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Tag: John Hunter Nemechek

  • Four Gears: Kevin Harvick, John Hunter Nemechek, Winston Millon/No Bull 5 and Toyota

    Four Gears: Kevin Harvick, John Hunter Nemechek, Winston Millon/No Bull 5 and Toyota

    It’s time to cycle through the transmission for another edition of Four Gears.

    This week, our resident NASCAR journalists were asked if other drivers should be as up front as Kevin Harvick was about his pit crew to affect change. They also considered whether John Hunter Nemechek deserves all the flak he’s gotten for his last lap move at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and if he could’ve handled his last turn differently.  Another topic up for discussion was what programs like the old Winston Million and the No Bull 5 NASCAR could do to put emphasis on the crown jewel events and the odds of another Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota title victory at Homestead.

    FIRST GEAR: Kevin Harvick was blunt in his criticism of his pit crew at Darlington. Now there’s going to be a big change in the pit crew of the No. 4. In order to affect proper change, should more drivers be as up front and critical as Harvick was?

    Yes. Too much “toeing the line” in the sport, and to speak up and affect change on any level in NASCAR is a must. — Joseph Shelton

    It all depends on the situation. When it happens once, there’s no need to make a stink about it. After a couple of times, maybe it’s time to talk to the team in private. When it’s a constant thing, it needs to be addressed in public. Harvick has thrown away at least two wins this year because of terrible pit stops and didn’t get a major change until he made it public. — Michael Finley

    I would say yes, but I don’t think anyone could match Kevin Harvick’s bluntness from this past week. Sitting in the media center at Darlington Raceway, I had a front-row seat for the show or one question show. When he was asked if he would considering swapping pit crews with another one of his teammates, he got up and left.

    But in all seriousness, sometimes you need to chastise someone to get results. If this doesn’t serve as a wake-up call to his crew, then they need to be replaced. — Tucker White

    SECOND GEAR: John Hunter Nemechek was subjected to a ton of hate on social media following his MoSport win. Was it justified? Could he really help what happened in that final corner?

    Nemechek drove in over his head a bit, but he aggressively went for a win and got it. That’s what a driver is supposed to do, and considering NEMCO doesn’t have the financial cushion of JR Motorsports he’s fighting to keep the team competitive.

    As for the hate he was subjected to, it was ridiculous. It was a double-standard among peers and fans for sure. — Joseph Shelton

    When you are a young, hungry driver, you do anything to win. Nemechek didn’t just straight up dump Custer like he could have. And unlike a lot of kids coming up today, Nemechek knew when and where to be aggressive like that. It’s smarter when it’s for the win and dumber when it’s for 11th. — Michael Finley

    I’m not going to be hypocritical and say the hate wasn’t justified. I also took John Hunter Nemechek to task for his move on the final lap.

    But being just two years older than him, I also understand that he’s young and he’s going to make mistakes. I believe it was a heat of the moment decision that he’ll learn from and not be as over the line going for the win again. — Tucker White

    THIRD GEAR: With Martin Truex Jr.’s win Sunday, he now has two wins in 2016, both in two of the sport’s crown jewel events. What could NASCAR do to resurrect the Winston Million/No Bull 5 programs of the ’90s and 2000s?

    It’d be neat to have a similar program make its return, especially something like the No Bull 5, where a fan also won a cool million. Let’s see what the next series title sponsor has in mind. — Joseph Shelton

    A better title sponsor next season could be awesome. The No Bull was dumb to me (Although I did like the fan component of it) but the Winston Million was amazing. Just make the tracks Daytona, Charlotte, Indy, and Darlington and you’ve made important races even more so. — Michael Finley

    I’ve always wanted NASCAR to reboot the Winston Million and put more emphasis on the crown jewel races. Other than the Daytona 500, the other three crown jewel events are usually just another race.

    Other than a name change, just bring back the Winston Million as it was with the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, the Brickyard 400 (although it’s hard to consider it a crown jewel event when only 30-50,000 people are in attendance at a track that sits over 200,000) and the Bojangles’ Southern 500. — Tucker White

    FOURTH GEAR: What are the odds of another JGR Toyota winning the championship at Homestead?

