NEMCO Motorsports
Encyclopedia
NEMCO Motorsports is a NASCAR
team that is owned by driver Joe Nemechek
and his family. After a two-year hiatus, NEMCO Motorsports fielded full time entries in both the Cup and Nationwide Series in 2009 with driver Joe Nemechek. It carried the number 87 in both Cup and Nationwide. The team ran Toyota Camrys in Sprint Cup and in Nationwide ran Chevrolet Impalas. The team came back in 2010, with some help from HostGator.Com towards the middle of the year in the Nationwide Series. The team achieved moderate success, and HostGator also sponsored the team for a few Cup races as well. For 2011, NEMCO is back in the Cup Series full-time with Nemechek still in the 87, and Kevin Conway running select races in the 97 with sponsorship from Extenze. Conway will also run select Nationwide races for the team, in the 87. NEMCO is running Toyota Camrys in both Cup and Nationwide in 2011. Nemechek is still looking for full-time funding for his 87 in both series.
at the Slick 50 300, where Nemechek started fifteenth and finished 36th in the 87 car. NEMCO ran two more races with Nemechek that year, at Watkins Glen and Michigan
, where he finished 21st and 37th, respectively. NEMCO did not run again until 1995
, when Nemechek moved the operation up to Cup full-time. With sponsorship from Burger King
, Nemechek posted four top-tens and finished 28th in points. The next season, he had just two top-tens and dropped to 34th in points. After he signed with SABCO Racing, Nemechek abandoned the team's Cup program, and sold the equipment to the SABCO team.
NEMCO returned to the Cup series in 1999, fielding the 87 Bully Hill Vineyards
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
driven by Ron Fellows
at Watkins Glen. Fellows started seventh, led three laps, and finished in second place. Fellows ran at Watkins Glen again the following year, but suffered a blown engine and finished 43rd. In 2001
, Fellows began running Watkins Glen as well the series' other road course at Sears Point International Raceway. He finished 38th after wrecking at Sears Point, and 42nd at Watkins Glen after suffering axle problems. Fellows' last race for NEMCO came in 2002 at Sears Point, where he started 19th and finished 25th.
NEMCO did not field a Cup car again until 2005 at Sears Point, when it leased a car to Christine Marie Motorsports to be driven by Chris Cook. He started and finished 28th. The team also attempted Watkins Glen that year, but failed to qualify.
NEMCO returned to race full time in the 2009 season
with Joe Nemechek. The car was leased to Scott Speed
and the Red Bull Racing Team for two races when Speed did not qualify.
In 2010, Nemechek ran a full season, but only managed to finish one race, due to funding issues. Nemechek secured sponsorship through England Stove Works for the Daytona 500 and succeeded in qualifying, but wrecked during the race. For the fall Talladega race, sponsorship was provided by HostGator.com. They also sponsored the car in the second Texas race, but engine failure took the car out early.
For 2011, the team is back full-time yet again. Joe qualified for the Daytona 500, being the fastest Toyota in the field. An early accident took the car out of the 500 early though. Sponsorship was provided by AM FM Energy, and DAB Constructors for Daytona Speedweeks. AM FM Energy came on as a full time sponsor for the rest of 2011 at the end of summer.
and was driven by Jeff Fuller, but did not qualify for the race. Fuller parked the car about 5 laps into his Duel race. However, Fuller successfully qualified for the October event in Talladega. Nemechek stated that if both cars qualified (which they did) the 97 would Start and Park. And that with the winnings from that car, and the sponsorship from HostGator.com, the 87 would be able to run the entire race.
In 2011, Kevin Conway ran the Bud Shootout in the 97 with longtime sponsor ExtenZe, but was wrecked early on. He also attempted the Daytona 500, but failed to qualify. Conway did qualify for the Aaron's 499
at Talladega, but only ran one lap and then retired from the race. Conway again qualified for the Coke Zero 400
, but also again ran one lap and then retired from the race. Conway then attempted the Good Sam RV Club 500 in Talladega and made the race. However like in the previous races, Conway pulled the car in after completing one lap.
. Driven by Randy LaJoie
and sponsored by Kleenex
, the car won its first race at Daytona International Speedway
. LaJoie won another race that season at Memphis Motorsports Park
and finished twelfth in points. LaJoie didn't win in 2002
, but won a pole at Gateway International Raceway
and posted fourteen top-tens on his way to an eleventh place points finish. Following the 2003
GNC Live Well 250, LaJoie and NEMCO parted ways. Nemechek, Todd Bodine
, Hank Parker Jr.
