Talladega Photos

by jnemechek

Talladega Post Race Report

John Hunter Nemechek finished fourth in an eventful NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Nemechek was able to run in the top-10 for a majority of the first two stages and picked up an additional five stage points.
Nemechek avoided three different accidents throughout the final stage and restarted overtime from the third position. As the field came through the tri-oval for the final time, Nemechek was in the lead before being turned and crossing the finish line sideways in the fourth position.
With just one race left in the Round of 8, Nemechek sits 36 points above the cutoff line to advance to the Championship 4.
Stage One Recap
  • John Hunter Nemechek started the Talladega 250 in the seventh position on the inside line based on NASCAR’s performance matrix system.
  • With five laps remaining in the opening stage, Nemechek worked his way to the front and was running in the front row of the draft on the outside lane.
  • Just three laps later, the inside lane had a big run, ultimately moving Nemechek back to seventh.
  •  As the green-and-white checkered came out at the end of Stage One, the second-generation driver was scored seventh, picking up an additional three stage points.
Stage Two Recap:
  • After crew chief Eric Phillips called for a fuel-only pit stop, the No. 4 Tundra gained six spots on pit road and restarted the second stage from the first position.
  • Nemechek finished the middle stanza scored eighth, adding on two more stage points to his total.
Final Stage Recap:
  • Nemechek restarted the final stage in the 13th-position behind Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate Drew Dollar.
  • Ten laps into the final stage, Nemechek lost the draft and fell back to 23rd.
  • With 37 laps to go, there was a 21-truck incident that Nemechek was able to avoid and jumped up into the 11th-spot. He communicated with the No. 4 team that they “might’ve hit debris but should be good”.
  • Nemechek brought the Fire Alarm Services/Pye-Barker Tundra down pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel with 34 laps remaining.
  • The second-generation driver would restart in 13th on the inside lane and gain eight spots before he field came back to the stripe.
  • Another incident occurred with 18 laps remaining that Nemechek was once again able to avoid by ducking below the yellow line.
  • The field went back green with just 12 laps left in the Talladega 250 and the No. 4 Tundra in the fifth position.
  • Nemechek once again lost the draft and fell back to 10th before there was another caution coming through the tri-oval with two to go.
  • Nemechek lined up third for the overtime restart and had moved into first coming through the tri-oval before being turned around coming to the line.
  • The No. 4 Pye-Barker Tundra went sliding across the start/finish line as Nemechek was credited a fourth-place finish.
John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Tundra for KBM:
What happened on the final lap coming to the checkered flag?
“I had a run, got by the 38 (Todd Gilliland) and was trying to keep the 12 (Tate Fogleman) in the mirror. He had a huge run through the tri-oval. He faked high and I went to block high and then the block was a little too late I guess. I should have stayed up and probably still would have won the race. Overall, solid day for our Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Services Toyota Tundra. Us and the Toyota teammates worked very well together. We had a Toyota train going there at one time today. Solid points day for us – 35 above the cut line I think or something like that going into Martinsville. Just have to survive and advance to get to the final four.”
Are you upset with the 12 truck or is that just restrictor plate racing?
“That’s just how every race here for the past however many years has ended some way like that. It is what it is. I can’t be mad. As much as you want to be mad, you can’t be mad. It’s partly my fault. You take it with a grain of salt. I’m more mad at myself than anything for not staying higher to kind of stay away from him. It is what it is.”
Talladega 250 Recap
  • Tate Fogleman picked up his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway. Fogleman was followed by Tyler Hill, Todd Gilliland, Nemechek, and Ryan Truex to round out the top-five.
  • There were six cautions for 29 laps. There were 23 lead changes among 12 drivers, including Nemechek who led 11 laps.
How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:
·        Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished 19th.
·        Drew Dollar, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 35th.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings
Nemechek has moved back into the top spot of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship standings following a fourth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. He currently sits 36 points above the cutoff line to advance to the Championship 4 with one race remaining.
Next Race
Nemechek and the No. 4 team will head to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for the final race of the Round of 8 on Oct. 30. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 1 p.m. ET.

