NASCAR Xfinity Series: John Hunter Nemechek to drive for GMS Racing in 2019

John Hunter Nemechek is set to compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the first time in the 2019 season. He is set to drive for GMS Racing.

After driving part-time for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, John Hunter Nemechek is set to compete full-time in the series starting in the 2019 season.

Nemechek is set to drive the #23 GMS Racing Chevrolet and Chad Norris is set to be his crew chief.

GMS Racing announced on Twitter that Nemechek is set to be the full-time driver of the team’s #23 Chevrolet next season.

Spencer Gallagher drove the #23 Chevrolet in more races than anybody this past season, as he competed in 19 of the 33 races that were on the schedule. He was slated to be the team’s full-time driver in 2018, but following his victory in the April race at Talladega Superspeedway, he failed a drug test and was suspended as a result of it. While he did return later in the season, he did not return on a full-time basis until the regular season finale.

A total of seven other drivers combined to drive the #23 Chevrolet in the other 14 races last season. These seven drivers were Casey Roderick (one race), full-time GMS Racing Truck Series drivers Johnny Sauter (two races) and Justin Haley (one race), full-time Cup Series drivers Chase Elliott (seven races), Alex Bowman (one race) and A.J. Allmendinger (one race), and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott (one race).

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Nemechek, meanwhile, has driven in the Truck Series since the 2013 season, and he has never driven for a team other than the team owned by his family, NEMCO Motorsports.

The 21-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina native competed part-time in the Truck Series from the 2013 season through the 2015 season before spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons as a full-time driver. When he landed his first career part-time ride in the Xfinity Series this past season, he went back to being a part-time Truck Series driver.

Here is what Nemechek had to say about the opportunity to drive full-time for GMS Racing in the 2019 Xfinity Series season, according to NASCAR.

"“I am very grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Gallagher and the entire GMS Racing organization has presented to me to be able to run full time in 2019. The results that GMS Racing showed last year in their NASCAR Xfinity Series program were impressive. Their goal is to create a championship-caliber team, like their Truck Series program, and I believe that we can achieve that goal in the 2019 season.”"

Here is what GMS Racing president Mike Beam had to say about Nemechek driving full-time for the team in the 2019 season, according to NASCAR.

"“John Hunter (Nemechek) is a wheelman. We are excited to have him on board for the 2019 season. With how much progress we showed last year in our NASCAR Xfinity Series program, I know that John Hunter will take us to the next level.”"

In his 18 Xfinity Series starts this past season, Nemechek recorded one victory, six top five finishes, 11 top 10 finishes and one pole position. He led 211 of the 3,362 laps that he completed, and he recorded an average starting position of 8.5 and an average finishing position of 10.1.

Nemechek earned his first career Xfinity Series victory in the October race at Kansas Speedway. Despite the fact that he missed 15 of the season’s 33 races, he still finished in 13th place in the championship standings as a result of his prowess behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet.

In 94 career Truck Series starts, Nemechek has earned six victories, 28 top five finishes, 48 top 10 finishes and two pole positions. He has led 607 of the 13,238 laps that he has completed, and he has recorded an average starting position of 11.8 and an average finishing position of 12.4. In both of his seasons as a full-time driver in the series, he finished in eighth place in the championship standings.

How will John Hunter Nemechek perform in his first season as a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driving for GMS Racing in 2019? The 33-race season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, February 16, 2019 with the Daytona 300 from Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Be sure not to miss this race or any of the other 32 races on next year’s schedule.