Daniel Hemric

Daniel Hemric Bio

Daniel Brian Hemric, born on January 27, 1991, in Kannapolis, North Carolina, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 19 Chevrolet Silverado RST for McAnally–Hilgemann Racing, while also running part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing. Known for his consistency and late-race poise, Hemric captured the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship after a dramatic overtime pass at Phoenix Raceway.

Over more than a decade in NASCAR’s national series, Hemric has competed across the Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Cup Series. He earned the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award and later became a champion at the Xfinity level with Joe Gibbs Racing. His career has carried him from short tracks across the Carolinas to national spotlight events.

Early Life and Background

Hemric was raised in Kannapolis, North Carolina, a region with deep roots in stock car racing. He is the son of Brian Hemric and Christi Hemric. Growing up surrounded by regional short tracks, Hemric began his racing journey at the age of five, competing in go-karts at the 1/5-mile Concord Speedway. He quickly found success at the North Carolina facility, winning eleven races and a track championship before moving up to Bandolero cars five years later. During that era, he also adopted the backflip celebration made famous by Carl Edwards.

At sixteen, Hemric transitioned to Legends cars, and in 2008, he captured the track’s Pro championship along with the first of two back-to-back Legends Pro national championships. The following season, he amassed nearly sixty wins in just under eighty starts, maxing out his National Points en route to a second national Legends Pro title and a Summer Shootout Series championship. In 2010, he won the inaugural Legends Million at Charlotte Motor Speedway, earning a then-record $250,000 payday in Legends car competition.

Path to NASCAR

After dominating the short tracks, Hemric turned his attention to NASCAR’s developmental ladder. Late in the 2010 racing season, he made his debut in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, balancing selected Modified Tour events with a full 2012 late model campaign. That year, he won the Champion Racing Association JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour championship with eight victories. In 2013, he added a Summer Shootout Series title, the Southern Super Series championship, and the Blizzard Series championship, firmly establishing himself as one of the top late model talents in the country.

Those accomplishments earned him a shot at NASCAR’s national series. In October 2013, Hemric made his Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway, driving the No. 6 Chevrolet for Sharp Gallaher Racing. Later, additional starts for NTS Motorsports followed, and by 2015 he was ready to race full-time in the Camping World Truck Series.

Daniel Hemric Career

Early Career (2013–2014)

Hemric’s earliest national series appearances came in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series during the closing months of 2013. His Martinsville debut ended early with a 32nd-place result, but he bounced back with a 13th-place run at Phoenix International Raceway. A solid 12th-place finish at Homestead in 2014 for NTS Motorsports further validated his potential and set the stage for a full-time opportunity.

During this same stretch, Hemric continued to build his résumé on the late model circuit, capturing marquee events like the 2014 RedBud 300. Those performances positioned him as one of the most promising short-track graduates in the NASCAR pipeline.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Breakthrough (2015–2016)

In 2015, Hemric announced he would compete full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with NTS Motorsports, driving the No. 14 California Clean Power Chevrolet Silverado. He posted a best finish of fourth at Dover International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and climbed as high as fifth in the standings before finishing seventh in the championship. The season also included a victory in the All American 400, one of the premier late model events in the country.

The following year, Hemric joined Brad Keselowski Racing to drive the No. 19 Ford F-Series in 2016. He opened with an eighth-place finish at Daytona and produced seventeen top-five finishes without a trip to Victory Lane. As the highest-ranked non-winner in points, he earned a Chase berth and capped the year with a career-best Truck Series finish of sixth in the standings.

NASCAR Xfinity Series (2017–2021)

On September 17, 2016, Richard Childress Racing announced that Hemric would join its Xfinity program for 2017. His debut at the 2017 PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona ended in a 31st-place result after an early crash, but he rebounded the next week at Atlanta with a ninth-place finish, his first Xfinity top-ten. Highlights included winning the Dash 4 Cash at Bristol, claiming his first career pole at Richmond, scoring a third-place finish at Richmond, and earning a runner-up result at Mid-Ohio. He advanced to the Championship Round at Homestead as the lone non-JR Motorsports driver, finishing fourth in the final standings despite battery issues.

In 2020, Hemric rejoined the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports, sharing the No. 8 car for 21 races and recording twelve top-ten finishes. The next season, he moved to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota, locking himself into the Championship 4 alongside Austin Cindric, A. J. Allmendinger, and Noah Gragson. On November 6, 2021, he completed a last-lap overtime pass of Cindric at Phoenix Raceway to win his first career NASCAR national series race and the 2021 Xfinity Series championship. His ten prior runner-up finishes had tied him with Dale Jarrett for the most in Xfinity history at that time.

