Hemric Finishes 14th at Texas Motor Speedway

Daniel Hemric and his NTS Motorsports team unloaded strong at Texas Motor Speedway, running fast laps in both practice and qualifying. Unfortunately, the handling of the California Clean Power Chevrolet changed dramatically as the sun went down, forcing Hemric to battle an extremely loose truck for the duration of the race, resulting in a 14th-place finish.

After laying down the sixth-fastest lap in opening practice, Hemric and his team made the decision to opt out of final practice, choosing to save their tires for the 147-lap main event. An impressive qualifying run put Hemric in the third position for the start of the race, and immediately following the green flag, the Rookie of the Year contender challenged for the lead before settling into second place. As the run went on, Hemric reported that his California Clean Power Chevy was free everywhere, and by lap 15, he dropped to the seventh spot. Hemric had fallen all the way back to 12th when it came time for green-flag pit stops to begin on lap 44, and crew chief Ryan McKinney called for four tires, fuel and both air-pressure and track-bar adjustments. Earning a spot on pit road, Hemric returned to the track in 11th, which is where he was scored when the only caution flag of the night was displayed on lap 55. With the leaders choosing to stay on the racetrack, the NTS Motorsports crew chose to follow suit to avoid losing track position. When the green flag waved, tight, three-wide racing allowed Hemric to advance up to the eighth position, but as another long green-flag run played out, Hemric’s Silverado was still way too free. Running 15th on lap 93, Hemric made his final pit stop under green, receiving four tires, fuel and both air-pressure and wedge adjustments. The 24-year-old reported that he now had more lateral grip on exit, but with no caution flag to tighten up the field, it was nearly impossible to gain position on the racetrack. With a dozen laps remaining, Hemric was able to pick up one spot, crossing the finish line in the 14th position.

Daniel Hemric on Texas Motor Speedway

“We had an extremely fast truck in practice and qualifying, but everything changed when the sun went down and we got into traffic. My California Clean Power Chevrolet was just so free after the green flag waved. I know my NTS Motorsports crew did everything they could to try to get us where we needed to be, but when you’re pitting under green, you don’t have the time to do the same adjustments that you would under caution. I know how close this team is to a win, and I really believe we can get there before the season ends. Our final two racetracks are places I’ve been before, so I feel good about our chances at both Phoenix and Homestead.”

NTS Motorsports PR