by jnemechek

No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Tundra Camping World Trucks Talladega Preview

Neme'chek' The Facts:
  • John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team head to Talladega Superspeedway for the second race in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs 28 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway. After starting first and leading the first 30 en laps at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway en route to his series-leading 11th stage win Nemechek began experiencing electrical issues in Stage Two which sent him behind the wall for several laps and relegated the team to a 33rd-place finish in the opening race in the Round of 8. After this week’s race at Talladega, the Round of 8 will conclude Oct. 30 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
  • The 24-year-old driver has made five Truck Series starts at Talladega, with a best result of sixth in the 2017 event. He finished eighth in each of his Cup Series starts at the Alabama track, both last season. In the Xfinity Series he has finished inside the top 10 in both of his Talladega starts, with a best result of sixth in 2019. In his superspeedway debut for KBM in the Truck Series, he led 14 laps and finished seventh at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February.
  • The second-generation driver has put together a remarkable season thus far in his first season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). In addition to leading the circuit in race wins (five) and stage wins (11), he leads the Truck Series in top fives (11), fastest laps run (280), driver rating (115.2), average running position (6.920) and average finish (8.7).
  • Nemechek registered his fifth Truck Series win of 2021 June 26 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. The talented wheelman was able to beat KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch head-to-head for the third time this season. Nemechek also bested his boss at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March and at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April. Busch finished second to his pupil in all three of those events. Additionally, Nemechek has produced victories at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
  • The Toyota Racing driver is competing in the Camping World Truck Series playoffs for the third time in his career. He finished eighth in the championship standings for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, in 2016 and 2017. Nemechek is an 11-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane this year with KBM.
  • Eric Phillips returned to KBM to lead the No. 4 team this season. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. His 42 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 32 of those coming while at KBM. At Talladega, Phillip’s drivers have collected one win, one top-five and five top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.9 across seven starts. He was victorious with KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch at the 2.66-mile tri-oval in 2010.
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
John Hunter Nemechek | Talladega Superspeedway Preview
Being 24 points above the cutoff line heading into Talladega, will you be on offense or defense?
“My theory is the less trucks that are in front of you, the less likely you are to wreck. For us, I think we have to go out and have a solid race, obviously. Stage points mean a lot, there is a lot that can change throughout the race, gaining or losing stage points compared to the other competitors. I also feel like you have to be around at the end to have a solid finish – that’s really what makes or breaks your day, I feel like. Have to have a solid race, definitely be on the lookout to not wreck but stay in the mix all day.”
What do you think makes a good superspeedway racer?
“I think overall, being a good superspeedway racer is recognizing the situations – being able to know when to side draft and when not to side draft and using the air and the run to your advantage. The Trucks are a little bit different than a Cup car or an Xfinity car, they definitely draft different. I feel like it’s more single-file or pack-style racing compared to the other series. There are a lot of new guys to superspeedway racing, with not a lot of experience in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series compared to the other two series. You have to be on the lookout for that as well. I think just recognizing the situations, knowing when to take a run and when not to take a run. Knowing who your drafting partners are - who you can trust and who you can’t trust is what all goes into making a really good superspeedway racer.”
Talk about your paint scheme for Saturday’s race.
“We have a pink No. 4, Pye-Barker/Fire Alarm Services Toyota Tundra on track this weekend at Talladega. Something that hits home to all of us, my family, the family from Fire Alarm Services as well and everyone involved. Trying to bring pink out and create some awareness for Breast Cancer. It being the month of October is a special month for us, so we’re looking forward to hopefully taking it to victory lane on Saturday.”
John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:
  • Eleven-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 121 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 1,168 laps led, 39 top-five and 64 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.5.
  • Qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017.
  • Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award four times and finished 23rd in the championship standings.
  • Across 53 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled one win (Kansas Speedway, 10/20/18), one pole, 225 laps led, 13 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.8.
John Hunter Nemechek's No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Tundra:
KBM-13: The No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team will unload KBM-13 for Saturday’s race at Talladega. This is the first time this Tundra has been raced since 2018. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch won with KBM-13 at Daytona International Speedway in 2014. It also has produced runner-up finishes with Christopher Bell at Talladega in 2017 and Erik Jones at Daytona in 2015.
KBM Notes of Interest:
  • KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 68 laps led, nine top-five and 17 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.6 across 28 starts at Talladega.
  • Raphael Lessard collected the first victory of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career last year at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Owner-driver Kyle Busch was victorious in the 2010 event when he finished 0.002 seconds ahead of Aric Almirola in the closest finish in Truck Series history since electronic scoring was instituted.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (89) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway Chandler Smith became the 17th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner's Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 4 has 16 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.
Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Toyota Tundra Camping World Trucks Box Score:

