Start/Finish: 1st/8th (Running, completed 147 of 147 laps)
Winner: Sheldon Creed of GMS Racing (Chevrolet)
John Hunter Nemechek’s dominate day at Darlington was spoiled after an accident on the lap 118 restart when fellow KBM teammate Corey Heim was turned into the Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Tundra causing a 17-truck pileup entering Turn One. After a valiant effort by the over-the-wall crew, Nemechek was able to charge from the tail of the field in the closing laps to finish eighth.
Nemechek led 65 laps and scored the stage two win to extend his points lead over Ben Rhodes to 46 tallies heading into Circuit of the Americas.
Stage One Recap
Nemechek started from the pole position based on NASCAR’s performance-based matrix.
Prior to the competition caution on lap 15, Nemechek radioed to his crew that his Pye-Barker Tundra was on the splitter. During the caution, he radioed that his Tundra was on the tight side. Eric Phillips summoned Nemechek onto pit road for four tires and fuel. Nemechek restarted from the seventh position.
After a five-lap run before the second caution of the evening, Nemechek worked his way back up to second and radioed that his Tundra fired off free but was overall good.
When the green-checkered flag flew on lap 45, Nemechek was scored in the second position.
Stage Two Recap:
At the break, Nemechek radioed that his Pye-Barker Tundra needed more lateral grip. Phillips summoned his driver onto pit road for a track bar adjustment, four tires and fuel. Nemechek would start the stage from the fourth position.
By the following caution on lap 82, Nemechek had worked his way back up to the race lead. Under caution, Nemechek radioed that he was still laterally free. Phillips called Nemechek down pit road for four tires, fuel and an adjustment. Nemechek was first off pit road but would restart fourth after three competitors elected to stay out.
After a two-lap dash, Nemechek would take the race lead to score his seventh stage victory of 2021.
Final Stage Recap:
Nemechek and his Pye-Barker team elected to stay out under the break due to the two-lap dash to conclude the second stage. Nemechek maintained the race lead.
Nemechek’s dominate day turned for the worse when KBM teammate Corey Heim was turned into the No. 4 Tundra on a restart. With Heim’s spin, Nemechek, who elected the outside lane, was forced into the outside wall causing damage to his Tundra. Despite the repairs, Nemechek and the Pye-Barker team were able to stay on the lead lap. Nemechek would restart from the 19th position.
Despite two cautions in the closing laps, Nemechek was able to work his way up to the eighth position before the caution flew on the final lap.
John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Pye-Barker Tundra for KBM:
Tell us about your day
“We had a really fast Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Tundra. I definitely had the fastest truck and had the field covered. It was just a disappointing day. I don’t know how that happens. All I know is that I was going straight one minute and the next I was in the fence at a 45-degree angle. I have to go back and watch some replays. Overall, it was a solid performance for our team. They fixed it. We ended up with a top-10 finish by finishing eighth. This one hurt. We gave one away. I really wanted to win here in Darlington. Onto the next one.”
