Rookie of the Year
DANIEL HEMRIC By Alex Apple The record book will tell you that Daniel Hemric was the Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 2019, and he had enough high-water marks to earn that recognition. However, Hemric and his team will also tell you that they could have done more. Moving from the No. 31 to No. 8 car in 2019, Hemric ran well in the season opening Daytona 500 as he sported a gold paint scheme, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Richard Childress Racing. 8 THE OFFICIAL NASCAR 2020 PREVIEW & PRESS GUIDE
Despite finishing 25th in the points standings, Hemric won ROY and tallied one pole on the Busch Pole in the Series. “It’s pretty special,” Hemric said after qualifying. “I kinda got out of the car. I thought I was going to be fifth or eighth, but these guys on the Caterpillar crew have done a great job all year. Hopefully there’s many more years of [Cup racing] in my future down the road.” In 2020, Hemric will drop down a rung on the NASCAR Series ladder, but he has an opportunity to infuse energy g
