Toyota GAZOO Racing – John Hunter Nemechek
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 12, 2025) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
What’s your outlook heading into this weekend?
“I’m excited for the weekend. The (Daytona) 500 has been really good to me for the two times I’ve ran it so far. Really looking forward to getting down here, getting our year kicked off. 2025 looks to be an exciting year for not only myself but LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in general. A lot of new hires, a lot of great hires over the offseason. A lot of hard work has gone into this. I’m excited to see it going again to see where we end up.”
How different will this be compared to your first Daytona 500?
“Well, I expect it to kind of be the same to be honest with you. It’s probably going be the same insane energy and a lot of people. Kind of madness around the whole vibe. (I’m) excited for this weekend. Hopefully we can etch our name in one of the plaques on the Harley J. Earl Trophy.”
How does the Daytona 500 race week build up for you?
“It does. I will say nothing like your first Daytona 500 and that feeling. But being able to soak in the energy from the one last year, (I) really enjoyed the moment. Kind of understanding that as I’ve gotten older over the last few years and really understanding what the 500 is all about. The history and the energy that goes into it, the whole vibe. I’m excited just to get going here running another Daytona 500 and seeing where we stack up.”
What does the trust and faith from Jimmie Johnson mean to you?
“It means a lot. Jimmie (Johnson)’s been great over the offseason, over the last year, trying to get us to keep our head in the game and keep fighting no matter what the circumstances may be. I feel good about the direction that LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is heading in, but it feels good to have a boss and a mentor, and I’d like to call Jimmie a friend as well, that has our back and has the vision of where he wants LEGACY MOTOR CLUB to go. I haven’t found anything except for maybe free throws that Jimmie absolutely stinks at (laughs). So definitely looking forward to him being a great team owner and hopefully driving for him for a long time.”
What does the Daytona 500 mean to you?
“You know through a kid’s lens, let’s say, you don’t really understand how big this race is. You don’t really understand the history behind it. You know it’s big because you’re down here for a week, right? And at the start of the year, it’s kind of like the Super Bowl for us, right? So, when it comes down to it, it’s just a matter of seeing it through an adult perspective rather than the kid’s lens. I don’t know if it necessarily means more, but it’s really neat to have your world kind of turn and it come full 360 (now driving in the race).”
Do you feel like LEGACY MOTOR CLUB has turned the corner?
“Yeah, I sure hope so. I mean, there were a lot of new hires over the offseason; there’s been a ton of hard work that has gone in. It’s going to be interesting to see how it all ends up, right? So, I can tell you right now, we’re better than we were last year at this point. How much better is the unknown.”
When will you know how much improvement you and the team have made?
“After (Las) Vegas, in my opinion. You have get through the first three (races). But how much? I’m not 100% sure. So, I feel like when it comes down to it, Phoenix and (Las) Vegas are going to be telltale signs of kind of where you stack up, at least for the offseason progress.”
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