by jnemechek

Las Vegas Post Race Report

After starting the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 from the pole, John Hunter Nemechek led all 30 laps in the opening stage to capture his 11th stage win of the year.
During the middle stanza, the Berry’s Manufacturing Tundra experienced a number of mechanical issues that would set back the No. 4 team for the remainder of the race. Nemechek would lose power twice throughout the final two stages and spend 44 laps behind the wall in the Final Stage before being relegated to a 33rd-place finish.
Despite the 33rd-place finish, Nemechek is still 28-points above the cutoff line to advance to the Championship 4.
Stage One Recap
  • John Hunter Nemechek started the Victoria’s Voice 200 from the pole next to Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate Chandler Smith.
  • Nemechek chose the outside lane to start the race and was out in front by the time the field came back around to the start/finish line.
  • The Berry’s Manufacturing driver would lead all 30 laps of the opening stage, picking up an additional 10 stage points.
Stage Two Recap:
  • After bringing No. 4 Tundra to pit road, Nemechek started Stage Two from the first position on the inside lane.
  • Just two laps into the middle stanza, Nemechek had fallen back to sixth before the caution was brought out for debris on the track.
  • Following the ensuing restart, John Hunter Nemechek dropped from sixth to 22nd in just three laps and reported that the No. 4 Tundra had “power to the gauges, but no power to the truck.”
  • This mechanical issue would bring out the caution on lap 54 as Nemechek came to a stop on the 1.5-mile tri-oval. Nemechek communicated that the Berry’s Manufacturing Tundra would “refire every once in a while, but still had no ignition power”.
  • Nemechek came to the green-and-white checkered flag in the 32nd-position to end Stage Two.
Final Stage Recap:
  •  Following the mechanical issues in the middle stage, Nemechek would start the Final Stage in 32nd.
  • With 55 laps to go in the Victoria’s Voice 200, Nemechek once again experienced mechanical issues as the No. 4 Tundra came to a stop on the backstretch of Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • This time, Nemechek and the No. 4 team would bring the Berry’s Manufacturing Tundra behind pit wall to assess the issue.
  • The No. 4 team was able to fix the issue and send the Tundra back out onto the track with just eight laps remaining and the field under caution.
  • John Hunter Nemechek was relegated to a 33rd-place finish in the Victoria’s Voice 200.
John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Berry's Manufacturing Tundra for KBM:
What are your thoughts about tonight?
“I think we are in a good spot in points, so I’m not too worried about it right now. We just have to go perform. We can’t have issues like this. I said coming into tonight that we can’t beat ourselves. We had the fastest truck here I felt like from stage one. We made adjustments and I felt like we were even better, and then we had ignition problems all night still running fast lap times, so I don’t know what to do.”
Victoria's Voice Foundation 200 Recap
  • Christian Eckes picked up his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Eckes was followed by ThorSport Racing teammates Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter. Todd Gilliland rounded out the top-five.
  • There were 10 cautions for 39 laps. There were 14 lead changes among 11 drivers, including Nemechek who led the first 33 laps of the race.
How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:
·        Drew Dollar, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 24th.
·        Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished 35th.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings
Despite a 33rd-place finish, John Hunter Nemechek currently sits in second place and 28-points above the cutline to advance to the Championship 4.
Next Race
Nemechek and the No. 4 team will head to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for the second race of the Round of 8 on Oct. 2. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 1 p.m. ET.

