In his 55th start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Daniel Hemric won his first race in the third tier of NASCAR at Martinsville Speedway, nudging past teammate Tyler Ankrum with a bumper use following several late-race cautions. The win marked Hemric’s first win across any NASCAR series since his 2021 Xfinity Series championship finale at Phoenix, over three years ago.
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In a nostalgic nod to Carl Edwards, Hemric celebrated with a backflip off the roof of his truck, drawing applause from the NASCAR community.
Post-race festivities saw Hemric exchanging congratulations with his buddy Ryan Blaney, who commented on the damage Hemric’s truck sustained during his acrobatic celebration.
Bubba Wallace also shared his enthusiasm on X, posting, “First one at the ville.. nothing like it! gladly help ya move that thing in the crib @DanielHemric .”
Wallace had been actively cheering for Hemric, evident from his tweet sent just 15 minutes before the race concluded, exclaiming, “LETS GOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! @DanielHemric.”
AJ Allmendinger expressed his elation on X for Daniel Hemric’s victory, posting, “Let’s gooooo @DanielHemric !!!! So pumped and happy for you brother!!!! Hell yes!” Similarly, Chris Rice, President of Kaulig Racing, showed his support with, “Lets go @DanielHemric !!!! So proud of you and happy to see Ruston get to you on the frontstretch!”
Josh Williams also cheered on Hemric through his X, exclaiming, “Let’s gooooooooo @DanielHemric heck yea.”
Moments after @DanielHemric won his first career @NASCAR_Trucks race at @MartinsvilleSwy, @Blaney congratulated the driver and pointed out the damage he had done to his No. 19 truck during his celebratory backflip. pic.twitter.com/Cji0LJV5e0
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) March 29, 2025
Hemric, marking only his third full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and his first since 2018, found his stride sooner than expected, claiming his first win of the season at Martinsville Speedway in just the fifth race.
During the race, Corey Heim showed an unmatched pace, slicing through slower lap traffic with precision. Amidst the ongoing drama, including Ryan Roulette being pinned against the wall by Heim, and Layne Riggs spinning out from fifth place following a clash with Connor Mosack, Heim won the opening stage.
The second stage went without a hitch; Heim’s dominance was unchallenged as he led every lap, marking back-to-back stage sweeps. While the leaders took to the pits, Rajah Caruth briefly assumed the lead.
However, Heim reclaimed his position at the front soon after the restart. His run was marred by an incident with Kaden Honeycutt, resulting in a blown left rear tire for Heim.
The race intensified when Ty Majeski and Honeycutt tangled, losing control, which paved the way for Tyler Ankrum and Daniel Hemric to vie for the lead. Hemric seized the opportunity, storming ahead to secure his win.
Daniel’s NASCAR journey has been a winding road through the sport’s top echelons. He broke into the Cup Series in 2019, then dialed it back to clinch the Xfinity Series championship in 2021.
Last season saw him return to the Cup Series with a new team, only to lose his spot at the pinnacle of NASCAR. In 2025, Hemric found a fresh start in the Truck Series.
Hemric’s recent victory at Martinsville marked a big milestone — 4,172 days since his debut in the Craftsman Truck Series. The duration is the third-longest wait for a first win in the series, trailing only Martin Truex Jr., who waited 5,727 days, and Michael Waltrip, who took 5,220 days to find victory lane.
This season, Hemric has already grabbed a top-10 and top-5 finish, alongside his win. Observers and fans alike are keen to see if he can keep this pace and continue to make waves throughout the year.
