Bill Center: NASCAR driver will lean on dad, legendary boss ahead of Coronado weekend

John Hunter Nemechek has no problem finding counsel when it comes to his NASCAR driving career.

His father, Joe, started 674 Cup races over 24 years with four wins, 10 poles and 62 top-10 finishes.

And Nemechek’s boss at the Legacy Motor Club is seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

“If I have a question, I get answers,” Nemechek said recently while making a reconnaissance visit to the North Island Naval Base, site of the history-making three-race NASCAR weekend set for June 19 to 21.

“My dad still plays a role in my career. We chat about things I’m facing and that he experienced as a driver. My dad has done a lot and taught me a lot.

“But when it comes to the car side of it, these cars today are so different than what he drove. These cars don’t react the same way as my dad’s cars. It’s hard to understand how much the cars have changed just in the seven seasons since Dad retired.”

As for the influence of Jimmie Johnson …

“Having a guy like Jimmie who has seven championships and 83 Cup wins, someone who is probably the best who has ever been in the NASCAR ranks, alongside you supporting you and pushing you is an absolute, amazing feeling,” said Nemechek. “Having him as a boss makes it that much better.

“It’s quite an experience being around Jimmie. Culture is a huge thing for us at Legacy Motor Club and with the development of what we’re trying to build. Jimmie’s vision is one of the reasons why I came to Legacy Motor Club. We’re building the team and the club from the ground up. Jimmie is very talented in a lot of different ways. He has a lot of great ideas.”

One of Johnson’s ideas was hiring the young Nemechek to drive for Legacy’s two-car team two years ago. The team and drivers Nemechek and Erik Jones are still searching for that first win as a team.

“The 2024 season was a rough start,” said Nemechek, 28. “But there was a lot of building. We made a ton of improvement in 2025. We were in contention. We built some fast cars. But we have to be more consistent when we’re running toward the front. It’s not one thing. It’s just executing all the factors … cars, drivers, pit crew, strategy.

“We need a win. Hopefully, that will come in 2026.”

What better place than Naval Base Coronado on Father’s Day in Johnson’s first race in his hometown?

“I can’t tell you how excited everyone at Legacy Motor Club is to be part of this historic race and Jimmie’s return to San Diego,” said Nemechek. “It’s just special that NASCAR is celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday with its first race ever on a military base. To be part of that and Johnson’s first race in his hometown is meaningful to all of us at Legacy Motor Club.”

Nemechek recently visited the base, visiting sailors and airmen and driving across sections of what will be the street/road course.

“I’m like everyone else,” said Nemechek. “I’m really looking forward to racing on the naval base. I love the idea and the vision that made it happen. It’s going to be an amazing venue and weekend. It’s historic. We all know that and what that means to NASCAR, the drivers, the base, the sailors and the nation.

“It’s definitely going to be an interesting circuit. I only got to see a couple of the straights and where some of the corners will be.  From looking at it, it’s definitely going to have a lot of character as a track. There are going to be some rough patches and bumps. We go over some train tracks. It’s going to be fun and demanding.

“It’s going to be different than anything we’ve ever raced on.”

And Nemechek is excited for Johnson, who will attempt to run in all three races — Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Trucks — during his first time ever driving a stock car in San Diego County.

“Who knows how many more starts Jimmie has left?” said Nemechek. “It would be amazing for him to run in all three divisions here. I know he’s excited. But this generation of Cup car makes it much more difficult for anyone who is not racing every week.

“They are very different from the Cup cars of even five year ago. And you have to drive them differently. I still haven’t mastered all of it. These cars are so different from anything I’ve ever driven before. And they are always changing. As a driver, you have to adapt and make changes.

“Only a driver the caliber of Jimmie Johnson could even hope to pull it off.”