John Hunter Nemechek Expresses Fear About Backlash from Chase Elliott Fans, Then Beats the Hendrick Driver in Round 2 Matchup

John Hunter Nemechek is one of the eight drivers still left in contention for the $1 million prize that NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge offers. The 28-year-old overcame former Cup Series champion Chase Elliott in the Chicago Street Course on Sunday and is now seeded against his teammate, Erik Jones, for the third round of the tournament at Sonoma Raceway.

Before the race in Chicago, he spoke to the press along with Elliott and expressed how he was worried about beating the Most Popular Driver, since it would get him on the bad side of many fans.

Nemechek joked, “Hopefully, the fans don’t hate me too bad after we beat the most popular driver today. No, it’s all fun and games. It’s a lot of fun. Hopefully, we both can have some really good days and race it out at the end.”

Elliott looked on with a smile as Nemechek called his win early on and responded, “Usually John Hunter and I get along pretty good. So, I am trying to figure out how to hate him. I don’t know, I am working on it. His little jab helped.”

The friendly rivalry between the two was one of the most adorable exchanges all weekend. But little did Elliott know then that Nemechek would go on to prove his call. The Legacy Motor Club driver finished the race in 15th place, just ahead of Elliott in 16th.

Despite the loss, it is not likely that Elliott has developed any ill feelings toward his friend. Nemechek’s teammate, Jones, finished in 25th place and beat Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The contest between the two in Sonoma will be one of the most interesting match-ups in the third round.

Jones holds an average finish of 17.7 across 10 starts at Sonoma. Meanwhile, Nemechek has only one Cup Series appearance at the track — P29 in 2024 — though he logged a best finish of eighth in two Xfinity Series outings. In their head-to-head battles, Jones leads Nemechek 30–25, based on Racing Insights.

Nemechek and Co. reach new heights after a year of change

The addition of Travis Mack as the crew chief of Nemechek’s No. 42 team was one of the many changes that Legacy Motor Club went through after the 2024 season. Following a year of struggle and learning, performances are improving for the team, all thanks to the combined efforts within the organization.

The No. 42 Toyota Camry driver is currently 20th in the points table. He has had a career-high six top-10 finishes so far in the season. This performance is a sign of how Mack and the rest of the team have worked with him to deliver the car he needs. It all goes back to Mack listening to the radio communication between Nemechek and his former crew last year.

Mack had learned one too many things from it. He told NBC Sports, “In his past, in lap one or two, they were on the radio already telling him how to drive. They were trying to lecture him on what he needed to do differently, how to drive like somebody else.” Mack set this right, and the newfound freedom allowed Nemechek to soar.

The driver, too, expressed strong faith in the car he was being given. He said, “I think it’s confidence in your equipment. When I go out on the racetrack, I’m confident that I know that the car is going to stick and that I can push it.” Hopefully, this run of form will lead him to Victory Lane sooner rather than later.