Joe Nemechek and NEMCO Motorsports Persevere for Top-20 Finish in Daytona - Speedway Digest

On Friday, February 20, Joe Nemechek and the Gere Kennon-led NEMCO Motorsports team secured a top-20 finish in the Nextera Energy Resources 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event despite incurring damage to the No. 8 D.A.B. Constructors Inc. / SWM International Inc. Chevrolet Silverado during an accident on Lap 15 on Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

In the season-opener event, the Lakeland, Fla., driver started 18th on row nine for the 100-lap event. After the green flag waved in front of an estimated 35,000 fans, Nemechek worked his way into the 16th-postion by Lap 10.

While running in the 18th position, Nemechek could not avoid right-front damage to the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado when he was collected in a multi-truck incident on Lap 15 that brought out the first caution flag of the event. The 51-year-old veteran pitted multiple times so that the NEMCO Motorsports team could make repairs to his Chevrolet Silverado before Kennon determined that the No. 8 D.A.B. Constructors Inc. / SWM International Inc. Chevrolet had to go to the garage to continue to make repairs.

“When that wreck started, I thought I had it cleared, but the next thing you know, another truck clipped my right-front,” added Nemechek. “It did a lot of damage and it took time to get it repaired to where we could make a few laps. The crew worked very hard; we had to move the radiator, re-weld the front-end back on, and keep the front-end from rubbing on the tires and on the ground so we could continue to make laps. It also tore up the back-end of the truck, destroyed the body and the front-clip. The crew did a great job in the amount of laps that it took to get it fixed. Of course, being the driver in the seat you are wanting to go quickly, but the realistic part of it is that it has to be fixed right or else you will not get another opportunity. My hats off to them for doing a good job.”

Nemechek returned to action on Lap 49. Nemechek, in 29th-place at the race’s halfway point, continued to experience handling issues as a result of the body damage incurred during the Lap-15 incident, but additional pit stops for repairs helped remedy the issue. Over the remainder of the race, Nemechek persevered and picked up positions in the closing laps of the race.

In the end, Nemechek crossed the finish line 20th, 38 laps down to the race leader.

“We are definitely looking forward to Atlanta (Motor Speedway) after a tough weekend at Daytona International Speedway,” Nemechek concluded.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.