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John Hunter Nemechek Isn’t Interested in Following Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart & Other NASCAR Legends’ Indy 500 Dream

Published 12/10/2023, 2:11 PM EST

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BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 06: John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #26 Stillhouse Toyota, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series New Holland 250 at Michigan International Speedway on August 06, 2022 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The Indy 500 at Indianapolis or F1 at Monaco is a raging debate that has been going on in the motorsports community for quite some time now. NASCAR drivers, who are often bombarded with this question, have often inclined towards the Indy 500 but John Hunter Nemechek recently made an offbeat choice by opting for the F1 race in the sprawling streets of Monte Carlo.

Nemechek competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series driving for Legacy Motor Club. At just 26, the young racer has certainly punched above his weight. Making steady progress with 41 races in 4 years, he is now going against some of the prominent names in the racing circuit to make a name for himself. However, the recent comments about him choosing the Monaco GP over the Indy 500 suggest that he is not shy to make an unpopular opinion.

John Hunter Nemechek has F1 in his heart and would snub the Indy 500 if given the opportunity

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The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson has been long sighting his participation in the Indy 500 and by the looks of it, his dream might come true. While NASCAR legend Tony Stewart has already lived this dream, finishing fifth in the Indianapolis 500.

The young blood Nemechek has a different idea and does not shy away from expressing his obsession for F1 over the Indy 500. Speaking on the Money Lap podcast, when Parker Kligerman launched this question at the young racer as he usually does with every guest “An F1 car at Monaco or Indy Car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway”, the 26-year-old was quick in choosing F1 at Monaco.

Nemechek replied, “F1 at Monaco. I feel like Monaco is such an iconic place to be able to go and run and I thoroughly enjoyed the street race at Chicago last year. I thought it was really cool, a lot of different characteristics and to be honest, since I was a little kid I’ve tuned into Monaco every time they’ve run there with F1. So I mean running an F1 car too how can you beat that at this point.”

F1 at Monaco is certainly would certainly be a wholesome experience for Nemechek but he is still some way from achieving what Tony Stewart was able to in both NASCAR and the Indy 500.

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When Tony Stewart completed a famous double, covering 1,100 miles in a single day

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Only four drivers Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, John Andretti, and Kurt Busch have braved Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. However, of the handful of attempts made to clinch this mammoth task, only Stewart has been able to successfully pull off the impressive feat of completing both races.

It was May 27, 2001, and Stewart finished 6th at the Indianapolis 500 which also was his last Indy car race of his career. He then hopped on a plane to reach Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. Not only did he manage to reach Charlotte but he finished the race in 3rd place despite starting in 43rd, the last spot.

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With both the Indy 500 and F1 having a massive fan base and outreach, no wonder there would be a difference in opinion among the drivers in choosing the one. What would you pick amongst the two most iconic races?

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Written by:

Chintan Devgania

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One take at a time

It was the Fast & Furious movies that acted as my gateway to the world of cars and motorsports. Later, as I completed my undergrad in Journalism, I learned how to channel my thoughts and opinions, which only helped me kick-start my career as a sportswriter. Right now, I am looking to expand and contribute at EssentiallySports as a NASCAR writer, Informing, enlightening, and entertaining the fans with my stories.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Ramesh