, and Mike Skinner
all took over for one race apiece before Greg Biffle
was hired for the rest of the season, winning twice and garnering three pole positions.
After the 7 car only ran once with Nemechek in 2004
, it assumed the 88 car's owner points, which were sold to GIC-Mixon Motorsports
for 2005
.
at North Carolina Speedway
as the 88 Buick
with Nemechek finishing 33rd after an engine failure. The car switched to the 87 and ran full-time in 1990
with sponsorship from Master Machine & Tool. Nemechek had five top-tens and was named NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year. After jumping to sixth in points the following year, Nemechek and the team won two races and the Busch Series championship in 1992
.
After Nemechek failed to win the championship again in 1993, he left for Larry Hedrick Motorsports
at the Winston Cup level. He continued to drive the 87 part-time in the Busch Series for several year. After winning the Hardee's 250 in 1994, Nemechek did not win until 1997, when he won the Carquest Auto Parts 300
and the Jiffy Lube Miami 300 in the BellSouth
sponsored car.
Beginning in 1998, Nemechek began sharing the car with Ron Fellows. Fellows picked up his first win that year at the Lysol 200, then finished second the next year to Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
, before winning at Watkins Glen the next two years. In 2000
, the team got new sponsorship from Cellular One
, and Nemechek went on to win three races in 2003.
In 2002, David Reutimann
drove the 87 for four races, his best finish a twelfth at Memphis. The next year, Hendrick Motorsports
development driver
Kyle Busch
climbed on board for a number of races with ditech
sponsorship, posting two runner-up finishes. Reutimann also drove the 87 for a few races in 2003, finishing in fifth place twice. Nemechek shared the 87 with Reutimann again in the early parts of 2004, before Reutimann left. Midseason, Hendrick development drivers Blake Feese
and Boston Reid
drove for a handful of races in the 87. Feese's best finish was a 33rd at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Reid's a 26th at Atlanta Motor Speedway
. Nemechek picked up a win that season at Kansas Speedway
. His lone highlight of 2005
was winning the pole at the season-opening race at Daytona. Ron Fellows returned to the 87 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
, where he finished 41st after a wreck.
In 2006, NEMCO ran two races with Nemechek at Daytona and Homestead, where he started finished fortieth and twenty-third, respectively. He ran three of the first four races in 2007 with Brunton vineyards sponsoring, with a best finish of thirteenth.
The 87 came back full time in 2009
. Nemechek drove most of the races with Chad Blount
, Dave Blaney
, Mike Bliss
, Kevin Conway and Jeff Fuller filling in throughout the year for various races. Towards the end of the season, funding got tight and Joe was forced to Start and Park most of the races.
In 2010, Nemechek returned to the 87 for most of the season with Jarit Johnson, Antonio Perez, and Paulie Harraka driving in the races he did not take part in. However, Nemechek did run the 97 while Harraka was wheeling the 87 in Montreal. The team received sponsorship from various companies through the first 17 events before HostGator
became the primary sponsor for the rest of the season.
For the 2011 Drive4COPD 300, Nemechek ran the 87 car with DAB Constructors as the sponsor. The team has received other sponsorship from Sin City Motorsports, and AM FM Energy in other various races. HostGator made their first appearance on the car at the spring race in Texas. The team is slowly transitioning to Toyota Camrys, although they have run Chevrolet Impalas off and on throughout the year thus far. With both the 87 and the 97 entered for the annual race in Las Vegas, it was impossible to change the 97 back to an 87 after Joe crashed the 87 in practice. So, Joe took the wheel of the 97 while Kevin Conway started and parked the 87 as a back-up Jay Robinson car. Joe took the reins of the 97 again a couple of weeks later in California, while Conway drove the 87 with sponsorship from Extenze. Kimi Räikkönen
drove the 87 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
in May 2011.
with Jeff Fuller as the driver. He started 40th and finished 42nd after an early vibration problem. The car returned at Daytona in 2002 with Fuller as the driver. He started fifth, but finished 42nd after being involved in a wreck early in the race. He ran again that year at Talladega, but crashed again and finished 40th. Fuller and Nemechek ran three races apiece in the 88 the following year, finishing last in each one, while Reutimann had a sixth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway
.