    92 percent. Stewart-Haas Racing has been in the picture, and Team Penske is still right on JGR’s bumper, but as successful as Toyota has been this year I could see a JGR championship again at Homestead. — Joseph Shelton

    50/50. Yeah, they have run great all season. But Brad Keselowski has been strong, Joey Logano has been tough. After Dover last season, you cannot count out Kevin Harvick at any time. And all three are higher in driver points right now than any one Gibbs driver. — Michael Finley

    According to Las Vegas, Kyle Busch is 5/1, Carl Edwards is 10/1, Denny Hamlin is 10/1 and Matt Kenseth is 12/1 (odds are from Vegas Insider).

    What odds I’d give JGR to win? I’d say they’re pretty good. But I’m not going to rule out Team Penske or Stewart-Haas Racing. — Tucker White

  • The Final Word – I would absolutely suck as a pit crew member, so why won’t Harvick hire me?

    The Final Word – I would absolutely suck as a pit crew member, so why won’t Harvick hire me?

    A classic. That is what the Southern 500 is. Born in 1950, it predates NASCAR’s jewel events in Indianapolis, Bristol, Talladega, Charlotte, and Daytona. It is the Southern 500, the Labor Day classic at Darlington. It is not a November race, not a race to be branded by Dodge, not run on Mother’s Day or in April. After a dozen years of stupidity, it returned in 2015 to be what it has always been meant to be, the great southern Labor Day NASCAR tradition.

    Kevin Harvick lost Sunday’s race in classic style. If a pit crew can screw things up, it can find work on this car. Two pit stops, two disasters. One dropped him from first to fourth. The next, from first to 12th. It has reached the point where even the most understandable reason is rejected as yet another damned excuse. “Someone slashed our spare tires” or “It is hard to change a tire with no arms” or “The dog ate the air wrench” no longer cuts it. Harvick finished second. He should have been first.

    That was left for Martin Truex Jr. to accomplish. Sometimes, it is just more fun to win a classic event over the holidays. After previous career victories at Dover, Sonoma, and Pocono, this season it has been Labor Day at Darlington and the Memorial Day World 600 in Charlotte. Those are the kind of wins that get a driver remembered.

    Winning a title also does that. With Richmond the last stop before the Chase, a dozen drivers are locked in having won a race or more. Chris Buescher claims a spot if he manages to be within ten positions of David Ragan next weekend, thus staying within the season’s Top 30. Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon are a lock should they come home within 23 and 15 spots, respectfully, of Ryan Newman this Sunday. Jamie McMurray lays claim to the final spot should he be no more than six places behind Newman at Richmond, and a first-time winner does not emerge to steal that final Chase place from him. The question is, do Newman, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Blaney, A.J. Allmendinger, Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Greg Biffle, or Paul Menard have the horses to do what needs to be done? The odds are long, but remember that they were for Buescher once, too.

    It was a true classic at Darlington, but it was something of a classic finish in the truck race at MoSport Park in Ontario on Sunday. Well, the finish between John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer would have gone down as a classic if it had taken place at almost any other track. Two racers rubbing and racing and scraping against the wall to the finish. Instead, on the outside, they had enough prairie to give me a home where the buffalo roam, along with a couple of elk, before they came across any barrier. Rather than taking Custer to the outside wall, Nemechek wound up taking him into the car pool lane. What could have been a classic finish had all the appearances of a demo derby. Does that make Nemechek a wild man or a guy who did what he had to do on a surface that extended much farther out than what we would have normally seen? He won, so does it matter? I bet to Custer, it does. He seemed downright excited as he tackled Nemechek after the race, sending the pair tumbling to the grass. Vengeance is a bitch, and she just might have some bite before their version of the Chase concludes in the truck series. Just ask Joey Logano.

    Classic. They have been racing at Richmond since 1953, and the list of the winners there is a smorgasbord of NASCAR history, with all the fixings. It is where three generations of Petty boys have a victory, including 13 by the King himself. Both Earnhardts have won there, with Senior having a 5-3 advantage over Junior. Kyle has a 4-2 lead over Kurt in the battle of the Busch boys. Richmond is where Bobby Allison won seven times, with six wins apiece awarded to David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, and Rusty Wallace.

