In Pictures: John Hunter Nemechek's sweet escape from Darlington heat

Modified Apr 12, 2025 11:30 GMT

NASCAR: Xfinity Series A-GAME 200 - Source: Imagn

John Hunter Nemechek shared an Instagram post capturing a heartwarming moment with her daughter at the Goodyear 400 in Darlington Raceway. The image featured a cute trackside moment of the father-daughter duo beating the heat with an Olipop.

John Hunter Nemechek, son of former NASCAR driver, Joe Nemechek, has been married to his wife Taylor since October 2020. The couple are proud parents to two daughters: Aspen Palmer Nemechek, born in March 2021, and Penelope James Nemechek, born in August 2023.

On Friday, April 11, Nemechek uploaded a series of images featuring Penelope perched on his lap with a can of Olipop in her hand. He captioned the post :

"Darlington brought the heat. Penelope brought the OLIPOP."

Olipop served as Nemechek's sponsor for eight races during the 2024 NASCAR Cup season. The partnership marked the soda brand's entry into motorsports sponsorship.

Speaking to the media after his practice run at Darlington, Nemechek was asked about handling the heat on a track like the "Too Tough to Tame". He replied,

"It's definitely hot but I train for that. So, I'm not neccessarily too worried about it. We kind of have a rule of what the temperature has to be outside for me to run a cool suit in the race....luckily this isn't a long race I guess with it being so hot and it being more of a day race. I feel like I should be okay," Nemechek said (via Frontstretch on YouTube).

Driving the No.42 Toyota Camry, Nemechek finished the race lower down the order at 30th. As part of NASCAR's Throwback Weekend, the Legacy Motor Club driver featured a tribute livery honoring his father Joe Nemechek's 1998 paint scheme.

"I'm so proud to be your dad": John Hunter Nemechek pens heartfelt note for daughter's birthday

Ahead of the Darlington race weekend, John Hunter Nemechek celebrated his daughter Aspen's fourth birthday with a heartfelt Instagram post shared on March 31. The No.42 driver expressed his pride and awe at watching her grow over the past four years.

Reflecting upon the same, Nemechek captioned the post :

"Happy 4th birthday to my little girl and my mini me. Absolutely wild that you're 4 already. Four years ago you changed my world in the most beautiful way. Watching you grow into the kind, curious, and fearless little soul you are today is the greatest gift. I'm so proud to be your dad, and I can’t wait to see all the wonderful things this year brings you. I love you more than anything!"

John Hunter Nemechek currently sits 19th in the driver's standings with 155 points. His best result came from a fifth-place finish at the season-opening Daytona 500. His next race at the Ambetter Health 400 in Atlanta marks his only other top-10 finish so far.

About the author

Vignesh is part of Sportskeeda's motorsports division and covers both NASCAR and Formula 1. As a motorsports enthusiast coming from a Mass Communication and Journalism background, he's found that the best way to immerse himself in the sport is by writing about it. Vignesh likes to root for underdogs, whether they be drivers like Nico Hulkenberg or teams like Williams. When he's not writing, he enjoys playing Badminton and unwinding with stand-up specials.

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Edited by Shirsh