In 2004, Fuller moved to the 88 virtually full-time. Despite the full-time schedule, Fuller did not finish a race all year long, his best finish being a 35th at Nazareth Speedway
. Nemechek and Wally Dallenbach Jr. drove one race apiece in the car during that season.
In 2005, the team's owners points were transferred to the 7 car's, which were sold to GIC-Mixon Motorsports.
. He debuted the truck in 1996
at the Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, where he finished seventh. He ran full-time that year and finished 13th in points. Three races into 1997
, John was involved in a single-truck accident at Miami-Dade and suffered massive head injuries, which claimed his life five days later. The 8 truck has not raced since. In 2011, the truck was sold to Kevin Harvick Incorporated
and is now driven by Nelson Piquet, Jr..
with John Nemechek driving with sponsorship from Burger King and Delco Remy America. John had two top-tens and finished 16th in points despite not competing in four races. Joe took over the 87 the following year on a part-time basis. He finished second at Watkins Glen after Steve Park
qualified on the pole in the truck, then finished eighth at Phoenix International Raceway
. After finishing 27th at Walt Disney World Speedway
in 1997, Nemechek didn't return to the trucks until the following year, where he finished sixth at WDWS. Fellows began racing the truck in 1999
, finishing third in his debut at Portland International Raceway
before winning the following week at Watkins Glen. The 87 truck hasn't run since.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
team that is owned by driver Joe Nemechek
Joe Nemechek
Joseph Frank Nemechek III is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and owner of NEMCO Motorsports. He won the 1992 Busch Series championship...
and his family. After a two-year hiatus, NEMCO Motorsports fielded full time entries in both the Cup and Nationwide Series in 2009 with driver Joe Nemechek. It carried the number 87 in both Cup and Nationwide. The team ran Toyota Camrys in Sprint Cup and in Nationwide ran Chevrolet Impalas. The team came back in 2010, with some help from HostGator.Com towards the middle of the year in the Nationwide Series. The team achieved moderate success, and HostGator also sponsored the team for a few Cup races as well. For 2011, NEMCO is back in the Cup Series full-time with Nemechek still in the 87, and Kevin Conway running select races in the 97 with sponsorship from Extenze. Conway will also run select Nationwide races for the team, in the 87. NEMCO is running Toyota Camrys in both Cup and Nationwide in 2011. Nemechek is still looking for full-time funding for his 87 in both series.
Car 87 History
NEMCO made its Winston Cup debut in 19931993 in NASCAR
The 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season began on February 7 and ended on November 14. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing won the title, the sixth of his career....
at the Slick 50 300, where Nemechek started fifteenth and finished 36th in the 87 car. NEMCO ran two more races with Nemechek that year, at Watkins Glen and Michigan
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
, where he finished 21st and 37th, respectively. NEMCO did not run again until 1995
1995 in NASCAR
The 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on February 12 and concluded November 12. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won his first career championship.- Overview :...
, when Nemechek moved the operation up to Cup full-time. With sponsorship from Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, Nemechek posted four top-tens and finished 28th in points. The next season, he had just two top-tens and dropped to 34th in points. After he signed with SABCO Racing, Nemechek abandoned the team's Cup program, and sold the equipment to the SABCO team.
NEMCO returned to the Cup series in 1999, fielding the 87 Bully Hill Vineyards
Bully Hill Vineyards
Bully Hill Vineyards is a vineyard and winery located in Hammondsport, New York, United States, in the Finger Lakes American Viticultural Area.-History:...
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
driven by Ron Fellows
Ron Fellows
Ron Fellows is an accomplished Canadian SCCA Trans-Am, IMSA, and American Le Mans Series driver, and a NASCAR Road course ringer.-Early career:...
at Watkins Glen. Fellows started seventh, led three laps, and finished in second place. Fellows ran at Watkins Glen again the following year, but suffered a blown engine and finished 43rd. In 2001
2001 in NASCAR
The 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season began on February 11 at the Daytona International Speedway and ended on November 23 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports was crowned series champion for the fourth time in seven years. The season was marked by tragedy,...
, Fellows began running Watkins Glen as well the series' other road course at Sears Point International Raceway. He finished 38th after wrecking at Sears Point, and 42nd at Watkins Glen after suffering axle problems. Fellows' last race for NEMCO came in 2002 at Sears Point, where he started 19th and finished 25th.
