NASCAR driver hints at new contract announcement for 2022

NASCAR Truck Series driver John Hunter Nemechek made a social media post on Wednesday indicating that he will be announcing a new deal later today.

John Hunter Nemechek, the NASCAR Truck Series points leader and title favorite, is in his first year driving the #4 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports after just one season in the Cup Series last year.

Nemechek has been the subject of considerable silly season speculation as of late, given the impact he has had at Kyle Busch Motorsports as their best full-time driver since Christopher Bell won the 2017 championship.

When Kyle Busch hired Nemechek, he stated that he ideally wanted a Matt Crafton-type driver who could compete for wins and championships on a regular basis, and he believed that his new driver could fill that role.

The world will find out later today if that is the case.

We know he is capable of winning, considering he has done it five times this year (three times ahead of Busch in second place), but will he be back behind the wheel of the #4 Toyota next year?

Nemechek posted a picture on social media on Wednesday afternoon indicating that he has signed a new deal for 2022, and he stated that more details will be on the way later today.

https://twitter.com/JHNemechek/status/1448378531470270467

The most heavily rumored landing spot for Nemechek in 2022 has been the Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series team, though a return to Kyle Busch Motorsports isn’t out of the question whatsoever.

Nemechek made the decision to give up his Cup Series ride with Front Row Motorsports and drop down two levels to the Truck Series so that he could reunite with Toyota and potentially set himself up to ascend the latter with TRD. So moving to Joe Gibbs’s Xfinity Series organization would be the logical next step for the 24-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina native.

BREAKING: Nemechek confirms 2022 team

Two of Joe Gibbs Racing’s current three full-time Xfinity Series drivers are moving on next year, with Daniel Hemric leaving the #18 Toyota for a ride with Kaulig Racing in the same series and Harrison Burton leaving the #20 Toyota for a ride with Wood Brothers Racing in the Cup Series.

It is expected that Ty Gibbs, who has driven the #54 Toyota on a part-time basis this year, will replace one of those two drivers, likely Hemric, next year.

In fact, this is one of those things that almost doesn’t need a formal announcement. Not only is he the grandson of the team owner, but the success he has had competing on only a part-time basis this season, as well as the success he has had competing in other series, make him an ideal candidate to run the full schedule and contend for a championship.

But even the addition of Gibbs would still leave the team with a vacancy, and we should find out later today whether that vacancy will be filled via a Nemechek promotion.