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Daniel Hemric ‘making the most’ of first Cup start at Richmond

NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250 - Practice

RICHMOND, VA - APRIL 20: Daniel Hemric, driver of the #21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet, stands by his car during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway on April 20, 2018 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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Daniel Hemric made the rounds this week.

Hemric “talked to just about every car owner” he raced for in the last 22 years to thank them.

Without them, he wouldn’t be making his Cup debut tonight at Richmond Raceway.

The 27-year-old driver will start 22nd in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8 Chevrolet. It caps a busy weekend as Hemric pulled double duty with his regular job driving the No. 21 for RCR in the Xfinity Series.

“I have a newfound respect for those guys who do double duty every week,” Hemric said Friday in the midst of a day filled with four practice sessions, two qualifying sessions and the Xfinity race, where he finished 29th following tire problems. “It’s been a lot to take in. It’s been a good time and a great problem to have trying to figure out how to get from one place to the next in the manner that you need to.”

Before qualifying, Hemric was 23rd fastest in the first practice session. He improved to eighth best in final practice.

The busy pace helped Hemric stay focused in his preparation for the most important race of his career so far.

“I think between getting in the Xfinity car and having time on the race track, and then just running straight over and getting in the Cup car has made the transition as easy as possible,” Hemric said Friday. “Think that’s helped to calm the nerves and staying busy has kept all that stuff kind of in-check as well. ... It’s been a lot going on but it’s been fun.”

Hemric would consider it a “home run” if he ended the 400-lap race in the top 20.

“I think if we can do that as a group with only being a one-off race right here, obviously knowing we’re going to come back at it in the fall at (the Charlotte) road course, but it’s tough to do,” Hemric said. “It’s tough to bring guys out of the shop and know what the expectations are. That’s why I say we’ve got to take it a step at a time. That’s what we’ve done do far.”

Hemric is somewhat an oddity in modern NASCAR as he makes his first Cup start at the age of 27. He enters tonight’s race with 90 combined starts in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series. He’s yet to win in either national series.

Despite not winning last year, he made it to the championship four last year in the Xfinity Series.

Cup driver Kyle Busch believes Hemric is “ready for the opportunity.”
“I think he’s done a really good job,” Busch said. “Maybe not has scored as many wins as he would have wanted to in Truck of Xfinity competition, but I think talent pool wise, I’ve seen him race in late models and I’ve seen what he can do in those things and he’s made a name for himself in being able to come up through these ranks and hasn’t caused chaos while doing it. He’s done it really, really clean. He’s raced his competitors as well as you can ask of anybody to race their competitors. I think the only thing lacking is just the win column, so I think Daniel is a great kid and look forward to seeing what he can do at the next level.”

Hemric said if he’d been asked two or three years if he would be about to make his Cup debut, he would have replied, “there ain’t no way.”

Hemric continued, “I’m going to continue to get older and I’m not sure how to put myself in any other better position than just making the most of that opportunity. ... At the end of the day, nobody knows your story better than you know it.”

Hemric’s story includes one his RCR mechanics and former Legends racing owner selling his own Ford Mustang in order to keep his racing career going just before Hemric turned 15.

Hemric isn’t the only older driver getting their due this season. Last week, 27-year-old Ryan Preece won his second Xfinity race at Bristol. Next week, 37-year-old Timothy Peters will make his Cup debut after years of competing in the Truck Series.

“I saw where Jeff Burton told Ryan Preece last week that he won his first Cup race at 30 years old, so that gave me a little bit more confidence that I was on the right path,” Hemric said. “I never had a path or an age set for whenever I wanted to get there. I’ve just been fortunate to be able to continue that uphill climb and I know the trend is 17 or 18 years old; you’ve got to be in the top three series and doing it full-time. But I’m just doing it the way it’s provided to me and just trying to make the most of it.”

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