Former Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr has made a bold claim about one of the drivers who will make his Cup Series debut in 2024. He won seven races in the Xfinity competition this year but fell just short of winning the championship. The man in question is none other than John Hunter Nemechek and the team he will be joining is Jimmie Johnson’s team, Legacy Motor Club.

The team made the headlines when their former driver Noah Gragson got himself in deep waters over questionable social media antics. It ended in Gragson’s suspension from NASCAR and he left the team on his own accord. For Dale Earnhardt Jr, it seems like John Hunter Nemechek is Gragson’s ideal replacement in the #42 car.

Dale Earnhardt Jr reveals reason behind confidence in Jimmie Johnson’s organization

Legacy Motor Club recently switched manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota in the hopes that they will have a faster car than what they had in 2023. Jimmie Johnson’s team was never close to challenging for race wins in the season. He will be hoping that changes in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series.

On a recent episode of The Dale Jr Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr suggested that John Hunter Nemechek would be the biggest achiever. Junior believes that the Xfinity Series sensation will be able to pull off a shock win despite not being in a very competitive team. Part of that, as per Junior would be Legacy Motor Club’s switch from Chevrolet to Toyota.

“I think that John Hunter Nemechek may overachieve. I kind of like the moves the team is making manufacturer-wise. They’ll be getting a little support through the other successful teams. It’ll be a little motivation to do that for John Hunter. The crew chief that he’s got coming up with him. I just feel like that’s setting him up to do that one kind of, I don’t want to use the word fluke, but freak win. That one surprise win. Kind of like a McDowell at Indy. I could see John Hunter sort of sneaking in one and throwing the whole playoff field into a tizzy,” the two-time Xfinity Series champion opined.

While Junior seems to have high hopes for John Hunter Nemechek, he does not have the same level of confidence for one of his own former drivers who will also be making his full-time debut in the Cup Series in 2024.

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Junior predicts a season of struggles for his former driver

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Josh Berry and Dale Earnhardt Jr have worked together for a long time. Their most well-known stint was in the Xfinity Series where Berry won four races with JR Motorsports. However, Junior believes that the 33-year-old will struggle in his first year with Stewart-Haas Racing.

“I’m a Josh Berry fan. Y’all know that I want that to go well. There will be some moments of struggle. There will be times when Josh Berry’s going, ‘Dude, do I have what it takes? Do I belong here? Do I have the fortitude to go forward?’ There will be some dark, dark moments in that first year. There are for every driver,” Junior said ominously. 

Will Dale Earnhardt Jr’s predictions come true in 2024? Will John Hunter Nemechek be able to pull off an unexpected victory while Josh Berry struggles? Let us know your thoughts.

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