Getty Daniel Hemric has signed an extension with Kaulig Racing.
The reigning Xfinity Series champion has just set his plans for the 2023 season. Daniel Hemric will return to Kaulig Racing and drive the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro for the second consecutive season.
Kaulig Racing announced the news on Sunday, October 9. The team issued a press release and held a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway. President Chris Rice and team owner Matt Kaulig confirmed that Hemric will return to the No. 11 after he reached the playoffs in the 2022 season. He will try to secure another appearance for the team while pursuing his second career Xfinity Series win.
HE’S BACK.
@DanielHemric will return to No. 11 Chevrolet in 2023! 🙌
“Daniel Hemric has played such a vital role in growing our Xfinity Series team,” Rice said in a press release. “He and his teammates, AJ [Allmendinger] and Landon [Cassill], work together so well and lean on each other in a way that no other team does. We are really excited to continue that success with Daniel as part of this family.”
With this deal complete, the Kaulig Racing lineup is complete. AJ Allmendinger and Justin Haley will run full-time in the Cup Series while Landon Cassill and Hemric will return to the Xfinity Series. Chandler Smith will also move from the Truck Series and control the third Kaulig Racing Xfinity Series entry.
Hemric Has ‘Unfinished Business’ for 2023
GettyDaniel Hemric will pursue another playoff appearance in 2023.
Hemric headed to Kaulig Racing at the start of the 2022 season fresh off of his first career win and his first championship. He had plans to continue achieving success while making his return to Chevrolet Performance, but he has experienced a unique season.
Hemric kicked off the year by winning the pole at Daytona International Speedway, but he only finished 28th in the season-opening race. He then went on to post two top-10 finishes in the first four races of the season.
Hemric reached the playoffs after securing nine top-10 finishes and two top-fives in the regular season. He then added his 10th top-10 during the playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway, which put him within reach of a spot in the Round of Eight.
The defending champion’s playoffs came to an end after an early mistake in the cutoff race at the Charlotte Roval. He hit the wall hard early in the road course race, and he had to head to pit road for repairs. Hemric made a partial comeback and brought himself within single-digit points of Brandon Jones and Ryan Sieg, but he ultimately fell just short of moving on to the Round of Eight.
“Kaulig Racing has welcomed me with open arms and I’m excited about the future we’re building together,” Hemric said in a statement. “I believe in Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice’s vision for this team, and know we’ve got some unfinished business to take care of next year. 2023 starts today.”
The Press Conference Also Featured Another Announcement
Kaulig Racing also dropped some other news during the press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The team announced that its charitable arm, Kaulig Giving, has also partnered with Hemric’s Be The Change Scholarship endowment.
With the support from Kaulig Giving, this scholarship will now support two Cabarrus Community College students in 2022 who hail from Cabarrus or Rowan County while qualifying for financial aid. They will have to have chosen a field of study in motorsports, welding, or mechanical engineering.
“We started Kaulig Giving™ in 2018 to support many different causes just like Daniel’s Be the Change scholarship,” said Matt Kaulig, Kaulig Racing team owner and Executive Chairman of Kaulig Giving.
“Helping students to further their education and pursue their passion is something many of the organizations we are involved in advocate for. Daniel being a part of the Kaulig Racing family made this an easy decision for us to get involved in ‘Be the Change’ and support the community he grew up in.”