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John Hunter Nemechek held off second-place finisher Daniel Hemric to take his third victory of this season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 8.
Nemechek's Toyota had troubles at the start of the race, especially in traffic. However, as the race progressed, his crew improved the No. 20 car. Justin Haley led 80 laps and was in position to lead a line of Kaulig Racing drivers in overtime.
However, he was unable to do so on the restart, as John Hunter Nemechek made his move on the outside to capture his first lead of the race.
"We just had to keep making our car better all night, we were able to execute on the restart." Nemechek said during the post-race interview.
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When Austin Hill spun in Turn 4 on Lap 161, causing the eighth yellow and sending the race into NASCAR Overtime, Kaulig drivers Haley and Chandler Smith were running 1-2. For the restart, Haley took the outside lane, with Nemechek to his inside and Smith behind him.
Daniel Hemric finished second, and his Kaulig Racing teammate Haley finished fourth. Pole-sitter Chandler Smith started the overtime in second place but ended 20th as he reportedly ran out of fuel.
Austin Hill, who was trying for his fourth win of the season and third in a row at Atlanta, was fourth until his late push stopped with a spin with three laps to go. Hill lost control and ended up finishing in 12th place.
Who is John Hunter Nemechek?
John Hunter Nemechek is an American NASCAR driver, currently racing for Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. He is the son of former Xfinity Series winner Joe Nemechek.
Nemechek, born on June 11, 1997, is a full-time driver for the NASCAR Xfinity series. He drives the No.20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He is also a part-time driver at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the #17 Toyota Tundra for TRICON Garage.
He has five Xfinity Series victories and 13 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victories to his name. After filling in for the injured Matt Tifft in 2019, he won the 2020 Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender in his first full season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
John Hunter Nemechek raced full-time in the Xfinity Series for GMS Racing in 2019. Nemechek won his first Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway in 2018, one of 11 top-10 finishes in 18 of his appearances. His most recent series victory came in July 2023 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Joe Gibbs Racing.
