Race 25: Darlington
No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Darlington Raceway
Hemric will be making his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway for this weekend's 500-mile event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the "Lady in Black", recording an average start of 3.5 and an average finish of 14.5.
Meet the Driver
Hemric is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR merchandise hauler in the Darlington Raceway Fan Zone on Sunday, Sept. 1, starting at 2:20 p.m. local time.
QUOTES:
This will be your first Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway, but you have two Xfinity Series starts there. How tough is that track and does it live up to its reputation?
"Darlington is a very, very tough track. I remember going there for the first time in an Xfinity Series car and everybody tells me, 'Hey man, this place is going to be tough.' We go out and we're fastest in the first round of qualifying, qualified second to Denny Hamlin, they dropped the green flag and I was plowing, I was so tight. I thought, 'Man, I have really missed the balance on what I thought I needed versus what I really needed. We made gains going back there the second year. Darlington is just a place that you have to get laps at to really figure out what you want and how your race car needs to feel. We were running well, but another car got turned and it knocked the rear-end housing out of the car, so running 11th was like a win. Looking back, I learned a lot of lessons the last two years that I look forward to applying this weekend with the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This package is going to be really, really fast there. You have to be able to run right up by the fence, so you will need to be able to maneuver. That's what it's all about to move forward."
About Blanchard Machinery Company
Blanchard Machinery Company has been supplying South Carolina customers with Caterpillar equipment since 1982. The family owned company has established retail and rental stores throughout the state which offer a wide range of Cat and non-Cat brands of equipment, from full-sized bulldozers to small machine parts. We are committed to providing our customers the best products and services available. Blanchard has 12 locations throughout South Carolina and numerous product lines. Our lines of business include Compact Equipment, Heavy Equipment, Forestry & Recycling, Power Systems, Bus, Truck Centers and Rental Services.
Throwing it Back to Caterpillar's Original Battleship Gray
For the annual NASCAR Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway, Hemric and the No. 8 Chevrolet team will honor the earliest days of Caterpillar equipment, which featured Battleship Gray paint and a red wavy logo. In 1925 two men joined forces and together changed the course of the earthmoving industry. Benjamin Holt and CL Best's vision and ingenuity remain the driving forces behind Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar's gray and red colors were recognized as a sign of innovation in the late 1920's. All machines were painted Battleship Gray, which was purchased from the Navy. This scheme was state-of-the-art - just as the Cat Yellow is today. The red, wavy logo features the same unique movement of the Caterpillar undercarriage. This logo appeared on machines until 1931. A special thanks to ChrisCo Machinery, Ed and Erik Christenbury, for providing the antique Caterpillar equipment for the Darlington Throwback scheme reveal.
Meet the Press Hemric will be available to the NASCAR press corps during a driver media rotation session in the Darlington Raceway media center on Friday, Aug. 30, starting at 3:15 p.m. local time.