In the 2011 edition of SpeedFest, an annual short track season kick-off event, Daniel Hemric was almost the upset winner in a field full of short track talents with scores of Late Model championships under their belt.  At the time, Hemric had only a handful of full-size stock car stars under his belt.  The battle for the win came up just a few spots short at the checkered flag, Hemric will be out for revenge on SpeedFest in this year’s running of the event on Sunday, January 29th at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia.

Hemric will be behind the wheel of Richard

Clarke’s #54 Pro Late Model in the Rheem 150

JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour portion of this year’s

SpeedFest event on his 21st-birthday weekend.

“I’m really pumped up about going to Cordele,”

said Hemric, of Kannapolis, North Carolina.  “With

the event moving from Lanier (National Speedway

in Georgia, SpeedFest’s home in past seasons) to

Cordele, it should add a lot of excitement.  The

last time I drove that car was at the Snowflake on

Snowball Derby weekend (in December) and we

ran really well.  I got the call a couple weeks ago

about the potential to run this race and I’m pretty happy that things worked out that we can load up

and head down.”

Hemric’s third-place finish in last season’s SpeedFest event came in the Super Late Model portion of the event.  This time, in a Pro Late Model, Hemric will be looking for two spots higher against a stout field of drivers from across the country.

“Jeff Fultz and Curtis Venable gave me the opportunity to run SpeedFest last year and it was like my coming out party in Late Model.  We were running well and we came up just a little bit short to Chase (Elliott).  Those guys are tough and the competition is going to be just as tough this year.  I’m going to go down there and give it all we’ve got this time.”

SpeedFest 2012 will start a busy stretch of short track events for Hemric.  The young driver has been hard at work in the off-season at the Westfield, North Carolina shop of Hillbilly Racing, his new team on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours in 2012.  Hemric will pilot the Hill Enterprises/Coors Light number-79 first in 2012 at the nine-night World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing in February at New Smyrna Speeedway (FL).

“It’s going really well so far,” said Hemric of the Hillbilly team’s progress for the 2012 season.  “Me, David Hill and everyone over there has been working really hard.  With the passing of Roger Hill, it’s been great to have the support of Sandra and the rest of the team and we’re all working hard for him.  We want to get a victory down in New Smyrna for him next month.”

SpeedFest 2012 kicks off on Friday, January 27th with practice, followed by more practice and qualifying events on Saturday the 28th.  The Rheem 150 kicks off SpeedFest feature racing action on Sunday, January 29th at 2pm ET.  Live audio and web-based coverage of the event can be found on Speed51.com.

Daniel Hemric Hoping for Revenge at SpeedFest 2012

21-Year-Old to Drive Richard Clarke’s #54 in Rheem 150 at Watermelon Capital