FORT WORTH, Texas – 2024 has been a weird year for NASCAR, in mostly a good way though. Atlanta Motor Speedway saw a three-wide record-setting photo finish, Bristol Motor Speedway held one of the most interesting and exciting short track races for the Next Gen car, and milestones reached for the Drive for Diversity graduates like Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth.
One of the twists with the third Next Gen season has been a return of former Cup drivers making another full-time run at NASCAR’s highest level. Daniel Hemric signed with Kaulig Racing’s #31 Chevrolet Camaro while John Hunter Nemechek stayed within the Toyota Racing Development camp joining the forces of Legacy Motor Club. Both are focused in learning mode for the new car and the level of competition.
“For me, that’s not necessarily what I’ve learned over the last several races. It’s just revalidates what I experienced in 2019 that everybody here is good,” shared 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Hemric during media availability at Texas Motor Speedway. “Doesn’t matter if you’re running for the win every single week or if you’re back here running 30th where we find ourselves at times this year. Everybody’s good. Nobody on Sunday’s a slouch. That’s what makes it fun, just trying to find the little details in your own preparation, your team’s preparation and executions at the weekends to have those solid weekends.
“It’s very rewarding.”
To have those solid weekends requires a deep knowledge of the car. NASCAR made a complete overhaul of the Cup Series vehicle from bumper to bumper. With that brings new unique challenges and many unknowns, including three first time winners in the first six races of 2022 and a stretch of 21 winners across the 36-race schedule.
But the cream has risen to the top. Now that teams have seemed to find their groove with the new race car, others have found struggles or inconsistencies with an uphill battle. Hemric is looking for those adjustments as his Kaulig team pushes forward.
“With all these events, we’ve actually out-finished our speed rankings for the races,” he assessed. “That’s a big thing on Sundays, to be able to maximize that side of it. Then, we just went through a time where we haven’t had a lot of speed since we went to the short track side in the last couple weeks. It’s nice to get back on a mile and a half here at Texas and see where our program’s at on this side of things. There’s a lot to be desired in the short track side that is definitely falling short from where we want to be, unloading and race capability.
“We’ve gotten into races and made those adjustments and improved our speed at those races. But man, it’s been a grind once we got that part of the schedule.”
The grind for Nemechek has been more of a resurgence. In 2021, he stepped down to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, earning seven wins and upholding strong fights for the championship title in two years. Last year, he matched the win column in his full-time Xfinity Series effort and reaching the Championship 4.
So far, Nemechek has two top 10 finishes across the first eight races of the season.
“It means a lot to me to be able to come back to the Cup Series,” said Nemechek. “The plan that we had with Toyota to come back to the Cup series worked out so far, and we’re here. It’s been frustrating at times this year, but I feel like you can have that in any series that you go to. It’s a whole different experience for me this time. I feel like my mindset is different. I feel like with where we’re at team-wise is different. The vision to get better is different.
“There’s a lot of upside potential. We just got to get there first.”
The defining difference falls on his veteran teammate Erik Jones. Entering his eighth season in the Cup Series, Jones and Nemechek have discovered the perfect fit that progresses them toward that end goal of success for Legacy Motor Club.
“Eric and I get along pretty well,” stated the driver of the No. 42 Toyota Camry. “He likes to joke around quite a bit, and so do I, so that’s nice. I feel like we’ve worked together decent so far, feel like we’ve been working good off track as well as on track. Just trying to get our equipment better.
“You want to get along with your teammates. They can make for a rough time if you don’t get along with your teammates. So I feel like getting along and being able to work together for the same end goal, being competitive every single week and trying to get our equipment better as well as us as drivers better. We’re on the same page there, so when you’re on the same page, you can push in different areas to try and get better, and I definitely feel like we’re on that path.
“I’m trying to get our Toyota Camry XSE’s to where we’re quick every single week and can go out there and compete for top tens, top fives and hopefully wins here soon.”
