Nemechek Makes It Two in a Row With Truck Win at Iowa
By Rob Gray, NASCAR Wire Service
NEWTON, Iowa — With six laps to go, John Hunter Nemechek made his bold, last-gasp move.
Again.
Nemechek, who charged to a Father’s Day win for his dad, Joe, last week at Gateway Motorsports Park, reprised his stirring comeback role in Friday’s pulse-pounding NASCAR Camping World Series M&M’s 200 presented by Casey's General Store at Iowa Speedway.
"Every one of these guys who works on this team, this is awesome," said John Hunter Nemechek, who passed Johnny Sauter on the high-side with six circuits left.
The dramatic ending to a race that ran remarkably clean for most of the first two stages was set up by an incident involving ThorSport teammates Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton with 15 laps to go.
Nemechek and all the other contenders — except for Sauter — used the caution to head to pit road. Nemechek’s crew chief, Gere Kennon, outfitted the No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet with four fresh tires.
Sound strategy?
Sure.
The reason the team won?
Not necessarily.
"He drove his butt off tonight," Kennon said of Nemechek, who had notched one top-10 finish previously at Iowa. "He was awesome. It’s awesome for the (Nemechek) family."
Sauter settled for second after leading for 72 laps. The series points leader said being passed by Chase Briscoe — who led seven laps before sliding to seventh — had likely already relegated him to a second-at-best finish.
"I got taken to school by Chase Briscoe," Sauter said. "I think tonight was a second-place finish regardless."
Sauter retains a 42-point lead over Christopher Bell, who finished fifth after dominating roughly two-thirds of the race.
Nemechek notched his fifth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. He stood in the fourth position when he and several others emerged from that final, fateful pit stop.
"Somehow it all worked out," Nemechek said. "The last strategy call, taking four tires instead of two, there at the end, we kind of had that strategy if a caution came out towards the end we were going to come no matter what, and no matter who came, just because tires were such a big factor."
Noah Gragson earned the pole — his second of the season — held off Bell for the first 16 laps. Bell rode the high-line to surge ahead one lap later. The Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates remained 1-2 the remainder of the 60-lap opening stage, which Bell won by building a 3.2-seconds lead by the time the stint ended.
"Drove like a dream," Bell said at the time.
That blissful state lingered for the 22-year-old Oklahoman — until it was interrupted.
While the trucks directly behind Bell shuffled, his No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota continued to shine.
But dreams of any type rarely last long and Bell saw his diminished by a gamble that didn’t pay off.
With eight laps remaining in the second stage, Bell stayed on the race track while most of the other leaders pitted and added fresh tires following a caution precipitated by Mike Senica’s spin in Turn 2.
The gamble cost him. Sauter swept high to pass Bell with five laps remaining in stage two, but another caution waved after an incident involving Kaz Grala, Cody Coughlin and Ben Rhodes.
Bell remained optimistic despite his rapid drop to 12th that preceded the final stage.
"It wouldn’t be fun if it was easy," Bell said shortly before the race resumed.
Friday proved to be anything but — for everyone but the Nemecheks, who reveled in another dream-like Victory Lane celebration after spending all night getting the truck ready.
"It feels really good," said Nemechek, who earned the pole at Iowa last season and felt a measure of redemption after surging to the win this time. "This is unbelievable for sure. … Restarting fourth there and pushing Johnny into Turn 1, I was kind of in the catbird seat."
JH Race Preview: Iowa Speedway
SWM-NEMCO Motorsports
Race Preview
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes
Event: American Ethanol 200
Date: Friday, June 19, 2015
Venue: Iowa Speedway
SWM-NEMCO Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History at Iowa Speedway ... This weekend will mark SWM-NEMCO Motorsports’ second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the .875-mile track. John Hunter Nemechek posted a team best finish of tenth place at the Newton, Iowa, facility on July 11, 2014.
SWM-NEMCO Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History ... Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 1995, the Mooresville, N.C.-based organization has logged 55 starts from five drivers, resulting in strong performances including one victory and seven top-five finishes, as well as 26 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 15.5 and an average finishing position of 13.5.