by jnemechek

Bristol II

by jnemechek

No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra Camping World Trucks Bristol Post Race Report

John Hunter Nemechek closed out the Round of 10 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s championship with a third-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Nemechek avoided an early race incident as his Mobil 1 Tundra got loose between Turns 3 and 4 in the opening stage of the UNOH 200. He was able to rebound and drive within the top-10 for the majority of the race.
After battling for the win in the Final Stage against Sheldon Creed and his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate Chandler Smith, Nemechek came up just short and took the checkered flag in the third position earning his 11th top-five finish of the season.
Stage One Recap
  • John Hunter Nemechek started the UNOH 200 on the outside of the front row next to pole sitter, Sheldon Creed.
  • On lap 14, the Mobil 1 Tundra got loose in between Turns 3 and 4 while battling for position. Nemechek was able to hold on to it and avoid an early accident.
  • Nemechek was able to rebound and finish the opening stage in the 13th position.
Stage Two Recap:
  • The No. 4 team was able to gain two spots on pit road and restarted Stage Two in 11th on the outside lane.
  • Nemechek quickly made his way into the top-10 before the caution flag was thrown for an incident on the backstretch on Lap 71.
  • The Mobil 1 driver would take the green-and-white checkered flag in the sixth position to end Stage Two, earning an additional five points.
Final Stage Recap:
  • Nemechek started the final stanza in the eighth position but would find himself in the top-5 within a couple of laps.
  • The second-generation driver ran within the top-five for the remainder of the Final Stage, battling with Sheldon Creed and his KBM teammate Chandler Smith for the race lead.
  • After an incident in Turn 4, Nemechek would restart in the third position with 37 laps to go. By the time the field came back around to the start/finish line, he had moved into the second position behind Sheldon Creed.
  • A late caution with 10 laps remaining in the UNOH 200 would bring out the red flag. As the field re-fired their engines and prepared for the final restart, Nemechek would lineup in the third position behind Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith.
  • Nemechek battled for the lead and the race win in the final five laps but was unable to get past his KBM teammate, ultimately finishing in the third position.
John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra for KBM:
As the Round of 10 closes, what is your outlook for the Round of 8.
“All eyes forward to Vegas. We’re going to go out there and try to win, lock ourselves in, go to Phoenix and hoist that big trophy at the end of the year.”
UNOH 200 Recap
  • Chandler Smith claimed his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win in a must-win situation to advance to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs. Grant Enfinger, John Hunter Nemechek, Stewart Friesen, and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top-five finishers.
  • There were 11 cautions for 85 laps. There were three lead changes among three drivers.
How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:
·        Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished first.
·        Drew Dollar, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 34th.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings
After the points reset, Nemechek will enter the Round of 8 next week at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway at the top of the leaderboard, 44 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4 in Phoenix.
Next Race
Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra will head to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway for the first race in the Round of 8 on Sept. 24. Nemechek will be looking for his second win at Las Vegas in 2021 and locking himself into the Championship 4. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 9 p.m. ET.

by Barry Cantrell

Darlington Raceway 2

by jnemechek

No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra Camping World Trucks Darlington 2 Post Race Report

