John Nemechek

John Frank Nemechek (March 12, 1970 – March 21, 1997) was an American race car driver who most notably competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

John Nemechek
Nemechek in 1996
BornJohn Frank Nemechek
(1970-03-12)March 12, 1970
Lakeland, Florida, U.S.
DiedMarch 21, 1997(1997-03-21) (aged 27)
Homestead, Florida, U.S.
Cause of deathMajor head injuries from racing accident at Homestead-Miami Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish92nd (1994)
First race1994 Kroger 200 (IRP)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
43 races run over 3 years
Best finish13th (1996)
First race1995 Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic (Phoenix)
Last race1997 Florida Dodge Dealers 400 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 4 0

Life and racing career

Nemechek's 1996 truck

The younger brother of four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner Joe Nemechek, John followed his brother into racing, participating in his first race at the age of twelve in an 80 class dirtbike race. After a quick progression to the 250cc class, he moved onto mini-stock cars, where he raced against his brother, and eventually late-model stocks.

When he was not racing, Nemechek served as the front-tire changer on Joe's pit crew, and was on Joe's 1992 NASCAR Busch Series championship-winning team. He would begin attempting NASCAR races himself, and ran one Busch race at IRP in 1994.[1] He finished 30th after his No. 89 Chevrolet suffered an engine failure. The following season, he began racing in the new Craftsman Truck Series, driving at first for Redding Motorsports,[2] and then for his brother's NEMCO Motorsports. In the first year of competition, Nemechek ran 16 races and had two top-ten finishes. He followed that up with two more top-tens in 1996 and a thirteenth-place finish in points, running a single truck he built himself titled the War Wagon under his own team, Chek Racing.

Death

On March 16, 1997, Nemechek was running a Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway when with 25 laps to go, he lost control and struck the first-turn wall, driver's-side first, and hit his head on the wall, suffering head injuries. He was extricated and transported to hospital, where died on March 21. At the time of his death, a company had agreed to fully sponsor his truck team beginning at the next race. It was meant to be surprise for him at the end of the race.

Legacy

Following the incident, Homestead was reconfigured into a true oval with a six-degree banking to reduce the possibility of the type of crash that killed Nemechek. His brother Joe was able to pay tribute to his brother by winning a Busch Series race that November at the now-reconfigured circuit; he later named his son John Hunter after his late brother.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 NBGNC Pts
1994 NEMCO Motorsports 89 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL MAR DAR HCY BRI ROU NHA NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW SBO TAL HCY IRP
30
MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT MAR CAR 92nd 73
1996 NEMCO Motorsports 89 Chevy DAY CAR
DNQ
RCH
DNQ
ATL NSV DAR BRI HCY NZH CLT DOV SBO MYB GLN MLW NHA TAL IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR HOM NA 0

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 NCTC Pts
1995 Redding Motorsports 89 Chevy PHO
13
TUS SGS 16th 1674
NEMCO Motorsports 87 Chevy MMR
26
POR
14
EVG
27
I70
23
LVL
22
BRI
29
MLW
17
CNS
15
HPT IRP
8
FLM
20
RCH
19
MAR
9
NWS
22
SON MMR
30
PHO
19
1996 Chek Racing 8 Chevy HOM
7
PHO
14
POR
12
EVG
20
TUS
17
CNS
12
HPT
21
BRI
20
NZH
20
MLW
29
LVL
10
I70
16
IRP
26
FLM
14
GLN
16
NSV
21
RCH
27
NHA
20
MAR
14
NWS
19
SON
16
MMR
19
PHO
17
LVS
27
13th 2615
1997 WDW
36
TUS
20
HOM
21
PHO POR EVG I70 NHA TEX BRI NZH MLW LVL CNS HPT IRP FLM NSV GLN RCH MAR SON MMR CAL PHO LVS 71st 258

References

  1. Barker, John (August 5, 1994). "Third Sportsman 100 tonight at L.I.S." The Ledger. Lakeland, FL. p. 2D. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
  2. Barker, John (December 13, 1994). "Younger Nemechek to drive Super Truck Series". The Ledger. Lakeland, FL. p. 3D. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
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