Getty Daniel Hemric's hauler has broken down en route to Phoenix Raceway.
The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra is one of four drivers contending for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, but he may not have as much time to prepare. The hauler containing Daniel Hemric’s stock car has broken down, putting his practice time in doubt.
A Joe Gibbs Racing representative confirmed to NASCAR and members of the media that the No. 18 Toyota is en route to Phoenix on another hauler. The stock car has an estimated arrival time of 5-5:30 p.m. ET. Though that time is no guarantee. The Xfinity Series practice will begin at 6:05 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Gold TrackPass).
The No. 18 team will use tools and other equipment from Joe Gibbs Racing’s ARCA Menards Series West entry. Ty Gibbs will be back in the No. 18 to cap of his season in ARCA, and he will hit the track on Saturday, November 6, at 3 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Gold TrackPass).
Hemric Can Win His First Championship at Phoenix
He is focused. He is determined. @DanielHemric and the No. 18 team are prepared to fight for the coveted @XfinityRacing Championship.
Once Hemric’s stock car arrives at the desert track, he will have the opportunity to fight for the first championship of his career. He will take part in practice on November 5 and then will attempt to qualify for a spot at the front of the pack on Saturday, November 6.
Hemric has yet to win a national series race in his NASCAR career, but he has performed at a very consistent level en route to the championship four. He only posted one finish outside of the top five during the six playoff races — 15th at Kansas Speedway. Hemric also finished second at Texas Motor Speedway to kick off the Round of Eight.
2021 also marks Hemric’s third time in the championship four in only three full-time seasons. He reached the finale in 2017 and finished fourth while William Byron won for JR Motorsports. He returned to the championship four in 2018 and finished third while Tyler Reddick secured the first of his two titles. Now Hemric will have his third opportunity to win the championship while battling Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, and Noah Gragson.
Technically, Hemric can also win a title without reaching Victory Lane. He simply has to post the best finish out of the championship four drivers, so he could secure his spot in the record books while remaining winless in the Xfinity Series.
Phoenix Will Mark Hemric’s Final Race With JGR
Introducing the driver of the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet for 2022…
Once the weekend at Phoenix comes to an end, Hemric will prepare for a significant moment in his career. He will leave JGR and the Toyota family to join forces with the Bowtie. He will move over to Kaulig Racing and take over the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro.
The three-car Xfinity Series team announced the news on Saturday, September 25, after tweeting out a silhouette of Hemric. Kaulig confirmed that Hemric will replace Justin Haley in the No. 11 Chevrolet while pursuing his fourth time in the championship four. He will join forces with Allmendinger in 2022, but he will first try to defeat his future teammate during the 2021 championship race.
“The belief that Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice have in me to come drive their notable, No. 11 car means the world to me,” Hemric said in a press release from the team. “Equally, I believe in their program, their vision, and what they’re building at Kaulig Racing. It’s impressive to see how they’ve become an elite, multi-car Xfinity Series program in such a short period of time. I’m just incredibly thankful for the opportunity to drive for them next year, and I’m ready to put in the work to continue building on the team’s success.”
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