Daniel Hemric Finishes Sixth in Sin City Debut

Daniel Hemric and his NTS Motorsports team beat the odds in his Las Vegas debut, earning a top-10 finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ (NCWTS) only trip of the season to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hemric overcame a loose-handling truck and going a lap down in the Rhino Linings 350, earning his lap back on the racetrack and advancing to sixth before crossing the start/finish line.

Laying down the sixth-fastest lap in the weekend’s only practice session on Saturday morning, Hemric advanced to the final round of knockout qualifying, putting the No. 14 California Clean Power Chevrolet in the 12th position for the green flag. Hemric initially jumped up to the ninth position when racing began, but quickly found his Silverado to be too free, preventing him from attacking entry. A caution flag on lap 15 allowed crew chief Ryan McKinney to call his driver into the pits, ordering four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment, sending Hemric back onto the track in the 14th position. Still fighting a free truck after the lap-26 restart, Hemric had dropped back to 17th when the leaders began visiting pit road under green on lap 91. Having come to pit road under the previous caution for a splash of gas, the NTS Motorsports truck had more fuel than most in the front of the field, allowing Hemric to stay out on the racetrack until lap 101 and move up into the top five. Still struggling with the free condition by the time he came in for service, the young driver requested that the team take the extra time on pit road to make a big swing at handling. McKinney called for four tires, fuel and both air-pressure and spring-rubber adjustments. With the field already spread out, the time on pit road under green cost the team a lap, but Hemric was now making lap times competitive with the leaders and working on inheriting the free pass. However, with the race remaining green until its conclusion, Hemric had to earn his lap back on the racetrack instead. Hemric was scored in the 11th position when the frontrunners who had pitted before him began to run out of fuel, costing them time on pit road and allowing him to pass the leader for his lap back. With speed in the final laps and many contenders struggling with fuel mileage, Hemric was able to stay on track until the race’s conclusion, crossing the finish line in the sixth position when the checkered flag waved.

Daniel Hemric on Las Vegas Motor Speedway

“I’m so glad that we were able to bring home another top-10 finish for our NTS Motorsports team. We started off the race extremely loose; at one point, the truck was so free that we knew we needed to take some extra time on pit road to really get it right, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to make much progress on the racetrack. By the final run, our California Clean Power Chevy was handling really well, and by making our final pit stop when we did, we were in a position to make it to the end on fuel. We had a big group at the track from California Clean Power, and I’m glad that we were able to give them a good showing; I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity I’ve been given.”

Hemric remains fifth in the NCWTS Driver Point Standings heading into the final five races of the season. The Truck Series takes a two-week break before returning to action at Talladega Superspeedway. The Fred’s Pharmacy 250 will air live on FOX on Saturday, October 24 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

NTS Motorsports PR