NEMCO did not field a Cup car again until 2005 at Sears Point, when it leased a car to Christine Marie Motorsports to be driven by Chris Cook. He started and finished 28th. The team also attempted Watkins Glen that year, but failed to qualify.
NEMCO returned to race full time in the 2009 season
2009 in NASCAR
There were three NASCAR national series in 2009:*2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - The top racing series in NASCAR*2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series - The second-highest racing series in NASCAR...
with Joe Nemechek. The car was leased to Scott Speed
Scott Speed
Scott Andrew Speed is an American race car driver. Formerly a driver for the Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 team, he made his Formula One race debut at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix; becoming the first American to race in F1 since Michael Andretti in 1993...
and the Red Bull Racing Team for two races when Speed did not qualify.
In 2010, Nemechek ran a full season, but only managed to finish one race, due to funding issues. Nemechek secured sponsorship through England Stove Works for the Daytona 500 and succeeded in qualifying, but wrecked during the race. For the fall Talladega race, sponsorship was provided by HostGator.com. They also sponsored the car in the second Texas race, but engine failure took the car out early.
For 2011, the team is back full-time yet again. Joe qualified for the Daytona 500, being the fastest Toyota in the field. An early accident took the car out of the 500 early though. Sponsorship was provided by AM FM Energy, and DAB Constructors for Daytona Speedweeks. AM FM Energy came on as a full time sponsor for the rest of 2011 at the end of summer.
Car 97 History
A second car, the 97, was entered in the Daytona 500Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
and was driven by Jeff Fuller, but did not qualify for the race. Fuller parked the car about 5 laps into his Duel race. However, Fuller successfully qualified for the October event in Talladega. Nemechek stated that if both cars qualified (which they did) the 97 would Start and Park. And that with the winnings from that car, and the sponsorship from HostGator.com, the 87 would be able to run the entire race.
In 2011, Kevin Conway ran the Bud Shootout in the 97 with longtime sponsor ExtenZe, but was wrecked early on. He also attempted the Daytona 500, but failed to qualify. Conway did qualify for the Aaron's 499
Aaron's 499
The Aaron's 499 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car auto race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The race has always been held in late April or early May. The Aaron's 499 is also one of four races currently run with restrictor plates, the others being the AMP Energy 500,...
at Talladega, but only ran one lap and then retired from the race. Conway again qualified for the Coke Zero 400
Coke Zero 400
The Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona is a 160 lap, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held annually, beginning in 1959, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida; the second major stock car event held at Daytona on the Sprint Cup circuit...
, but also again ran one lap and then retired from the race. Conway then attempted the Good Sam RV Club 500 in Talladega and made the race. However like in the previous races, Conway pulled the car in after completing one lap.
Car 7 History
NEMCO debuted its 7 car in 20012001 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2001 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 17 and ended November 10.Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing was champion.See also: 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 2001 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2001 Team chart:...
. Driven by Randy LaJoie
Randy LaJoie
Randall LaJoie was a driver in the NASCAR Busch Series , where he is a two-time champion. Presently, he does not have a full-time ride. He is the father of racers Casey and Corey LaJoie.-Early racing career:LaJoie started racing go-karts when he was 12 years old...
and sponsored by Kleenex
Kleenex
Kleenex is a brand name for a variety of toiletry paper-based products such as facial tissue, bathroom tissue, paper towels, and diapers. The name Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. Often used as a genericized trademark, especially in the United States, "Kleenex"...
, the car won its first race at Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
. LaJoie won another race that season at Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis International Raceway is an auto racing park located across the Loosahatchie River from Memphis, Tennessee, approximately ten miles south of Millington, Tennessee. The facility opened in 1987 with a drag strip and 1.8-mile road course...
and finished twelfth in points. LaJoie didn't win in 2002
2002 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2002 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 16 and ended November 16. Greg Biffle of Roush Racing was crowned champion.See Also: 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2002 Team chart:...
, but won a pole at Gateway International Raceway
Gateway International Raceway
Gateway Motorsports Park is a race track in Madison, Illinois, USA, just east of St. Louis, Missouri. After being shuttered by former owner Dover Motorsports Inc., on Nov. 3, 2010, it was announced Sept. 8, 2011, that the facility would re-open and host an NHRA Full Throttle Series event Oct. 5-7,...
and posted fourteen top-tens on his way to an eleventh place points finish. Following the 2003
2003 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2003 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 15 and ended November 15. Brian Vickers of Hendrick Motorsports won the championship.See Also: 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2003 Team chart:...
