John Hunter Nemechek will make his debut in the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club entry in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Carson Hocevar, who was originally slated to pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet for the remaining season, will step aside and allow Nemechek to take the wheel for the 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1.
Nemechek has already signed a contract with Legacy Motor Club to be the full-time driver of the No. 42 next season, starting at the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum on Feb. 4, 2024.
It will be the 26-year-old’s second career attempt to compete in the Cup Series.
“Thanks for our long-term partners at Chevy and our future partners at Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing, we have the opportunity to run one race this season with our future driver, John Hunter Nemechek, in the 42 car. It’ll just be one race,” stated team co-owner Jimmie Johnson in a social media post on Monday. “We’ll put Carson (Hocevar) back in to close out the season.”
Legacy Motor Club will switch manufacturers, from Chevrolet to Toyota, at the end of the year.
Nemechek currently races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, piloting the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. With three races to go in the season, Nemechek leads the standings by 26 points over Justin Allgaier.