Toyota Racing – John Hunter Nemechek
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes
POCONO, Penn. (July 21, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to media prior to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the Pocono Raceway on Friday:
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Yahoo Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Do you feel like you have any extra pressure with your family’s legacy in the sport?
“I wouldn’t say it’s extra pressure. I’ve always had the goal of being better than my dad – that’s for sure. I think last week, I tied him in total NASCAR wins, which is really cool. I think we are both at 20 now. That’s a really neat stat. I think that there is no real added pressure there, just because of my name. I think for me it’s trying to make a name for myself. Yes, being able to grow underneath him and then being able to carry on my uncle’s name is really, really neat and it is kind of a family legacy that I get to continue to carry on, but at the same time make a name for myself. I want everyone to say that’s John Hunter’s dad, rather than that’s Joe Nemechek’s son.”
How do you digest 2024 plans with some unknown?
“I think for me it just really staying focus on this year. I’ve been Cup racing before. I made that move, and it might have been a little too soon for me, but I learned a lot from that. At that point, I don’t feel like I’m worried about the future. For me, it is all about going and winning races. I love the spot that I’m in. I love the last three years of winning races at the Truck level and the Xfinity level, hopefully, one day, I can do that in the Cup Series level, but for me, it’s all heads down and focus on trying to win this championship. I’ve come up short from winning a championship so far in my career, so whatever that takes, for me – whatever happens in the future is going to happen for a reason, so you just have to live every day and continue to get better and go race every single weekend.”
Do you have to have patience because it is not totally up to you?
“I think at times anyone would say it can get frustrating not knowing your future or where you are going to end up, but at the same time, patience is a virtue. I had to learn patience once I had a kid, that is for sure. I feel like that has changed my perspective on a lot of things. For me, it’s continuing to focus on what I love to do and that is going racing and winning races. The future will settle itself, so it’s just heads down and working hard every single day.”
How humbling was stepping back from the Cup Series and going back to the Truck Series?
“I think that I value going Cup racing for sure. Was it the right move? Maybe. Maybe not. That’s part of the path of where it has got me in my career. I learned a lot that year. It made me a better race car driver. It made me a better person. It made me stronger mentally, for sure, through ups and downs. We had some really good runs, but all-in-all, I think being able to reset and revamp and put myself in a spot where I feel like I can win races with the teams and organizations that I was with in the Truck Series and now in the Xfinity Series. I don’t want to put myself in the position where I feel like I can’t win races with an organization. To me, it is aligning yourself with the right people and the right team around you to go and win races and championships.”
How do you manage the points lead?
“Keep winning. Win stages, win races. Just have solid days, no mistakes. I feel like that has something that we’ve fought all year is having to overcome things every single week, whether that might be a mistake on pit road or something I did, restart violation or wherever it may be. We’ve had to come from the back quite a bit this year, in short periods of time and have still salvaged days. Turned bad days into good days, and overall have good days every week.”
What is it about Pocono that allows you to find success here?
“I really don’t know. Ever since I’ve came here, I feel like I’ve excelled here. I don’t know the reason for it. I feel like this place is based on a lot of momentum, carrying speed around the corners, making the straightaways longer. I feel – I guess that suits my driving style a little bit. It goes back to some of the race cars that I grew up driving, like Allison Legacy cars and whatnot, it was all momentum based and trying to make corner speed faster to make the straightaways longer – really tight racing. For me, it is just a place I’ve come to like over the years, and I’ve been fast here, so it makes it that much easier to like.”
What has been the key to your success this season?
“Having a great team around me. Everyone that works on this 20 team and everyone that works at Joe Gibbs Racing has given every tool that I’ve needed to succeed, including Toyota, TRD. I think just consistent runs throughout the year, turning bad days into good days or in the top-10 days, let’s say, and being frustrated with a top-10. That’s a pretty good day. For us, it’s just keeping our head down and continuing to bring fast Toyota GR Supras to the race track every single week. I have to keep doing my homework and doing my job and focus on each race weekend and doing the best that I can as a driver and for my team. It goes back to communication as well. Communication is key. I feel some of that goes unnoticed from a team aspect of NASCAR. It’s a team sport, so being able to communicate with the crew chief, the engineers, all of your crew guys – it just makes everything better.”
Have you had any talks with Mark Martin on advice on your similar career tracks?
“I have not. Mark (Martin) and I chat every time he is at the race track but haven’t talked about that. I didn’t know that – that’s actually interesting and pretty cool. So, for me, I think the opportunity on the Cup side was great and it was something I had to take for myself as a driver. Was it too soon? Maybe. At the same time, it teaches you a lot. It makes you become a better driver, a better person, stronger mentally. It opens your eyes to a lot of things that you haven’t been exposed to before. There are reasons that those guys race on Sunday every single week.”
How does having Ben Beshore’s experience help you reach the level of success you have this season?
“Ben (Beshore), I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being able to work with Ben, so far this year. Going into the off season, not knowing who the crew chief was going to be for me, and then getting announced that it was Ben – sitting down, chatting with him, talking with him, communicating, trying to create that relationship, I feel like we’ve created a pretty good relationship so far. The experience is huge. Anytime I feel like that you have an experienced crew chief; it makes you better as a driver. He not only has experience as a crew chief, but he’s a very experienced engineer. He’s been around this sport for quite some time, so being able to chat with him and pick his brain on some ideas and have him ask me questions that really haven’t been asked before or in a way that they haven’t been asked before, to make me think a little bit differently about what he is asking and how the car is driving and different things of that sort. I feel like that has been a huge stepping stone for me and has made me a better race car driver. I think the experience side has helped me mature for sure as a race car driver. We are very good about letting each other do our jobs every single weekend, but still in constant communication on what we can do better as a team and how we continue to get better. I feel like our relationship has really kicked off, and it has been really, really good.”
About Toyota
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