But another driver who may have rookie stripes on his car has anything but rookie talent. Josh Berry graduated from JR Motorsports and the Xfinity class into the No. 4 Ford Mustang with Stewart Haas Racing for the 2024 season in his bid for Rookie of the Year honors.
His self-evaluation admits a good start looking to make it a great year.
“I think it’s been good,” said the 2017 CARS Late Model Stock Tour champion. “There’s a couple of results that we missed out on just due to different circumstances. We still have room to improve. We’ve had a lot of speed in the last three of last four weeks. The short tracks have been really good, still have some things to clean up on pit road, but overall, I think it’s been pretty good.”
Despite his success in other forms of stock car racing, Berry has found the Cup Series to have some of the most competitive drivers in the world. In 2021, he started twice for Spire Motorsports prior to the induction of the Next Gen car. Then in 2023, he ran 10 races: five as a substitute for the injured Chase Elliott, three as a substitute for Alex Bowman’s injury and twice for Legacy Motor Club prior to their switch from Chevrolet for Noah Gragson. That variety of teams has given him an extra jump start in his rookie season.
“It’s just super competitive. It’s just hard,” Berry elaborated. “I think that’s the best way to put it. All these guys are the best of the best and the teams are the best, the best pit crews from top to bottom, the amount of depth in the field is high level, so just harder.”
That’s what everyone has found to be the difference maker when it comes to the Cup Series. So when it comes to preparing for a race like Texas, notably one race that can produce some of the most exciting finishes, the value of track position and minimizing mistakes goes under a powerful microscope. Cautions can come at unexpected times, trapping contenders a lap down or more. No matter if the intermediate tracks are a strength or a weakness, it’s a week that many seem to have circled on their calendar for one reason or another.
“I think that the intermediate race is an area for us to continue to improve. Not saying that we’re going to just take it as it comes and see how we go, but we definitely feel like there’s room for us to improve it at the intermediate (tracks). We just have to see how we run this weekend and make the best of it.”
And to tame the Lonestar State, Hemric summarized it simply yet profoundly.
“I’m just trying to be aware.”
FORT WORTH, Texas – 2024 has been a weird year for NASCAR, in mostly a good way though. Atlanta Motor Speedway saw a three-wide record-setting photo finish, Bristol Motor Speedway held one of the most interesting and exciting short track races for the Next Gen car, and milestones reached for the Drive for Diversity graduates like Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth.
One of the twists with the third Next Gen season has been a return of former Cup drivers making another full-time run at NASCAR’s highest level. Daniel Hemric signed with Kaulig Racing’s #31 Chevrolet Camaro while John Hunter Nemechek stayed within the Toyota Racing Development camp joining the forces of Legacy Motor Club. Both are focused in learning mode for the new car and the level of competition.
“For me, that’s not necessarily what I’ve learned over the last several races. It’s just revalidates what I experienced in 2019 that everybody here is good,” shared 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Hemric during media availability at Texas Motor Speedway. “Doesn’t matter if you’re running for the win every single week or if you’re back here running 30th where we find ourselves at times this year. Everybody’s good. Nobody on Sunday’s a slouch. That’s what makes it fun, just trying to find the little details in your own preparation, your team’s preparation and executions at the weekends to have those solid weekends.
“It’s very rewarding.”
To have those solid weekends requires a deep knowledge of the car. NASCAR made a complete overhaul of the Cup Series vehicle from bumper to bumper. With that brings new unique challenges and many unknowns, including three first time winners in the first six races of 2022 and a stretch of 21 winners across the 36-race schedule.
But the cream has risen to the top. Now that teams have seemed to find their groove with the new race car, others have found struggles or inconsistencies with an uphill battle. Hemric is looking for those adjustments as his Kaulig team pushes forward.
“With all these events, we’ve actually out-finished our speed rankings for the races,” he assessed. “That’s a big thing on Sundays, to be able to maximize that side of it. Then, we just went through a time where we haven’t had a lot of speed since we went to the short track side in the last couple weeks. It’s nice to get back on a mile and a half here at Texas and see where our program’s at on this side of things. There’s a lot to be desired in the short track side that is definitely falling short from where we want to be, unloading and race capability.
