Hemric Notches Top-15 Result with Late Vegas Rally

Daniel Hemric recorded a 13th-place finish in Friday’s night’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) show on the Las Vegas strip. The driver of the No. 19 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Silverado RST made a strong recovery over the final 25 circuits to record a top-15 run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After three of 18 regular season events, Hemric sits ninth in the NCTS championship standings.

Hemric posted a 12th-place qualifying effort on Friday afternoon and wrestled with a loose condition in the opening stage of Friday evening’s race. A lack of rear grip hampered Hemric’s effort in the first 30-lap segment, and he ran 16th at the end of Stage 1 on lap 30. After a four tire pit stop for fuel and adjustments, a red flag for a brief rain shower halted the action.

On lap 38, Hemric restarted 13th, and an improved balance helped him stay within reach of the top-10 during the second segment. He ran 12th at lap 60 to close out the second stage. Crew chief Josh Graham armed Hemric with another round of adjustments on the duo’s second four-tire pit stop as the South Point team delivered stunning service to gain six positions.

Following another brief delay for rain, a short, 13-lap stint set up the final pit stop of the night under yellow on lap 86. Hemric was the beneficiary of another incredible pit stop as he advanced from 11th to fifth on pit road. After getting elbowed to the apron down the backstretch on the lap-91 restart, Hemric found himself as low as 23rd but was determined to recover lost positions. He managed to advance 10 positions over the final 25 laps as one of the fastest trucks in the field to take the checkered flag in 13th.

“We were really loose to start, but we made a lot of gains on the balance throughout the night,” Hemric said. “Appreciate the effort and fight to keep getting our South Point Chevrolet closer to where we needed to be. The last run was our best of the night and had a ton of pace, enough to be a top-five truck. We just needed to have the balance closer to start the night and have the restarts play out a little differently. We’ll go to Homestead next week and hopefully take another step forward.”

Start / Finish: 12 / 13
Points Standing / Total: 8th (tied) / 86 pts. (-42)

Next Race: Friday, March 21, Homestead-Miami Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: FOX or SiriusXM

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Daniel Hemric: @DanielHemric
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