Daniel Hemric has yet to win a race in NASCAR, but perhaps Kaulig Racing‘s tagline of “Trophy Hunting” will resonate with his quest to finally visit Victory Lane. On Saturday, ahead of the Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kaulig announced Hemric will join the team for the 2022 season. He will drive the flagship #11 Chevrolet Camaro.
“We’re excited to welcome Daniel to our Kaulig Racing family,” said team president Chris Rice. “Daniel is a strong competitor, and we think he will make a great addition to our Xfinity Series programme. Statistically, Daniel ranks right among the Kaulig Racing cars each week on the race track, so it’s fitting that we bring in someone who will only continue to make us better.”
Hemric, currently in what will be his lone season with Joe Gibbs Racing, is sixth in points with fifteen top-ten finishes, nine top fives, and a best run of second at Las Vegas in March and Road America. Despite his lack of wins, he has proven to be a consistent driver, as evidenced by his two Championship Round appearances with Richard Childress Racing in 2017 and 2018.
“The belief that Matt Kaulig (team owner) and Chris Rice have in me to come drive their notable #11 car means the world to me,” Hemric commented. “Equally, I believe in their programme, 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 programme 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.”
The news fills the void left in the #11 with Justin Haley set to move up to the Cup Series with Kaulig in 2022. 2021 is Kaulig’s first season with three cars and has proven to be a wildly successful campaign with Haley, A.J. Allmendinger, and Jeb Burton all in playoff contention while Allmendinger won the regular season championship. Allmendinger and Kaulig also won the Cup race at the Indianapolis Road Course in August.
Allmendinger will return to Kaulig’s #16 in 2022, while Burton has yet to confirm if he will be back in the #10.
“Kaulig Racing has come a long way in just a few short years, and that’s something I’m truly proud of,” stated Kaulig. The team began racing full-time with the #11 in 2016. “This year, we stepped it up by having three full-time entries in the Xfinity Series and competing in the Cup Series part-time. We blew all expectations out of the water when we won our first Cup race with A.J. Allmendinger, won the regular season championship in the Xfinity Series, and got all three of our full-time drivers into the playoffs. We think Daniel is a great pick to help us elevate our programme.”