Once a driver loses his mojo, it becomes difficult to regain it. Corey LaJoie announced his retirement in September this year after a sour crash with Josh Berry in Bristol. He spent a four-year journey with Spire Motorsports that did not yield results. Not only did the partnership lack race victories, but countless wrecks have also put a dent in their showings. Similarly, John Hunter Nemechek seems bound for a similar trajectory – unless he can take inspiration from an outgoing driver.

Since his Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2013, Nemechek has shown temporary sparks of progress. His first Cup Series stint was with Front Row Motorsports in 2020, following which he willingly stepped down to Trucks and Xfinity. However, Nemecheck’s second attempt at the Cup level also went awry, with fans warning him about his future.

Does John Hunter Nemechek have another chance?

Well, he does, technically. According to a report in November, Travis Mack joined Legacy Motor Club as the crew chief for the No. 42 Toyota for 2025. With John Hunter Nemechek behind the wheel of the No. 42, hope is there for Jimmie Johnson’s team. But is there really?

Throughout the 2024 season, Nemechek failed horribly. Besides encountering multiple DNFs, he could somehow carve out 4 top-ten finishes. His second Cup Series trial has failed miserably so far, even though Nemechek holds 11 Xfinity race victories and 13 Craftsman Truck Series race wins.

Now some fans are speculating whether John Hunter Nemechek can have a comeback season. For now, the only entities supporting him are his sponsors – Dollar Tree, Mobil 1, Advent Health, and others – mainly his name brand. His father, Joe Nemechek, won 4 Cup Series and 16 Xfinity Series wins during a 33-year career. So unless the younger Nemechek can follow in Martin Truex Jr.’s footsteps, little prospect shines for him. The outgoing Joe Gibbs Racing driver joined the Cup in 2006, the same time as Denny Hamlin did.

But his true success took over 15 years to come. Besides twin Xfinity Series championships (2004-2005) and 13 victories in NASCAR’s lower tier, he could not do much in the Cup until 2013. Truex’s stint at Furniture Row Racing brought him 17 Cup victories and a 2017 championship before JGR brought him more. So John Hunter Nemechek may need to take a leaf from Truex’s book to turn his fortunes around. The LMC driver’s own work philosophy may also help him in 2025. He proclaimed his mantra in 2023: “Work hard and never give up. No matter what the situation is, always keep your head down and your elbows up. Keep working hard — through rough times and through good times — and never take anything for granted.”

Yet the NASCAR community is thinking twice before believing in Nemechek.

NASCAR fans raise their eyebrows

Trending

1

Kyle Busch Handed “Final Warning” by NASCAR as Internal Friction Erupts at Chevrolet

2

Justice for NASCAR Legend as FBI Takes Down Elite Car Thieves in Shocking Undercover Operation

3

Chase Elliott Branded NASCAR’s “Last Big Hope” as ‘Loudmouth’ Denny Hamlin Earns Controversial Veteran’s Respect

4

Richard Childress & Co Blamed for Kyle Busch’s Failures as NASCAR Veteran Exposes Rowdy’s Career Blunder

5

Denny Hamlin Pushed Around at Bowman Gray by Roger Penske’s New Short Track Master

John Hunter Nemechek showed true promise when he was an upcoming driver. He made his Truck Series debut at age 16 and picked up his first race victory at the age of 18 in a 2015 Chicagoland race. Then Nemechek’s glimmer of success in Xfinity is also there – he owns five race victories there. So one fan pointed out he may not be fully utilizing his potential. “He’s got talent no doubt but he’s a grade A dumba**.” Another fan agreed that Nemechek needs to harness his earlier strengths, while taking a jab at his recent struggles. “If he stops being an idiot on the racetrack then he might have a shot.”

Then a few people retained hope in John Hunter Nemechek, comparing him with Martin Truex Jr. People also lost faith in the latter during his initial journey, but then Truex completely turned that around by joining Furniture Row Racing. “Maybe he’s the next MTJ? Everyone thought his career was over before it really started when he joined furniture row,” somebody wrote. Yet another fan turned down this comparison with Truex. John Hunter Nemechek could not perform well under Front Row Motorsports, neither could he do so under Legacy. “MTJ was never an issue like JHN. Martin had some chances to win but the team sort of screwed him over.”

Most of all, people were concerned about Nemechek’s future going forward. With no Toyota seats available – Chase Briscoe has taken Truex’s seat and Denny Hamlin is far from retiring – he will have to make do inside Legacy. And being a driver for Jimmie Johnson, a 7-time Cup Series champion, comes with expectations. “This is a make or break year for both JHN and Legacy…The 43 needs to win and the 42 needs to be top 25 material, that should be expected from them. Anything less is a disappointment.”

Evidently th pressure is caving in from all sides for John Hunter Nemechek. Hopefully, the No. 43 driver can make headway as 2025 rolls around.