GNC Live Well 250, LaJoie and NEMCO parted ways. Nemechek, Todd Bodine
Todd Bodine
Todd Bodine is a NASCAR driver. Todd is the younger brother of former racers Geoff Bodine and Brett Bodine. Bodine is known for his bald head, which has given him the nickname The Onion...
, Hank Parker Jr.
Hank Parker Jr.
Hank Parker Jr. is a former NASCAR driver. Parker has run a total of 137 NASCAR Busch Series races, scoring 2 wins and 31 top tens in four full seasons, and finishing a best of 14th in the championship. He currently works as a fill-in driver for Carl Edwards on his Busch team...
, and Mike Skinner
Mike Skinner (NASCAR)
Mike Skinner is an American driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is the primary driver of the #60 Big Red Soda Toyota Camry for Germain Racing. He is the father of former NASCAR drivers Jamie and Dustin Skinner...
all took over for one race apiece before Greg Biffle
Greg Biffle
Gregory Jack "Greg" Biffle is a NASCAR driver who drives the #16 3M Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-90s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former announcer Benny Parsons...
was hired for the rest of the season, winning twice and garnering three pole positions.
After the 7 car only ran once with Nemechek in 2004
2004 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2004 NASCAR Busch Series Season began on February 14 and ended on November 20. Martin Truex, Jr. of Chance 2 Motorsports won the championship.See Also: 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2004 Team chart:...
, it assumed the 88 car's owner points, which were sold to GIC-Mixon Motorsports
GIC-Mixon Motorsports
GIC-Mixon Motorsports was a NASCAR team, owners of the #7 and the #24 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Busch Series. At the end of 2005, they began to run a part-time schedule. As they did not run in 2006, it is presumed that this team has sold off its equipment.....
for 2005
2005 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2005 season of the NASCAR Busch Series began with the Hershey's Take 5 300 at Daytona International Speedway and concluded with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Martin Truex Jr...
.
Car 87 history
The original car in the NEMCO stable, the 87 car debuted in 19891989 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 1989 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 18 and ended October 29. Rob Moroso of Moroso Motorsports won the championship.- Goody's 300 :The Goody's 300 was held on February 18 at Daytona International Speedway...
at North Carolina Speedway
North Carolina Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina...
as the 88 Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
with Nemechek finishing 33rd after an engine failure. The car switched to the 87 and ran full-time in 1990
1990 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 1990 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 17 and ended October 28. Chuck Bown of Hensley Motorsports won the championship.See also: 1990 in NASCAR- Goody's 300 :The Goody's 300 was held February 17 at Daytona International Speedway...
with sponsorship from Master Machine & Tool. Nemechek had five top-tens and was named NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year. After jumping to sixth in points the following year, Nemechek and the team won two races and the Busch Series championship in 1992
1992 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 1992 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 15 and ended November 8. Joe Nemechek of NEMCO Motorsports won the championship.See also: 1992 in NASCAR- Goody's 300 :The Goody's 300 was held February 15 at Daytona International Speedway...
.
After Nemechek failed to win the championship again in 1993, he left for Larry Hedrick Motorsports
Larry Hedrick Motorsports
Larry Hedrick Motorsports is a former NASCAR team. It was owned by businessman Larry Hedrick and always fielded the #41 Chevrolet in both the Winston Cup and the Busch Series. The team ran from 1990 until its closure in 2001.- Beginnings :...
at the Winston Cup level. He continued to drive the 87 part-time in the Busch Series for several year. After winning the Hardee's 250 in 1994, Nemechek did not win until 1997, when he won the Carquest Auto Parts 300
Carquest Auto Parts 300
The Top Gear 300 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is held the day before the Coca-Cola 600 on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend...
and the Jiffy Lube Miami 300 in the BellSouth
BellSouth
BellSouth Corporation is an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies after the U.S...
sponsored car.
Beginning in 1998, Nemechek began sharing the car with Ron Fellows. Fellows picked up his first win that year at the Lysol 200, then finished second the next year to Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
* NOTE: References to "Earnhardt", "he", and "him" refer to the subject of this article, unless otherwise specified. References to his father will include "Sr."...
, before winning at Watkins Glen the next two years. In 2000
2000 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2000 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 19 and ended on November 11. Jeff Green of ppc Racing was crowned series champion.See also: 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2000 Team chart:...
