FORT WORTH, Texas – If there is one thing for certain, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver John Hunter Nemechek wants to put his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Silverado in Victory Lane on Friday at the NCWTS winstaronlinegaming.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver John Hunter Nemechek visits with the media after the Speeding to Read Championship Assembly at Texas Motor Speedway on May 23, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

The NCTWS drivers return to Texas this weekend as part of a race card that also includes the Verizon IndyCar Series.  The NCWTS action begins on Thursday with practice sessions from 3-7:55 p.m.  Qualifying is on Friday at 4:35 p.m. and the 167-lap race is set for 7 p.m.

Nemechek, who is the 19-year old son of former NASCAR driver Joe Nemechek, would like to follow in his father’s footsteps and become the next Nemechek to score a victory at the 1.5-mile speedway.

“The best piece of advice my dad ever gave me was have patience, work hard, stay focused and never give up,” John Hunter Nemechek said.   I wouldn’t say that there isn’t one word or thing he’s ever told me that you kind of don’t take into consideration each and every day.

“The biggest thing is working hard.  Being at the shop and working on the race car, I think makes me a better driver. Learning what each component does makes victory even that much sweeter knowing that you had a part in it.”

John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #8 Fire Alarm Services, Inc., Silverado Chevrolet, drives during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 23, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Nemechek’s father won at TMS in 2003 while competing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and during that time he had 19 starts and posted five top-10 finished.  He also competed in three NCWTS races at TMS with a best start of sixth in 2014 and a best finish of third (2014). In addition he raced in 23 Cup races at TMS from 1997-2014, posting his best finish (fourth) in 1998.

“I know he won here at Texas,” Nemechek said.  “I don’t quite remember it but there are pictures around the shop of me in Victory Lane with him.  It’s definitely cool to go back and look at pictures, trophies, hats and everything else that he has collected through the years.  He’s definitely still competitive and I would have hated to have known how competitive he really was in his younger days.”

Since John Hunter Nemechek capitalized on his part-time schedule in his first three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) seasons, he has competed in 59 races and scored three victories (Chicago, Atlanta and at Ontario, Canada).  He has 16 top-five finishes, and 29 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 12.7 and producing an average finishing position of 11.8.

John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #8 Fire Alarm Services, Inc., Silverado Chevrolet, poses for a portrait at Daytona International Speedway on February 23, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

“The goal going into this race is to win and we wouldn’t show up at a racetrack if we didn’t think we could win when we come,” said Nemechek, who in 2015 was named to the 2015-2016 NASCAR Next class, and was awarded the 2015 Most Popular Driver for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“The overall goal is to finish the race.  We have run five races this season and did not finish in two of them.  Three mechanical failures, so it kind of stinks when we have been running in the top five all season.  We’ve had trucks that could have won races but the cards just haven’t played right.  Hopefully we can have some luck on our side.”

This weekend marks the first time both the Verizon IndyCar Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series have raced on Texas Motor Speedway’s newly reconfigured 1.5-mile surface.  Nemechek said the changes to the track will present several different challenges for the drivers.

“I actually was able to drive a rental car around for a lap or two and kind of just look at it and its way smoother than the old surface,” Nemechek said.  “It’s not as abrasive.

“We are definitely going to come back and run a different setup than in years past.  I don’t see why our trucks won’t run wide open for almost a whole fuel run.  I am really looking forward to getting here and run on the new asphalt.  I think that it is going to be really aero sensitive trying to pass guys.  It’s going to be somewhat similar to what we saw in Kentucky last July.”

Nemechek will be making his fourth start at TMS.  His best start was 12^th in 2015 and best finish was seventh at last year’s Rattlesnake 400 in June.

“I am hoping for a great race and finish this weekend,” Nemechek said.  “I still have fun no matter if it is a good day or a bad day. You have to take the positives out of it and make sure you are having fun.

“I really wouldn’t say that it’s a motivation thing to come back to the racetrack every week.  I love going fast and I love driving in race cars.  I am very passionate and determined to make it to the top.  Motivation is there 100 percent of the time and I was definitely blessed with the racing genes from dad.”