Nemechek to depart Legacy Motor Club after 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 1, 2026
Nemechek departure
Legacy Motor Club told driver John Hunter Nemechek on Monday that it plans to move in a different direction after the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, a decision that cuts across an extension the two sides had already agreed to for 2027. Nemechek has driven the No. 42 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club and was positioned to stay in that seat through the next season, but the team now appears set to reset its driver lineup after his third full-time year with the organization. The timing gives the move real weight. It ends a run that tied Nemechek closely to the team’s long-term plans and leaves the No. 42 Toyota open after 2026.
Nemechek’s results this season help frame where things stand. He has one top-five finish and two top-10 finishes, and he finished 27th in points in the regular season. He also placed 25th in the 2025 standings. Those results sit alongside a broader body of work that shows more promise than payoff. Nemechek’s career bests include two top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes, but he remains winless in 139 Cup Series starts. That mix has defined much of his time in the series. He has put together stretches of solid finishes, but the breakthrough victory still has not come. Legacy’s choice sets up a different outlook as it builds toward 2027.
Berry candidate
Josh Berry has emerged as the leading candidate to take over the No. 42 Toyota, and his situation makes him one of the most logical names in the mix. Berry said in June that he would not return to Wood Brothers Racing next season, and he currently drives the No. 21 Ford for that team. He brings one Cup Series win and some recent momentum. Berry entered the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on a five-race top-10 streak, a run that showed the kind of consistency teams value when they look for a driver change. That combination of availability, recent form and a win already on his record has pushed him to the front of the line.
Berry’s link to Legacy Motor Club gives the team a potential option for 2027. Berry knows he will not stay with Wood Brothers Racing, and Legacy knows it needs a new driver for 2027. That overlap gives the pairing clear appeal. If the team finalizes the move, Berry would take over the No. 42 Toyota for 2027 after the win and the sustained run of top-10 finishes he has already shown.
Legacy plans
Legacy Motor Club is also preparing for 2027. The team plans to operate as a three-car NASCAR Cup Series organization and intends to use a charter leased from Rick Ware Racing. Riley Herbst is also widely expected to land a seat with the team, which would give Legacy another piece for its 2027 roster. The plans would change the team’s structure after 2026, with Legacy determining its driver lineup for all three cars.
For Nemechek, the change brings an end to a full-time run with Legacy Motor Club. He has shown enough pace to remain part of the Cup Series conversation, but the record still shows a driver searching for a first Cup victory. Legacy’s decision ends his time with the team after 2026 and opens the door for a new direction at the team. The move also clarifies the shape of the market around Berry and Herbst, with Legacy Motor Club at the center of both the immediate change and the larger plan for 2027.
