Hemric Challenges for Victory at Kern in First 2025 Outing
Venue: Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway
Date: January 25th
Start: 1st
Finish: 9th
The 2025 season for Daniel Hemric began with a near brush with victory at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway on Saturday afternoon after he earned the pole position. The North Carolinian made his second-career start with Bill McAnally Racing (BMR) and had the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet SS in contention for victory until a late flat tire relegated him to a ninth-place result.
Saturday’s season opener for the ARCA Menards Series West (AMSW) saw Hemric lay down the fastest lap in practice and earned his first pole award with a qualifying time of 18.16 seconds. Hemric showcased a masterclass in tire conservation in the first 90-plus laps of the event, as he managed his pace to conserve tires. The race’s only caution allowed Hemric to restart eighth with less than 50 laps remaining and he made a swift charge back to the front following the restart.
By virtue of shrewd tire management, Hemric hustled the NAPA Auto Care Chevy back into third by lap 124 and chased down the lead duo with relative ease. After catching the top two cars, Hemric’s bid for victory ended when his right front tire went flat with four laps to go. The tire issue handed Hemric a ninth-place finish after completing 147 of the 150 laps.
Daniel Hemric Quote:
“It’s a shame that tire went down. I thought we were in a good position with our NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet. I was just managing the tires for most of the race until it was go time. We had plenty of pace and drove right up to the lead and thought we had a great shot to win, but it wasn’t meant to be. It’s good to come out here and knock the rust off. This is a good group of guys here at BMR and they prepared a great racecar. Wish it turned out differently, but we’ll get ready to start our truck season strong at Daytona.”