One of the most recognizable cars on track in the NASCAR Cup Series is Daniel Hemric‘s No. 31 Cirkul Chevrolet, a scheme he has sported in the large majority of events this season.
The blue and white machine is coated in photos of Cirkul’s many flavors. If you have a Cirkul bottle, the unique product allows you to put different flavors in your water through cartridges called ‘sips’.
For the peach fans out there, that was likely Hemric’s favorite flavor this week in the Peach State as the series visited Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sept. 8). It concluded with Hemric coming up just short of the top 10 in 11th.
Hemric pieced together a solid weekend overall. After starting 14th, the Kaulig Racing driver cracked the top 10 before sliding back with a tight-handling condition. He finished the opening stage in 21st.
The second stage was a bit laid back for the 33-year-old, who ran outside the top 20 for most of the stage after taking four tires during a mid-stage pit stop. Hemric wrapped up the second frame in 26th.
Hemric was able to hold steady at the tail end of the lead back for the opening half of the final stage, pitting after a lap 175 caution before avoiding another accident on lap 205. During that yellow, the Kannapolis, N.C. native pitted again, where he was hit with a speeding penalty.
After running outside the top 20, a caution with 10 laps to go allowed the fuller tank of fuel for Hemric to play into his hand and stay out. Hemric restarted in 17th before another caution flew with two laps to go, setting an overtime restart. From there, Hemric navigated through a multi-car crash to go from 16th to 11th in the final lap.
In spite of Kaulig’s struggles this season at the Cup level, Hemric has shown flashes of the consistency that he displayed in the lower series. The 11th-place result is his second finish of 11th or better in two races, and it is his sixth top 15 of the year, one shy of the mark from his lone full-time Cup season in 2019 at Richard Childress Racing.
Kaulig president Chris Rice said the team had its driver for the No. 31 next season after announcing Christian Eckes to its NASCAR Xfinity Series program for 2025. However, no indication has been made on whether Hemric will be returning or not.
Whether Hemric is returning or quietly auditioning for a ride, his Atlanta performance is something he needs to continue to display for next year.
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