John Hunter Nemecheck was just six years old when Kyle Busch began racing on the national circuit. He was just eight years old when he was named the NASCAR Cup Series rookie of the year. Now, he mourns. Busch passed away on Thursday at the age of 41.
For Nemecheck, Busch was an idol. Like Busch, Nemecheck is a truck racer and has been great on the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, while also trying to make a name for himself on the NASCAR Cup Series. On Thursday, he paid tribute to his idol.
“It’s hard to put into words what Kyle Busch has meant to me throughout my life and my career,” Nemecheck began. “From the time I was young, Kyle believed in me, gave me opportunities, pushed me to be better, we had so many hard fought battles, and always someone I could lean on. He’s been more than a mentor to me. He’s been a longtime friend and someone I’ve looked up to for so many years. Some of my favorite memories in racing and in life are because of him, and I will always be grateful for the impact he’s had on me both personally and professionally. He always been there for me no matter what the circumstances may have been. Right now, my thoughts and prayers are with Kyle, Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, the entire Busch family, and everyone who loves him. I’m asking everyone to keep the Busch family in your prayers and respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
Nemecheck was once a member of Kyle Busch Motorsports after parting ways with Front Row Motorsports in 2020. The team primarily competed in low-level series. They competed in the ARCA Series, ARCA East Series, and ARCA West Series. They also had drives in the Nationwide Series and Truck Series at the NASCAR Level.
Nemecheck won seven different times on the Truck Series with Busch’s team, and won the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He has yet to win on the Cup Series, but hopes to duplicate the career of Busch, from truck driver to NASCAR legend.
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