“We’ve gotten into races and made those adjustments and improved our speed at those races. But man, it’s been a grind once we got that part of the schedule.”
The grind for Nemechek has been more of a resurgence. In 2021, he stepped down to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, earning seven wins and upholding strong fights for the championship title in two years. Last year, he matched the win column in his full-time Xfinity Series effort and reaching the Championship 4.
So far, Nemechek has two top 10 finishes across the first eight races of the season.
“It means a lot to me to be able to come back to the Cup Series,” said Nemechek. “The plan that we had with Toyota to come back to the Cup series worked out so far, and we’re here. It’s been frustrating at times this year, but I feel like you can have that in any series that you go to. It’s a whole different experience for me this time. I feel like my mindset is different. I feel like with where we’re at team-wise is different. The vision to get better is different.
“There’s a lot of upside potential. We just got to get there first.”
The defining difference falls on his veteran teammate Erik Jones. Entering his eighth season in the Cup Series, Jones and Nemechek have discovered the perfect fit that progresses them toward that end goal of success for Legacy Motor Club.
“Eric and I get along pretty well,” stated the driver of the No. 42 Toyota Camry. “He likes to joke around quite a bit, and so do I, so that’s nice. I feel like we’ve worked together decent so far, feel like we’ve been working good off track as well as on track. Just trying to get our equipment better.
“You want to get along with your teammates. They can make for a rough time if you don’t get along with your teammates. So I feel like getting along and being able to work together for the same end goal, being competitive every single week and trying to get our equipment better as well as us as drivers better. We’re on the same page there, so when you’re on the same page, you can push in different areas to try and get better, and I definitely feel like we’re on that path.
“I’m trying to get our Toyota Camry XSE’s to where we’re quick every single week and can go out there and compete for top tens, top fives and hopefully wins here soon.”
But another driver who may have rookie stripes on his car has anything but rookie talent. Josh Berry graduated from JR Motorsports and the Xfinity class into the No. 4 Ford Mustang with Stewart Haas Racing for the 2024 season in his bid for Rookie of the Year honors.
His self-evaluation admits a good start looking to make it a great year.
“I think it’s been good,” said the 2017 CARS Lote Model Stock Tour champion. “There’s a couple of results that we missed out on just due to different circumstances. We still have room to improve. We’ve had a lot of speed in the last three of last four weeks. The short tracks have been really good, still have some things to clean up on pit road, but overall, I think it’s been pretty good.”
Despite his success in other forms of stock car racing, Berry has found the Cup Series to have some of the most competitive drivers in the world. In 2021, he started twice for Spire Motorsports prior to the induction of the Next Gen car. Then in 2023, he ran 10 races: five as a substitute for the injured Chase Elliott, three as a substitute for Alex Bowman’s injury and twice for Legacy Motor Club prior to their switch from Chevrolet for Noah Gragson. That variety of teams has given him an extra jump start in his rookie season.
“It’s just super competitive. It’s just hard,” Berry elaborated. “I think that’s the best way to put it. All these guys are the best of the best and the teams are the best, the best pit crews from top to bottom, the amount of depth in the field is high level, so just harder.”
That’s what everyone has found to be the difference maker when it comes to the Cup Series. So when it comes to preparing for a race like Texas, notably one race that can produce some of the most exciting finishes, the value of track position and minimizing mistakes goes under a powerful microscope. Cautions can come at unexpected times, trapping contenders a lap down or more. No matter if the intermediate tracks are a strength or a weakness, it’s a week that many seem to have circled on their calendar for one reason or another.
“I think that the intermediate race is an area for us to continue to improve. Not saying that we’re going to just take it as it comes and see how we go, but we definitely feel like there’s room for us to improve it at the intermediate (tracks). We just have to see how we run this weekend and make the best of it.”
And to tame the Lonestar State, Hemric summarized it simply yet profoundly.
“I’m just trying to be aware.”