Full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver John Hunter Nemechek opened up the 2026 season competing in not only the Cup Series races but the Craftsman Truck Series races at Daytona International Speedway and EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).
Nemechek, who had not competed in the Truck Series since 2023, drove the No. 62 Toyota for Halmar Friesen Racing in both races and placed fifth at Daytona and eighth at Atlanta.
However, there will be no full-time Cup Series drivers in this weekend's Truck Series race, which is the series' first ever street race, on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, as the Cup Series is set to be at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Nemechek is a full-time Cup driver for Legacy Motor Club.
John Hunter Nemechek replacement confirmed for St. Petersburg
Set to replace Nemechek behind the wheel of the No. 62 Toyota, which Halmar Friesen Racing are running as a shared full-time truck alongside Stewart Friesen's No. 52 Toyota, is Wesley Slimp.
Slimp, who is currently running a part-time ARCA Menards Series schedule with Nitro Motorsports, made his Truck Series debut a year ago and appeared in three races behind the wheel of the No. 62 Toyota, back when it was still a part-time entry.
All three of his starts came in road course races, and the 23-year-old Marietta, Georgia native registered a top finish of 12th place a Watkins Glen International.
Beyond this weekend, the No. 62 Toyota does not yet have a confirmed driver for any of the 2026 season's 22 remaining races, so it would not be surprising to see Slimp get more seat time as the season progresses.
Likewise, with restrictions on full-time Cup Series drivers who have more than three years of Cup Series experience running in lower divisions nowhere near as strict as they once were, it would be no surprise to see Nemechek return to the team for a few more starts as well.
Saturday's OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 is set to be shown live on Fox from the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and catch all of the action from a historic NASCAR Truck Series first!