John Hunter Nemechek locked himself into the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s championship with a runner-up finish at Darlington Raceway.
Nemechek got off to a hot start in the In It to Win It 200. After starting in the sixth position, he quickly took over the lead on lap 10 en route to a Stage One win, his 10th of the year.
The Mobil1 driver found himself in the top-5 for most of the day while leading 39 total laps and picking up his second top-10 finish in two races at Darlington.
Stage One Recap
  • Nemechek started Sunday’s race in the sixth position based on NASCAR’s performance matrix system.
  • In just 10 laps, he took over the race lead from Sheldon Creed and never looked back, leading the next 39 laps.
  • Nemechek picked up his 10th stage win of the year and another playoff point.
Stage Two Recap:
  • After bringing the Mobil1 Tundra to pit road for four fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments, Nemechek would start Stage Two in the second position on the outside lane.
  • Nemechek drove around in the top-5 for the entire stage, battling with Sheldon Creed and Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate, Chandler Smith.
  • The second-generation driver would come to the green and white checkered in the third position at the end of Stage Two.
Final Stage Recap:
  • Much like the start of the second stage, Nemechek lined up on the outside lane in the third position behind his KBM teammate, Smith.
  • The No. 4 Toyota would continue to fight throughout the race while running in the top 5.
  • With just 20 laps remaining in the In It to Win It 200, Nemechek was just 0.451 seconds behind the leader.
  • The Mobil1 driver would finish second, locking himself into the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs.
John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra for KBM:
What more did you need to catch Sheldon Creed in the closing laps?
“Clean air. Just super hard to pass. Same thing as last fall, same thing we fight in the Truck Series every week. I don’t know, we have to do a little bit better – think we could have controlled the race. They weren’t going to get by us. We made a last ditch effort. Proud of all the KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) guys – Mobil 1, Toyota, TRD and everyone who helps. Just have to say thank you. This one hurts. We had the dominant truck here in the spring and came back and ran second here today. On to Bristol. We should be starting first or second. Hopefully we can go get a win there. The only thing that matters is that we locked ourselves into the next round today. That’s all it is. The eyes are set on the prize. We want to win every single week, but there is a big trophy at the end of the year that means the most.”
What did you take away from this race?
“We just needed track position. We needed clean air. What mattered today if we couldn’t win was locking ourselves into the next round and advancing. We were able to do that by a pretty good margin I felt like. Overall, a solid performance. Our Toyota Tundra was fast. Just needed a little bit more. It definitely stings knowing we had the dominant truck here in the spring, gave that one away. Then to come back and run second, it hurts. We’ll take the momentum, not going to dwell on this. Just one race of the Playoffs and now we’re focused on the next round. Bristol doesn’t mean anything to us other than to go out there and try to win. Then the next round starts and all that focus is on those three races to make it to Phoenix. Eyes on the big trophy at the end of the year.”
In It To Win It 200 Recap
·        Sheldon Creed grabbed his second straight win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs, leading 104 out of 147 laps. Nemechek finished 0.531 seconds behind Creed in the runner-up position. Stewart Friesen, Todd Gilliland, and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-five finishers.
·        There were eight cautions for 35 laps. There were four lead changes among three drivers, including Nemechek who led once for 39 laps.
How John Hunter Nemechek's KBM Teammates Fared:
·        Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished seventh.
·        Dylan Lupton, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 31st.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings
After the second race of the NASCAR playoffs, John Hunter Nemechek has locked himself into the Round of 8. Nemechek is currently second in the points standings, just two points behind Sheldon Creed in first.
Next Race
Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra will head to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway for the final race of the Round of 10 on Sept. 16. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 9 p.m. ET.

by jnemechek

No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra Camping World Trucks Darlington 2 Preview

