Daniel Hemric Bio
Daniel Brian Hemric is an American professional stock car racing driver born on January 27, 1991, in Kannapolis, North Carolina. A longtime Chevrolet competitor, Hemric has raced across the top three national NASCAR series and captured the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2021 with Joe Gibbs Racing. He currently drives the No. 19 Chevrolet Silverado RST for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Over more than a decade in NASCAR’s national ranks, Hemric has built a reputation as a consistent finisher and a hard-nosed racer, most notably earning ten runner-up finishes in the Xfinity Series before finally breaking through with his first victory at Phoenix Raceway in 2021. Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds, Hemric has remained a steady presence in the garage area through multiple team changes and series transitions.
Early Life and Background
Daniel Brian Hemric was born on January 27, 1991, in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the son of Brian and Christi Hemric. Growing up in the heart of NASCAR country, he was surrounded by short tracks and race shops from an early age. His hometown sits just minutes from the team headquarters of several major NASCAR organizations, which gave him a natural entry point into the sport.
Hemric began his racing career at the age of five, competing in go-karts at the 1/5-mile Concord Speedway in North Carolina. He quickly found success, winning eleven races and a track championship before moving up to Bandolero cars five years later. During that period, he adopted a backflip celebration inspired by fellow racer Carl Edwards, a tradition that became a recognizable part of his identity on track.
At sixteen, Hemric transitioned to Legends cars, and in 2008, he won the Pro championship at his home track along with the first of two consecutive Legends Pro national championships. In 2009, he added a second national title and the Summer Shootout Series championship. Two years later, he captured the Legends Million at Charlotte Motor Speedway, taking home $250,000, the largest single paycheck in Legends car history.
Path to NASCAR
Late in 2010, Hemric made his debut in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, while running selected Modified and late model events over the next several seasons. In 2012, he won the Champion Racing Association JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour championship with eight victories. He followed that with a 2013 Summer Shootout Series title and the Blizzard Series championship, also competing in the Southern Super Series for Carswell Motorsports.
His first taste of NASCAR national series competition came in October 2013 at Martinsville Speedway, where he drove the No. 6 Chevrolet for Sharp Gallaher Racing in the Camping World Truck Series. He made two additional Truck starts in 2014 before committing to a full-time ride. By 2015, Hemric had secured a full-season opportunity with NTS Motorsports, marking his true entry into NASCAR’s national ranks.
Daniel Hemric Career
Early Career (2013-2015)
Hemric made his NASCAR national series debut in October 2013 at Martinsville Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series, finishing 32nd after early issues. He returned for a second Truck start at Phoenix International Raceway later that year, scoring a 13th-place result, and added a third start in 2014 at Homestead-Miami Speedway for NTS Motorsports, finishing 12th.
In 2015, Hemric announced he would run a full Truck Series schedule for the first time, driving the No. 14 California Clean Power Chevrolet Silverado for NTS Motorsports. He earned a best finish of fourth on three occasions, including Dover International Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and finished the season seventh in the championship standings while competing for Rookie of the Year honors.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Breakthrough (2016-2018)
On November 3, 2015, Hemric announced he would move to Brad Keselowski Racing to drive the No. 19 Ford F-Series in 2016. He opened the season with an eighth-place finish at Daytona and went on to record seventeen top-five finishes without a trip to Victory Lane. That consistency was enough to make him the highest non-winner in points and earn a spot in the Chase.
After moving up to the Xfinity Series, Hemric returned to the Truck Series in 2018 for a single start at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Young’s Motorsports, finishing 21st. Years later, in 2025, he returned to the Truck Series full-time with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, scoring a seventh-place finish at Daytona and then earning his first career Truck Series victory at Martinsville after passing teammate Tyler Ankrum with three laps remaining.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2017-2021)
On September 17, 2016, Richard Childress Racing announced that Hemric would join the team for the 2017 Xfinity Series season, driving the No. 21 Chevy Camaro. He made his Xfinity debut at the PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona, finishing 31st after an early crash, and quickly recovered with a ninth-place run at Atlanta. He added a Dash 4 Cash win at Bristol, a pole at Richmond, and a career-best second-place finish at Mid-Ohio before advancing to the Championship Round at Homestead as the only non-JR Motorsports contender.
Hemric returned to RCR in 2018 and again reached the Championship Round, then joined JR Motorsports’ No. 8 car for a 21-race Xfinity schedule in 2020, recording twelve top-ten finishes. In 2021, he moved to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota and locked himself into the Championship 4 alongside Austin Cindric, A. J. Allmendinger, and Noah Gragson. On November 6, 2021, at Phoenix Raceway, Hemric completed a last-lap overtime pass of Cindric to win his first career NASCAR race and the 2021 Xfinity Series championship. His ten prior runner-up finishes had tied him with Dale Jarrett for the most in Xfinity Series history at the time.
