Jimmie Johnson dismisses rumors of confrontation with John Hunter Nemechek

This past week, Legacy Motor Club announced that John Hunter Nemechek will not return as the driver of the No. 42 Toyota in 2027, despite earlier plans to keep him as the driver through next season.

While Josh Berry is the leading candidate to replace him, the team also announced the addition of a third full-time entry for 2027 with Riley Herbst as the driver of the No. 84.

As for Nemechek, a rumor began circulating about an alleged confrontation between Legacy co-owner Jimmie Johnson and Nemechek after the Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The tweet claiming there was a verbal clash of some sort attracted more than 200,000 views.

Speaking on the decision to move on from Nemechek, Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup champion, told SiriusXM NASCAR on Friday: “There wasn’t an incident or moment. We’re in pro sports, and as we look across the landscape for how we grow the company, and if you’re looking at a chessboard, two or three chess plays down the road, how you can make the most informed, smart decisions for the company. We have partners to think of, we have investors to think of.

“There was a scenario there that we needed to explore, and the decision was made — by no means an easy one. Our commitment to John Hunter and supporting him — I’m not sure other teams would behave the same way, but we want to do anything we can do to help him, but just from a long-term perspective, there are some other options or opportunities that we need to keep open.”

John Hunter Nemechek, Legacy Motor Club

As for the allegation of a verbal confrontation between the two after New Hampshire, Johnson could only laugh. He and Nemechek have actually been texting about the rumor, making light of it.

“Not true,” said Johnson, chuckling. “No. Actually, we were texting last night. I think one of those may suggest that we’d gotten into a fist fight, and we had a funny text exchange about that. So, none of that is true.”

“You know, and really, as the owner of this company, I’ve not been in this situation, and it’s not easy, and I don’t want to be lighthearted about it. You know, it was a very difficult decision for us to make. John Hunter is someone that I believe in and care about. We live in a pro sports world, and you know, sometimes there are other factors in play that just have to be considered and thought about and that’s really the root of it all.”