, the team got new sponsorship from Cellular One
Cellular One
Cellular One is the trademarked brand name used by several cellular service providers in the United States and Bermuda. The brand was sold to Trilogy Partners by AT&T in 2008 shortly after AT&T had completed its acquisition of Dobson Communications...
, and Nemechek went on to win three races in 2003.
In 2002, David Reutimann
David Reutimann
Emil David Reutimann is the driver the #00 Aaron's Dream Machine/Tums/Best Western Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series...
drove the 87 for four races, his best finish a twelfth at Memphis. The next year, Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
development driver
Driver development program
A Driver development program is a program used by racing teams to develop younger drivers. It is widely used in both Formula One and NASCAR, usually consisting of a team signing a driver to a multi-year contract in which they run in minor-league racing divisions A Driver development program is a...
Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...
climbed on board for a number of races with ditech
Ditech
Ditech, based in Costa Mesa, California, was a lender, offering mortgages and lines of credit as a member of Ally Financial, specifically GMAC ResCap which purchased Ditech from its private owner in 1999...
sponsorship, posting two runner-up finishes. Reutimann also drove the 87 for a few races in 2003, finishing in fifth place twice. Nemechek shared the 87 with Reutimann again in the early parts of 2004, before Reutimann left. Midseason, Hendrick development drivers Blake Feese
Blake Feese
Blake Feese , is a second generation American racecar driver. Previously he had won races in ARCA and USAC, before running the NASCAR Busch Series on a part-time schedule with Hendrick Motorsports in 2005 as part of their driver development program, before he was released.Feese began racing at the...
and Boston Reid
Boston Reid
Boston Reid , is a USAC and NASCAR driver.His father Lynn Reid was the Logansport Honda Motorcycle dealer later moving his shop to Kokomo, Indiana. Boston is a 2001 Graduate of Taylor High School. He is currently unemployed.Boston began racing at the age of seven before moving on to the World...
drove for a handful of races in the 87. Feese's best finish was a 33rd at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Reid's a 26th at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
. Nemechek picked up a win that season at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
. His lone highlight of 2005
2005 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2005 season of the NASCAR Busch Series began with the Hershey's Take 5 300 at Daytona International Speedway and concluded with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Martin Truex Jr...
was winning the pole at the season-opening race at Daytona. Ron Fellows returned to the 87 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a race track in Mexico City, Mexico, named for the famous racing drivers Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez. The circuit got its name shortly after it opened when Ricardo Rodríguez died in practice for the non-Championship 1962 Mexican Grand Prix...
, where he finished 41st after a wreck.
In 2006, NEMCO ran two races with Nemechek at Daytona and Homestead, where he started finished fortieth and twenty-third, respectively. He ran three of the first four races in 2007 with Brunton vineyards sponsoring, with a best finish of thirteenth.
The 87 came back full time in 2009
2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series
The 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series began on February 14, 2009 at Daytona International Speedway with the Camping World 300. The season concluded on November 21, 2009 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 300. With 25 top-five finishes, Kyle Busch was the season champion...
. Nemechek drove most of the races with Chad Blount
Chad Blount
Chad Blount is an American race car driver. He has raced in all three of NASCAR's major series and is currently a free agent.-Nextel Cup Series:...
, Dave Blaney
Dave Blaney
David Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
, Mike Bliss
Mike Bliss
Michael Bliss is a NASCAR driver who has run in all three major series. He currently drives the #19 Chevrolet Impala for TriStar Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He began racing at age 10...
, Kevin Conway and Jeff Fuller filling in throughout the year for various races. Towards the end of the season, funding got tight and Joe was forced to Start and Park most of the races.
In 2010, Nemechek returned to the 87 for most of the season with Jarit Johnson, Antonio Perez, and Paulie Harraka driving in the races he did not take part in. However, Nemechek did run the 97 while Harraka was wheeling the 87 in Montreal. The team received sponsorship from various companies through the first 17 events before HostGator
HostGator
HostGator is a Houston-based web hosting company with an additional presence in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2002 by Brent Oxley, who was then a student at Florida Atlantic University. By 2006, HostGator had passed the 200,000 mark in registered domains. In 2008, Inc...
became the primary sponsor for the rest of the season.
