USA Today via Reuters
Nov 6, 2021; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Xfinity Series driver Daniel Hemric (18) beats Xfinity Series driver Austin Cindric (22) to the finish line to win the Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Nov 6, 2021; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Xfinity Series driver Daniel Hemric (18) beats Xfinity Series driver Austin Cindric (22) to the finish line to win the Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Hemric has done it! He has finally got the monkey off his back and seized his maiden Xfinity Series win. He has come a long way from being a driver who was still hunting for his first win in his career. And in the process, he has become the first driver to win his first career race and win a title in the same race.
Speaking after the race, he said, “I’ll tell you from a perspective. When it’s you and your wife, it’s one thing and you figure it out. Then when you bring another person, like our little girl, it’s a different perspective. When you bet on yourself and the livelihood of your family, your daughter eating, you put food on the table. That changes it.”
How did Daniel Hemric win the race and the title?
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On an interesting note, Hemric had an interesting clause in his contract. Apparently, he would get paid for every Top 5 finish in the Xfinity Series. To be perfectly honest, it does explain why he has racked up an astounding 14 Top 5 finishes, including that win. Barring a handful of disappointing results, the lowest he ever finished was 15th at Kansas.
via Getty
TALLADEGA, AL – OCTOBER 22: Daniel Hemric, driver of the #19 DrawTite Ford, stands on the grid prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series fred’s 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 22, 2016 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Robert Laberge/NASCAR via Getty Images)
Admittedly, many thought that Austin Cindric would be prepared to take a second consecutive Xfinity Series title. However, there were a fair number of cautions, and that caught him out. All this was in spite of him leading a race-high tally of 119 laps. As it turned out, it allowed Hemric to gain some ground and eventually challenge Cindric for the race lead.
When the race went into overtime, the duo was wheel-to-wheel in the two-lap sprint to the finish. In the end, Hemric defeated Austin Cindric, while Noah Gragson and AJ Allmendinger finished 12th and 14th, respectively. Now, the newly crowned champion will be moving to the Kaulig Racing Xfinity team for the 2022 season. Meanwhile, Cindric is moving up to the Cup Series with Team Penske.
