John Hunter Nemechek closed out the Round of 10 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s championship with a third-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Nemechek avoided an early race incident as his Mobil 1 Tundra got loose between Turns 3 and 4 in the opening stage of the UNOH 200. He was able to rebound and drive within the top-10 for the majority of the race.
After battling for the win in the Final Stage against Sheldon Creed and his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate Chandler Smith, Nemechek came up just short and took the checkered flag in the third position earning his 11th top-five finish of the season.
Stage One Recap
John Hunter Nemechek started the UNOH 200 on the outside of the front row next to pole sitter, Sheldon Creed.
On lap 14, the Mobil 1 Tundra got loose in between Turns 3 and 4 while battling for position. Nemechek was able to hold on to it and avoid an early accident.
Nemechek was able to rebound and finish the opening stage in the 13th position.
Stage Two Recap:
The No. 4 team was able to gain two spots on pit road and restarted Stage Two in 11th on the outside lane.
Nemechek quickly made his way into the top-10 before the caution flag was thrown for an incident on the backstretch on Lap 71.
The Mobil 1 driver would take the green-and-white checkered flag in the sixth position to end Stage Two, earning an additional five points.
Final Stage Recap:
Nemechek started the final stanza in the eighth position but would find himself in the top-5 within a couple of laps.
The second-generation driver ran within the top-five for the remainder of the Final Stage, battling with Sheldon Creed and his KBM teammate Chandler Smith for the race lead.
After an incident in Turn 4, Nemechek would restart in the third positionwith 37 laps to go. By the time the field came back around to the start/finish line, he had moved into the second position behind Sheldon Creed.
A late caution with 10 laps remaining in the UNOH 200 would bring out the red flag. As the field re-fired their engines and prepared for the final restart, Nemechek would lineup in the third position behind Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith.
Nemechek battled for the lead and the race win in the final five laps but was unable to get past his KBM teammate, ultimately finishing in the third position.
John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra for KBM:
As the Round of 10 closes, what is your outlook for the Round of 8.
“All eyes forward to Vegas. We’re going to go out there and try to win, lock ourselves in, go to Phoenix and hoist that big trophy at the end of the year.”
UNOH 200 Recap
Chandler Smith claimed his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win in a must-win situation to advance to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs. Grant Enfinger, John Hunter Nemechek, Stewart Friesen, and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top-five finishers.
There were 11 cautions for 85 laps. There were three lead changes among three drivers.
How John Hunter Nemechek’s KBM Teammates Fared:
· Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished first.
· Drew Dollar, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 34th.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings
After the points reset, Nemechek will enter the Round of 8 next week at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway at the top of the leaderboard, 44 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4 in Phoenix.
Next Race
Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra will head to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway for the first race in the Round of 8 on Sept. 24. Nemechek will be looking for his second win at Las Vegas in 2021 and locking himself into the Championship 4. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 9 p.m. ET.
