John Hunter Nemechek Cleverly Bites His Tongue Over 2024 Toyota Camry’s Questionable Look

Earlier in September, John Hunter Nemechek confirmed his return to the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2024 season. Coming in as a replacement for Noah Gragson, Nemechek certainly adds value to Legacy Motor Club. He is more discrete than Gragson, and his recent reaction to Toyota Camry’s new look gave a glimpse of his maturity.

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Nemechek faced a difficult time in his previous full-time gig in the Cup Series. Driving the #38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, he could secure just three top-ten finishes. Having got his second stint under Jimmie Johnson‘s wing will help the 26-year-old immensely.

John Hunter Nemechek has his say on the recently unveiled 2024 Toyota Camry

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To be fair, the news of John Hunter Nemechek joining LMC didn’t come as a surprise after Noah Gragson got suspended. Driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s #20 Toyota Supra in Xfinity, he enjoyed one of his best seasons, winning seven races and finishing in the top five and top ten 17 and 24 times, respectively.

While there’s always more room to improve, Nemechek can now do that with Legacy Motor Club. What’s more amazing is that he will be driving the #42 Toyota car from 2024. The North Carolina-born driver has been a longtime Toyota development driver.

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Since LMC confirmed their switch from Chevrolet to Toyota for the upcoming season, it only got better for Nemechek. In fact, things got more interesting when the Japanese manufacturer unveiled the new Camry XSE to replace the Camry TRD for the 2024 season.

While it has a fancy look, the car has received a mix bag opinions. It looks like even Nemechek doesn’t highly rate it but was smart enough to be tactful with his suggestion. Recently, he appeared on The Money Lap Live show with Parker Kligerman.

It was then that Kligerman said, “The new Camry you guys got out there. I look at the Ford, and the Camry, these manufacturers are getting aggressive with the look of these race cars, which is not just for looks. I would think from what you’re seeing that has to be exciting.”

While that was a tricky question, Nemechek handled it quite well. He said, “Yeah I’m not gonna say too much on that forefront but being able to see the new Camry in action out here with Christopher Bell behind the wheel and Erik and seeing just what Toyota has been able to produce and replicate from the new Camry that’s coming out in 2024 is huge.”

Nemechek added, “I’m proud of all the effort from Toyota and everyone behind the scenes that made it happen and hopefully, we can get a new Camry to Victory Lane here next year.” He has plenty to look forward to, and the Toyota driver is on a high after winning the Driver of the Year award in the Xfinity Series in 2023.

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John Hunter Nemechek proud of his 2023 spell in the Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing

Before making the move to the Cup Series, John Hunter Nemechek had the chance to celebrate. He was awarded the Xfinity Series Driver of the Year award after having a stellar time with Joe Gibbs Racing on the track. Although he was unlucky to have finished fourth in the finale, he gave a performance to be proud of.

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Speaking to Motorsports.com, Nemechek looked delighted about his run. He said, “Man, I hate it for our guys. Our [car] was really, really fast. Just s*cks to end our season this way, but overall, a really successful season for this #20 team and Joe Gibbs Racing. I was proud to be behind the wheel of this car all year.”

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Nemechek continued, “Seven wins is a lot to be proud of. One race doesn’t define us as a group. If you win, you come out as the champion. That’s what we told ourselves all week and it almost happened.” It is certainly no mean feat to win seven races in a single season. Hopefully, his for only gets better in the Cup Series next year.