Daniel Hemric / No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra Preview Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway
No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra News and Notes
HEMRIC AT TALLADEGA: Daniel Hemric has one top-five finish in three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway. That fifth-place finish came in the series’ most recent trip to the 2.66-mile superspeedway last October. The Kannapolis, North Carolina native also earned a top-five finish in NASCAR Cup Series competition at Talladega in April 2019.
MARTINSVILLE RECAP: Hemric claimed his fourth top-five finish and third stage win of the season in the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway. After being cycled outside the top 20 to begin the final stage, Hemric clawed his way back towards the front over the final 100 laps to pick up his fourth finish of third or better in seven races.
DASH 4 CASH: Hemric’s third-place finish at Martinsville qualified him as one of four drivers competing for a $100,000 bonus this weekend as part of the Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash program. He previously won the Dash 4 Cash bonus at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017.
LOOP DATA: Hemric’s standout start to the season is evident in the Loop Data provided by NASCAR. The 30-year-old driver leads the Xfinity Series in fastest drivers late in a run and percentage of laps run on the lead lap. Hemric also ranks in the top five in nearly every category including laps led, driver rating, fastest laps run, average running position, laps in the top 15, green flag speed, fastest drivers early in a run, quality passes and speed by segment.
ROGERS’ RESUME: Crew chief Dave Rogers has 22 total starts atop the pit box at Talladega Superspeedway between the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. In six Talladega Xfinity Series races as a crew chief, Rogers has one win and a third-place finish on his resume. The win in 2008 was a dominant effort as NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart won the pole and led 81 laps on the way to victory lane.
POPPY BANK: Poppy Bank will be featured as the primary sponsor of the No. 18 Supra in Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. Poppy Bank is a 5-star rated organization and is recognized as one of the strongest financial institutions in the country. Since opening its first branch in 2005, Poppy Bank has grown to over $3 Billion in assets with branches across the San Francisco Bay Area, Roseville, and Southern California.
JGR AT TALLADEGA: The Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series team has earned five victories at Talladega Superspeedway. In 55 combined starts, the organization has posted 16 top-five finishes, 23 top-10s and 314 laps led at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Mike McLaughlin, Elliott Sadler, and Tony Stewart have taken JGR to victory lane at Talladega.
TUNE IN: Coverage of this week’s Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled for Saturday, April 24, at 4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Daniel Hemric, Driver of the No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra Talk about your approach to racing at Talladega and what it takes to be successful… “At Talladega, you try to learn with every corner of every lap and every run you get. My personal approach has been to take those runs when you get them and learn from them and how you can utilize them the next opportunity you get. You put all those things in the back of your mind in your playbook to run one play at the right time as the race winds down and hope that it works. Over the past couple superspeedway races, my confidence has been going in the right direction as I am getting better and more comfortable. Also, just having more raw speed makes the decisions I am making a little easier because you can put yourself in different situations and reap the benefits of it. Everybody knows that you’ve got to be aggressive in these races, but you also have to be very definitive on the moves you’re making and learn from them to set yourself up for when it counts.”
About Poppy Bank Since opening their first branch in January 2005, Poppy Bank has grown to over $3 billion in assets and is recognized as one of the strongest financial institutions in the country. Poppy has branches throughout California and provides loan services throughout the nation including commercial and multi-family, small business and PACE (green lending) products. Their commitment to providing the best products and services has propelled their success and garnered national recognition of their performance. Poppy Bank is 5-star rated by BauerFinancial, the nation's leading independent bank and credit union rating firm. The Bank is governed by a strong team of Executive Officers and a dedicated Board of Directors formed entirely by accomplished business leaders. Poppy Bank exists to meet the banking needs of their clients and to make a positive difference in the communities they serve.
-JGR-