The Chance to Advance … The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) as Daniel Hemric is on the cusp of advancing to the second round of the playoffs. The driver of the No. 19 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST brings a 51-point buffer over the provisional cut line to New England for his first NCTS start at “The Magic Mile” since 2016. Hemric has been rock solid entering “The Granite State” with a pair of top-five’s in the first two playoff races, and has three top-five results in the last four events.

The Right Time of Year … As the foliage begins to change in New England, the most critical time of year is upon the NCTS competitors and Hemric has been up to the task thus far. The former NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) champion has showcased his experience with a runner-up finish in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway for a 49-point effort. He followed that up with a fifth-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway last week and has recorded points in three of the four stages in the playoffs. Hemric has displayed the ability to perform at NHMS’ flat, sweeping corners with top-five runs in two NXS races in 2021 and 2023. He also recorded a sixth-place finish in his first NCTS start at NHMS in 2015.

Season to Date … Hemric is on pace to set career-high marks in his return to NCTS competition this season. He has recorded one win, 11 top-five results, and has a career-high 15 top-10 finishes. His recent streak of top-five finishes have lowered his average finish to 8.8, which is second-best among full-time NCTS drivers. Hemric can advance to the second round by scoring 19 points on Saturday, regardless of how any other drivers perform. 

Tune In … Coverage from NHMS begins Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. ET with practice and qualifying on FOX Sports 2. On Saturday, the green flag drops at Noon ET on FOX Sports 1. Stay connected with the No. 19 Gates Hydraulics team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmr_nascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.

Daniel Hemric Quote:

On the NCTS returning to NHMS:

“New Hampshire can be a tough place to race and I’m glad the trucks are finally back. The corners are so flat, it always seems like you struggle to get the front end to work and to rotate through the corner. If you can keep your truck turning in the middle, you’re going to have a shot to win the race. Hopefully we can do that with our Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet on Saturday. I feel like we’ve made some sizable gains here over the last few weeks and this group is executing at a high level. Even though we have a pretty good cushion, we’re going there to try to win and keep putting up as many points as we can.” 

MHR PR