During the NASCAR offseason, John Hunter Nemechek‘s casual question on Instagram unexpectedly opened the door to an exciting new experience involving drifting. The Legacy Motor Club driver was invited to pilot Ryan Tuerck’s specially engineered drift truck at the Ten Tenths Motor Club track in Concord, North Carolina, a facility built by Rick Hendrick and Speedway Motorsports. This chance came about months after Nemechek had expressed interest in driving the striking vehicle on social media, highlighting the growing crossover between NASCAR and the drifting community.
From Admiring Tuerck’s Builds to Behind the Wheel
Ryan Tuerck has long been recognized as a frontrunner in the drifting world, competing in Formula Drift for nearly twenty years while amassing numerous wins and titles. He has attracted a dedicated following through his YouTube channel, which showcases his custom car and truck builds. Among his creations, the Toyota Stout drift truck stands out as a fan favorite, having featured at notable events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Tuerck demonstrated its capabilities with crowd-pleasing displays.
John Hunter Nemechek revealed that he had admired Tuerck’s work for some time. On May 28, 2025, Nemechek commented under a Mobil 1 Instagram post featuring one of Tuerck’s drift trucks, casually asking, “When can I drive this?” He didn’t expect much to come from it, considering it just a playful comment.
Ryan and Mobil 1 posted a drift truck that he had built on Instagram, and I’d always liked Ryan’s work — the cars and trucks that he would build — he’s a partner with Toyota and Mobil 1 as well,
Nemechek said.
And I commented on it and said, ‘When can I drive this?’ And didn’t really think anything of it. He’s kind of like messing around having fun with it. Definitely did want to drive it.
Unexpected Invitation to the Preseason Production Day
After posting the comment, Nemechek continued focusing on his standard NASCAR commitments, believing the opportunity to drive Tuerck’s 650-horsepower drift truck was unlikely. However, eight months later, “Mobil 1 Preseason Production Day” appeared on his schedule, which he at first assumed would be routine. Instead, he was greeted by Tuerck himself, standing beside the drift truck covered with a tarp. The vehicle’s reveal caught Nemechek by surprise and quickly turned into an exceptional experience.
Thought it was just gonna be another production day,
Nemechek said. “Drove in, and Ryan was standing there with a cover over the drift truck, Mobil 1 was there. Got out of my truck and he pulled the cover off.
He asked if I had remembered that comment, and I said yes. And I thought I was just going to get to ride along with him in it and drift some, but actually being able to drive it was probably one of the most neat experiences I’ve been a part of. And it’s kind of cool comment to reality.
Learning the Art of Drifting with a Master
The experience didn’t start with Nemechek immediately taking the driver’s seat. Although he has vast experience handling high-powered race cars, drifting in a purpose-built truck required more than just skill; it demanded respect and careful instruction. Tuerck began by putting Nemechek in the passenger seat, where he could witness the technique from close quarters despite the discomfort of having an open-faced helmet amid tire smoke and flying debris.
Tuerck guided Nemechek through the Ten Tenths course—a 1.1-mile circuit featuring 13 corners—demonstrating how to control the truck’s impressive power while maintaining sideways momentum. Nemechek watched intently, attempting to absorb every detail to avoid embarrassing himself behind the wheel.
I was kind of watching his feet and what he was doing the entire time, just because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, let’s say,
Nemechek explained.
I actually wanted to be somewhat okay at doing it. So I was trying to learn the entire time.
But the first moment when he turned it sideways for the first time in the hairpin at Ten Tenths, yeah, it was pretty amazing. Like I wasn’t expecting it. He didn’t say anything, that he was going to do it, it just happened. And it was like, ‘Man, this is freaking awesome.’
Taking Control: Nemechek’s First Drifting Session
After the ride-along tutorial, Nemechek took over the driver’s seat on a skid pad area where he could freely experiment with drifting techniques. Over the course of the session, he burned through approximately seven sets of tires while executing burnouts, drifts, and donuts, fully embracing the challenge and excitement.
The first time hitting the throttle, getting in the RPM band, turning it sideways, I was smiling ear to ear,
he recalled.
Like I was super giddy, just having a really good time.
And then there was some points where it was frustrating, where I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong.
The Toyota Stout drift truck presented a stark contrast to the vehicles Nemechek is accustomed to driving in the NASCAR Cup Series. Instead of trying to straighten out the car when it slides, a drift vehicle requires the driver to feel comfortable with the truck sliding and maintain throttle control to manage speed and wheel spin.
It gave me a different perspective,
Nemechek admitted.
Like, (Tuerck) makes it look so easy, and then when I get in there and try and transition, it’s like ‘S—-, this is actually really hard.’
Plans and Possibilities After the Drifting Experience
Following this memorable introduction to drifting, Nemechek is considering what comes next. Whether he will invest in transforming a vehicle into a custom drift car, similar to fellow NASCAR driver Alex Bowman’s Chevrolet Corvette, or take lessons to hone his newfound drifting skills remains undecided.
To be determined, Nemechek said with a laugh. “I would love to go do it again. I would love to actually go to a drift event, ride passenger with Ryan, and just enjoy that moment and kind of understand what those guys do.
But I definitely would love to go and drift again. It’s definitely addicting.
