Photo Credit: Ronald Costigan
John Hunter Nemechek has never taken a lap around Kansas Speedway, but he has visited Victory Lane there.
As a 7-year-old in 2004, he celebrated in the winner’s circle with his father Joe Nemechek at the 1.5-mile track, after the elder Nemechek took the checkered flag in the Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods for his final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.
John Hunter will attempt to carry on the family legacy at Kansas Speedway when he makes his track debut in Friday’s Toyota Tundra 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (8:30 p.m. ET on FS1).
“Racing at Kansas after being in Victory Lane in 2004 with dad is going to be pretty special,” Nemechek said. “It was an exciting moment. I was in the playground area when mom came and got me and told me that dad had won the race, so I got to go to Victory Lane twice that weekend, once with the XFINITY car and once with the Sprint Cup Series. He hasn’t won in a truck, so hopefully I can go and get it done.”
All the now 18-year-old NASCAR Next member has done lately is elevate his own name. He currently leads the NCWTS standings on the strength of one win, two top fives and two top 10s in three starts. As race winners, Nemechek and Johnny Sauter are the only drivers who have virtually locked up spots in the NCWTS Chase.
Don’t expect Nemechek’s success to wane. He has finished second or better in five of his last seven starts.
The modest racer credits his recent accomplishments to his small, family-owned team.
“We’ve prepared our trucks to the best of our ability, using our resources to the absolute max in preparing great trucks every weekend we go to the race track,” Nemechek said. “We have great pit stops on pit road, everything has come together for us so far this year, so hopefully we can keep that streak going, run up front and compete for more wins.”
