Hemric Breaks Long Winless Streak, Gets First Career Truck Win At Martinsville

Daniel Hemric celebrating his first career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win with his celebratory backflip at Martinsville Speedway. (Photo Credit: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)

RIDGEWAY, Va. — Exactly 1,238 days after Daniel Hemric achieved his only victory in NASCAR’s top three touring series, claiming the win along with winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix Raceway in 2021, he secured his first win in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on Friday night. This victory came during the thrilling Boys & Girls Club of The Blue Ridge 200 at Martinsville Speedway, marking his 55th career start in the Truck Series.

Hemric led only four laps throughout the race but managed to score the victory after successfully navigating around his McAnally-Hilgemann Racing teammate, Tyler Ankrum with under five laps to go.

Corey Heim started in pole position with Ty Majeski close behind as they led the field to the green flag for the 200-lap race around the 0.5-mile paperclip oval.

Trouble began on Lap 13 when race leader Heim collided with Ryan Roulette, who was making his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut. The contact sent Roulette spinning off Turn 4, where he struck the inside wall, bringing out the first caution flag of the day.

As the race resumed back under green flag conditions, Heim continued to put on a clinic at the front of the field, dominating the entirety of the first 50-lap stage of the race.

Less than 10 laps after the first caution of the day, Layne Riggs and Connor Mosack, who were running in fifth and sixth position, made contact as they entered Turn 3. Mosack’s truck hit Riggs, causing Riggs to spin out and bring out the second yellow flag.

Heim maintained his lead throughout the stage, winning Stage 1 in dominant fashion, holding off a charge from Kaden Honeycutt.

Heim continued his dominance in Stage 2, remaining out front in his No. 11 Toyota Tundra and never relinquishing the lead to anyone else in the 35-truck field. He would lead all the way through to sweep the stages for the second consecutive week in a row.

Corey Heim put on a show in the first two stages of the race, leading the first 106 laps of the race unanswered. (Photo Credit: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)

The Truck Series points leader lost the lead after holding it for the first 106 laps of the event, transferring it to Rajah Caruth early in the final 100-lap dash to the finish.

Luke Baldwin faced challenges during his debut in the Truck Series, starting with a spin in Turn 1 after colliding with Corey Day on Lap 115. Later in the race, with 44 laps to go, Baldwin got caught up in another incident when Jake Garcia bumped him in Turn 4, causing him to spin once again.

Heim regained the lead on Lap 125 and aimed to distance himself from the field like he had the previous week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. However, another mechanical issue loomed, just as it had the week before.

During the restart on Lap 166, Heim cut a tire after colliding with Honeycutt, which caused him to spin out as he entered Turn 1. As a result, Heim had to pit for four fresh tires and was sent to the back of the field.

As Honeycutt inherited the lead, disaster struck again on Lap 187. As Majeski entered Turn 1, he collided with the side of Honeycutt, causing both trucks to crash into the Turn 1 wall. This incident allowed the race to fall into the hands of Ankrum.

Tyler Ankrum led his McAnally-Hilgemann Racing teammate late in the Boys & Girls Club Of The Blue Ridge 200 at Martinsville Speedway. (Photo Credit: Chloe Gunn | The Podium Finish)

With only 8 laps remaining, Ankrum restarted in the lead while Garcia blocked the outside lane. Teammates Hemric and Ankrum from McAnally-Hilgemann Racing collaborated to fend off the rest of the pack behind them.

Hemric made his race-winning move with five laps remaining, bumping Ankrum out of the way. He then maintained his lead, ultimately claiming his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory at Martinsville Speedway. Along with this achievement, he also earned the coveted grandfather clock trophy and a $50,000 bonus for winning the Triple Truck Challenge, as he was the highest-finishing driver competing full-time in the series.

“We found the way there at the end.” Said Hemric in a post-race interview.

“I wanted to race Tyler (Ankrum) as clean as I could obviously we got a long season ahead so I wanted to race him as clean as possible. I’ve walked out of here twice thinking there’s a missing spot in my dining room for a clock, So it’s cool to finally get one here.”

“I feel like we got used up a little bit there,” Heim expressed frustration after experiencing another mechanical issue, leading to a sixth-place finish after another week of issues aboard his truck. “I don’t think he intended to cut my left rear down. I think if he had wanted to do that, he would have just wrecked me as it is. I just needed a better restart, I guess.”

As Ankrum finished second, Garcia, Chandler Smith, and Ben Rhodes filled out the top 5 at Martinsville Speedway.

Heim worked his way back to sixth place after his incident. Andrés Pérez de Lara scored his best career finish in seventh, while Caruth finished in eighth. Stewart Friesen came in ninth, followed by Lawless Alan, who rounded out the top ten finishers.

Heim maintains his 20-point lead over Majeski as the series moves forward to “Thunder Valley” at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 11 for the WEATHER GUARD Truck Race.