Silly Season is not yet complete, according to a new report from The Athletic. Legacy Motor Club is reportedly making a big change to the driver lineup after the 2026 season.
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Jordan Bianchi reported on Tuesday that Legacy Motor Club will part ways with John Hunter Nemechek. His sources say that the team informed Nemechek of the decision on Monday, one day after he finished 15th at Daytona International Speedway.
Bianchi's sources also noted that Josh Berry is expected to take over the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE in 2027. Berry had previously been informed that Wood Brothers Racing would not pick up the option on his contract.
This parting of ways with Nemechek marks a major change for the Cup Series team, which will expand to three entries in 2027. The team had previously announced that Nemechek would return for another season while welcoming new sponsors into the mix.
A press release in June specifically said that Nemechek would have a company named Mayer as a primary sponsor at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2027.
Nemechek originally joined Legacy MC in 2024 after spending three seasons rebuilding his career in the lower series. He had spent 2021 and 2022 with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series while winning seven races.
He then spent the 2023 season with Joe Gibbs racing in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series while winning seven races.
Since taking over the No. 42, Nemechek has posted 14 top-10 finishes and three top-fives. He has finished 34th and 25th in the Cup Series standings. He is now 27th after completing the regular season. He has failed to finish 10 races due to crashes since joining the team.
Berry has been a full-time Cup Series driver since 2024 when he joined Stewart-Haas Racing. He has posted 19 top-10 finishes and seven top-fives since moving to the top level of NASCAR on a full-time basis. He had previously posted three top-10 finishes in 2023 while working as an injury replacement for Hendrick Motorsports.
Berry, a Tennessee native, has also celebrated a win at the Cup Series level. He won last season's spring race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This season started slowly for Berry and Wood Brothers Racing, which led to the team falling far out of contention for the Chase. However, he is currently on a five-race streak of top-10 finishes, the longest such streak for Wood Brothers Racing since 1994.
