NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: CHAMPIONSHIP

November 6, 2021

Daniel Hemric

Press Conference

An Interview with:

Q. Did you dream you would be holding this this morning?

DANIEL HEMRIC: Knew that, whatever reason, it was going to work out. Even when I felt like I gave one up last week in order to make sure we got here as a race team, I knew there was a purpose. I knew the good Lord had a plan. I promise you there can't be much more of a testament of continuing to show up when you don't want to, when you don't think you can anymore.

These guys have continued to push me to do that. Dave Rogers, I'm forever in his debt for the amount of preparation and leadership he's brought to my life this year. Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota, TRD, Poppy Bank, what can I say? Mr. Bill and Cindy Gallaher, they've been my rock since 2014, 2015, continued to invest in my career, invest in my program even when they probably shouldn't.

For whatever reason I knew when I had that dream two months ago that it was going to come full circle. We didn't really have a good short run car all night, and Dave Rogers made incredible adjustments to give me exactly what I needed to keep me in sight with an opportunity when we saw the white flag. That's all I wanted, all I needed.

Q. You scrapped and clawed to get here, did everything you could to have that moment. I heard you say it was all worth it. What were you thinking about in the moments of celebration?

DANIEL HEMRIC: I felt like I blacked out, to be honest. I don't want people to think I'm not emotional because I'm probably one of the most emotional guys there are. When you go through as much, I think back immediately, honestly, to 2019 when I lost my ride. I felt like my life was unraveling before me. Everything I build from the time you're five years old till you're 27, 28, the next thing you know the decline starts. I was counting it out, especially then.

To be able to have these people here, Poppy Bank, Bill, Cindy, Mr. Koch taking another chance on my rebuilding my career. I knew at green-white-checkered I had the opportunity of a lifetime, and I was not going to let it pass me by again.

Q. Is this a win for all the kids that think they're never going to make it to that level?

DANIEL HEMRIC: It isn't for all those kids, about racing trying to get to a level, it's about people in life. It's about coming from nothing and making yourself all that you work for. That's what it's all about. This is the American dream, I'm living proof of it. Just unbelievable.