Ryan Hemphill (born December 30, 1981) is a former

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

driver from

Apollo, Pennsylvania Apollo is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States, northeast of Pittsburgh in a former coal-mining region. Apollo was settled in 1790, laid out in 1816, and incorporated as a borough in 1848. The population was 1,410 at th2020 ...

Racing career

Hemphill, a second generation racer, started his racing career at the age of 12, when his father put him behind the wheel of a go-kart. He went on to race in go-carts both locally and nationally for a period of 3 years. During this span, Hemphill collected approximately 50 wins. At the age of 15, Hemphill advanced to Legacy cars (three-quarter scale

Nextel Cup The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...

cars), where he competed for 2 years and amassed 5 wins and 3 poles including winning the Blue-Grey Shootout at the

Jennerstown Speedway Jennerstown Speedway Complex is a racetrack in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania. Built on land that was once home to the Jenners Fair the track had its start in the 1920s as a flat, half-mile dirt track. After several changes, advancements and owners ...

(PA) and the Fireball Roberts Memorial at the famed

Hickory Motor Speedway Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as the "World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars". The t ...

(NC). In 1999, while a senior at Kiski Area High School (PA), Hemphill moved into Late Model competition locally at the Motordrome (PA) and Jennerstown (PA) Speedways. In impressive fashion Hemphill won the Rookie of the Year Award at both of these tracks. At the Motordrome Speedway, Hemphill garnered 20 top 10 finishes in 20 starts while finishing 2nd in the tight points battle, while at Jennerstown he finished a strong 6th in points. The 2000 season saw Hemphill continue his maturation as a race car driver. He continued his participation at the Motordrome Speedway as he finished 3rd in the overall points and collected 3 wins, 17 top 5 and 10 top 10 finishes. Hemphillalso stepped up with his participation in 2

American Speed Association The American Speed Association (ASA) is a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States formed in 1968. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana, and later in Daytona Beach, Florida. The ASA sanctioned asphalt and dirt tracks ...

(ASA) events where he finished 12th in both. The year was capped off with his high school graduation and being named Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown (MD) Sportsman of the Year. In 2001, Hemphill concentrated on gaining as much experience behind the wheel of a race car as possible. He limited his Motordrome Speedway schedule to 11 events where he won 5 times and earned 10 top 5 finishes. He expanded his ASA schedule and competed in 6 events with a season best 6th-place finish at the

Chicago Motor Speedway The Chicago Motor Speedway at Sportsman's Park was a motorsports race track, located in Cicero, Illinois, just outside Chicago. It was built in 1999 by a group including Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing. In 2002 the oval shaped trac ...

. Hemphill also moved up to the NASCAR All-Pro Series and impressed many with his 3rd-place finish at

Memphis Motorsports Park Memphis International Raceway (formerly known as Memphis Motorsports Park) was an auto racing park located near the Loosahatchie River in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, just approximately ten miles south of Millington, and a few miles ...

in his first race as well as a 4th-place finish in his

ARCA Re/Max Series The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national ...

debut at the

Milwaukee Mile The Milwaukee Mile is a oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectato ...

. He was also selected as a member of the GM Vortec Power Team Professionals. Hemphill made himself known in 2002 and 2003 driving in the NASCAR

Craftsman Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...

for multiple owners, including

Rick Ware Richard S. Ware (born August 6, 1963) is a professional racecar driver and owner of Rick Ware Racing. When he was nine years old, he began racing motocross and moved up to the BMX class when he was 12. In 1983, he was named Rookie of the Year i ...

Bobby Hamilton Charles Robert Hamilton Sr. (May 29, 1957 – January 7, 2007) was an American stock car racing driver. A driver and owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit and the winner of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, Hamilt ...

, and

Billy Ballew Billy Ballew Motorsports was a team that competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. They were formed in 1996 by Georgia businessman Billy Ballew. Fasscore Motorsports In 2003, Ballew began running a second truck under the name Fasscor ...

. In nine races, he scored one top ten. Hemphill broke out in the 2004 ARCA season, scoring 6 wins and 10 top tens in eleven races, under the Chip Ganassi Racing driver development program. In 2005, Hemphill was promoted to the NASCAR

Busch Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

in the Biagi Brothers Racing Ganassi-assisted program, driving the No. 4 GEICO Dodge Charger. However, after eleven races, with only mediocre results, Hemphill was released from the car and from his Chip Ganassi Racing driver development program and finished last in the 2005

NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year. History of the Award The Rookie of the Y ...

standings.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

( key) (Bold - Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' - Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

Craftsman Truck Series

ARCA Re/Max Series

( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hemphill, Ryan 1981 births American Speed Association drivers ARCA Menards Series drivers Living people NASCAR drivers People from Armstrong County, Pennsylvania Racing drivers from Pennsylvania