NASCAR: 3 possible Joe Gibbs Racing drivers for 2022
By Randy Smith
Possible Joe Gibbs Racing drivers: No. 2 – John Hunter Nemechek
John Hunter Nemechek decided to carve his own path in NASCAR when he left his Cup Series ride at Front Row Motorsports for to drive the #4 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series.
This decision to drop down two levels has paid off greatly, as Nemechek has already racked up five wins and finds himself as the favorite to win the 2021 championship.
Additionally, Nemechek recently landed a one-off ride with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity Series team when he drove the #54 Toyota at Talladega Superspeedway. What seemed to be a head-scratching move at first is starting to make perfect sense.
While Nemechek has run in the Cup Series, it was hard to imagine just how far his career would go running for a smaller team. Instead, he elected to reunite with the TRD program and add to his resume with wins and a shot to race for TRD’s top team in the Truck Series, and now potentially in the Xfinity Series.
With Harrison Burton vacating the #20 Toyota, Nemechek could very well be in the mix to replace him, getting him one step closer to a Cup ride in the TRD camp. If his success in the Truck Series is any indication of what he can do in a top-tier Xfinity Series ride, he should have no problem with a promotion.
Furthermore, this move would keep Nemechek in the TRD camp, and that seems to be the move he wanted to take by leaving Front Row Motorsports. He is attempting to work his way up from the beginning and re-define his career. With a Truck Series championship on the line this year, an Xfinity Series title could be on the line next year for the 24-year-old.