Front Row reveals replacement for Ragan

Nemechek takes over for David Ragan, who has joined Joe Gibbs Racing as the interim driver of the No. 18 Toyota for the injured Kyle Busch. Ragan had driven the Bob Jenkins-owned No. 34 for the last three seasons, plus turned in a 17th-place finish for the team in Sunday's Daytona 500.

The announcement pairs the Front Row team with a synonymous driver in Nemechek, who earned the nickname "Front Row Joe" for his qualifying successes during the height of his career.

Nemechek's appointment is the latest in a series of driver developments since last Saturday's crash indefinitely sidelined Kyle Busch, who suffered multiple lower-leg injuries in the NASCAR XFINITY Series opener. Matt Crafton, two-time Camping World Truck Series champion, was a last-minute fill-in for Busch in the JGR No. 18 for the Daytona 500, and Ragan's move as Busch's newest substitute is expected to last several weeks. 

Nemechek, the 1992 champion of what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series, has four premier series wins in 666 career starts. The 51-year-old driver competed in just six Sprint Cup races last year, focusing on his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series efforts with his son and fellow team driver, John Hunter Nemechek.

Nemechek will be required to qualify the No. 34 car for the 43-car field in Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (1 p.m. ET, FOX) on the basis of speed.

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