[autotag]Legacy Motor Club[/autotag] has decisions to make with the No. 42 car after Noah Gragson was suspended indefinitely for liking an offensive post on social media. Gragson missed the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway and will not compete for the organization again after he requested to be released from his contract.
Mike Rockenfeller will drive the No. 42 car over the next two weeks; however, the main focus will be Legacy Motor Club’s plans for the 2024 season. The Las Vegas native’s departure from the NASCAR team was expected and there is now a situation that would make sense for next year. This would be [autotag]John Hunter Nemechek[/autotag] in the No. 42 car for Legacy Motor Club in 2024.
Legacy Motor Club will be switching to Toyota Racing next season and it would be the perfect storm. The manufacturer loves Nemechek and wants him to be in the Cup Series. In fact, it’s a poor idea to keep the Joe Gibbs Racing driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series because what else is there to prove? Nemechek has five wins in 21 starts with three coming in the last five races.
John Hunter Nemechek WINS at @MISpeedway!
200 wins and counting for @JoeGibbsRacing in the @NASCAR_Xfinity series. pic.twitter.com/bGJPTwLpLi
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 5, 2023
There won’t be openings at Joe Gibbs Racing with Denny Hamlin’s likely return or 23XI Racing unless it buys a third charter. This means the only avenue for Toyota to bring Nemechek to the Cup Series is through Legacy Motor Club. Erik Jones will return to the No. 43 car so the easiest path is replacing Gragson, who struggled to compete in the entry.
After Gragson’s release from Legacy Motor Club, Nemechek is the obvious choice to fill the No. 42 car in 2024. There is nothing left for the 26-year-old driver to prove and it is clear that he is ready for a jump to the next level. It may not have been the expected path for Nemechek when he returned to the NASCAR Truck Series but it is a clear route for the 2024 season that he can’t refuse.