Legacy Motor Club, the NASCAR team owned by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and a host of celebrities, now has an open seat to fill ahead of next season.
The team announced on Wednesday, Sept. 2 that John Hunter Nemechek would not return to drive the No. 42 Toyota for Legacy next season. The news is both surprising and abrupt considering that Legacy announced sponsors for the 2027 season for Nemechek back in May.
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“Legacy Motor Club has made the decision to part ways with John Hunter Nemechek at the conclusion of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season,” the team said in a statement. “We are grateful for John Hunter’s contributions to Legacy Motor Club and appreciate his professionalism and commitment to the organization throughout his time with the team. We remain focused on finishing the 2026 season strong together and wish John Hunter the very best in the future.”
Nemechek, who is in his fourth full-time season in the Cup Series — and third with Legacy — released his own statement after.
“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,” Nemechek said. “I can’t wait to continue this journey, as I know my best days are ahead.
“This is a tough sport, and I am so thankful for the love and support from Tyler Gibbs, Jack Irving, everyone at Pye Barker, my JHN Autosports team, and so many others that have kept me lifted up through good times and bad. For now, I’m going to hug my family, focus on putting together 10 great races to finish the year, and figuring out what comes next.”
The 29-year-old Nemechek has yet to win a race in the Cup Series in 139 races. He has just two top-10 finishes in 26 races this season, coming in 10th at Watkins Glen and placing fourth at Pocono.
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The son of Joe Nemechek — a former champion in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and a four-time winner at the Cup Series level — John Hunter has been successful in the lower levels of NASCAR, winning 11 O’Reilly races and capturing 13 victories in the Craftsman Truck Series. Nemechek was also the regular season champion of the Truck Series in 2021 and voted the Most Popular Driver of the series in 2015.
Where Nemechek goes from here is unclear. Before this event with Legacy, there seemingly weren’t any open seats at the Cup Series level for 2027.
And who Legacy chooses to fill Nemechek’s seat remains uncertain, too. Johnson’s team could pull up a young driver from the O’Reilly or Truck ranks, or they could turn to Josh Berry — the current driver of the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers.
It was announced earlier this summer that Berry would not return to Wood Brothers in 2027, leaving him currently without a Cup Series ride for next season. Berry will be replaced by Jesse Love, the 21-year-old who captured the O’Reilly championship last season.
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But the 35-year-old Berry has been on a career-best surge recently, currently riding a streak of five consecutive top-10 finishes at the Brickyard, Iowa, Richmond, New Hampshire and Daytona. It’s the first time since 1994 that a driver for Wood Brothers has notched that many top-10 finishes in a row. Berry also finished inside the top 10 earlier this season at Martinsville and the Daytona 500. He also owns a Cup Series win, taking the checkered flag last season at Las Vegas, which netted him a postseason berth in the old playoff format.
Legacy also fields the No. 43 Toyota driven by Erik Jones, a former winner of the Southern 500. He’s expected to return to that seat next year for his seventh season with the No. 43.
The team will expand to three cars next season after acquiring a third charter from Rick Ware Racing. That third seat is widely expected to be filled by Riley Herbst, who currently drives in the Cup Series with fellow Toyota team 23XI Racing.
Legacy Motor Club announced a slew of new investors this year, bringing aboard celebrity chef Guy Fieri, Grammy-winning artist Darius Rucker, two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper, former U.S. Open winner Andy Roddick, World Series champion Chase Utley, arguably the world’s best professional surfer Kelly Slater, and a trio of former Indy 500 winners in Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti into the ownership group.
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The 50-year-old Johnson, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2024, is set to run his final Cup Series race at next year’s Daytona 500.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR team to part ways with John Hunter Nemechek
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