The place John Hunter Nemechek may go subsequent because the 2027 Cup seats run brief

John Hunter Nemechek’s NASCAR Cup Collection future is unsure after Legacy Motor Membership confirmed on September 2 that he’ll depart the group on the conclusion of the 2026 season. With many of the 2027 Cup seats already settled, the 29-year-old may have restricted choices in NASCAR’s high division.

After Legacy introduced his departure, Nemechek mentioned that he stays motivated to proceed racing and is already wanting towards his subsequent alternative. The issue for the Toyota improvement driver is that the 2027 Cup Collection foolish season is already closing, with many of the seats both stuffed or anticipated to be stuffed quickly.

Joe Gibbs Racing has its 4 Cup seats occupied, whereas 23XI Racing has additionally settled on its three-driver lineup with Corey Heim becoming a member of Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick. Legacy, the one different Toyota staff, is clearly not an choice for John Hunter Nemechek both, as he has gone winless in 100 Cup begins.

That leaves him with only a few real looking openings on the Cup degree. A return to the feeder collection may due to this fact be probably the most sensible choice. His robust document in NASCAR’s decrease divisions, together with 11 O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection wins and 13 Vans Collection wins, provides him a number of routes to proceed his profession.

3 potential NASCAR groups for John Hunter Nemechek in 2027

The 2027 NASCAR foolish season has already eliminated a number of potential touchdown spots for John Hunter Nemechek. However his expertise nonetheless gives him methods to stay in a aggressive group. He drove the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing automobile in 2023 and gained seven races that season, on his technique to the Championship 4. However JGR has already confirmed its four-car O’Reilly lineup for 2027, making a return to the group troublesome regardless of Nemechek’s earlier success there.

Nemechek additionally has a reference to Halmar Friesen Racing. Legacy Motor Membership has ties with the HFR No. 62 truck, and he has already made two Truck begins for them in 2026, ending fifth at Daytona and eighth at Atlanta. Nonetheless, Toyota makes use of the entry on a rotational foundation. Furthermore, Stewart Friesen’s presence within the No. 52 Truck additionally makes a full-time alternative much less easy at HFR.

That leaves three groups that would notably go well with John Hunter Nemechek if he has to make a full-time return to NASCAR in 2027:

#1 Tricon Storage – NASCAR Truck Collection

Tricon Storage could possibly be one of many strongest choices for John Hunter Nemechek if he decides to return to the Truck Collection. The group at present operates 5 full-time vans, with three full-time drivers and two entries operating on a rotational foundation, though none of these seats have been confirmed for 2027.

Giovanni Ruggiero and Kaden Honeycutt have each certified for the 2026 Truck Collection Chase and are anticipated to return in 2027. In the meantime, the third full-time driver, Tanner Grey, didn’t make the postseason for the seventh consecutive season. He’s additionally looking for his first Truck victory after 160 begins.

Nemechek is a confirmed winner and may instantly strengthen Tricon’s lineup on the entrance of the sphere. He additionally drove two races for the staff in 2023, ending thirty first at Las Vegas and third at Atlanta. He returned to the group in 2026 for the New Hampshire race, driving the No. 5 Toyota to a Nineteenth-place end.

A full-time alternative with Tricon would due to this fact give John Hunter Nemechek a aggressive Toyota-backed operation, whereas his expertise may additionally complement the youthful drivers in Tricon’s Truck Collection program.

#2 Sam Hunt Racing No. 26 – O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection

Sam Hunt Racing may additionally present John Hunter Nemechek with a route again into the O’Reilly Collection. The group not too long ago introduced that Dean Thompson will be a part of Haas Manufacturing unit Staff’s O’Reilly program in 2027. That leaves his No. 26 entry as a possible alternative for Nemechek.

Nemechek already is aware of the group and the automobile, having pushed the No. 26 Toyota 11 occasions throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He recorded 4 top-10 finishes throughout that stretch. A return additionally is sensible from a aggressive standpoint. He’ll companion with fellow Toyota driver Harrison Burton, giving Sam Hunt Racing two former Cup drivers to compete in opposition to the bigger packages.

#3 JR Motorsports No. 1 Chevrolet

JR Motorsports can be a extra sophisticated choice, notably as a result of it will require John Hunter Nemechek to maneuver from Toyota. There have been questions surrounding the circumstances of his sudden departure from Legacy Motor Membership, together with hypothesis a few doable fallout with staff proprietor Jimmie Johnson.

If Nemechek severs ties with the Toyota camp totally, a Chevrolet-backed alternative may change into doable, and JR Motorsports is the best choice. The Dale Earnhardt Jr. outfit has already confirmed that Carson Kvapil will drive the No. 8 entry, whereas the group is prone to proceed with Justin Allgaier within the No. 9 and Rajah Caruth within the No. 88.

The No. 1 entry stays one of many extra fascinating items of the puzzle. Sam Mayer has been linked to that seat. That would make the No. 1 Chevrolet troublesome for Nemechek to safe, however his Cup expertise would give JRM one thing completely different from the opposite candidates.

The chance would in the end rely on how JRM’s different driver negotiations develop and whether or not John Hunter Nemechek is ready to vary producers. But when his precedence is discovering a aggressive O’Reilly seat for 2027, the No. 1 Chevrolet stays an choice price watching.