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.
Playoff Underdog Update
Harrison Burton carries the weight of the underdogs as a playoff driver this year following his breakthrough win at Daytona International Speedway. It was the first time he has qualified for the playoffs in his third season, and he continues to audition for a ride for 2025 with Josh Berry moving over to Wood Brothers Racing next season.
Burton’s playoff campaign got off to a solid start after he qualified 12th and ran inside the top 10 for several laps to begin the race. He narrowly missed stage points in the opening stage after finishing 11th, but slipped to 22nd by the end of stage two. Those stages were critical for his hopes of advancing on points, but missing out was only the beginning of a disappointing day.
While running just inside the top 20 on the final lap, the inevitable slip-up by another driver happened, igniting a multi-car pileup in the final turn. Burton had nowhere to go and was swept up in the accident, relegating him to 31st.
With all due respect, Burton’s chances of advancing were always a long shot given the pace the No. 21 has shown this season. Yet Atlanta was likely his one shot of starting a Cinderella run. Instead, he is 16 points below the cut line heading to a track in Watkins Glen International where his two career starts yielded finishes of 28th and 33rd.
Notable Underdog Runs
The unique aspect of NASCAR’s playoffs involves eliminated drivers continuing to compete in the final 10 races. That gives them multiple chances to finish the year strong and build momentum for next year, while also boosting morale in the final couple of months. For several underdogs, that 10-race stretch started out on the right note.
Once again, Justin Haley asserted himself in the midst of the top dogs, finishing 12th. Haley ran inside the top 15 for much of the race, making aggressive moves to pick his way forward. But one move nearly cost him.
On lap 159, Tyler Reddick had a head of steam going down the backstretch and attempted to pass Haley. However, the Rick Ware Racing driver threw a block, forcing both drivers below the white and red double line. NASCAR penalized Haley for forcing Reddick below the line. Fortunately, the stage ended a couple of laps later, lessening the blow it took on Haley. Like Hemric, Haley was just inside the top 20 in the final laps before driving forward to narrowly miss the top 10.
The 25-year-old continues to improve, and while some recent results did not reflect his true speed, he earned his best finish since finishing ninth at World Wide Technology Raceway.
With Atlanta being a drafting track now, would Ricky Stenhouse Jr. please rise? If it’s superspeedway-style racing, you can expect Stenhouse to be a factor, and that was no different at Atlanta.
Stenhouse was a hard charger in the opening stage, going from 27th to fifth in the first 60 laps. There was no hesitation from him in terms of aggression, and it produced 11 stage points between stage finishes of fifth and sixth.
The race didn’t come without its close calls. Stenhouse made contact with Chase Elliott while exiting pit road following the lap 176 caution. The team believed it damaged the toe link on the front of the No. 47, but Stenhouse was able to stay on the lead lap after repairs.
Unfortunately, after running inside the top 10 for most of the race, the late shuffle pushed him back to 14th. Still, it was his sixth top 15 in the last 11 races.
It wasn’t a top five like we’ve seen from him before, but Corey LaJoie still grabbed a 15th-place finish to back up his top 10 from a week ago at Darlington Raceway. Aside from the contact on pit road with Elliott and Stenhouse, it was a quiet day from LaJoie in general. The top 15 is LaJoie’s fourth finish of 13th or better in six starts on the new Atlanta configuration.
Right behind LaJoie in 16th was his Spire Motorsports teammate, Carson Hocevar. While the on-track racing wasn’t short of risks, pit road proved to be the most challenging place for Hocevar. In addition to a speeding penalty, Hocevar was hit by Reddick while entering his box on lap 116, causing a little damage. Fortunately, he was able to overcome both setbacks and work his way forward for his sixth finish of 17th or better in the last seven races.
What They’re Saying
Hemric (11th): “We had a really solid weekend, and we executed where we needed to. We unloaded with really good speed, and when we do that, I have more capability to do the things I need to do inside the car. I’m proud of Trent [Owens, crew chief] and all the guys on the No. 31 team. I’m excited to go road course racing next week.”
Burton (31st):
Who’s Really the Top Dog?
Hemric becomes the ninth driver to earn multiple gold medals this season while Haley becomes just the second driver to land three silvers or more. Meanwhile, Stenhouse puts a little cushion between himself and the competition for the most bronze awards.
Gold: Stenhouse Jr. (4x), Erik Jones (4x), Hocevar (4x), John Hunter Nemechek (2x), AJ Allmendinger (2x), Todd Gilliland (2x), Zane Smith (2x), LaJoie (2x), Hemric (2x), Haley, Joey Hand, Burton
Silver: Gilliland (8x), Haley (3x), Allmendinger (2x), Hemric (2x), Nemechek (2x), Stenhouse Jr. (2x), Hocevar (2x), Burton, Smith, Ty Dillon, Anthony Alfredo, LaJoie, Cody Ware
Bronze: Stenhouse (5x), Nemechek (3x), LaJoie (3x), Gilliland (3x), Hocevar (3x), Jones (2x), Kaz Grala, Shane van Gisbergen, Haley, Allmendinger, Hemric, Smith, Burton, Parker Retzlaff
Small Team Scheme of the Week
Speaking of Hemric’s Cirkul car, it lands as the scheme of the week again. Kaulig’s trademark yellow roof number continues to make this scheme pop out, and it brought the refreshing look once again to the ATL.
Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.