HEMRIC FINISHES 12TH IN RAIN-SHORTENED XFINITY RACE AT TALLADEGA
Date: April 24, 2021 Event: Ag-Pro 300 (Round 8 of 33) Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series Location: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-mile superspeedway) Format: 113 laps (Stages: 50 laps / 50 laps / 63 laps) Start / Finish: 2nd / 12th (Running, 90 of 90 laps) Point Standing: 2nd (308 points, -59 points out of first) Race Winner: Jeb Burton Stage 1 Winner: Justin Haley Stage 2 Winner: Noah Gragson Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-25)
Daniel Hemric started second in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway and finished seventh in stage one.
After starting on the front row, Hemric used a push from teammate Harrison Burton to grab the lead on Lap 1. The No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra led the first 15 laps of the race and 18 of 25 laps during the opening 25-lap stage.
Late in the segment, Hemric reported that his Supra was too tight, especially exiting turn two. As a result, he slipped back to seventh when stage one ended on Lap 25.
Crew chief Dave Rogers called Hemric to pit road for left-side tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment between stages.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 26-50)
Hemric started third and finished seventh in stage two.
The Poppy Bank Supra was initially lined up in the inside lane with Joe Gibbs Racing’s other three entries. The four-car contingent found sticking together difficult, but Hemric remained inside the top 10 for most of stage two.
In the end, the No. 18 Supra was scored seventh when the segment ended on Lap 50.
Following the stage, Rogers brought Hemric back to pit road for four tires, fuel, and another chassis adjustment to help the tight handling condition.
Stage 3 Recap (Laps 51-113)
Hemric started the final stage in 12th and finished 12th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Early in the final segment, Hemric worked his way into the top 10 and was scored sixth when the lead group singled out running the high line around the 2.66-mile superspeedway.
The Poppy Bank team pitted for fuel only on Lap 70.
Before the entire field cycled through their green-flag pit stops, a caution waved on Lap 76 with Hemric running 18th. The No. 18 team did not pit during the caution and Hemric moved up to 11th for the ensuing restart on Lap 80.
Prior to the restart, Rogers warned that rain was approaching the track and that the race’s intensity would inevitably pick up.
On the restart, Hemric found himself stuck in the unfavorable inside lane and he was scored 12th when the caution waved again on Lap 85 because of a multi-car accident.
The impending rain finally hit before the race could resume. NASCAR officials were forced to bring the field to pit road and the race was deemed official 23 laps short of the scheduled 113-lap distance.
Additional Notes
After leading 18 laps in Saturday’s race, Hemric has now led in five of this season’s first eight races. His 166 laps led rank second in the series.
Harrison Burton’s 10th-place finish led Joe Gibbs Racing’s four-car effort. Hemric was 12th. Ty Dillon and Brandon Jones finished 35th and 37th, respectively, after being involved in a multi-car accident.
Next Up: The NASCAR Xfinity Series is off next weekend before returning to action in two weeks at Darlington Raceway. The race will be broadcast live Saturday, May 8, at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. -JGR-