NASCAR Cup Series rookie Daniel Hemric, who has kicked around the idea of racing in the Slinger Nationals for years, has decided the time is now.

Hemric will make his track debut in one of the country’s premier asphalt super-late model special events, Slinger Speedway announced Wednesday. The race is set for July 9.

“Slinger is one of the best short tracks in the country, a place I’ve wanted to race at for many years,” Hemric said in the announcement. “The Nationals is one of the top events and has been won by some of the best drivers in racing."

Although Hemric said last year he wanted to do the Nationals in his own car, he instead will team with Wimmer Motorsports, with 2014 Nationals champion Chris Wimmer guiding the program.

Hemric, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, challenged for the Xfinity Series title the past two seasons before moving to Monster Energy Cup with Richard Childress Racing. He is no stranger to late-model racing, though, as a past champion in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, the Blizzard Series and Southern Super Series.

"Slinger Nationals has always been special to me and is one of the biggest wins in my career,” said Wimmer, whose uncle Larry Detjens’ name is on the trophy.

“With his abilities and my experience there, I expect us to be competitive right from the start. When a guy of his caliber wants to work with you it's flattering.”

Matt Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner from Cambridge, is among the drivers to have committed for this year. Kenseth, who stepped away from NASCAR at the end of last season, is the all-time leader with seven Nationals victories.

The list of winners over the Nationals’ 37 years includes NASCAR stars Alan Kulwicki (1981), Mark Martin (1984) and Kyle Busch (2011), national-level short-track standouts Dick Trickle (four times), Joe Shear (four times), Rich Bickle (four times), Bubba Pollard (2017) and Ty Majeski (2018).

Wisconsin natives Bickle and Majeski also are planning to return, as is Pollard, a barnstormer from Georgia.

"I’ve never raced late models in the state of Wisconsin, and I know they have a rich racing history there,” Hemric said. “I’m looking forward to going toe-to-toe with some of those guys at the Nationals this year.”