    Sadly, the one-time Capital City 400 sold its soul to Wrangler more than 35 years ago. Since then, the trail has winded through a brewery, a battery outfit, a car manufacturer, to even include a brand of pistachios for a season. A classic event it is not. A classic venue it most certainly is.

    Here is hoping for a classic finish. This spring Carl Edwards bumped Kyle Busch out of the way to record the first last-lap pass for the win in Richmond history. Why not another?

  • MoSport Finish Highlights Double Standard Set By Fans, Drivers

    MoSport Finish Highlights Double Standard Set By Fans, Drivers

    I have three words to describe yesterday’s Camping World Truck Series finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park: It. Was. Awesome.

    Plenty of beating and banging, with the No. 8 of John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 00 of Cole Custer leaning on each other coming to the checkered flag, smoke flying, metal crunching as both trucks were hooked together unable to pull apart. Then, for an added bonus, Custer straight up sacked Nemechek as he was going to grab the checkered flag. Don’t let anyone tell you differently; that’s usually the best way to settle any racing issue when you’re not in the mood for talking and explaining. Face-to-face or hand-to-hand is how all disagreements should be settled at the race track.

    Now, do I understand why Custer was upset? Absolutely. The incident was, in fact, Nemechek’s fault. On top of that, in his first full season, Custer has yet to score his third career CWTS win, and his JR Motorsports truck has not been operating up to par in 2016. He isn’t solidly in the Chase and with one race left before it begins, he’s under a lot of pressure. So yes, of course, he’d be furious after seeing his best shot at a Chase spot go up in a cloud of smoke and dirt because of a guy who has already won this season.

    That said, has Nemechek deserved the hate and vitriol he’s been getting over social media? No. Absolutely not. He did what he was paid to do, and he wanted that win just as badly as Custer did. It’s a racer’s prerogative to go for the win; why should we hate on that? Yes, he was at fault for the incident. He drove a little over his head, had a rare lapse in car control, and both he and Custer ended up in the grass. Keep in mind there, they were in the grass. With slicks. Hooked together coming to the checkered flag. Going for a win, it would have been stupid to let off the gas to regroup, but even if he did do that it would have taken a little longer to get their trucks unstuck.

    Yet after the race, people made it as if Nemechek was a dirty, soulless driver with a habit of wrecking others. It makes no sense, honestly. Nemechek races other drivers as respectfully and clean as possible. Sure, he’s slipped, he’s had issues, but which driver hasn’t? Kyle Larson let loose with this tweet following the race:

    I find it funny Larson showed a bit of savagery with this tweet, considering Larson dumped C.E. Falk at Daytona in 2013 for a win.

    Other tweets from the NASCAR contingent include these:

    I love how some of these guys plus plenty of other drivers were quick to bash Nemechek like they were bastions of clean, respectful racing and had never pulled a similar stunt on a race track.

    I bring all that up because I want to point out a few things regarding this latest blatant example of a double standard. All this outrage, all this anger, where was it when Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch were beating and banging for the win at Darlington in March of 2003? They were leaning, turning into each other, bumping each other, rubbing each other, and to this day we as fans eat that up. That was as big an event to us as the 1979 Daytona 500.

    What about the 2012 CWTS season finale at Homestead when Cale Gale squeezed Kyle Busch into the wall to score his first career win in the series? Where was the outrage there? Where was the seething hatred for Gale? Does anyone have any idea? I don’t.

    What about a personal favorite, last year’s fall Sprint Cup race at Martinsville where the lapped car of Matt Kenseth crashed then-leader Joey Logano in the first-turn wall? I don’t recall this much outrage for Kenseth’s actions. Instead, I hear nothing but cheers for Kenseth handling Logano. Never mind the fact that they weren’t going for the checkered, but were still several laps away and Kenseth had already been involved in a crash. That only goes to further accentuate the double standard. When it came to a lapped car taking out the leader, everyone was overjoyed. But yesterday, when two hungry drivers slammed and banged for the win, everyone was ready to crucify Nemechek.

    It makes no sense.

    The finish at MoSport is exactly what the CWTS needs. Gripe and complain now, but years from now this finish will be remembered fondly. That was good racing in a season full of great finishes. This has been a banner year for the trucks, as only two non-regulars have won this season, race quality has been spectacular, and on top of that, we’re seeing the rise of stellar young drivers like William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Daniel Hemric.

