As if moving to the O’Reilly Series after a full-time Cup ride with Legacy MC wasn’t enough, John Hunter Nemechek has a certain rival from ten years ago to thank for it. After three full seasons in NASCAR’s top tier with his current team, JHN was let go for 2027, and the reason takes us back to Canada.

One of NASCAR’s most viral clips that reached a global audience was the tussle between the future Haas Factory Team driver and a certain Cole Custer back in Canada in 2016. However, as fiery as their clash was ten years ago, the two drivers seem to have made up.

“Cole actually helped sell me on coming over here as well. Him and I have created a great relationship since then, and being able to chat through things, whether it was crew chiefs or cars or where he feels like they needed to improve and things of that sort, and where I could fit in and make a difference. He played a huge factor in that,” revealed JHN in a recent press conference, a clip of which was posted on X by Bob Pockrass.

JHN and Custer infamously got into a post-race tussle right after their blockbuster finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), racing in the Truck Series. The last lap of the race saw Nemechek bump leader Custer, which led to both their trucks crossing the finish line out of control in the grass.

Immediately after the finish, Custer ran to Nemechek and tackled him into the ground in spectacular fashion, with replays of the same going viral at the time. NASCAR later reviewed the finish and revealed JHN as the winner.

Fast forward ten years, and both drivers will be keeping each other company at Haas Factory Team, with their old tussle now seemingly behind them.

“Him and I have exchanged quite a few texts since the race at CTMP. We talked, actually, about reenacting CTMP next year for some social content, so more to come,” added JHN. Expect your Instagram feeds to be filled with reenactments of the incident, ten years after the fact.

Aside from the incredible lore both drivers share on track, Haas Factory Team president Joe Custer also revealed how the decision to sign Nemechek made financial sense for Haas’s operation. Along with JHN’s 11 wins in the O’Reilly Series, he also brings primary sponsor Pye-Barker.

“Pye-Barker, a lot of their customers are in the manufacturing sector, and that’s what Haas Automation does. We own the manufacturing sector in this sport. We’re excited because there’s a hundred thousand Haas customers that are potential fits for Pye-Barker. There is a B2B play,” Joe Custer told motorsport.com.

While it might seem as if John Hunter Nemechek is going backwards on the NASCAR ladder, the 29-year-old did not exactly set the Cup Series on fire at Jimmie Johnson‘s Legacy Motor Club.

During his three years with the team, JHN’s results have fluctuated, to say the least. In 2024, he logged four top-10s. 2025 was the No. 42 driver’s best year, with two top-5s and eight top-10s. So far in 2026, Nemechek has only managed one top-5 finish and two top-10 finishes.

This came partly down to the team’s lack of performance, as the new outfit builds its program and gradually steps up the competitive ladder in Cup. With teams such as Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing higher up Toyota’s list to bring speed to, Legacy MC still has a long way to go.

With just one race to go with Johnson’s team in 2026, maybe Nemechek’s reunion with an old foe turned friend will be more exciting to watch after all.

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