John Hunter Nemechek will stay with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team Kyle Busch Motorsports for 2022 the team announced Oct. 14.
“I came to Kyle Busch Motorsports because it was an opportunity to get back to victory lane — I accomplished my goal of being here for wins and I’m excited to be coming back for more next year,” Nemechek said in a team release. We have some unfinished business left trying to bring the championship trophy home to KBM this year and then we’ll go to work on the brand new 2022 Tundra so that we can compete for more wins and another championship next year.”
Nemechek has earned five wins, 12 top fives and 15 top 10s in his first year with the Truck team.
Eric Phillips will return as well as the No. 4’s crew chief.
“It’s been refreshing to see John Hunter get the No. 4 Tundra back out front leading laps, winning races and competing for a championship this year like it had in the past and it’s important for us that we are able to keep him in that seat for another season,” team owner Kyle Busch said. “In addition to the accomplishments of the No. 4 team this season, the efforts that John Hunter and Eric have put in behind the scenes have helped keep that winning edge of performance in our whole program.”
2022#TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/ZcTRPAtehf
— John Hunter Nemechek (@JHNemechek) October 14, 2021
The No. 4 is the first KBM team to have its driver lineup revealed for 2022. The organization also fields the No. 18 for Chandler Smith and the No. 51 for a variety of drivers, including owner Busch.
Nemechek currently sits in first in the Truck playoffs heading into the series’ penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 30, 36 points ahead of the Championship 4 cut off.
Dalton Hopkins began writing for Frontstretch in April 2021. Currently, he is the lead writer for the weekly Thinkin' Out Loud column, co-host of the Frontstretch Happy Hour podcast, and one of our lead reporters. Beforehand, he wrote for IMSA shortly after graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2019. Simultaneously, he also serves as a Captain in the US Army.
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I’m honestly shocker I thought for sure he had a guaranteed ride in the Xfinty serious.
It’s kind of the Allgaier idea: Drop down to a lower series, and have fun winning, although Front Row Motorsports seems to get consistently better every year. Allmendinger is another one to drop down. Nemechek could also be a lifer in the series, a la Sauter & Crafton.
This is your better reply and imo, the correct one. In all honesty, what true racer wants to just drive an inferior car around the track week after week, knowing you absolutely have no chance to win !
Not sure why he didn’t stay in the Cup series. McDowell pretty much proves Front Row can compete and win every now and then.
Of course, Daytona and Talladega always offer the chance for what I’m now calling the bubba win.