By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor
Daniel Hemric wasn’t a part of the battle for the win at the end of Saturday’s DC Solar 200.
When the checkered flag waved, he wasn’t even in the top five.
But in the end the NASCAR Xfinity Series sophomore ran a consistent race and tallied another top-10 finish, and he figures that’s mission accomplished.
Hemric rose through the field over the final long green-flag run to the finish sixth at ISM Raceway, scoring his second top 10 of the season for Richard Childress Racing (RCR). It wasn’t the win that the late model ace so desperately wants, but it did leave Hemric with cause for optimism heading it Auto Club Speedway.
“I’m proud of the effort of this team,” Hemric said after the race. “We’re doing what we need to be doing, and that is putting solid days together. If we keep doing that we’ll find ourselves in position sooner rather than later.”
The Kannapolis, N.C. native started the weekend off strong, sitting near the top of the charts in practice and qualifying inside of the top 10. That early pace continued to show when the green flag waved to start the race. Hemric rose into fifth at the end of Stage 1, and found himself battling inside of the top 10 through most of Stage 2.
Like the rest of the field, Hemric and his No. 21 RCR team were left with a difficult decision to make during Stage 2. Two lengthy rain delays stalled the Xfinity Series field in the Arizona desert, with the latter shower setting them up for a one-lap sprint to the end of Stage 2.
Many teams elected to pit ahead of the chaotic stage ending. Hemric’s team chose to stay out.
In the end the strategy call worked out. The 27-year-old ended Stage 2 in second, scoring nine points and leaving the day with the most stage points (15) of any Xfinity regular.
The call was successful, but it came with a sacrifice. Hemric would have to forfeit his track position moments later, coming to pit road during the stage break and allowing all of the drivers that pitted under the previous caution to pass him by.
“We were playing our cards the best we could to maximize our stage points today,” Hemric said of the move. “We put ourselves in position to race for the win at the end of the second stage, but lost some track position when we had to pit after that and restarted about 16th.”
Hemric restarted mid-pack, but once the ensuing green-flag run began to stretch out the Chevrolet prospect began to march his way through the field. He battled his way into the top 10, and even soared into the top five shortly before the final round of pit stops began in the race’s final 40 laps.
After making is final stop Hemric emerged in sixth. It was there that he would stay until the finish, slotting in behind Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series veteran Jamie McMurray to finish third among all series regulars in sixth.
He wanted more from the day, but knew it was a result worth cherishing.
“We showed the strength of this South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet by being able to drive back into the top five,” he said. “I had to abuse the front tires to do that. I thought we would be in good shape but it just started fading there at the end.”
Hemric’s first NASCAR national series win continues to elude him, but his playoff odds are trending in a positive direction. Saturday’s sixth-place run was Hemric’s second in as many weeks, elevating the 2017 Championship 4 participant from 11th to fifth in the championship standings.