It's amazing to see so many young drivers fall in love with NASCAR and prepare to pursue a career in the sport while they are still young. John Hunter Nemechek is one of them. The Mooresville native started his quest for the best at just 15 when he wasn't even allowed to drive in any of NASCAR's three national racing series.
Nevertheless, Nemechek made two starts as he turned 16; one was in the ARCA Menards Series East and another was his Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway for his family team, NEMCO Motorsports.
Nemechek spent that year driving Super Late Models, quickly learning the tricks of the trade. It wasn't long before he won two of the most important races in that category; the prestigious All American 400 and the Snowball Derby.
He has come a long way since then and today; he is one of the most well-known young athletes in the sport, driving the #42 Legacy Motorclub Toyota full-time in the Cup Series.
John Hunter Nemechek Wins
Although Nemechek could not embark on a full-time Truck Series schedule in 2015 just because of how young he was, he did run 18 races and that was enough for him to register his first career Truck Series victory at Chicagoland Speedway. Soon, it was 2016 and there was no looking back for the 18-year-old JHN.
In his first full-time stint as a Truck Series driver, Nemechek won two races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The following year, he recorded back-to-back victories at the World Wide Technology Raceway and Iowa Speedway, besides eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
The immense talent that this man displayed while picking up these victories didn't go unnoticed as he landed his debut Xfinity Series ride in 2018. However, he divided his season into part-time roles in both Truck and Xfinity Series.
Nemechek won twice that year, one of which was a Truck triumph at Martinsville Speedway for his family team and the other was his first-ever Xfinity Series win, which came at Kansas Speedway for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Nemechek joined the Cup Series in 2020 as a rookie, driving for Front Row Motorsports. Unfortunately, 2019 and 2020 were winless for Nemechek and probably that's why he considered dropping back to the Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
There, he won five races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and Pocono Raceway. This pushed him to P3 on points at the end of the season.
He also competed in selected Xfinity Series races that year and won at Texas Motor Speedway. In 2022, which was also his final season in the Truck Series with KBM, Nemechek won at Darlington and Kansas.
It didn't take long for him to gain his winning momentum back. In 2023, Nemechek signed a full-time contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and brought his team seven glorious wins. This year, he joined the Cup rumble again, driving for Legacy Motor Club alongside teammates, Eric Jones and 7X Cup champion, Jimmie Johnson, who is also the team owner.
FAQ's on How many races has John Hunter Nemechek won?
A. John Hunter Nemechek was a rookie driving for Front Row Motorsports in 2020 but has spent the last three seasons driving in NASCAR's lower levels.
A. John Hunter Nemechek is the son of Joe Nemechek.
A. In 2024, John Hunter Nemechek will be driving the number 42 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motorclub.
A. After a two-year hiatus from the Cup arena, John Hunter Nemechek has returned to the Cup rumble behind the wheel of a Legacy MC Toyota.
A. John Hunter Nemechek drove two full seasons for Kyle Busch Motorsports, a team Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch formerly owned.
