HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Jeff Curry/Getty Images photo —
Looking to end his rookie season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a victory, Daniel Hemric got his Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway off to a solid start by leading the division’s one and only practice session at the 1.5-mile oval.
Hemric, from Kannapolis, N.C., toured the South Florida track at a clip of 31.970 seconds (168.908 mph) to top the 36 trucks that made laps during the two-and-a-half hour period. He will be making his final start in the No. 14 California Clean Power Chevrolet for NTS Motorsports this weekend before he and the sponsor move to Brad Keselowski Racing for the 2016 NCWTS campaign.
The three remaining Truck title contenders were glued right together on the speed charts as well, led by second-place points man Tyler Reddick (-19), who ran a lap of 31.986 seconds (168.824 mph) to slot in right behind Hemric and give himself momentum heading into Friday night’s Ford EcoBoost 200 (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM).
Spencer Gallagher was third (32.063/168.418) with Reddick’s two rivals, Matt Crafton and Erik Jones, rounding out the top five.
Crafton’s No. 88 Menards Toyota soared around Homestead in 32.248 seconds (167.452 mph) to hold down the fourth spot on the pylon, and Jones’ workman-like consistency paid off with the fifth-fastest lap (32.249/167.447), just one one-thousandth (0.001) of a second behind Crafton.
If Jones finishes 15th or better on Friday night, no matter what either Reddick or Crafton does, he will clinch his first NCWTS title and the first driver’s title in the series for Kyle Busch Motorsports, which is a three-time owner’s champion in the Truck Series.
John Hunter Nemechek, Christopher Bell, Timothy Peters, Ben Kennedy and David Gilliland capped off the top 10 in practice speeds.
Dirt sprint car and midget star Rico Abreu was 19th-quick ahead of his second Truck start, and first on a mile-and-a-half intermediate track, this weekend.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying kicks off at 4 p.m. ET, with live coverage on FOX Sports 1.
RESULTS: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series; Final Practice; Homestead-Miami Speedway; Nov. 20, 2015
- Daniel Hemric
- Tyler Reddick
- Spencer Gallagher
- Matt Crafton
- Erik Jones
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Christopher Bell
- Timothy Peters
- Ben Kennedy
- David Gilliland
- Austin Theriault
- Cameron Hayley
- Johnny Sauter
- John Wes Townley
- Daniel Suarez
- Mason Mingus
- Scott Lagasse Jr.
- Brandon Jones
- Rico Abreu
- Jesse Little
- Brandon Brown
- Tyler Young
- Ray Black Jr.
- Kyle Weatherman
- Travis Kvapil
- David Levine
- Timmy Hill
- Dexter Stacey
- Bobby Pierce
- Ross Kenseth
- Garrett Smithley
- Jordan Anderson
- Todd Peck
- Norm Benning
- Jennifer Jo Cobb
- Korbin Forrister
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 21-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
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