John Hunter Nemechek surprised many Monday with the announcement that he will not return to Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.
Nemechek tweeted, “I’m so thankful for the chance that Bob Jenkins, Jerry Freeze and all our partners took on myself this past season. I would like to thank every employee for the opportunity and their hard work that they put into myself and the No. 38 team at Front Row Motorsports.
“I am grateful for my time, relationships, and all the knowledge I have gained. I appreciate the patience of our fans, with future plans to be announced at a later date.”
Front Row Motorsports team owner Bob Jenkins was equally thankful for the dedication that Nemechek put forth in his short tenure with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team.
“We want to thank John Hunter for being a part of Front Row Motorsports and beginning his NASCAR Cup Series career with us,” Bob Jenkins said in a team statement.
“He certainly helped elevate our performance this past season and brought added value to our No. 38 team. We wish him the best in the next phase in his career and he will always be a friend of ours.”
Nemechek joined Front Row Motorsports in a substitution role at the end of the 2019 season after Matt Tifft suffered a seizure at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway last October.
When Tifft was medically sidelined, Nemechek assumed the full-time role this season where he overperformed and delivered three top-10 finishes this season and 27th overall in the championship standings.
Front Row Motorsports said it will announce plans for its program in the future. The team is still expected to field two full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
