Nemechek Takes Over Driving Duties at GMS Racing for 2019

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor

John Hunter Nemechek has a new home for the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, moving over to GMS Racing to take over the No. 23 Chevrolet and compete for Rookie of the Year.

The 21-year old Mooresville, North Carolina native looked to be on his way to another year with Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2019 season before the team decided to put Ross Chastain in the driver’s seat instead, leaving Nemechek on the outside looking in.

Enter GMS, who had a seat available for the upcoming season after Spencer Gallagher, who has driven the car for the past three seasons and delivered the team their first win at Talladega, elected to move into a managerial role with the team at the conclusion of the 2018 season.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Gallagher and the entire GMS Racing organization has presented to me to be able to run full-time in 2019,” Nemechek said. “The results that GMS Racing showed last year in their NASCAR Xfinity Series program were impressive. Their goal is to create a championship-caliber team, like their truck series program, and I believe that we can achieve that goal in the 2019 season.”

Nemechek has made his presence known in both the Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series in recent years, running up front and winning races in both divisions. In his first Xfinity Series season this year, Nemechek piloted a CGR Chevrolet to one win (Kansas), six top-five finishes, 11 top-10 finishes and one pole in 18 starts.

In addition to his time with Ganassi, Nemechek has also been racing for his family’s team in the Truck Series since 2013, running 94 races and scoring six wins, 28 top-five finishes, 48 top-10 finishes, and two poles in that time period.

“John Hunter (Nemechek) is a wheelman,” Mike Beam, president of GMS Racing, said. “We are excited to have him on board for the 2019 season. With how much progress we showed last year in our NASCAR Xfinity Series program, I know that John Hunter will take us to the next level.”