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SPARTA, Ky. — On the cusp of achieving a career-best result, Daniel Hemric exited his No. 19 Chevrolet with a shaking head, dissatisfied after falling short at Kentucky Speedway — only matching his top finish, instead of improving it.
“Overall, (I’m) really proud of the entire Brad Keselowski Racing team. We did everything we could,” Hemric told NASCAR.com on pit road after taking third.
Hemric spent the Buckle Up in your Truck 225’s waning laps chasing after eventual race winner William Byron, threatening to take the lead from the series points leader.
An error, however, ruined the 25-year-old’s pursuit to take the checkered and, instead, allowed John Hunter Nemecheck’s No. 8 Chevrolet to drive around his No. 19 for second on Lap 146.
Hemric has finished third two other times this season, at Gateway and Kansas.
“(Byron) was solid,” Hemric said. “He never wiggled and I was wearing the apron out trying to get any advantage I could there.
“Eventually I just used it up too much and got off the bottom — that’s how the (No.) 8 got by us.”
Hemric looks ahead to the next NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Eldora Speedway (July 20, 9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) where he searches for that long-sought-after career-best finish.
“(I’m) just trying to get a win for these guys,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to get to put ourselves in Victory Lane.”