Daniel Hemric wins maiden NASCAR race, 2021 Xfinity Series championship

It eluded him for years, but he has finally done it and in the best way possible: Daniel Hemric is a NASCAR race winner, and he won an Xfinity Series championship with it.

In a dramatic overtime finish, Hemric chased down reigning champion Austin Cindric before beating him to the line by just .030 of a second.

Cindric won the pole ahead of John Hunter Nemechek, who was still reeling from losing the Truck Series championship race on Friday despite his dominant campaign there. Hemric started fourth, Noah Gragson seventh, and A.J. Allmendinger twelfth. Spencer Boyd, Landon Cassill, Ryan Ellis, Joey Gase, Timmy Hill, and Stephen Leicht failed to qualify.

Nemechek led much of the opening stage before Cindric took the lead on lap 21 and drove off to the stage win. Hemric finished second ahead of Nemechek, Justin Allgaier, Gragson, Brandon Jones, Allmendinger, Michael Annett, Riley Herbst, and Justin Haley.

Hemric won the race off pit road to lead the field to begin Stage #2. Jeffrey Earnhardt spun and wrecked on lap 60 for the first race-related caution of the night. Nemechek became the new leader shortly after the restart before Joe Gibbs Racing team-mate Hemric reclaimed the spot on lap 87 and led to the win. Cindric got by Nemechek for second. Allgaier, Gragson, Haley, Burton, Annett, and Herbst rounded out the top ten.

The final segment of the year began with Hemric continuing to lead, but racing only lasted a single lap before Joe Graf Jr. crashed into the wall after contact with Sage Karam. Karam would also collide with Matt Mills and send him into the wall for another yellow on lap 106.

On lap 115, Cindric made his move for the lead. Nine laps later, Stefan Parsons was the race’s next victim when his car caught fire. A restart on lap 134 quickly ended when Jade Buford spun, though Gragson took advantage of the brief period under green to fly up from thirteenth to seventh. On the other hand, Allgaier was penalised for dropping below the yellow and and onto the apron before crossing the start/finish line.

Cindric continued to lead before Allmendinger, who was running last among the final four, spun on his own on lap 182. He had been reporting a vibration, the result of a loose right-rear wheel, prior to the spin and eventual caution.

The next green flag came with thirteen laps remaining as Cindric and Hemric comprised the front row. Gragson made slight contact with Hemric while running behind him and Cindric, while Allmendinger’s team-mate Jeb Burton went around after being tapped by Sheldon Creed in turn four for another yellow.

Eight-to-go marked the penultimate restart. Cindric cleared Hemric after a lap before Gragson slammed into the turn one wall, but the race stayed green. Conversely, Buford and Josh Williams’ accident produced a caution and overtime.

As with previous green flags, a Cindric/Hemric outside/inside front row initiated overtime. The two ran side-by-side as they entered turn one and remained as such on the backstretch. Cindric cleared Hemric to take the white flag, but Hemric remained on the inside. Hemric committed behind Cindric on the backstretch before making his final charge coming to the finish.