    Instead of dropping the hammer on a driver for doing nothing more than racing hard for a win, accept the fact that MoSport was a heck of a race with a fun finish. Accept that, and leave it at that. Don’t go harebrained and take to social media to bash Nemechek for doing his job.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kansas

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kansas

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series travel to Kansas Speedway this weekend while the XFINITY Series is off. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, May 5:

    On Track:
    2:30-3:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice
    4:30-5:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice
    6:30-7:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    1:15 p.m.: Rico Abreu
    1:30 p.m.: Clint Bowyer
    1:45 p.m.: John Hunter Nemechek

    Friday, May, 6:

    On Track:
    11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – FS1
    1:30-2:50 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – FS1
    4:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    6:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    8:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra 250 (167 laps, 250.5 miles) – FS1

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    11 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:15 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger
    10:30 a.m.: Jamie McMurray
    12:30 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    3:30 p.m.: Brad Keselowski
    8 p.m.: NSCS Post-Qualifying (time approx)
    11 p.m.: NCWTS Post-Race (time approx)

    Saturday, May 7:

    On Track:
    7:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series GoBowling 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – FS1

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    11 p.m.: NSCS Post-Race (time approx)

    Additional Info:
    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

    Special NASCAR Programming:
    “NASCAR: The Rise of American Speed” – Sunday, May 8 at 9 p.m. ET on CMT – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Executive Producer

    *Click here for a sneak peek of the three-part special event

  • Nemechek Captures the Truck Victory at Atlanta

    Nemechek Captures the Truck Victory at Atlanta

    HAMPTON, Ga.– One final restart was all that was needed for John Hunter Nemechek to score the victory at Atlanta.

    The driver of the No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet led just eight laps, but it was the final eight laps as he scored his second career victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He is the youngest winner in Atlanta Motor Speedway history.

    Cameron Hayley was leading late in the race, but was passed by Nemechek with 13 laps to go and finished runner-up. Timothy Peters finished third in his No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota. Daniel Hemric finished fourth in his No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford with Grant Enfinger rounding out the top-five in his No. 33 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

    Ben Rhodes finished sixth in his No. 41 ThorSport Racing Toyota, John Wes Townley finished seventh in his No. 05 Athenian Motorsports Chevrolet and Parker Kligerman finished eighth in his RBR Racing Ford. Caleb Holman finished ninth in his No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Toyota and Spencer Gallagher rounded out the top-10 in his No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

    Matt Crafton was the dominant car of the race leading 76 of the 130 laps. With 15 laps to go, however, Christopher Bell tapped the left-rear corner panel of Daniel Suárez’s truck. He was sent into the right-rear corner of Crafton and both slammed into the wall on the backstretch. Crafton finished 30th and Suárez finished 31st.

    Bell was leading the race with four laps to go before suffering a right-front tire blowout and slamming the wall in Turn 4. He finished 26th.

    The race lasted one hour, 39 minutes and nine seconds at an average speed of 121.150 mph. The caution was waved five times for 25 laps – two times for the caution clock expiring – and one red flag for six minutes and 20 seconds. There were seven lead changes among four different drivers.

  • John Hunter Nemechek Gets First Truck Series Victory at Chicagoland

    John Hunter Nemechek Gets First Truck Series Victory at Chicagoland

    By Reid Spencer
    NASCAR Wire Service

    JOLIET, Ill.—One of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ youngest drivers struck a blow for old-school racing on Saturday morning at Chicagoland Speedway.

    Stretching his fuel mileage beyond the capabilities of most of his of competitors, John Hunter Nemechek rolled across the finish line 12.014 seconds ahead of Tyler Reddick, who was also saving fuel, to score his first victory in the series in the American Ethanol e15 225.

    At 18 years, 3 months and 8 days, Nemechek is the fourth-youngest winner in the series, and he accomplished the victory with a skeleton crew working on a team owned by his father, Joe Nemechek.

