AVONDALE, Ariz. – With the final Championship 4 slot on the line, Daniel Hemric fended over fellow challenger Cole Custer in the closing laps of Saturday afternoon’s Ticket Galaxy 200 to earn a shot at his first NASCAR XFINITY Series championship next weekend at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.
Hemric’s seventh top-five of 2017 allowed him to edge Custer by four points and join JR Motorsports three cars of Justin Allgaier, William Byron and Elliott Sadler for the Championship title.
Hemric’s No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was stronger than Custer’s No. 00 Haas Automation Ford for most of the 200-lap race, but when a caution waved with 20 laps to go, it shuffled the running order after final pit stops.
With a two-tire strategy, Hemric restarted second with Custer not far behind in fourth but on a four-tire strategy. Custer made the move on Hemric for position with 10 laps to go, but as the race dwindled down – Hemric’s car came to life allowing the rookie driver to make the move back on Custer – despite both drivers being passed by Christopher Bell on the white flag lap.
While losing a spot to Hemric, Custer found himself under fire from Blake Koch, a Kaulig Racing driver with RCR ties and fell to seventh when the checkered flag flew.
Hemric lived up the tense late race moments with Custer to what the NASCAR Playoffs are all about.
“Just so proud of everybody, not only today but all year,” said Hemric moments after the race. “We’ve overcome so much as a group, all of our partners that have stuck with us and kept believing in us and giving us faith and all the stuff we needed to get to the race track every week.
“All comes down to a restart with 10 or 12 to go and everybody’s heart on the line, everyone’s season on the line. So proud of these guys, I’m glad we could prevail.
“Those are the moments that you live for and hope to be able to get excited about.”
Hemric didn’t have the most impressive Round of 8 with finishes of 18th and 14th at Kansas Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway respectively, but Hemric’s saving grace came during Saturday’s penultimate race after he earned 15 stages points – finishing fourth in Stage 1 and third in Stage 3 – the highest among the XFINITY Series regulars.
“To know that we could race like we did, race with the 00 there at the end knowing the points situation and I know we were both giving all we could, we didn’t take a breath at all the last five or six laps,” added Hemric. “It’s been fun battling all these guys all year and it’s really cool to know that four Chevrolets are going to go for a championship at Homestead.
“It’s been a while since Richard Childress Racing has been able to run for a championship. I’m proud to be able to do it for them this year.”
Saturday’s race was the last race of a four-race suspension for Hemric’s crew chief Danny Stockman who was suspended last month after a piece of tungsten ballast fell off the car at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in late September.
NBC reported however, that team owner Richard Childress said interim crew chief Randall Burnett will lead the team at Homestead.
“I’m confident he’ll (Stockman) will be done there with us, I’m not sure who will be on top of the box. We’ll sit down probably tomorrow – tonight and figure out what the plan is there,” Hemric sounded.
“With his leadership back at the shop and the way he has helped us guide us through practice and with Randall, he’s no slouch by any means on top of the pit box and he calls a great race.
“I’ve had really good race cars the last couple of weeks, glad today we were able to put it together. We’ll re-evaluate as far as who will be labeled as that guy, but I promise you as 530 people strong, that’s who the crew chiefs are next week, – it’s all of us going in together.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
