Joe Nemechek began racing in motocross at age 13, where he won over 300 trophies. But in 1986, Nemechek made the move to stock cars.
Nemechek won the 1992 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, over Bobby Labonte by three points. Still a part-time racer in the Series for his own team, NEMCO Motorsports, Nemechek has made over 200 starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
To date, Nemechek's best finish in the Cup Series came in 2000 where he placed 15th in the final standings driving for Andy Petree.
Nemechek currently has four Cup victories. He captured his first win at New Hampshire in 1999 - the site of his first Cup start in 1993 - driving for Felix Sabates.
His second win of his career came at the 2001 Rockingham fall race in his last season driving for Andy Petree.
In 2003, Nemechek drove the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports entry to victory in the spring race at Richmond.
In 2004, he piloted the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet to Gatorade Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway.
Nemechek enjoyed the best streak of his 11-year Cup career in the final half of the 2004 season. In the final 10 races, Nemechek and the MB2 Motorsports U.S. Army team had a stalwart run with one win (Kansas), three top-fives, six top-10s and two poles.
The 2005 season saw Nemechek improve his final position in the standings – finishing 16th in the championship on the strength of two top-fives and nine top-10s.
Unfortunately, 2006 saw a regression for "Front Row Joe." He scored just two top-10 finishes and dropped to 27th in the championship.
While remaining with Ginn Racing (formerly MB2 Motorsports) in 2007, Nemechek drove the No. 13 Ginn Clubs & Resorts Chevrolet – ending his association as driver of the U.S. Army Chevrolet, which was shared by his teammates Mark Martin and Regan Smith.
In the middle of the 2007 season, Nemechek was released from Ginn Racing. He signed a three-year deal with Furniture Row Racing Team later on in the season and raced his first race for owner, Barney Visser, on September 2. Nemechek finished 2007 37th in Cup standings with one top-10 finish (9th in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2007).
Nemechek entered the 2008 Cup season at Daytona International Speedway driving the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet for the 50th running to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17.
He made 32 starts that season with four DNQs. But Nemechek failed to score either a top 10 finish. At the end of 2008, Furniture Row Racing scaled back its racing operations and bought out Nemechek's contract.
Nemechek has made plans to run full seasons in both the Cup and Nationwide Series with his own team NEMCO Motorsports.
