Hemric, in his first season driving the No. 31 Chevrolet full-time for Kaulig Racing, has had a tough return to the Cup sequence.
After ending 16, 18th and nineteenth within the season’s first three races, he went 5 straight races ending the day twenty eighth or worse. After a twentieth place end the next week at Texas, he dropped to thirty first within the sequence standings.
However final week at Talladega, Hemric was in a position to keep away from the final lap mayhem that collected portion of the sector on the finish of the race and escaped with a ninth-place end – his finest results of yr.
Then Sunday at Dover (Del.) his staff performed a dangerous pit technique, electing to remain on the observe so long as doable earlier than making his last inexperienced flag cease for gas and caught a break.
A warning for a wreck involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr. allowed Hemric to stay on the lead lap and acquire an incredible quantity of observe place, as a number of vehicles that had been working up entrance have been caught far again within the area.
Daniel Hemric, Kaulig Racing, Poppy Financial institution Chevrolet Camaro
Picture by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
From there, Hemric was in a position to stay within the hunt and returned with a second consecutive ninth place end.
“It was a protracted day,” mentioned Hemric, who began 14th however fell again deep within the area within the first stage. “We gave up loads of observe place early.
“Simply in all probability obtained us too unfastened, generally, in follow going into the race with probably not figuring out what to anticipate out of this automotive. We fell again and have been type of caught again there. The staff made an incredible name to simply maintain us within the sport.
“We stayed out a little bit longer there on that final green-flag cycle cease – it was type of like an early Christmas current to us. It obtained us again on the lead lap.”
Whereas a technique play obtained Hemric the observe place he wanted in Sunday’s race, simply as vital was his automotive’s potential to maintain tempo with these working within the high 10 because the race ended with a 62-lap inexperienced flag run.
“It was simply actually rewarding for all of us on the staff to place us contained in the top-10 and have the ability to run there. We all know our tempo was there, it’s only a matter of getting observe place,” he mentioned. “That’s the secret right here.
“General, I’m happy with everybody on the staff.”