For the 2011 Drive4COPD 300, Nemechek ran the 87 car with DAB Constructors as the sponsor. The team has received other sponsorship from Sin City Motorsports, and AM FM Energy in other various races. HostGator made their first appearance on the car at the spring race in Texas. The team is slowly transitioning to Toyota Camrys, although they have run Chevrolet Impalas off and on throughout the year thus far. With both the 87 and the 97 entered for the annual race in Las Vegas, it was impossible to change the 97 back to an 87 after Joe crashed the 87 in practice. So, Joe took the wheel of the 97 while Kevin Conway started and parked the 87 as a back-up Jay Robinson car. Joe took the reins of the 97 again a couple of weeks later in California, while Conway drove the 87 with sponsorship from Extenze. Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
drove the 87 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
in May 2011.
Car 88 History
The 88 car debuted in 2001 at California SpeedwayCalifornia Speedway
Auto Club Speedway is a two-mile , low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1997. The track was also used for open wheel racing events until 2005. The racetrack is located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and...
with Jeff Fuller as the driver. He started 40th and finished 42nd after an early vibration problem. The car returned at Daytona in 2002 with Fuller as the driver. He started fifth, but finished 42nd after being involved in a wreck early in the race. He ran again that year at Talladega, but crashed again and finished 40th. Fuller and Nemechek ran three races apiece in the 88 the following year, finishing last in each one, while Reutimann had a sixth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
.
In 2004, Fuller moved to the 88 virtually full-time. Despite the full-time schedule, Fuller did not finish a race all year long, his best finish being a 35th at Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing track in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004. The track is often associated with local drivers Mario and Michael Andretti. It was associated with Frankie Schneider in its earlier dirt track history....
. Nemechek and Wally Dallenbach Jr. drove one race apiece in the car during that season.
In 2005, the team's owners points were transferred to the 7 car's, which were sold to GIC-Mixon Motorsports.
Truck 8 history
The 8 truck was driven by Nemechek's brother JohnJohn Nemechek
John Nemechek , was a race car driver who was killed in an accident during a Craftsman truck race at Homestead, Florida.-Life and racing career:...
. He debuted the truck in 1996
1996 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1996 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began March 17 and ended November 3. Ron Hornaday of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won the championship.See also: 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1996 NASCAR Busch Series- 1996 Team Chart :...
at the Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, where he finished seventh. He ran full-time that year and finished 13th in points. Three races into 1997
1997 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began on January 19 and ended on November 19. Jack Sprague of Hendrick Motorsports won the title.See also: 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1997 NASCAR Busch Series- 1997 Team Chart :- Chevy Trucks Challenge :...
, John was involved in a single-truck accident at Miami-Dade and suffered massive head injuries, which claimed his life five days later. The 8 truck has not raced since. In 2011, the truck was sold to Kevin Harvick Incorporated
Kevin Harvick Incorporated
Kevin Harvick Incorporated was a NASCAR team owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana, who herself is the daughter of a former Busch Series driver, John Linville...
and is now driven by Nelson Piquet, Jr..
Truck 87 history
NEMCO began running the 87 truck in 19951995 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1995 NASCAR SuperTruck Series Season, the first one ever to be run, began February 5 and ended October 28. Mike Skinner of Richard Childress Racing won the championship.See also: 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1995 NASCAR Busch Series...
with John Nemechek driving with sponsorship from Burger King and Delco Remy America. John had two top-tens and finished 16th in points despite not competing in four races. Joe took over the 87 the following year on a part-time basis. He finished second at Watkins Glen after Steve Park
Steve Park (NASCAR)
Stephen Park is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East....
qualified on the pole in the truck, then finished eighth at Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...
. After finishing 27th at Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway is a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida.It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, and was designed primarily as a venue for the Indy 200 at Walt Disney...
in 1997, Nemechek didn't return to the trucks until the following year, where he finished sixth at WDWS. Fellows began racing the truck in 1999
1999 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1999 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began March 20 and ended October 30. Jack Sprague of Hendrick Motorsports was crowned champion.See also: 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1999 NASCAR Busch Series- 1999 Team Chart :...
, finishing third in his debut at Portland International Raceway
Portland International Raceway
Portland International Raceway is located in Portland, Oregon, USA's, Delta Park complex on the former site of Vanport, just south of the Columbia River. It is west of a light rail station and less than a mile west of Interstate 5....
before winning the following week at Watkins Glen. The 87 truck hasn't run since.