“It’s an uneducated question from people that don’t understand our sport, is what it is,” Joey Logano fumed at the Phoenix Raceway. While the chaos unfolded on the tracks, Logano had a different battle to fight. No, we’re not talking about battles with other teams or NASCAR, it’s with certain sport viewers, people who don’t consider NASCAR drivers athletes.
And it’s not just Logano who’s been on the receiving end of such questions. Even drivers like Daniel Suarez have made their opinion on the matter clear. Now, joining them is another driver, one who’s been in the spotlight recently. It’s none other than Jimmie Johnson’s star, John Hunter Nemechek.
Nemechek revealed to Jase on the Gypsy Tales, “My average heart rate from this past weekend racing at Circuit of Americas was 162 for a three and a half hour duration. My max was 192 during the race,” That spike? It came towards the end of the race. “We had a couple late race restarts, and it was everything you got to try and get through.” Just look at his record from the Cup Series COTA race. Starting in 33rd place, Nemechek had no rest till the end of the race. He climbed 11 spots to finish in 22nd place!
Yet, some fans still scoff. “You’re not an athlete. You just sit there and turn left,” Jase teased, echoing the lazy jab John Hunter’s heard too many times. But he wasn’t having it. “Focus turns into heart rate, in my opinion. Plus, the heat in the car. It’s all endurance-based for us. There’s no real circuit training. It’s more longevity,” he explained. “I’ve run a couple half Ironmans in the past and I would equivalent that to being in a race car every Sunday.”
For reference, let’s look at how a half Ironman—70.3 miles of swimming, biking, and running—matches to a NASCAR race. An ironman athlete has core temperatures rising to 106.7°F in peak conditions, while a NASCAR driver fights off heat that goes over 140°F at some tracks. But even apart from that, NASCAR is no easy task, and Brad Keselowski’s incident from a few weeks ago just proves it.
In the melting Texas heat, Keselowski braved a cool suit failure on a track whose temperature had already hit 100°F. And even a hospital trip later, Keselowski showed he braved adversity, just as any athlete would. “Yesterday was a tough one at COTA. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control, but I’m thankful for my team and the care I received at track. At the end of it all, we came home with a top 15 finish. Appreciate the support – on to Phoenix.”
But for Nemechek, it’s not just fighting the haters, it’s a personality shift for him. “I feel like I’ve been super focused on the race cars showing up to the race track and putting all my effort in there. I haven’t been paying a lot of attention to the stats and points and all that stuff; I don’t want to get caught up in all of that. I think it’s better for me to go into the weekend and know that I need to execute the way that we should as a team. And for myself to be better and continue to push myself to be better as well as the team.” He’s seventh in the Cup Series standings now, a far cry from his 34th-place finish last year. That’s grit. That’s growth. And it’s all under Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club, where the seven-time champ’s gamble is finally paying off. John Hunter’s the answer with his P5 at Daytona and top-10 at Atlanta shows he’s no fluke.
Now, with Legacy Motor Club’s Toyota switch and new crew chief Travis Mack, he’s got the tools to silence the noise. “Feel good with the direction we went,” he said after Martinsville qualifying. So, next time someone says NASCAR drivers aren’t athletes, point them to John Hunter Nemechek. Heart pounding at 192, drenched in sweat, wrestling a 3,000-pound beast for hours and he’s not just turning left. He’s proving a point. And as he told, “I guess I don’t have any friends out there” but he doesn’t need them. He’s got the wheel, the will, and a legacy to build.
JHN’s muscial paint scheme has got everyone singing
John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 42 car just roared into Las Vegas with a Backstreet Boys paint scheme. “I’m not a huge Backstreet Boys fan,” Nemechek admitted in an interview, “but my mom and sister are over the moon—they’re the real fans in the family.” Imagine his mom’s face when she heard her favorite boy band was on his car. That’s the kind of joy that hits you right in the heart.
This wasn’t some random sponsorship. It’s a heartfelt collab with Live Nation and Vibee, bringing music and racing together in a way that feels like a warm hug from the ‘90s. “What an incredible opportunity to partner with the Backstreet Boys,” Nemechek said, “They’ve got fans all over, and I hope they’ll cheer me on too.” It’s like he’s inviting us all to join the ride.
But here’s where it gets even cooler, Nemechek’s dreaming bigger. “Snoop would be awesome,” he told. “I listen to him a lot, and having him on the car would be unreal.” Picture that: Snoop Dogg’s laid-back vibes cruising the track. He even threw out names like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen—artists he jams to nonstop. “Those guys would be cool too,” he said, and you can feel his excitement bubbling up.
Still it wouldn’t match up with Pitbull’s involvement in NASCAR. This isn’t just about paint schemes; it’s about a kid from North Carolina connecting his world—family, music, racing—into one emotional lap. So, who’s next on his car?
The post Jimmie Johnson’s Ace Claps Back at Hateful Sports Fans for Sheer NASCAR Ignorance to End Age Old Debate appeared first on EssentiallySports.