Champion: Daniel Hemric
Champion crew chief: Dave Rogers
Wins leaders: Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch (5)
Most top fives: Austin Cindric (22)
Most top 10s: Austin Cindric (26)
Laps-led leader: Austin Cindric (1,150)
How 2021 ended:
The end of the 2021 season couldn’t have been much better, as it came down to the final set of corners to determine the series’ champion. Daniel Hemric, who entered the season finale at Phoenix Raceway having never won a race, executed an old school bump-and-run to move Austin Cindric out of the lead and catapult Hemric to the championship stage.
After a solid regular season, Hemric got hot in the playoffs, earning six top fives in the seven-race postseason. AJ Allmendinger and Noah Gragson both had wins in the playoffs, propelling them to the Championship 4, and they will return to their respective teams in 2022.
RELATED: Gragson back with JR Motorsports in 2022 | Keep track of Silly Season’s other key players
Best race(s):
It’s Bristol, baby. The Xfinity Series and short tracks go hand-in-hand, but the regular-season finale at Bristol Motor Speedway had it all. Entering the race, Allmendinger held a five-point lead over Cindric in the regular-season championship standings. And the fun was just beginning.
Earning the same amount of stage points in the first two stages, the duo were separated by five points heading into the final stage. And when Cindric looked to be in control of the race, a late caution came out when Justin Allgaier spun Sam Mayer. On the restart, Allmendinger and Cindric swapped paint and slid across the finish line before pounding the inside wall. The advantage went to the No. 16 team.
The Xfinity Series also always puts on a show at road courses. This, too, was the case at Watkins Glen International.
Road-course experts Cindric and Allmendinger swapped the lead back and forth before rookie Ty Gibbs took control of the race, leading 25 of the final 27 circuits. More impressive was Gibbs’ late-race tenacity after losing the lead to both Cindric and Allmendinger on separate restarts, only to get it back. That marked the then 18-year-old’s third victory of the season. And speaking of Gibbs.
Additional season highlights:
Running just 18 of 33 races, Gibbs was impressive almost every time he strapped into a JGR Toyota. By winning in his series debut at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in February, he became just the sixth driver in series history to win his first time out and the first to do it without ever making a Cup Series start.
In a part-time role with JR Motorsports, Josh Berry won at a familiar place back in April – Martinsville Speedway. That win led to more opportunities within the sport for Berry, including his first start for Jordan Anderson Racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He went on to win his second race of the season in the playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, replacing an injured Michael Annett, who retired at season’s end.
Kyle Busch went five-for-five in Xfinity Series competition, leading 57.4% of the laps. Included in that handful of victories was his 100th series victory, coming at Nashville Superspeedway. Busch, who may be done racing in the Xfinity Series, now has 102 wins, picking up additional triumphs at Road America and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
KYLE BUSCH: Comcast celebrates milestone 100th win
Stats to know:
– 1,150 laps led by Cindric is the most laps led by a Team Penske driver in a single season. Brad Keselowski previously held the record at 1,147, coming in his 2010 championship-winning season.
– Competing in just 18 races, Gibbs won the Rookie of the Year. It’s the fewest number of races a ROY has competed in since David Stremme (also 18) in 2003. That year, Ty’s father, Coy, was also one of the ROY competitors.
– Making the playoffs for the second time in his career, Jeremy Clements posted a career-high eight top-10 finishes during the 33-race schedule. The No. 51 team led the series with just one DNF (Las Vegas fall race).
Looking ahead:
Coming off the 2021 championship, Hemric will move over to Kaulig Racing to pilot the No. 11 Chevrolet. He replaces Justin Haley, who will transition full-time to the Cup Series, along with Cindric and Harrison Burton.
Allmendinger will return for a second full season with Kaulig, while Berry will drive the No. 8 car for JR Motorsports. Gragson, Allgaier and Mayer will round out the four-car team at JRM. Though it hasn’t been formally announced, Gibbs will run for the Xfinity Series title for JGR, joining Brandon Jones as full-time competitors for the reigning championship organization.
RELATED: 2022 race schedule | Xfinity Series breaks into Pacific Northwest with Portland add
For the first time ever, the Xfinity Series will visit Portland International Raceway in early June, which replaces Mid-Ohio on the schedule. The playoff tracks will have a bit of a different look in 2022, with Texas Motor Speedway and Las Vegas switching dates, and Homestead-Miami Speedway being added to the Round of 8, replacing Kansas Speedway. The season will conclude at Phoenix on Nov. 5.