John Hunter Nemechek Finally Gets His Darlington Win in Truck Series Overtime

DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 06: John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #4 Mobil 1 Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Dead on Tools 200 at Darlington Raceway on May 06, 2022 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

John Hunter Nemechek thought he should’ve won both Darlington races last year, but the best he could do was second in the fall race. He’s won at the track already, and his Kyle Busch Motorsports always brings a fast truck. This year, after winning the pole, he finally delivered. 

He battled back from an extra pit stop to fix a loose wheel in the process of scoring his twelfth career win. A win has been a long time coming this season, and he’s finished the last four races in the top five. 

A happy Nemechek said: “Just huge shout-out to all the guys that work on this #4 KBM Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, everyone that puts their heart and soul into what’s going on is huge. Just thank you to everyone – thank you to the fans, awesome crowd.” 

“I thought we gave it away early, honestly,” he said, “and we were able to rebound and battle back. Learned a lot tonight, finally was able to bring home the first win of the year, it’s been coming after the start of the year, just thankful for the opportunity.”

Carson Hocevar scored a consecutive runner-up after last race at Bristol. He lost to Nemechek by over half-a-second in the two-lap overtime shootout while the field came together behind him. 

DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – MAY 06: Chase Purdy, driver of the #61 BAMA Buggies Toyota, John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #4 Mobil 1 Toyota, Zane Smith, driver of the #38 Fr8Auctions.com Ford, and Colby Howard, driver of the #91 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Dead on Tools 200 at Darlington Raceway on May 06, 2022 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

“A lot of emotions,” Hocevar said. “I was freaking out for a second. I had an electrical issue, and every once in a while it would stumble, and it flat out shut off in the middle of (Turns) 1 and 2 coming to the white.”

He added that Nemechek “was really good. I was hoping I maybe could have got him. I would have done a lot into (Turns) 3 and 4. I was better than him in 1 and 2. He was better than me in 3 and 4, but I could have done a lot—just like every race car driver, right? But close once again. Hopefully, we’ll be one spot better next week.”

Grant Enfinger crossed the finish line in third, followed by Ty Majeski, and Matt Crafton. Enfinger said he “had a really good truck, [but] we got a flat tire right before the end of the second stage. That last stage, I kept getting caught a lap down and couldn’t get it back. We didn’t run up front because of those circumstances.”

Crafton’s Np. 88 truck later failed post race inspection and was disqualified for violating Rule Book section 14.17.3.2.1.2.a Post-Qualifying and Post-Race Front Body Inspection Heights. The truck was too low in the front. That moved Parker Kligerman, who led 9 laps and won Stage 1, the first Stage win on his career, into the fifth spot.

Photos: NASCAR at Darlington Raceway Friday May 6, 2022

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – 3rd Annual Dead on Tools 200
Darlington Raceway
Darlington, South Carolina
Friday, May 6, 2022

  1. (1)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 149.
  2. (6)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 149.
  3. (3)  Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 149.
  4. (2)  Ty Majeski, Toyota, 149.
  5. (9)  Parker Kligerman, Toyota, 149.
  6. (13)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 149.
  7. (4)  Zane Smith, Ford, 149.
  8. (12)  Tyler Ankrum, Toyota, 149.
  9. (18)  Todd Bodine, Toyota, 149.
  10. (8)  Matt Dibenedetto, Chevrolet, 149.
  11. (23)  Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 149.
  12. (19)  Colby Howard, Chevrolet, 149.
  13. (16)  Jesse Little, Chevrolet, 149.
  14. (33)  Dean Thompson #, Chevrolet, 149.
  15. (24)  Timmy Hill, Toyota, 149.
  16. (11)  Christian Eckes, Toyota, 149.
  17. (20)  Jack Wood #, Chevrolet, 149.
  18. (14)  Derek Kraus, Chevrolet, 149.
  19. (26)  Lawless Alan #, Chevrolet, 149.
  20. (28)  Chandler Smith, Toyota, 149.
  21. (29)  Danny Bohn, Chevrolet, 149.
  22. (5)  Corey Heim #, Toyota, 149.
  23. (32)  Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 149.
  24. (15)  Ben Rhodes, Toyota, 148.
  25. (10)  Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 148.
  26. (31)  Austin Wayne Self, Chevrolet, 147.
  27. (36)  Josh Reaume, Toyota, 147.
  28. (25)  Hailie Deegan, Ford, Accident, 137.
  29. (27)  Brennan Poole(i), Toyota, 125.
  30. (30)  Blaine Perkins #, Chevrolet, Accident, 124.
  31. (34)  Tate Fogleman, Toyota, Accident, 123.
  32. (21)  Kris Wright, Chevrolet, Accident, 105.
  33. (17)  Tanner Gray, Ford, Accident, 98.
  34. (22)  Chase Purdy, Toyota, Accident, 97.
  35. (35)  Akinori Ogata, Toyota, Engine, 54.
  36. (7)  Matt Crafton, Toyota, 149.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 91.625 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 13 Mins, 17 Secs. Margin of Victory: .552 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 54 laps.
Lead Changes: 16 among 9 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Nemechek 1-12;Z. Smith 13-21;J. Nemechek 22-39;P. Kligerman 40-48;R. Chastain(i) 49-53;C.
Hocevar 54;R. Chastain(i) 55-75;T. Bodine 76-78;R. Chastain(i) 79-85;C. Hocevar 86-93;R. Chastain(i) 94-106;J.
Nemechek 107-118;C. Howard 119;C. Eckes 120;G. Enfinger 121;C. Eckes 122;J. Nemechek 123-149.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): John Hunter Nemechek 4 times for 69 laps; Ross Chastain(i) 4
times for 46 laps; Carson Hocevar 2 times for 9 laps; Zane Smith 1 time for 9 laps; Parker Kligerman 1 time for 9
laps; Todd Bodine 1 time for 3 laps; Christian Eckes 2 times for 2 laps; Colby Howard 1 time for 1 lap; Grant
Enfinger 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 75,41,42,23,18,4,15,99,88,52
Stage #2 Top Ten: 42,41,75,23,4,98,88,17,99,18

Owen Johnson