NASCAR Cup Series Era (2018-2024)
Hemric’s first Cup Series appearance came in November 2017, when he practiced and qualified the No. 27 RCR car of Paul Menard at Texas Motor Speedway, qualifying 21st. He made his Cup debut at the 2018 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond, finishing 32nd, and later that year ran the Charlotte Roval race. In September 2018, RCR announced he would drive the No. 31 Chevrolet full-time in 2019, with the number later changed to the No. 8.
Hemric scored his first career Busch Pole Award at Kansas in 2019 and finished 25th in the standings. Despite a difficult debut season, he was named 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, only to be released by RCR afterward. In 2022, he drove the Kaulig Racing No. 16 part-time, including a twelfth-place finish at the Daytona 500, and filled in for Ty Gibbs at Phoenix in the Cup championship race. On September 15, 2023, Kaulig Racing announced Hemric would return to full-time Cup competition in 2024 with the No. 31, his first full Cup season since 2019.
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Era (2025-Present)
On November 20, 2024, it was announced that Hemric would return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 2025, driving the No. 19 Chevrolet Silverado RST for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. The ride came after Christian Eckes moved up to the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing, and it marked Hemric’s first full-time Truck Series campaign since 2016.
He opened the 2025 season with a seventh-place run at Daytona and later scored his first career Truck Series victory at Martinsville, passing teammate Tyler Ankrum with three laps to go. The win was a milestone moment in a career that had been built on persistence, and it signaled a strong new chapter with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hemric is widely regarded as one of the most consistent finishers in NASCAR’s national series, with a track record of logging top-ten results over long stretches of a season. His pairing with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021 produced ten runner-up finishes before his breakthrough win, demonstrating his ability to manage equipment and execute on race day. He is also known for his late-race aggression, with the overtime pass at Phoenix and the dramatic last-lap moves at Martinsville standing out as defining examples of his race craft.
Notable Races and Milestones
Hemric’s signature moments include the 2021 Xfinity Series finale at Phoenix Raceway, where he claimed both his first career NASCAR win and the series championship, and his 2025 Truck Series victory at Martinsville. He also won the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award and captured the prestigious Legends Million at Charlotte Motor Speedway early in his career.
Daniel Hemric Career Wins
Daniel Hemric has recorded victories in two of NASCAR’s top three national series, with his most significant win coming in the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway. That overtime pass of Austin Cindric delivered both his first career NASCAR national series victory and the Xfinity Series title with Joe Gibbs Racing. He has since added a Truck Series win at Martinsville in 2025 with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Hemric’s lone Xfinity Series victory came in the most dramatic fashion possible, a last-lap overtime pass at Phoenix Raceway on November 6, 2021, to win both the race and the 2021 Xfinity Series championship. Prior to that breakthrough, he had tied Dale Jarrett for the most runner-up finishes in series history with ten. He reached the Championship Round in both 2017 and 2018 with Richard Childress Racing, and added twelve top-ten finishes during a 2020 part-time run with JR Motorsports.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Hemric’s first and only Truck Series win came at Martinsville in 2025, where he passed teammate Tyler Ankrum with three laps remaining to take the checkered flag for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. In 2016, he recorded seventeen top-five finishes without a victory, and he opened the 2025 campaign with a seventh-place run at Daytona.
Daniel Hemric Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Daniel Hemric is the son of Brian and Christi Hemric of Kannapolis, North Carolina, a city long associated with stock car racing and the broader NASCAR industry. Growing up in this racing-rich region shaped his early path to the sport, and his family continues to support his career as he competes at the national level.
Personal Life
Hemric became engaged to fellow racer Kenzie Ruston in July 2015, and the two married on January 7, 2017. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, on May 9, 2020, and their second child, a son, on December 23, 2022. In 2019, Hemric established the Daniel Hemric Be the Change Scholarship with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to support students pursuing careers in motorsports, welding, or mechanical engineering.
2025 Season Performance
Daniel Hemric’s 2025 season has been defined by his return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, driving the No. 19 Chevrolet Silverado RST. He opened the year with a solid seventh-place finish at Daytona International Speedway, signaling a strong baseline for the team after replacing Christian Eckes in the lineup.
The defining moment of his 2025 campaign came at Martinsville Speedway, where he passed teammate Tyler Ankrum with three laps remaining to claim his first career Truck Series victory. The win was a milestone in a season that has paired Hemric’s veteran experience with a competitive Chevrolet program, and it set the tone for a playoff push as the Truck Series schedule progressed.
With a championship-caliber team and renewed confidence after his Martinsville triumph, Hemric entered the heart of the 2025 season with momentum on his side. His consistency behind the wheel, combined with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s strong organizational foundation, positioned him as a factor in the Truck Series playoff picture.