Event:                                   In It To Win It 200, Race 17 of 22 (Race 2 in the Round of 10), 147 Laps – 45/45/57; 200.1 Miles
Location:                             Darlington (S.C.) Raceway at (1.33-mile egg-shaped oval)
Date/Broadcast:                Sept. 5, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
Neme'chek' The Facts:
  • John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team head into the second race in the Round of 10 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season at Darlington Raceway 55 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8 with two races remaining in the round. Nemechek had a tough opening race of the playoffs, finishing 22nd at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway after experiencing power issues and a braking issue in the Final Stage. Despite the disappointing results, the 24-year-old driver was able to remain well above the cutoff line thanks in large part to the 49 playoff points he accumulated during the regular season.
  • The Toyota Racing driver is competing in the Camping World Truck Series playoffs for the third time in his career. He finished eighth in the championship standings for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, in 2016 and 2017. He qualified for the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs in 2019 and finished the final standings in the seventh position.
  • Nemechek will be making his second career start at Darlington in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition. Nemechek dominated the early stages of the Truck Series event at the 1.33-mile egg-shaped oval in May, leading a race-high 65 laps and bringing home the Stage 2 win before getting turned into the outside wall while leading on a restart with just under 30 laps remaining. After repairs were made to his damaged Tundra by the over-the-wall crew the talented wheelman was able to work his way back inside the top 10 in the closing laps and ended the night in the eighth spot. In 2020, Nemechek made three NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington with a best finish of ninth coming in NASCAR’s return to racing last May following a 10-week shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, Nemechek made his sole NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 1.366-mile facility and finished 21st.
  • The second-generation driver has put together a remarkable season thus far in his first season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). In addition to leading the circuit in race wins (five) and stage wins (nine), he leads the Truck Series in top fives (nine), laps led (487), fastest laps run (244), driver rating (115.4), average running position (6.251) and average finish (7.9). Nemechek was also crowned the regular season champion.
  • Nemechek registered his fifth Truck Series win of 2021 June 26 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. The talented wheelman was able to beat KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch head-to-head for the third time this season. Nemechek also bested his boss at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March and at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April. Busch finished second to his pupil in all three of those events. Additionally, Nemechek has produced victories at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
  • Nemechek is an 11-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane this year with KBM. Across 118 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 1096 laps led, 37 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.5.
  • Eric Phillips returned to KBM to lead the No. 4 team this season. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. His 42 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 32 of those coming while at KBM. At Darlington, Phillips has four starts with one win coming in 2011 when Kasey Kahne led a race-high 95 laps driving KBM’s No. 18 Tundra.
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
John Hunter Nemechek | Darlington Raceway Preview
How special would it be to get a win at Darlington?
“Darlington, I’ve only run there two or three times, but I’ve always loved running there. There is so much history there, it’s such a tough race track, it’s demanding, you don’t want to get a Darlington stripe – I can tell you that. The race track is so worn out. It’s such a fun race track to race at. For me, being able to go win at those race tracks that have so much history would mean so much.”
                                                                                                                        
After having a dominant truck in the spring race at Darlington but not getting the win are you eager to get back there?
“Last time at Darlington we got wrecked on one of the final restarts and gave our race away. When you have a dominant truck like we did - leading most of the laps and winning a stage, and we were pretty much checked out – there wasn’t many people that could run with us there. We were saving our stuff, trying to wait until the end and I think when it gets down to it and you lose a race that you are so dominant at it, it makes you feel heartbroken that you should’ve won that race. For us, I’m glad that we are able to go back a second time now – that wasn’t previously scheduled for us. Hopefully, we can go get some redemption this weekend!”
How will the conditions at Darlington be Sunday for a day race compared to what you experienced earlier this year with an evening race?
“It’s going to be hot, slick and you are going to slide around a lot more. I feel like when it is at night, you definitely have more grip. Tire fall off may not be as bad or you may not fight the same handling characteristics that you will during the day. I definitely feel like the race track is going to be different. Luckily, we are taking the same truck, but setup is going to be different because of the night to day difference.”
John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:
  • Eleven-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 118 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 1,096 laps led, 37 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.5.
  • Qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017.
  • Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award four times and finished 23rd in the championship standings.
  • Across 52 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled one win (Kansas Speedway, 10/20/18), one pole, 225 laps led, 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.0.
John Hunter Nemechek's No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-53: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-53 for Sunday’s race at Darlington. Nemechek led a race-high 65 laps and won Stage 2 with this same Tundra at Darlington in May before getting caught up in an accident while leading on a restart with just under 30 laps remaining and ending the event with a disappointing eighth-place finish. He also piloted this Toyota to a third-place finish at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March.
KBM Notes of Interest:
  • KBM drivers have collected one win, 162 laps led, two top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.3 across eight starts at Darlington. Kasey Kahne led a race-high 95 laps en route to victory in the 2011 event.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (88) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Truex Jr. became the 16th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner's Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 4 has 16 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

by jnemechek

No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra Camping World Trucks WWTR Preview

