No. 8 Returns to NASCAR’s Top Series with Daniel Hemric

After a decade-long absence, the No. 8 racecar is returning to the top-level NASCAR Cup Series.

byRahul Raman|
No. 8 Returns to NASCAR’s Top Series with Daniel Hemric
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After being absent for nearly a decade, the No. 8 racecar is returning to the top-level NASCAR Cup Series later this year with Daniel Hemric as the driver, Richard Childress Racing as the team owner, and Herbal Snuff as the primary sponsor. 

Hemric will make his Cup Series debut on April 21 at Richmond Raceway. He is also scheduled to run the No 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for RCR on September 30 at the new Charlotte Motor Speedway road course which is hosting the first elimination race of the NASCAR playoffs. In an interview with NASCAR's official website, Hemric said that "it's an incredible opportunity with the No. 8 car coming back into the Cup Series. Richard Childress told me at the beginning of 2017, he said listen, let's try to build something here, let's try to make sure we can get you to your goals and let's figure out a way to get you to the top tier of this sport." 

Over the decades, the No. 8 car has been driven by many NASCAR legends, but it was made especially iconic by Dale Earnhardt Jr. while he was driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. from 1999 to 2007 with Budweiser as his primary sponsor. 

Hemric, a native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, holds an extra special value for this golden opportunity because it will allow him to follow in the footsteps of his hometown hero and the Earnhardt family, a group he has looked up to his entire life. Daniel Hemric has long been a fan of the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. In the interview, he said "I drove by DEI (Dale Earnhardt Incorporated) every single day. It was a reminder of this guy, Dale Earnhardt, who grew up in this same town, the same area. He went from working in the (cotton mill) plant to short-track racing, to become this sport's icon and here I am driving by his place every single day." 

With this announcement, the 27-year-old Hemric hopes that he will be able to win the hearts of those who have long missed Earnhardt in the No. 8 with his own backstory. After his this announcement, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. showed his approval of this decision by tweeting:

Now that Daniel Hemric has the approval from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the support from Richard Childress, let's hope that he will be able to continue the winning legacy of the No. 8 racecar in the Cup Series. 

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