Click here to add text.
Hemric Ready to Build on Gulf Coast Sweep at Five Flags & Mobile
SSS Point Leader Looking to Go Four-in-a-Row July 26 and 27
Daniel Hemric dominated the Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco’s last trip to the Gulf Coast by taking home the winner's hardware at both Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida and Alabama's Mobile International Speedway last month. Now, Hemric looks to carry the momentum of two victories and the Southern Super Series point lead into the next Gulf Coast Doubleheader, the Navy Federal Credit Union 125 presented by Driven Racing Oil at Five Flags on July 26 and the RE Suspension 125 at Mobile on July 27..
“We got a lot of support from Butch VanDoorn and everybody at Port City Racecars,” said Hemric of his recent success. “Everybody has put in a lot of hard work. We went down there before with the goal of really turning things around and trying to get to victory lane and it really worked out for us. Now we’re really looking forward to going down there and building on those wins. We want to get more speed out of (the car) and hopefully improve on the whole deal all the way around.”
Hemric picked up his first-ever Southern Super Series victory on Friday night, June 21 at Five Flags. The 22-year-old driver from Kannapolis, North Carolina crossed beneath the checkered flag in second, but inherited the win following Augie Grill's disqualification in post-race technical inspection. The next night at Mobile, Hemric earned the trophy the old-fashioned way and made sure to perform the signature victory backflip he didn’t have the opportunity to do the night prior.
“Friday night was definitely shocking,” said Hemric of his first Southern Super Series victory. “I’ve personally never won a race after crossing the line second, so that was definitely not a characteristic thing. But then to go to Mobile and win it that way, it made it that much better knowing that we were the first one to cross the line and like I said in the interview, it just felt really good to be able to jump off the Carswell Motorsports No. 98 car at Mobile.”
In a series that attracts the Southeast's top Super Late Model talents that have been racing Super Late Models at places like Five Flags and Mobile since Hemric was still in Legends cars, it is a full time job for Hemric to keep himself and his team in fighting condition week to week.
“We just keep working on it,” said Hemric. “Those guys have been doing it for years and years and have been running those tracks for a long time, so I feel like as long as we’re learning every time we’re going to the racetrack, especially to Pensacola and Mobile, then we’re on the right track. Not that they aren’t going to be up there, but I feel like we have a little more leeway to get better week in and week out. And no matter when you’re running with them, they are going to be strong so it’s just a matter of stepping up and making it happen.”
And now the on-track competition isn’t the only thing forcing Hemric to stay at the top of his game. Piloting a brand new Port City Racecar, Hemric is also battling the learning curve that comes with a new piece of equipment.
“I try to think I know everything about it,” said Hemric. “But with it being a new car we are still trying to figure out everything about it. We are getting closer every time we’re on the racetrack.”
The Blizzard Series at Five Flags Speedway and the Miller Lite Series at Mobile International Speedway both make the Gulf Coast Championship Series that fly under the Southern Super Series banner. '
Ticket information and more on the Friday, July 26 Navy Federal Credit Union 125 presented by Driven Racing Oil, a combination event between the Southern Super Series, the Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship Series and the track's Buddy's Home Furnishings Blizzard Series at Five Flags Speedway can be found on www.5flagsspeedway.com. More details on the Saturday, July 27 Miller Lite Series, Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship and Southern Super Series event, the RE Suspension 125 at Mobile, can be obtained on www.mobilespeedway.net.
For more information on the Southern Super Series, visit SouthernSuperSeries.com. The Facebook page for the Southern Super Series is located at www.facebook.com/southernsuperseries and on Twitter it’s @SoSuperSeries. For advertising or sponsorship questions, please contact the track representatives. For media inquiries, please contact Matt Kentfield at 51 Sports via matt@51sports.net.
July 22, 2013