    Nemechek, a current member of the NASCAR Next class, came to pit road for the last time on Lap 94, topping off under caution one lap before the race returned to green and managed to squeeze 56 laps out of his last tank of gas. Inheriting the lead on Lap 149 of 150 when Keystone Light Polesitter Kyle Larson ran out of fuel and brought his car to pit road, Nemechek ran out of gas off the final corner and coasted across the stripe.

    “We got to top off there with one to go, and he (crew chief Gere Kennon) told me to save fuel, save fuel that last run, and that’s what we ended up doing,” John Hunter Nemechek said. “I ran out coming out of Turn 4. It was great strategy that he had worked up in his mind.

    “I should know never to doubt him.”

    When Nemechek took the green flag for the last time on Lap 96, Kennon figured the No. 8 Chevrolet was four laps short of finishing the race but didn’t give his driver the specific numbers.

    “I just told him to save,” Kennon said. “It got to 10 (laps) to go, and I said, ‘Just slow down—just save.’ He didn’t say anything back, and I was like, ‘He may not know how to save.’ I told him to slow down even more, and it all worked out.’

    Exclusive of Joe Nemechek and son, Kennon is one of nine full-time employees supporting the Truck Series operation.

    “You have to think,” Joe Nemechek said. “Gere Kennon and myself—we’re thinkers. We’re old-school thinkers. You had to figure stuff out back in the past, not with engineering, but with the old-school way of thinking ‘How do you make it better?’ And we’ve been able to do that.”

    John Hunter Nemechek is quick to acknowledge the financial and emotional commitment his father has made to his racing effort.

    “He has everything invested in me, and he believes in me, so, without him, none of this would be possible, and I wouldn’t be here today,” John Hunter said.”

    With his runner-up finish, Reddick took over second place in the series standings, 10 points behind leader Erik Jones, who finished sixth. Two-time defending series champion Matt Crafton suffered two pit road penalties, ran out of fuel and finished 14th, three laps down, to fall to third in points, 11 behind Jones.

    Timothy Peters led 41 laps and finished third, followed by Daniel Suarez, who overcame two pit road penalties to run fourth. Johnny Sauter led a race-high 52 laps and came home fifth.

    The race was originally scheduled to take place Friday night but was postponed due to rain until this morning.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – American Ethanol E15 225
    Chicagoland Speedway
    Joliet, Illinois
    Saturday, September 19, 2015

    1. (11) John H. Nemechek #, Chevrolet, 150, $46978.
    2. (4) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 150, $41217.
    3. (5) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 150, $29417.
    4. (6) Daniel Suarez(i), Toyota, 150, $19769.
    5. (3) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 150, $21861.
    6. (8) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 150, $18948.
    7. (1) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 149, $16558.
    8. (19) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 149, $18724.
    9. (18) Matt Tifft, Toyota, 149, $18640.
    10. (13) John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, 149, $19534.
    11. (21) Ray Black Jr. #, Chevrolet, 148, $18500.
    12. (9) Ben Kennedy, Toyota, 148, $18360.
    13. (12) Austin Theriault #, Ford, 147, $18332.
    14. (2) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 147, $19276.
    15. (17) Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 147, $18620.
    16. (7) Cameron Hayley #, Toyota, 146, $18137.
    17. (10) Brandon Jones #, Chevrolet, 145, $18053.
    18. (30) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 144, $18025.
    19. (22) Justin Jennings, Chevrolet, 144, $18169.
    20. (28) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 143, $18386.
    21. (16) Chad Finley, Ford, 141, $15607.
    22. (32) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 102, $16580.
    23. (27) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, 96, $16551.
    24. (25) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, Rear Gear, 93, $15523.
    25. (14) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 90, $15645.
    26. (20) Mason Mingus, Chevrolet, Accident, 79, $15468.
    27. (26) Korbin Forrister #, Chevrolet, Engine, 41, $15439.
    28. (23) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Vibration, 25, $15206.
    29. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, Vibration, 18, $15150.
    30. (15) Jesse Little, Toyota, Engine, 14, $14650.
    31. (31) Caleb Roark, Chevrolet, Brakes, 14, $13150.
    32. (24) Tyler Tanner, Chevrolet, Engine, 5, $12150.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 120.715 mph.
    Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 51 Mins, 50 Secs. Margin of Victory: 12.014 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 3 for 23 laps.