Event:                          Toyota 200, Race 16 of 22 (Race 1 in the Round of 10), 160 Laps – 55/55/50; 200 Miles
Location:                    World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Ill. (1.25-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast:      Aug. 20, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
Neme'chek' The Facts:
  • John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team head into the first race in the Round of 10 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) at Gateway as the top seed in the three round, elimination-style format. The 24-year-old driver accumulated 49 playoff points heading into the playoffs on the strength of a series-leading five race wins, a series-leading nine stage wins and an additional 15-point bonus for capturing the regular season championship. He enters Friday’s race at WWTR 48 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8.
  • The Toyota Racing driver will be competing in the Camping World Truck Series playoffs for the third time in his career. He finished eighth in the championship standings for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, in 2016 and 2017.
  • The second-generation driver has put together a remarkable season thus far in his first season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). In addition to leading the circuit in race wins and stage wins, he leads the Truck Series in top fives (nine), laps led (487), fastest laps run (240), driver rating (117.0), average running position (5.9) and average finish (7.0).
  • Nemechek registered his fifth Truck Series win of 2021 June 26 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. The talented wheelman was able to beat KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch head-to-head for the third time this season. Nemechek also bested his boss at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March and at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April. Busch finished second to his pupil in all three of those events. Busch was victorious at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March and Kansas Speedway in May. In addition to beating Busch three times, Nemechek also outdueled reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott to pick up the victory at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth in June. So, he holds a four-to-two advantage this season going heads up against the last two Cup Series champions.
  • The North Carolina driver was victorious at WWTR in June of 2017. He led 46 laps, including the final six, to pick up the fourth Truck Series win of his career. Overall, across four career starts at Gateway, he has one win, 100 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.2.
  • Nemechek is an 11-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane this year with KBM. Across 117 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 1096 laps led, 37 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.4.
  • Eric Phillips returned to KBM to lead the No. 4 team this season. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. His 42 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 32 of those coming while at KBM. Phillips’s drivers have earned one win, two top-five and four top-10 finishes across seven Truck Series starts at WWTR. Mike Skinner was victorious with Phillips calling the shots at Gateway in 2009.
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
John Hunter Nemechek | World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway Preview
Evaluate your regular season.
“The regular season went good. Had five wins in the regular season, won a bunch of stages, so overall it was a really solid performance by our KBM No. 4 Toyota Tundra team. Looking forward to the playoffs -- hopefully we can keep the momentum rolling, we’ve had some really good runs during the regular season. We’ve been one of the dominant trucks every week, I feel like. We just have to carry that into the playoffs now and go get it.”
                                                                                          
You enter the post season with 49 playoff points.
“It’s definitely nice having a lot of points and a big lead over the cutoff line for an insurance policy. At the same time, we don’t want to have to use that. We’ve seen instances in the past with Kevin Harvick having the most playoff points last year and didn’t make the Final 4. A lot goes into it, we’ve just got to keep our head down, stay focused and go out and win races. That’s what we are here to do, #Here4Wins.”
Does having a Truck Series win at Gateway give you confidence going into Friday’s race?
“Gateway is unique. They repaved it not long ago, so it has quite a bit of grip now. Definitely a little bit different with the spec motor compared to the built motors that we used to run, but overall, the same race track. I really enjoy going to Gateway, you use quite a bit of break there, you shift some and I would call it a big short track. We start second, so we have to try and get the lead early and try to lead every lap and win the race. That’s what we are set out to do and with no pit stops this week and being stage breaks like we’ve done on the dirt side of things, we are going to have to go and race your way to our front. There is no pit strategy, you have to go and have the fastest truck and I believe that we can do that out of Kyle Busch Motorsports.”
John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:
  • Eleven-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 117 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 1,094 laps led, 37 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.4.
  • Qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017.
  • Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award four times and finished 23rd in the championship standings.
  • Across 52 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled one win (Kansas Speedway, 10/20/18), one pole, 225 laps led, 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.0.
John Hunter Nemechek's No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-58: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-58 for Friday’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway. So far in 2021, KBM-058 has collected three wins (Charlotte Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway) with Nemechek behind the wheel. Overall, the chassis has collected four wins across 12 career starts. The other win came with Kyle Busch behind the wheel at Charlotte in 2019. KBM-58 finished 11th in its most recent outing as a backup truck at Knoxville (Tenn.) Raceway.
KBM Notes of Interest:

by jnemechek