Silly Season is not yet complete. Legacy Motor Club is making a big change to the driver lineup after the 2026 season.
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Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic 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.
Legacy Motor Club then confirmed that it would part ways with Nemechek by issuing a statement on X.
"Legacy Motor Club has made the decision to part ways with John Hunter Nemechek at the conclusion of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season," the statement said.
"We are grateful for John Hunter's contributions to Legacy Motor Club and appreciate his professionalism and commitment to the organization throughout his time with the team. We remain focused on finishing the 2026 season strong together and wish John Hunter the very best in the future."
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.
"I am incredibly grateful to Legacy Motor Club for the past three years," Nemechek said in a statement. "While I am obviously disappointed with their decision, I am as motivated as ever.
"It has been such an honor to represent Toyota, Legacy Motor Club and all of their sponsors. I can't wait to continue this journey, as I know my best days are ahead.
"This is a tough sport, and I am so thankful for the love and support from Tyler Gibbs, Jack Irving, everyone at Pye Barker, my JHN Autosports team, and so many others that have kept me lifted up through good times and bad.
"For now, I'm going to hug my family, focus on putting together 10 great races to finish the year, and figuring out what comes next."
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.