    Lead Changes: 11 among 7 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: K. Larson(i) 1-18; T. Reddick 19; K. Larson(i) 20-31; J. Sauter 32; R. Black Jr. # 33-34; J. Sauter 35-85; K. Larson(i) 86-94; T. Peters 95-135; K. Larson(i) 136-138; D. Suarez(i) 139-141; K. Larson(i) 142-148; J. Nemechek # 149-150.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Sauter 2 times for 52 laps; K. Larson(i) 5 times for 49 laps; T. Peters 1 time for 41 laps; D. Suarez(i) 1 time for 3 laps; J. Nemechek # 1 time for 2 laps; R. Black Jr. # 1 time for 2 laps; T. Reddick 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 10 in Points: E. Jones # – 628; T. Reddick – 618; M. Crafton – 617; J. Sauter – 576; D. Hemric # – 519; C. Hayley # – 517; T. Peters – 512; J. Townley – 500; S. Gallagher # – 488; B. Kennedy – 483.

     

  • John Hunter Nemechek ‘Feeling Good’ With Top-15 Finish in Martinsville Truck Race

    John Hunter Nemechek ‘Feeling Good’ With Top-15 Finish in Martinsville Truck Race

    John Hunter Nemechek, son of Joe Nemechek, was ‘feeling good’ after making his debut in the 2014 Camping World Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway this past weekend.

    In fact the sixteen year old was feeling especially good after finishing eleventh behind the wheel of his No. 8 pelletgrillusa.com/SWM-NEMCO Motorsports Toyota in the Kroger 250

    “It feels good to finish top-15 and run really, really close to the top-10,” the young up and coming driver said. “We ran top-12 most of the day.”

    “There towards the end, I thought we were going to be good restarting on the inside that first green-white-checkered,” Nemechek continued. “The second green-white-checkered, the final one, we ended up starting on the outside and that was not the place to be because you couldn’t get down and you couldn’t pass anybody. The inside line would freight train you.”

    “We battled hard for two laps and didn’t fall back too many positions and finished 11th,” Nemechek said. “Our pit crew was great all day. The guys made very good calls and adjustments. It was a great team effort.”

    Although Nemechek was indeed feeling good, he also had an expectation that he wanted to meet and just came shy of achieving that goal.

    “Our goal was to finish top-10 and we came really close to that,” Nemechek said. “You can’t really be disappointed in missing it by a spot.”

    “To run up in the front with all of the guys that are veterans and have been in the Truck Series forever, it felt really good to run up there and be competitive.”

    “I was overall happy with the day.”

    Nemechek did not feel good, however, about having to wait out the rain delay, which postponed the race from Saturday to Sunday, immediately following the conclusion of the Sprint Cup race.

    “The rain out was boring to tell you the truth,” Nemechek said. “There was nothing going on but just sitting around in the rain.”

    “I got quite a few naps in and got well rested for the race,” Nemechek continued. “That’s always a plus.”

    The rain delay did, however, allow the youngster some good learning opportunities as he watched the big league drivers race, particularly as to how they managed to pass on the short track.

    “We had to come from 20th at the start of the race so watching how the Cup guys were passing and getting to the front was important,” Nemechek said. “It was all interesting just trying to learn.”

    The young driver also observed changes in the track due to the Cup drivers laying down rubber throughout their 500 mile race.

    “Normally we’re the first race on the track and we’re the ones putting rubber down so the track is freer,” Nemechek said. “With the Cup drivers running the track, it really didn’t take that much rubber so their being out there before us made the track a little bit tighter.”

    “The rain made it really loose for them because it was a green race track,” Nemechek continued. “So, as they put rubber down, the race track kept getting tighter and slicker as well.”

    Not only did the sixteen year old have to battle the track but he also had to battle other drivers. And at one point, the Martinsville Truck Series rookie actually became the meat in the middle of a sandwich until one of the other drivers lifted to drift up the track and out of the way.

    “It was tight quarters for sure,” Nemechek said. “I didn’t know that we could run three-wide at Martinsville but we proved that we did.”

    “That was definitely pretty cool to run like that,” Nemechek continued. “I just had to remain calm and do the best I could to stay in there and even gain positions being in that three-way battle.”

