Daniel Hemric / No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra Preview B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra News and Notes
HEMRIC AT MID-OHIO: Daniel Hemric has a pair of top-three finishes in two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. In his first start at the track in 2017, he finished second and backed that up in 2018 with a third-place result.
CHARLOTTE RECAP: Hemric led a season-high 105 laps in last Saturday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and swept the opening two stages for the first time in his career. In the final stage, a pit road penalty sent Hemric to the rear of the field. After rallying back into the top 10, he was collected in a multi-car accident on a late-race restart and ended the day with a 28th-place finish.
STAGE WINNER: After winning two stages last weekend at Charlotte, Hemric’s five stage wins this season are tied for most in the Xfinity Series.
100TH START: Saturday’s race will be Hemric’s 100th start in the Xfinity Series. Through 99 races, he has posted 35 top-five finishes, 59 top-10s, five pole awards and 830 laps led and has qualified for the Championship 4 in both of his fulltime seasons (2017 and 2018).
LOOP DATA: Hemric’s standout start to the season is evident in the Loop Data provided by NASCAR. The 30-year-old driver ranks second in average running position, laps led, fastest laps run, fastest drivers late in a run, laps in the top 15, and laps run on the lead lap. He also stands fourth in overall driver rating.
ROGERS’ RESUME: Crew chief Dave Rogers is no stranger to road racing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. In 30 combined starts between the two series, Rogers’ teams have earned three wins, seven top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, three pole awards and 242 laps led on road courses. His Xfinity Series wins came at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City with Denny Hamlin in 2006 and Kyle Busch in 2008. He also led Busch to a Cup Series victory at Watkins Glen International in 2013.
POPPY BANK: Poppy Bank will be featured as the primary sponsor of the No. 18 Supra in Saturday’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. 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 MID-OHIO: The Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series team has posted five top-five finishes, nine top-10s and 45 laps led in 22 combined starts at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. To date, Christopher Bell and Michael McDowell’s runner-up finishes are JGR’s best finishes at the 2.258-mile track.
TUNE IN: Coverage of this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is scheduled for Saturday, June 5, at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Daniel Hemric, Driver of the No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra Talk about where your team is going to Mid-Ohio… “I feel like our Poppy Bank team is definitely performing well. We just need to correct a few mistakes and bad luck that has kept us from finishing better the past few weeks, but the speed is there. Dave (Rogers, crew chief) and my guys are doing an amazing job bringing fast cars to the track. Looking ahead to Mid-Ohio, I have a lot of confidence based on how strong we have been on the road courses this season. We obviously didn’t get the result we wanted a few weeks ago at COTA, but I was very happy with the way my car drove, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t be in contention on Saturday.”
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.