John Hunter Nemechek Adds Races to 2023 Schedule

John Hunter Nemechek has expanded his racing schedule with two additional NASCAR starts. He will join Tricon Garage while driving the No. 17 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.

Tricon Garage announced the news on February 23. The team revealed that Nemechek will make his return to the Craftsman Truck Series. He will drive the No. 17 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 3 and then he will return to the entry on March 18 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

As part of the announcement, Tricon Garage revealed Nemechek’s scheme for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race. He will have Berry’s Bullets as his primary partner while continuing a relationship that has featured multiple races across the three national series.

Tricon Garage noted that Nemechek will have a different scheme and sponsor for the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The team will reveal this information at some point prior to the return to Georgia.

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Nemechek Will Pull Double Duty at Both Tracks

The North Carolina native is spending his 2023 season competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He drives the No. 20 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Joining Tricon Garage for two events provides Nemechek with the opportunity to pursue multiple wins. His main focus will be the Xfinity Series races and wins that would put him into the playoffs, but he will also have opportunities to pursue more wins in the Craftsman Truck Series.

Nemechek, who has spent the past two NASCAR seasons competing full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports, has achieved success in the Truck Series. He has made 147 starts for multiple teams while winning 13 times. He also finished third in the championship standings in 2021.

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A Friendly Truck Series Rivalry Reignites at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

When Nemechek suits up for the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he will also have an opportunity to compete once again against the most accomplished racer in the Craftsman Truck Series. He will face off with former boss Kyle Busch.

The two drivers have competed against each other many times in the Craftsman Truck Series, both as teammates and while driving for different organizations. Both Nemechek and Busch have celebrated wins after their battles at tracks such as Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway.

One standout example was the Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2021. Busch started at the rear of the pack, but he quickly worked his way through the field and finished Stage 1 in the fourth position while Nemechek captured the playoff point with a stage win.

The roles reversed in Stage 2 as Busch finished the segment in the first position while Nemechek was right behind him. This set up an intriguing final run to the checkered flag, which included Busch blowing a tire, falling a lap down, and then going from 25th to the inside of the top 10 in only 10 laps.

The two KBM drivers lined up side-by-side on the final restart of the race. They took the green flag with six laps to go, but Nemechek jumped to the lead and held on for the rest of the Truck Series race. He captured the win while Busch finished second.

The two drivers will now face off once again, albeit for different teams and manufacturers. Nemechek will drive a Toyota for Tricon Garage while Busch will drive a Chevrolet for his own team.

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