    One of the biggest lessons that the young driver took away from the short track, however, was to understand with whom he was racing and to carefully balance respect and aggressiveness.

    “We were around a couple different groups of trucks all day and then we sort of got in a rhythm. We got out on our own and was passing trucks in front of us,” Nemechek said. “We had a really good long run truck.”

    “I didn’t really know who we were around most of the day,” Nemechek continued. “They’re all good to race with but there are a couple guys that you don’t like to race with because they’ll wreck you at any point. So, you just have to watch out for them.”

    “I’m staying out of naming any names on that though.”

    “I learned not to take anybody’s stuff,” Nemechek said. “So, like if they mess with you, you mess with them right back. You have to earn respect with all these veterans in the Series and you do that by running them clean and running them hard.”

    “At the same time, if they rough you up, you rough them back up,” Nemechek continued. “So, it’s all about earning respect and that’s what we take on to the next race.”

    The youngster also admitted that he did get a little bit of advice from Dad, especially when things got challenging during the green-white-checkered battles.

    “Dad kept telling me ‘Good job and keep the tires on it and keep your nose clean so you can be there at the end’, Nemechek said. “That’s what we did and we were there at the end and we got in a good battle for the finish.”

    “The green-white-checkered finish was a new deal for me this year in the Truck Series,” Nemechek said. “We’ve done it plenty of times in other Series so when we did it, my crew chief and dad came on to tell me to drive it like my late model, where we had quite a few green –white-checkers.”

    “So, we did that and didn’t worry about anything else.”

    Because of his age, John Hunter Nemechek’s next race will not be until the Monster Mile in Dover, Delaware and his father instead will be behind the wheel. The young driver will, however, keep himself busy by racing Super Late Models at Asheville and Pensacola until he gets back into the Truck in a few more weeks.

    Most of all, the second generation racer is feeling good about simply having the chance to go and not only follow in his father’s footsteps but also pursue his own dreams of being a successful race car driver.

    “I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” John Hunter Nemechek said. “I’ll be running ten Truck races this year and Dad will be running the other twelve that I can’t run because of my age.”

    “It’s a father-son deal, which is the best.”

  • John Hunter Nemechek Ready to Step into His Own Spotlight

    John Hunter Nemechek Ready to Step into His Own Spotlight

    While many know and love his famous father Joe, John Hunter Nemechek is now ready to step out into his own spotlight as he makes his debut in the Camping World Truck Series this weekend at Martinsville.

    Nemechek will be behind the wheel of the No. 22 race truck for SWM-NEMCO Racing, a new race team owned by Sid Mauldin in partnership with Joe Nemechek and company.

    Nemechek’s truck will also debut some of the young racer’s sponsor partners who have supported him throughout his career, including SWM International, Wood Pellet Grills and D.A.B. Constructors.

    And while this Truck debut is a dream come true for the sixteen year old racer, it is also a dream come true for family friend and new team owner Sid Maudlin.

    “We are excited to be working with Joe Nemechek and have our first truck driven by John Hunter,” Mauldin said. “John Hunter is making a name for himself and we are so proud to be a founding partner as he keeps moving up to the next level.”

    “One of our good friend’s dreams has been to be a car owner, whether it be Nationwide, Trucks or Cup,” Nemechek said. “I was lucky enough that he has given me the opportunity to drive for him.”

    “It’s been a blessing.”

    The young racer also feels blessed to be making his Truck start at Martinsville, a track where he has most certainly been many times with his father. And although he is familiar with the track from that point of view, he also got the opportunity to go and test a few weeks ago in preparation for his foray into the Truck Series.

    “It was fun,” Nemechek said. “But it’s different too.”

    “It’s a short track so I was just trying to get used to the truck and what it likes,” Nemechek continued. “The truck is a lot heavier than a late model, it has more horse power than a late model, and the tire compound is different.”

    “You can slide around in a late model where the truck you can’t,” Nemechek said. “It’s all about being smooth and it’s trying to build a notebook and get experience and all that type of good stuff.”

    Although the truck is new to the young driver, Nemechek knows that he has a wealth of experience to draw from while at the race track from his crew chief, team and Dad to his already impressive racing resume.

    “Everyone that works in our shop, from my crew chief to my Dad and team, we all have good communication with each other,” Nemechek said. “We talk and joke around but when we need to get serious, we understand each other.”

