Report: John Hunter Nemechek out at Legacy Motor Club?
STATESVILLE, N.C. — A report indicates John Hunter Nemechek could be out at Legacy Motor Club and a hot free agent could replace him.
The Jimmie Johnson-owned NASCAR Cup Series organization is reportedly set to replace Nemechek with Josh Berry, The Athletic reported Tuesday. This comes after Legacy Motor Club even revealed a 2027 scheme for Nemechek in May, reportedly signing him for next season.
“Johnson has maintained that he wants to build Legacy into a consistently competitive team, and it is this thinking that was behind the decision to move on from Nemechek, those sources said,” the report stated.
Berry came on the market in June after Wood Brothers Racing chose to not exercise his option for 2027. The current driver of the famed, red-and-white No. 21 Ford has struggled. However, he has turned his season around in recent weeks – scoring an historic run of top-10 finishes for NASCAR’s oldest team.
If Legacy signs Berry, it’ll be his third team in four years. After Stewart-Haas Racing brought him to Cup and then shut down in 2024, he joined Wood Brothers Racing in 2025. Just five races into his tenure with them, he scored a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Meanwhile, Nemechek has yet to win in the Cup Series. Although he has led more laps than teammate Erik Jones in recent years and matched his performance in 2025, he has lacked consistent performance in 2024 and 2026.1
There’s no word on where Nemechek may go, if the move comes to fruition.
- 2024:
– Erik Jones
17 lead-lap finishes in 34 races
Average finish: 22.9
Points finish: 28th (despite missing two races)
– John Hunter Nemechek
12 lead-lap finishes in 36 races
Average finish: 25.4
Points finish: 34th
———————————————
2026:
– Erik Jones
Two top-five finishes, five top-10 finishes in 36 races
Average finish: 19.9
Points rank: 21st
15 lead-lap finishes
– John Hunter Nemechek
One top-five finish, two top-10 finishes in 36 races
Average finish: 22.1
Points rank: 27th
10 lead-lap finishes ↩︎
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com