NASCAR Cup Series (2018–2024)

Hemric made his Cup Series debut at the 2018 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond, qualifying 22nd and finishing 32nd. On September 28, 2018, Richard Childress Racing announced he would move to the No. 31 Chevrolet full-time in 2019, competing for Rookie of the Year honors, before being shifted to the No. 8 car in December 2018. His rookie season featured a gold RCR 50th Anniversary paint scheme in the Daytona 500 and a first career Busch Pole Award at Kansas. Although he finished 25th in points, he earned the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award.

After his release from RCR, Hemric returned to the Xfinity Series before rejoining the Cup Series in 2022 with Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 on a part-time basis, posting a 12th-place result in the Daytona 500 and a top-ten at Fontana. On November 6, 2022, he filled in for Ty Gibbs in the No. 23 for 23XI Racing at Phoenix, marking his first race with Toyota in over a year. On September 15, 2023, Kaulig Racing announced Hemric would drive the No. 31 full-time in 2024, returning him to full-time Cup competition for the first time since 2019.

McAnally–Hilgemann Racing Era (2025–Present)

On November 20, 2024, McAnally–Hilgemann Racing announced that Hemric would return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 2025, driving the No. 19 Chevrolet Silverado RST and replacing Christian Eckes. He opened the 2025 Truck season with a seventh-place finish at Daytona. Later that spring, he scored his first career Truck Series victory at Martinsville after passing teammate Tyler Ankrum for the lead with three laps to go.

He also continues to make selected Xfinity starts in the No. 11 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, balancing two national series schedules with renewed momentum after his Martinsville triumph.

Driving Style and Strengths

Hemric has long been recognized for his consistency, patience, and late-race race craft, attributes that carried him to the 2021 Xfinity title despite not winning a regular-season race. His knack for saving equipment and capitalizing on late opportunities has produced signature moments like the overtime pass at Phoenix. Crew chief partnerships have leaned into strategy and clean pit work, allowing Hemric to maximize track position during long runs.

Notable Races and Milestones

Signature moments include his 2017 Dash 4 Cash win at Bristol, his first career Busch Pole Award at Kansas in 2019, and his championship-sealing overtime victory at Phoenix in 2021. More recently, his first career Truck Series win at Martinsville in 2025 stands as another milestone in a career that has steadily climbed from Concord Speedway go-karts to NASCAR national series championships.

Daniel Hemric Career Wins

Hemric has won at least one race in two of NASCAR’s three national series. His lone NASCAR Cup Series start in Victory Lane came at the 2021 Xfinity Series finale at Phoenix Raceway, where the win also delivered the series championship. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he earned his first victory at Martinsville Speedway in 2025.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights

Hemric’s first and only Xfinity Series victory came in the 2021 championship race at Phoenix Raceway, a last-lap overtime pass of Austin Cindric that secured the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series title. The breakthrough capped a season in which he earned a Championship 4 berth through consistency rather than regular-season wins.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights

In 2025, Hemric returned to the Truck Series full-time and won the Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200 at Martinsville Speedway, passing teammate Tyler Ankrum with three laps to go. The victory marked his first in the Truck Series and confirmed his continued competitiveness in NASCAR’s third national tour.

Daniel Hemric Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Hemric is the son of Brian Hemric and Christi Hemric. Raised in Kannapolis, North Carolina, he grew up immersed in the regional racing scene that helped shape his early development behind the wheel.

Personal Life

Hemric became engaged to K&N Pro Series East driver Kenzie Ruston on July 28, 2015, and the couple married on January 7, 2017. Their daughter was born on May 9, 2020, and their son was born on December 23, 2022. In September 2019, Hemric established the Daniel Hemric Be the Change Scholarship at Rowan–Cabarrus Community College, awarding annual aid to a student pursuing motorsports, welding, or mechanical engineering.

2025 Season Performance

Hemric’s 2025 campaign centers on a full-time return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with McAnally–Hilgemann Racing. He opened the year with a seventh-place run at Daytona before notching his first career Truck Series victory at Martinsville Speedway, a defining moment that validated his move back to the series. The win also marked his first national series triumph since the 2021 Xfinity championship at Phoenix.

Alongside his Truck duties, Hemric has continued part-time Xfinity Series appearances in the No. 11 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, balancing two schedules while maintaining momentum from his Martinsville breakthrough. The combination of weekly seat time in the Truck Series and selected Xfinity starts has kept him sharp across multiple track types.

Heading into the heart of the 2025 season, Hemric sits in playoff contention in the Truck Series standings and remains a respected veteran presence in the garage. With his first Truck win secured and his team hitting its stride, the outlook points toward a deep postseason run and continued opportunities to add to his win total.