Nemechek, who led the Xfinity Sequence with seven wins this season and was one of the vital constant performers all year long, got here one lap wanting accumulating win No. 8 and a sequence title together with it.
With Cole Custer main the way in which on the begin to extra time in Saturday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway, Nemechek shortly powered to the lead after taking the inexperienced flag.
However as the sphere entered Flip 1, Nemechek drifted up the monitor, Justin Allgaier slid beneath him after which Custer made it three-wide and escaped with the lead exiting Flip 2.
Custer would grasp on to assert the win and the sequence championship, however Nemechek’s end was way more eventful. He tagged the wall and received extraordinarily free, banged off Jeb Burton and into Rajah Caruth and at last slammed onerous into the wall.
The harm to Nemechek’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was intensive and regardless of main the second-most laps within the race, Nemechek limped dwelling to a twenty eighth place end.
“I simply drove down in and it didn’t flip. I don’t know if we had a right-front (tire) begin happening or what precisely it was. I simply drove in, and it didn’t flip,” Nemechek, 26, mentioned. “Man, I hate it for our guys. Our (automobile) was actually, actually quick.
“Simply sucks to finish our season this fashion, however general, a very profitable season for this No. 20 workforce and Joe Gibbs Racing. I used to be proud to be behind the wheel of this automobile all yr. Seven wins is quite a bit to be happy with.
“One race doesn’t outline us as a gaggle. In case you win, you come out because the champion. That’s what we informed ourselves all week and it virtually occurred.”
Saturday might have been Nemechek’s final probability at a Xfinity title.
He’ll return to full-time competitors within the Cup Sequence subsequent season and drive the No. 42 Toyota for Legacy Motor Membership subsequent season as a teammate to Erik Jones.
Requested if he was pissed off to the disappointing finish to a seven-win season, Nemechek mentioned, “I’m nonetheless smiling. It’s irritating to finish the championship run that method to not come out the champion once we felt like we have been the perfect automobile all yr.
“Seven wins is nothing to hold your head over. We received a number of races this yr, we led a number of laps and had a very good common end. Total, only a actually stable yr.”
