John Hunter Nemechek finished third in the BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Nemechek was able to score his second stage win of the season in the opening stanza of the event. Prior to coming to pit road for the first time in the second stage, Nemechek ran out of fuel. The Mobil 1 driver was able to rebound and get a lap back in the final stage to finish third.
With his stage win, Nemechek now sits second in the Camping World Trucks driver’s standings just nine points behind leader Ben Rhodes.
Stage One Recap
Nemechek started in the fourth position after a performance matrix based off the No. 4 team’s final ranking in the 2020 owner points standings, as well as his finishing position and the fastest lap he turned during the Camping World Truck Series’ previous race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Nemechek was able to garner the race lead on the opening lap of the race after NASCAR deemed the race to be run under “wet” conditions. When the first caution fell on Lap 10, Nemechek radioed to his Mobil 1 crew that he was having slight trouble with the drive off the corners. Veteran crew chief Eric Phillips kept his driver on the racetrack.
Nemechek would win Stage One.
Stage Two Recap:
At the stage break, Phillips would keep his driver out on the racetrack. Nemechek would start the stage from the lead.
As the Mobil 1 crew was about to come to pit road to put on slicks, Nemechek would run out of fuel coming out of the bus stop on the backstretch. Nemechek would receive a push to pit road and lose one lap.
Nemechek would finish the final stage in the 36th position.
Final Stage Recap:
Under the break, Nemechek was told to take care of his Mobil 1 Tundra and to get in the free pass position as the No. 4 team believed more cautions would be imminent. Nemechek would restart the stage from the 35th position.
The break for the Mobil 1 team came on Lap 40 when the fourth caution of the night came. Nemechek was able to take the free pass. Under the caution, Nemechek was reassured that he had a fast Toyota Tundra when he was told that if he would have been on the lead lap, he would have worked his way up to the 14th position from the back of the pack. Nemechek would restart at the rear of the field in the 26th position.
After a couple of green flag laps before the fifth caution, Nemechek would restart from the 15th position and be asked to make smart decisions.
In the restart coming out of the sixth caution period, Nemechek went through the grass entering Turn One. Nemechek would work his way up to the ninth position before the seventh caution came out on Lap 43. Because he went through the grass on the restart, the No. 4 crew made sure there was no grass on the grille of his Tundra.
On the restart on Lap 45, Nemechek worked the inside lane to work his way up to third before the eighth caution of the night on Lap 46. Nemechek was able to work his way to the second position before the ninth caution flew on Lap 49.
After the third attempt at NASCAR Overtime, Nemechek would finish the race in the third position.
