Daniel Hemric / No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra Preview EchoPark 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra News and Notes
HEMRIC AT ATLANTA: Daniel Hemric has a top-five finish and two top-10s in three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His lone finish outside the top 10 was an 11th-place run at the track back in 2018. Most recently, Hemric started second and finished fourth in last June’s Atlanta race. He also posted a fourth-place finish in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition in 2016.
PHOENIX RECAP: Hemric started from the pole, led 44 laps and earned a stage win before ultimately finishing 23rd in last Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway. After dominating stage two, the North Carolina native was forced to restart from the rear of the field after the team’s final pit stop because of a pit road speeding penalty. He managed to maneuver his way back to the front and lined up on the inside of the front row for a restart with two laps remaining. Unfortunately for the No. 18 driver, he was bumped out of the groove on Lap 199 and relegated to a finish outside the top 10 for the first time this season.
1.5-MILE TRACKS: In 31 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts on 1.5-mile tracks, Hemric has tallied 12 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s. Hemric has posted top-three finishes in his past four races on 1.5-mile tracks.
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 percentage of laps run on the lead lap and ranks in the top three in numerous categories, including average running position, driver rating, fastest drivers early in a run, fastest drivers late in a run, fastest laps run, green flag speed, laps in the top 15, laps led and speed by segment.
ROGERS’ RESUME: Crew chief Dave Rogers oversaw Kyle Busch’s NASCAR Cup Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2013. In 10 Cup Series starts at Atlanta, Rogers’ teams earned three top-five finishes, four top-10s and led 158 laps. Rogers’ Xfinity Series resume at Atlanta includes a pair of top-10 finishes and 153 laps led in five starts.
POPPY BANK: Poppy Bank will be featured as the primary sponsor of the No. 18 Supra in Saturday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 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 ATLANTA: The Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series has won three times at Atlanta Motor Speedway – all three coming in the past five trips to the 1.54-mile quad-oval. In 49 combined starts at the track, the organization has racked up 15 top-five finishes, 26 top-10s and 666 laps led. Kyle Busch won in 2016 and 2017 while Christopher Bell earned the team’s most recent Atlanta win in 2019.
TUNE IN: Coverage of this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, March 20, at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Daniel Hemric, Driver of the No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra Talk about going to Atlanta with how well you all have performed on 1.5-mile tracks so far… “We definitely feel confident going to Atlanta. It’s a place that I feel like suits my driving style because of the old, worn out surface. That and how well we’ve been able to run in the first two intermediates makes me excited going into the weekend. I know Dave (Rogers, crew chief) and JGR have had success there in the past, so it should be a good place for us.” 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-