#18: Daniel Hemric, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Supra Poppy Bank
Daniel Hemric will start from the pole Saturday during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Dover Int'l Speedway. (Toyota Racing photo)

Dover Xfinity Series Pole Goes To Daniel Hemric

DOVER, Del. – Daniel Hemric will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series field to green Sunday at Dover Int’l Speedway as he continues to seek his first victory in one of NASCAR’s top-three series.

Hemric, the driver of the No. 18 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing, received the pole for the Drydene 200 courtesy of the highest metric score among the 40 cars entered to compete.

Lap speed is weighted at 15 percent, previous race finish at 25 percent for the driver and owner results and owner points position at 35 percent to calculate the final metric score.

Hemric earned the pole with a metric score of 3.3, factoring in his recent fourth-place finish at Darlington Raceway, the fourth-fastest lap from that event and his runner-up seeding in the point standings after nine of 33 races this season.

Joining Hemric on the front row will be Justin Allgaier. Noah Gragson was originally scheduled to start 27th, but was promoted to third following a successful appeal of his disqualification from last Saturday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Brandon Jones and Harrison Burton will start fourth and fifth, respectively.

JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry, A.J. Allmendinger, Jeremy Clements, Justin Haley and Brett Moffitt will start sixth through 10th.

To view the complete starting lineup and metric qualifying breakdown, click here.

Saturday’s Drydene 200 is slated for a 1:30 p.m. ET start, with live coverage on FS1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.