On Friday, August 8, Corey Heim emerged victorious at Watkins Glen, overcoming three overtime restarts and a relentless challenge from Daniel Hemric in the closing moments. Heim’s resilience ultimately earned him his sixth win this season in the Craftsman Truck Series and his fourth straight on a road course, while Hemric recorded his career-best second-place finish on such a layout.
Despite holding a significant tire advantage on the final restart, Hemric acknowledged that he fell short against Heim’s performance.
“He (Heim) did a really good job and I really didn’t to be honest with you. Having that much of tire advantage…just still thought we were going to be in the mix there,”
Hemric reflected after the race.
Throughout the race, Hemric skillfully avoided collisions, particularly steering clear of incidents involving his teammate Connor Mosack, and conserved enough fuel to earn a front-row spot on the outside for the last overtime attempt. Yet, despite these efforts, he was unable to fend off Heim’s late charge.
Hemric described the intense closing laps and Heim’s defensive maneuvers:
“The 11 had to make a big block on me down the front straightaway and let me get to where I wanted to be in 1. I thought I had him where I wanted to be, but man, he just had a lot of potential starting in the esses, and it was all I could do not to drive into his door.”
Upcoming Race and Playoff Preparations
With only one race left before the playoffs commence at Darlington Raceway on August 30, drivers are preparing for the upcoming eero 250 at Richmond Raceway. Scheduled for Friday, August 15, the 250-lap event will be broadcast live on FS1 starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, with concurrent radio coverage available via the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. This race marks the final chance for teams to solidify their standings before the playoff field is set.
Daniel Hemric’s Strategic Move to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing for 2025
After a challenging 2023 season with Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series—where he finished without wins, earned four top-10 finishes, and ended 29th in points—Daniel Hemric decided to switch gears for 2025. He opted to join McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series, despite not competing full-time in the series since 2016, aiming to regain his competitive edge with a winning team.
Hemric shared insights into the transition, explaining how interest from industry contacts prompted reconsideration of the Truck Series.
“I got a couple of texts from folks inside the industry if I had any thoughts or any consideration of possibly driving a Truck,”
he said.
“I said ‘Well, obviously it would have to be a race-winning organization.’”
He further described how conversations with Bill McAnally shaped the decision:
“And next thing you know, I was on the phone with Bill McAnally, and he literally started our conversation off with ‘Hey, I want you to know, and I want to go on the record that I’m calling you,’ and we started to talk.”
Although Hemric is open to participating in a few Cup and Xfinity Series races if opportunities present themselves, he emphasized that any such plans would be coordinated through McAnally-Hilgemann Racing to ensure scheduling compatibility.