Skip to main content
Join
NASCAR Logo

Daniel Hemric's car catches fire under caution during Xfinity Series race at Portland

JHby:Jonathan Howard•06/03/23•

Jondean25

Daniel Hemric
(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Even under caution, wild things can happen. Daniel Hemric was riding along under caution when his No. 11 Chevy burst into flames at Portland. Hemric was strong in his Kaulig Racing Chevy and then it all went up in flames. So much for a top-10 car on the NASCAR road course.

Not only did Daniel Hemric lose his car, but it was also a strong car. He had been in the top 10 the entire race up until this point. Stage 1 had a few spins and moments where drivers couldn’t hold onto it. Chris Rice and Matt Kaulig have to be really disappointed with this result.

Just when you think you’re just going to drive nice and slow under caution and get to the next green flag, things go from bad to worse. The FS1 booth speculated that it could have been a fuel or oil leak of some kind based on where the fire was.

The worst part about this is the fact that Daniel Hemric and this Kaulig Racing team made it all the way out to Portland for this race. It is a LONG way to go from North Carolina. Some teams barely even made it there in one piece. Now, it is all for nothing. Just a nice vacation in the Pacific Northwest, if anything.

Those Kaulig boys will be alright, though. They have plenty of talent and speed on that team and should be able to pull out a strong finish with one of their drivers. Let’s not forget that Jordan Taylor AKA Rodney Sandstorm is behind the wheel of the 10 car and he’s been hovering around the top-5 all day.

Daniel Hemric never got a chance

Drivers live for those last few laps, getting their elbows up and racing hard. Well, Daniel Hemric didn’t even get a chance. There was a great finish to Stage 1, but Hemric was sidelined before that dash for the finish. Just a random failure on the car that led to a catastrophic result.

Portland looks a lot better this year without all of the rain. Oregon is playing a great host to NASCAR and the Xfinity Series. The haul there might have been long and difficult, but that has nothing on the 147 miles that these drivers have to get through on the track.

Daniel Hemric is just the latest example of the issues that can happen. There was no steering or maneuver that Hemric could have done to avoid that fire. Sometimes, when you’re cooked, you’re cooked.

Sheldon Creed and John Hunter Nemechek are the ones to beat early on in this race. The Pacific Office Automation 147 is going to likely come down to the wire.