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On Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek won his fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series race. He did so by driving away over the final seven laps despite making contact with a teammate early in the race.
12 laps into the race, he and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sammy Smith and Ty Gibbs all had collisions with each other, but Nemechek was able to climb back through the field. He led the most laps and earned his fifth victory of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Smith was running behind them when John Hunter Nemechek struck Gibbs in the back as they were coming out of turn two. Smith struck Carson Hocevar, ending his day, as Gibbs slid backward and Nemechek fell into the infield. Gibbs gesticulated at Nemechek in anger, but he was able to carry on with the race.
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After celebrating in the victory lane, Nemechek explained what happened and took the blame for the early collision.
"I was at the bottom and got in the corner. I was trying to get up behind Ty [Gibbs] and I feel like I put him in a bad aero spot....just barely tapped him and...we both spun. It's close racing, obviously, I didn't mean to do it," he said on SiriusXM NASCAR.
He added:
"That's on me and I take full accountability for that one. Ty and I will have a conversation, I'm sure."
With all of Nemechek's achievements this season and his seven Xfinity Series victories overall, there is rising curiosity about his future plans, which might include becoming a Cup driver.
Carson Hocevar launched in the air after getting caught in a collision with John Hunter Nemechek and Ty Gibbs
As John Hunter Nemechek and Ty Gibbs collided, Carson Hocevar got caught in the middle of the collision and was launched in the air. As he tried to pass through the multi-crash collision, he tipped over and almost flipped upside down.
On the racetrack following the incident, Gibbs and Nemechek would argue with one another. Gibbs was angry that Nemechek had struck him, and Nemechek was alleging that Smith had pushed him into hitting Gibbs. Later, Nemechek apologized to his teammate and took all the blame on himself for the collision.
