Daniel Hemric Michigan 2016 Recap

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In: NASCAR Truck Series News
Daniel Hemric (@DanielHemric) continued his fight for his first-career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) win, in addition to a spot in the first-ever NCWTS Chase, in a rain-delayed race at Michigan International Speedway. Smart driving and clever pit strategy by the No. 19 Draw-Tite team allowed Hemric to earn his fifth third-place finish of 2016 and maintain his Chase berth with only two races remaining in the regular season.
 
Barely missing the final round of knockout qualifying, Hemric took the green flag from the 13th-place position. Struggling initially with a Ford F-150 that was extremely free on entry, Hemric was in the 15th position when crew chief Chad Kendrick made the call to visit pit road just seconds before the expiration of the caution clock on lap 32. Providing Hemric with right-side tires, an air-pressure adjustment and fuel, Kendrick’s strategy put his driver in the lead when green-flag racing resumed on lap 36.
 
Despite having clean air in front of him, Hemric’s Draw-Tite Ford was still extremely loose, and when the yellow flag waved for the second time on lap 46, he came down pit road for left-side tires, fuel and another air-pressure adjustment. 
 
Going green from the 11th position on lap 50, the field was slowed by a caution once again on lap 52. Kendrick made the call to “hit the reset button” on the truck’s handling and requested his driver for service once again, providing him with four fresh tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment.
 
Restarting at the back of the pack, Hemric had navigated his way up to 16th before the caution flag waved on lap 64, despite having a truck that he referred to as “stupid loose.” 
 
Kendrick called his driver to pit road for one final stop, opting only to add a splash of gas and make a major track-bar adjustment. The quick stop put the No. 19 Draw-Tite Ford F-150 in the eighth spot for the restart, and Hemric was able to break into the top five by lap 69. A string of yellows and long cleanups followed, but by the final restart with seven laps to go, Hemric was scored in the fourth position. 
 
The final shootout was a dramatic and challenging one, but Hemric managed to gain one more position before crossing the finish line in the third position. Hemric remains second in the NCWTS standings, 36 points behind the leader, and continues to occupy the seventh spot on the Chase grid.

BKR PR

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