HOMESTEAD, Fla.—John Hunter Nemechek will enjoy a taste of his NASCAR Cup future this weekend.
The 26-year-old driver, who currently leads the Xfinity Series Playoff standings under the Joe Gibbs Racing banner, has been given the opportunity to run the No. 42 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club on Sunday.
While it’s been just over a month since the second-generation racer was officially named to LMC’s 2024 roster, Nemechek is excited to start his next chapter with the team and current crew chief Luke Lambert.
“It makes me feel really good to be able to come down to Homestead, get some laps and experience in the 42 car for Legacy Motor Club,” Nemechek said. “It’s definitely valuable, especially since I’ll be there for the next couple of years.
“Really, just to be able to run a Cup race is super neat. There are things interior-wise that I can figure out if I like or don’t like and changes I can make. Being able to get together with the crew and learn some of the things that they do on a daily basis and learn how they communicate, that will come in handy.
“I’m just trying to get acclimated myself, but track time at Homestead never hurts, that’s for sure.”
Unlike some up-and-coming racers, Nemechek took a circuitous track to reach NASCAR’s top series. He toiled in the Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series for seven seasons before securing a full-time Cup ride with Front Row Motorsports in 2020. Nemechek wasn’t satisfied with where his path had ended, so he refined his craft through Toyota Motorsports—first, at Kyle Busch Motorsports and currently in the No. 20 Toyota at JGR.
Nemechek’s results have been solid. Over two seasons at KBM he scored seven wins, transferred to the Championship 4 round in 2021 and finished third. Nemechek’s performance this season at Gibbs has been stellar. He leads the tour with seven wins, 16 top fives, 23 top 10s. He has led 956 of 4,376 laps.
His effort has been rewarded with a seat at LMC—the recently renamed operation co-owned by Maury Gallagher and seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.
“The goal was to move back down and revamp my career with Toyota and TRD,” said Nemechek who will start second in the Contender Boats 250. “I’ve had some great opportunities along the way at Kyle Busch Motorsports, winning quite a few races over there in the truck series. I came up just short for the championship.
“This year for Joe Gibbs Racing—and the last couple of years for Joe Gibbs Racing—it has been nice to get in some really fast Toyota Tundras and GR Supras.”
For other young racers coming through the ranks, Nemechek recommends a rehabilitation tour of sorts. If a driver doesn’t perform in JGR’s Xfinity Series cars, it’s unlikely they’ll succeed at the Cup level. Nemechek displayed his talents emphatically in top-of-the-line equipment.
“I’m happy with the way things have gone,” Nemechek said. “I always want more. As a driver, you always want more wins, championships, whatever it might be. I feel really good about where we’re at with the team, with myself and the gamble that we took—although I guess it’s not a gamble any more. The opportunity that presented itself that we looked at and (were) able to take is definitely paying off.
“The goal is to get back to the Cup Series in a competitive ride, and I definitely think we’re going to have that next year.”
Nemechek is currently 47 points above the Xfinity Series Round of 8 cutoff and 26 points ahead of second-place Justin Allgaier. With non-Playoff contender Riley Herbst winning last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway—the first race of the round–at least two of the drivers advancing to the Championship 4 Round at Phoenix Raceway will lock in on points.
With two races remaining before Phoenix, the opportunity still remains for one of the eight drivers to secure a spot at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend or next weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
While Nemechek has wins in both the truck and Xfinity Series at Martinsville, Homestead continues to be one of his favorite tracks. His average NXS finish is 4.5. In three Cup starts, he has a best qualifying effort of fourth last year. His top finish at the 1.5-miler was 19th in 2020.
“I love Homestead,” Nemechek said. “This place is great—a lot of history for my family down here. I definitely want to win here, that’s for sure. But this place is amazing, coming to South Florida.
“Being able to run the bottom, the middle, the top, move around, run the fence, there’s so many different grooves. Homestead puts on some really great racing.”
And how does John Hunter like his chances for the NXS title?
“I don’t know, we’’ll see,” Nemechek said. “I feel pretty good.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
