NASCAR: John Hunter Nemechek out at Front Row Motorsports
By Asher Fair
John Hunter Nemechek will not be back with Front Row Motorsports for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season following his rookie year in 2020.
After just one season behind the wheel of the #38 Ford, John Hunter Nemechek will not be back with Front Row Motorsports in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, a move that comes as somewhat of a shock to many fans after his solid rookie year.
Nemechek landed his ride with the team for the 2020 season after being called upon to fill in for Matt Tifft in three races late in the 2019 season after Tifft suffered a seizure.
His solid performance in those three races, in which he finished no lower than 27th place and recorded an average finish of 23.7, led to the team signing him full-time.
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In the 2020 season, Nemechek finished in 27th place in the championship standings with three top 10 finishes, including career-high finishes of eighth in both races at Talladega Superspeedway and a ninth place finish at Darlington Raceway. His average finish was 22.4.
The 23-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina native completed more laps and more miles than any other rookie in the field, and 2020’s rookie class was a stacked class which included all three drivers of the “Big 3” from the 2019 Xfinity Series season: Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick, Leavine Family Racing’s Christopher Bell and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer.
Nemechek shared the following message about his departure on Twitter.
— John Hunter Nemechek (@JHNemechek) November 16, 2020
Here is what team owner Bob Jenkins had to say about the matter in a statement.
"“We want to thank John Hunter for being a part of Front Row Motorsports and beginning his NASCAR Cup Series career with us. He certainly helped elevate our performance this past season and brought added value to our No. 38 team. We wish him the best in the next phase in his career and he will always be a friend of ours.”"
This news frees up the seat of the #38 Ford, one of the top remaining open seats in the driver lineup, for next year.
However, Front Row Motorsports could ultimately decide to loan or sell one of their charters and only run a one-car team.
Michael McDowell is also not under contract to return to the team next year after spending the last three seasons behind the wheel of the #34 Ford, but he is expected to return.
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The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to get underway in just under three months on Sunday, February 14 with the 63rd annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.