John Hunter Nemechek to be Released by Legacy Motor Club

Kelsey Christman - Staff Writer

John Hunter Nemechek smiling during an interview at Chicagoland. (Riley Ogle, Motorsports Today, 2026)

Charlotte, NC-  Legacy Motor Club is set to release John Hunter Nemechek at the end of the 2026 season. This season marks the third for John Hunter in the No. 42 with this team. Nemechek was informed of the news on Monday after the conclusion of the 2026 regular season at Daytona.

Legacy Motor Club is expanding their team to three full-time cars beginning in 2027. While Erik Jones has been confirmed to return in the No. 43, the other two cars remain open. 

John Hunter Nemechek has had 139 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series and remains winless within the series. His best career finish to date has been fourth at the 2025 Southern 500 and at Pocono back in June. He is currently 27th in points this season.

Josh Berry has been labelled a front runner to take over the seat of the No. 42 Toyota. Josh Berry was recently released from Wood Brothers Racing after this season to be replaced by Jesse Love. Riley Herbst is also rumored to join this team for their third seat next season.