say, “For myself, I wanted to put myself in a situation where I can gain confidence on Saturday and go into Sunday and be able to go out there and strive, learn some things from Saturday to try to apply to Sunday.
The No. 42 Family Dollar | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Driver enters his second week of double duty for the top 2 series in NASCAR. With a pair seventh place finishes last week at Daytona International Speedway, the two-time Atlanta Motor Speedway winner is looking forward to another win.
“I like to race,” added Nemechek. “I like to be in race cars, and I think getting more laps is more beneficial for myself. Being able to work with the same group of guys at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) that are on the 20 car besides two positions, I think, everyone is still the same. It’s big for me to come back this year and have fun and try to go win races.”
The only current active driver to win on both the old and new configuration of the track, Nemechek enters the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 in the third starting position with his No. 20 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Supra.
“I think laps are laps, and any time you can have extra time on a racetrack and can draft on a superspeedway is a plus,” added Nemechek. “When you can make moves and put yourself in different places to see how things work out, you’re always learning something.”
Moving forward in the 2024 season, Nemechek sees the addition of personnel and resources as a benefit to both himself and his LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team.
“I would say the biggest change would be resources and then personnel are another big one. Quite a number of new faces to LEGACY M.C. this year,” explained Nemechek. “With the alliance with Toyota, TRD – I think we should be able to be competitive most weeks.”
The RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series is on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. E.T. on FS1.
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