Daniel Hemric has been confirmed for a full-time NASCAR Cup Series seat with Kaulig Racing next season.
NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric will take over Justin Haley’s No. 31 Chevrolet in the Cup Series for the upcoming season. This comes as Haley earlier declared he will switch to Rick Ware Racing.
Daniel Hemric raced for the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 2019, but Richard Childress Racing let him go at the end of the season. After more than four years and an Xfinity Series title victory, he is back racing at the pinnacle of stock car racing.
“This is a big day, and it means so much to my family and me,” said Hemric. “It’s truly special to have an opportunity to do something big with a group of people that want it just as bad as you.
“It takes heart, and each and every person at Kaulig Racing has it.
“I’m looking forward to finishing out this season strong and getting right back to work in the off season with everyone at Kaulig Racing.”
Hemric finished twenty-fifth in points during his one-year stint as a Cup Series driver with a high performance of fifth at Talladega. This opportunity came after racing in the Xfinity Series for RCR for two seasons and qualifying for the Championship Round in each of those years, as well as appearing in two Cup races in 2018.
In 2022, Hemric raced in eight Cup events for Kaulig, including the Daytona 500 in the multi-driver #16, finishing ninth in Fontana, as well as the season finale at Phoenix for 23XI Racing as a fill-in for Ty Gibbs.
After leaving RCR, he briefly ran in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports before joining Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021, the team with which he won his first NASCAR race and won the title that same season.
Hemric later signed a contract with Kaulig Racing for the 2022 season and finished ninth in points in his first season with the squad.
Hemric made the playoffs once more in 2023 after securing the eleventh berth, despite the fact that he had not won any race since his championship season. For the postseason, he switched to the #10 Kaulig Racing entry and is currently contending for the owner’s title.
Hemric finished in the top ten thirteen times during the regular season and had his best performance of second in both Atlanta races.
“Daniel’s grit and determination both on and off track are what make him such an integral part of our Kaulig Racing family,” team owner Matt Kaulig said.
“Daniel’s competitive edge is what drives him, and his focus on giving back is what grounds him.
“That’s what has earned him the respect and admiration from his peers at Kaulig Racing, and we will continue to grow with him.”
Kaulig Racing operates the #31 and #16 with A.J. Allmendinger piloting the latter. However, his return to the car for 2024 has not been confirmed by the team.
The No. 31 team sponsors will be disclosed at a later time.