Follow NEMCO Motorsports on Social Media ... To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit NEMCO Motorsports’ Twitter page - @NEMCOMotorsport. Also, follow the NEMCO Motorsports drivers on their personal Twitter pages - @FrontRowJoe87, and @JHNemechek. You can also “like” Joe Nemechek on his official Facebook page at /NASCARJoe, and John Hunter Nemechek on his official Facebook page at /JohnHunterNemechek.
Meet John Hunter Nemechek … Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing display located in the Iowa Speedway fan midway area for a question and answer session with John Hunter Nemechek on Friday, June 19 at 2:45 p.m. (CT). Nemechek is scheduled to participate in an autograph session with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 3:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (CT) on Friday.
Catch the Action ... The American Ethanol 200 will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 on Friday, June 19, starting with the pre-race show at 8:00 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the ninth event on the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule will air on Friday at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on FOX Sports 2.
John Hunter Nemechek
No. 8 MeetBall Chevrolet Silverado
This Week's SWM-NEMCO Motorsports’ Chevrolet Silverado at Iowa Speedway ... John Hunter Nemechek will pilot Chassis No. 042 in the American Ethanol 200 at the Iowa Speedway. The Gere Kennon-led team unloaded this chassis last week at the Gateway Motorsports Park. On June 13 at the Madison, Ill., facility, the NEMCO Motorsports-prepared chassis qualified 12th and finished in the fourth-position.
Iowa: Fields of Opportunity ... This weekend marks Nemechek’s second Iowa Speedway appearance with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., driver has earned an average starting position of 14.0 and an average finishing position of 10.00 at the track.
Iowa Speedway Rewind … Although John Hunter Nemechek suffered difficulties, he displayed progress throughout the only practice session at the Iowa Speedway, finishing the morning practice session 16th on the speed chart. Starting from the 14th-position, Nemechek quickly gained positions making his way into the top-10 before Lap 25. Battling difficult handling conditions, Nemechek finished tenth – his second top-10 finish in his fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start of the 2014 season.
Short Track Stats: In six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on short tracks (less than one mile in length), Nemechek has recorded two top-10 finishes, with an average starting spot of 17.8 and an average finish of 14.2 on these racetracks.
#FindYourParty … MeetBall, a real-time location sharing navigation application, will be the primary partner on the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado at the Iowa Speedway for the American Ethanol 200, and was on-board with John Hunter Nemechek at the Dover International Speedway on May 29. In April, John Hunter Nemechek was announced as the free mobile app's exclusive NASCAR brand ambassador.
Welcome Rocky Ridge … John Hunter Nemechek was announced as a brand ambassador for Rocky Ridge Custom Trucks on Thursday, June 18. In addition, Rocky Ridge will receive associate branding on the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado. Based out of Franklin Springs, Ga., Rocky Ridge Custom Trucks is a family-owned and operated special vehicle manufacturer (SVM) for General Motors specializing in truck conversions and upgrades.
Battle at Berlin 251 … On Tuesday, June 16, John Hunter Nemechek started his No. 8 Durobyte Chevrolet Super Late Model from the sixth position at the Berlin Raceway. After battling for position around the 4/10-mile Michigan oval for 251 laps, Nemechek crossed the finish line third.
In the Rearview Mirror: Gateway Motorsports Park ... John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 8 SWM-NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado for NEMCO Motorsports, finished fourth on June 13 in the American Ethanol presents the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 brought to you by Ameren NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Gateway Motorsports Park. The finish was Nemechek’s career-best finish in 15 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE (ON IOWA SPEEDWAY.):
“We are going into this weekend at Iowa Speedway with some momentum from finishing fourth at Gateway Motorsports Park – a career-best finish. And at the Berlin Raceway on Tuesday, we had a great finish in finishing third while battling for second position.
“Definitely our NEMCO Motorsports guys have been working hard. The dedication shows and hopefully our hard work can pay-off on Friday. Iowa (Speedway) is a fun place. You have to have your truck right or you cannot go. Hopefully we can get it dialed-in during practice.”