Why did Kaulig Racing sign Daniel Hemric to drive the No:31 Car despite him not winning a NASCAR race since 2021?
Daniel Hemric’s last NASCAR race win was in the 2021 Xfinity Series season finale.
Follow Us
Daniel Hemric (Via IMAGO)
Kaulig Racing has announced that they have signed a deal to promote their Xfinity Series driver, Daniel Hemric, to drive their No:31 Chevy Camaro ZL1 from the 2024 season. He will replace Justin Haley, who has already signed a deal to go Rick Ware Racing’s RFK Racing supported car from next season.
Chris Rice, the president of Kaulig Racing, explained why the team has decided to give their driver a promotion instead of going for an experienced Cup driver. The team believes Hemric can make their driver better as he is someone who has helped the team to stay competitive amidst their ups and downs over the years.
“They say that tough times don’t last, but tough people do. That rings true with Daniel Hemric. Throughout all the ups and downs the past couple of years, Daniel continues to believe in the Kaulig Racing culture. Over the last few months, we have been asking ourselves, ‘What can make us a better race team?’ We truly believe Daniel can and will continue to make Kaulig Racing better as an organization,” Rice said, as reported by the RACER.
It is Hemric’s return to the Cup series after his demotion in 2019, after spending his debut full-time season with Richard Childress Racing, driving the No:8 car currently raced by Kyle Busch. He got the call after two solid Xfinity seasons with RCR in the second tier, despite winning the Rookie of the Season award after scoring one top 10 and seven top 15 finishes.
He drove part-time for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports the very next season before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021. He went on to win the championship that season by consistently securing top-3 finishes and winning the final at Phoenix, his first and last NASCAR National Series race win. He moved to Kaulig in 2022 and has scored 27 Top-10s from 59 starts but hasn’t yet scored a win.
In case you missed it: Justin Marks spills the beans on Shane van Gisbergen’s 2024 NASCAR plans
What did Daniel Hemric say about his Cup return?
Daniel Hemric pointed out that the announcement was a big day for his family as he finally got the special opportunity with a team with the same attitude. He is still in the chase for the Xfinity Series title in 2023, so he wants to produce a strong end to this year and wants to get into Cup training in the post-season quickly.
“This is a big day, and it means so much to my family and me. It’s truly special to have an opportunity to do something big with a group of people that want it just as bad as you. It takes heart, and each and every person at Kaulig Racing has it. I’m looking forward to finishing out this season strong and getting right back to work in the offseason with everyone at Kaulig Racing,” Hemric said.
Discover:
Stay Updated!
Justin P Joy
(4885 Articles Published)