Daniel Hemric readies for ‘special’ Monster Energy Series debut

On Saturday night, Daniel Hemric will climb into a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet for his first premier series run at Richmond Raceway (6:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

It’s not just any car though – Hemric will drive the No. 8, a number that has been driven since 1949 by some of NASCAR’s greats from Dick Trickle to Sterling Marlin to Joe Weatherly to David Pearson. Dale Earnhardt even made his premier series debut behind the wheel of the No. 8 in 1975 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. RELATED: Dale Jr. reacts to No. 8's return | Drivers of the No. 8 through the years But perhaps its most famous pilot was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who earned 17 premier series wins in the No. 8 Monster Energy Series ride. For North Carolina native Hemric, that means something. "It's definitely special," he said on Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. "Myself, growing up in the North Carolina, right in the Kannapolis area – the same as Earnhardt. It's cool and really surreal to know I get to pilot that number next week and do it at a short track in the place I love. "Just looking forward to doing my thing and having fun with it." MORE: Why wins aren't everything for young talent like Hemric