Look at how things changed for John Hunter Nemechek over the last few months. In May, Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club announced that Nemechek would continue with the team through 2027, with paint schemes for the future car reportedly already in the works. Then, ahead of the start of the Chase, which Nemechek did not qualify for, he suddenly found himself getting booted out of Legacy.
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Erik Jones, his teammate, will not have to vacate his seat and is instead watching changes unfold around him. Legacy Motor Club will run three cars starting in 2027, with Riley Herbst joining the team as a new driver. However, Nemechek will have to give up his spot in the No. 42 car.
To be honest, Jones can feel for his soon-to-be former teammate. That is largely because he has been in this situation before.
Jones told NASCAR journalist Steven Taranto in Darlington before the Southern 500, “Yeah, I know the feeling of getting that call. What the emotions are and kind of where it puts you, as a headspace. Some of the worry and doubt about what’s next and where things go from here.”
The 30-year-old is alluding to his brief tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing. He first raced for them in 2015, competing in one-off races. Then, after completing his full-time debut season in 2017 for the erstwhile Furniture Row Racing, he got the call-up a year later. At that time, he filled in the #20 seat, replacing a retiring Matt Kenseth. Jones enjoyed three years with the organisation, bagging two wins under his belt. Unfortunately, he was let go at the end of the 2020 season, with Christopher Bell replacing him.
Jones admitted to feeling absolutely gutted, but he also acknowledged that he learned a lot from the experience. Fortunately, Richard Petty Motorsports threw him a lifeline in 2021, and that became the biggest positive he could take away from it. Since then, neither Jones nor the team, now known as Legacy Motor Club, has looked back.
Jones is now in his sixth year with LMC. When he joined Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021, driving the No. 43 car, the team was still a single-charter operation. A year later, it expanded to two cars, with Ty Dillon taking over the No. 42.
The following season, Noah Gragson stepped into the No. 42 until his midseason suspension. The seat was then shared by Grant Enfinger, Josh Berry, Mike Rockenfeller, Carson Hocevar, and John Hunter Nemechek. From 2024 onward, Nemechek became the full-time driver of the No. 42, remaining there through the end of the current season.
On social media, following the news of his sacking becoming official, Nemechek revealed that he did not take the news well. At the same time, though, he was not feeling bitter heading into the final stretch of his run with Johnson’s team.
“I am incredibly grateful to Legacy Motor Club for the past three years. While I am obviously disappointed with their decision, I am as motivated as ever. It has been such an honor to represent Toyota, Legacy Motor Club and all of their sponsors. I can’t wait to continue this journey, as I know my best days are ahead,” he said.
While Jones can understand what Nemechek is going through, the changes at Legacy Motor Club also mean he will soon have a new teammate to work with. With Herbst already confirmed for 2027, Jones will have an important role to play as the team prepares for its three-car operation.
What are Jones’ thoughts on Riley Herbst?
Erik Jones was reportedly kept out of the decision to let go of Nemechek. As a result, he was unaware of the circumstances that led to the No. 42 driver’s impending departure. On both a personal and professional level, Jones had nothing but praise for John Hunter Nemechek.
Jones acknowledged that the decision was not an easy one and that there were probably circumstances that led to it. At the end of the day, he hoped Nemechek would have a good future ahead of him and, hopefully, find his way back to the Cup Series.
The No. 43 driver stressed the need for three strong and competitive cars. He has already placed his faith in Riley Herbst to deliver the goods, and now he will be hoping that Legacy Motor Club can find the missing piece of the puzzle. In addition to being fast and talented, Jones insisted that another key trait is being able to fit in well with the team’s culture.
Erik Jones continued in the same interview with Taranto, “Once we know kind of what we’re going to do. We can start to build those relationships. Obviously we’ve announced Riley, and he’s still got some work to be done at the job he’s at. I’ve reached out and tried to bridge that gap and build that relationship there. At the end of the day now, it’s just going to be me who’s been here for a while. Bridging some of these gaps of, where’s the team at? What do we need from drivers? What’s expected from them? That’s kind of going to fall more on my shoulders, at this point. So, we’ll start as early as we can.”
The identity of the other Legacy Motor Club seat is still a mystery. Jones was referring to waiting until there is a clearer picture of the driver market. Once everyone is confirmed, the trio can begin working closely together. But rumors around the garage suggest that Josh Berry could be the one to replace Nemechek.
He has put together six consecutive top-10 finishes, with much of the racing community calling for him to be given another Cup Series seat following his departure from Wood Brothers Racing earlier this year.
As the senior-most driver in the squad, however, the onus will be on Jones to keep the ship afloat. Furthermore, the sooner the remaining seat is confirmed, the earlier LMC can start preparing for the 2027 season.