Social media doesn't have the best reputation, but sometimes leaving a comment can set up something big. This is something that John Hunter Nemechek learned firsthand over the NASCAR offseason.
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The Legacy Motor Club driver asked a simple question on Instagram and ultimately landed a dream opportunity. He got to drive Ryan Tuerck's purpose-built drift truck at the prestigious Ten Tenths Motor Club in Concord, North Carolina, a track created by Rick Hendrick and Speedway Motorsports.
"I don't think that a smile left my face that day," Nemechek told FanBuzz at Bowman Gray Stadium. "I was smiling ear to ear. I was pumped."
Tuerck is a big name in the drifting world. He has competed in Formula Drift for nearly two decades while contending for wins and titles. He has also built up his fanbase with a YouTube channel highlighting his custom car builds.
The Toyota Stout drift truck is one of the most popular of Tuerck's creations, and the drifter has taken it to many events around the world. This includes the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he used the Stout to tap hay bales in front of the excited fans.
Countless gearheads have fawned over this truck in the past. Turns out, Nemechek is also a member of the fanclub, and he made this clear on social media on May 28, 2025.
"Ryan and Mobil 1 posted a drift truck that he had built on Instagram, and I'd always liked Ryan's work — the cars and trucks that he would build — he's a partner with Toyota and Mobil 1 as well," Nemechek said.
"And I commented on it and said, 'When can I drive this?' And didn't really think anything of it. He's kind of like messing around having fun with it. Definitely did want to drive it."
Photo credit: Ryan Tuerck Racing/Mobil 1
Nemechek posted this comment and then immediately moved on. He continued racing in the Cup Series and continued focusing on achieving consistency with Legacy MC. He didn't actually think he would ever drive this 650-horsepower drift monster.
But everything changed eight months later when a random Mobil 1 Preseason Production Day entry showed up on his work calendar.
"Thought it was just gonna be another production day," Nemechek said. "Drove in, and Ryan was standing there with a cover over the drift truck, Mobil 1 was there. Got out of my truck and he pulled the cover off.
"He asked if I had remembered that comment, and I said yes. And I thought I was just going to get to ride along with him in it and drift some, but actually being able to drive it was probably one of the most neat experiences I've been a part of. And it's kind of cool comment to reality."
Photo credit: Ryan Tuerck Racing
This was not a simple situation where Tuerck handed Nemechek a helmet and told him to hop in. Sure, the Legacy Motor Club driver has plenty of experience behind the wheel of high-powered vehicles, and he has performed some drifts in production vehicles.
He is also the first person to drive one of Tuerck's builds. It's not like the car-builder is just handing over control to any interested party.
No, Nemechek first hopped in the passenger seat while wearing an open-faced helmet. Not the most comfortable thing considering the amount of tire rubber flying into the cockpit, but it is perfect for showing off the raw emotions.
Tuerck took Nemechek around the Ten Tenths short course. He showed how to control the high-powered truck, and he caught the veteran racer by surprise on more than one occasion while burning through about two sets of tires.
"I was kind of watching his feet and what he was doing the entire time, just because I didn't want to make a fool of myself, let's say," Nemechek said. "I actually wanted to be somewhat okay at doing it. So I was trying to learn the entire time.
"But the first moment when he turned it sideways for the first time in the hairpin at Ten Tenths, yeah, it was pretty amazing. Like I wasn't expecting it. He didn't say anything, that he was going to do it, it just happened. And it was like, 'Man, this is freaking awesome.'"
Once the tutorial ended, Nemechek hopped into the driver's seat. He took the drift truck over to the skid pad and just threw it around while creating his own course. He tore through about seven sets of tires as he performed burnouts, drifts, and donuts.
He just enjoyed the full experience.
"The first time hitting the throttle, getting in the RPM band, turning it sideways, I was smiling ear to ear," he said. "Like I was super giddy, just having a really good time.
"And then there was some points where it was frustrating, where I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong."
The Stout truck presented an entirely different challenge during this extended session at Ten Tenths. It's unlike any production vehicle Nemechek has drifted, as well as the Cup Series cars he controls throughout the season.
When the Cup Series car gets sideways, Nemechek has to try to straighten the car out and get it back on track. Avoiding the wreck is goal No. 1.
In a drift truck/car, he has to focus on being comfortable with the vehicle sideways. He has to let the car drive itself while he just uses the throttle to maintain his speed and tire spin.
"It gave me a different perspective," Nemechek said. "Like, (Tuerck) makes it look so easy, and then when I get in there and try and transition, it's like 'S—-, this is actually really hard.'"
So now that Nemechek has enjoyed his first taste of true drifting, what does he do next? Will he purchase a vehicle and turn it into a custom drift car like fellow Cup Series driver Alex Bowman did with a Chevrolet Corvette? Will Nemechek take some classes to improve his skills behind the wheel?
"To be determined," he said with a laugh. "I would love to go do it again. I would love to actually go to a drift event, ride passenger with Ryan, and just enjoy that moment and kind of understand what those guys do.
"But I definitely would love to go and drift again. It's definitely addicting."