    “I started racing when I was four in quarter midgets and mini-sprints and ran that for a few years,” Nemechek continued. “And then actually I jumped out of cars and raced dirt bikes for a while.”

    “I raced motorcross and did very well but decided that I didn’t want to get hurt anymore so I got in the Allison legacy car and my first year we ran seven races and my first full season was 2011, where we won two races, two poles and won Rookie of the Year, with second in points,” Nemechek said. “In 2012, I ran the Allison legacy car for a full season and we won 13 out of 18 poles, 15 out of 18 races and won the championship.”

    “While doing that, we ran a little bit of super late model stuff and won the pole at Milwaukee, which was one of the biggest races of the year,” Nemechek continued. “We went down to the Snowball Derby in Pensacola, qualified second to David Ragan, and led until we got caught up in an accident and finished tenth.”

    “But we definitely had a car to beat down there.”

    “This year we’ve been running super late models and I ran a couple K&N races,” Nemechek said. “We haven’t won a race yet, which is kind of frustrating but we did win a pole this year and the championship too.”

    “I’m trying to keep that championship streak alive.”

    So, what does the young racer hope to accomplish in his Truck debut at the short track in Martinsville?

    “My number one goal is to make the race and be in the race because we have to qualify our way into the race,” Nemechek said. “We should make the race and when we do, my goal is to run all the laps and get as much experience as I can.”

    “Hopefully, while doing that we will finish in the top fifteen but I’ll just try to keep learning.”

    Not only does Nemechek have to learn on the race track, but he also has responsibilities at school, especially since he is just a junior in high school. And that off-track learning experience is one that he takes seriously for many reasons, especially since it has the potential to impact his on-track performance.

    “I go to a private school so it makes it a little bit easier but it’s definitely a challenge to balance racing and school work,” Nemechek said. “My academics come first.”

    “One of the deals I have with my parents and sponsors is that if I don’t make ‘A’s and ‘B’s, then all the money stops coming and all the racing stops until the grade gets back up,” Nemechek continued. “My parents are tough on me and it’s definitely hard but my school works with me and my schedule and I have to work with them to get assignments in before I go.”

    “You have to complete the work and it definitely is a challenge.”

    While the teen experiences the challenges of racing, school work and tackling a short track this weekend, he is most grateful to everyone, from his family to his growing fan base, who supports him as he works to achieve his racing dreams.

    “Having my Dad there, I like it,” Nemechek said. “We communicate with each other well and we work with each other well.”

    “That’s one of the good things about being close to your Dad,” Nemechek continued. “He lets me learn on my own instead of him telling me what to do.”

    “I listen to him and he listens to me and it’s all about communication,” Nemechek said. “If he sees something I’m doing wrong, he will tell me.”

    “I’ll adjust and we just bounce ideas off each other.”

    “I’m also grateful to my fans and I want them to know that I appreciate everyone who supports me and believes in me,” Nemechek said. “My motto is to never give up and I want them to know that I’ll race as hard as I can and do the best that I can with what I have.”

    “Their support means a lot to me too.”

    Whatever happens at Martinsville in his Truck debut, Nemechek acknowledged that he does indeed have that same fire in his belly for racing as his father and hopes that someday he can achieve that same success, as well as following in the footsteps of some of his other racing idols, like Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart.

    “Yes, I do love racing,” Nemechek said. “It’s in my blood.”

    “I know that my Dad wants me to do it but at the same time, I think he wishes he would have got me a set of golf clubs instead of a race car when I was young,” Nemechek continued with a laugh.” But I love to do this and pretty much this is what I want to do in my future.”

    So, what will the young racer be thinking when he gets behind the wheel of his truck and cinches his belts tight for his first ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race?

    “There’s going to be nerves, especially when it is your first time,” Nemechek said. “But I’m also going to be excited at the same time.”

    “It all balances out when you strap into it, you forget all about the nerves and the excitement,” Nemechek continued. “You’re just focused on the race.”

    “I’ll smile and then I’ll be having a good day.”

    For more information about John Hunter Nemechek, visit his website at www.johnhunternemechek.com

    or follow him on Twitter @JohnNemechek.