2023 ToyotaCare 250
7th race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series
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The 2023 ToyotaCare 250 was the 7th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the 43rd iteration of the event, and the first race of the Dash 4 Cash. The race was held on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Richmond, Virginia at Richmond Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. Chandler Smith, driving for Kaulig Racing, would hold off John Hunter Nemechek in the final laps of the race, and earn his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win. Smith would also dominate a portion of the race, leading 83 laps.[1] To fill out the podium, Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Josh Berry, driving for JR Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 7 of 33 of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
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| Date | April 1, 2023 | ||
| Official name | 43rd Annual ToyotaCare 250 | ||
| Location | Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Virginia | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 0.75 miles (1.21 km) | ||
| Distance | 250 laps, 187 mi (301 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 250 laps, 187 mi (301 km) | ||
| Average speed | 86.884 mph (139.826 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | JR Motorsports | ||
| Grid positions set by competition-based formula | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Chandler Smith | Kaulig Racing | |
| Laps | 83 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 16 | Chandler Smith | Kaulig Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FS1 | ||
| Announcers | Adam Alexander, Kevin Harvick, and Joey Logano | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
This was also the first race of the Dash 4 Cash. Drivers eligible for the Dash 4 Cash were Sammy Smith, Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric, and Sam Mayer, after they were the highest finishing Xfinity regulars following the race at COTA. Allgaier, who finished the race in 13th, would claim the bonus cash after finishing ahead of Smith, Hemric, and Mayer.[2]
Background
Richmond Raceway (RR) is a 0.75 miles (1.21 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.[3] Known as "America's premier short track", it has formerly hosted events such as the International Race of Champions, Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown, and the USAC sprint car series. Due to Richmond Raceway's unique "D" shape which allows drivers to reach high speeds, Richmond has long been known as a short track that races like a superspeedway. With its multiple racing grooves, and proclivity for contact Richmond is a favorite among NASCAR drivers and fans.[4]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Starting lineup
Practice and qualifying was both scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 1, at 8:00 AM EST, and 8:30 AM EST, but were both cancelled due to constant rain showers.[5] The starting lineup was determined by a performance-based metric system. As a result, Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, earned the pole.[6] Dawson Cram and Kyle Weatherman failed to qualify.
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 75
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Chandler Smith (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 8 | Josh Berry | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 11 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 75
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Josh Berry | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 16 | Chandler Smith (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 26 | Kaz Grala | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 48 | Parker Kligerman | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 100
| Fin[7] | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 16 | Chandler Smith (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 83 | Running | 57 |
| 2 | 10 | 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | 11 | Running | 39 |
| 3 | 7 | 8 | Josh Berry | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 63 | Running | 51 |
| 4 | 21 | 26 | Kaz Grala | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 250 | 0 | Running | 38 |
| 5 | 22 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 250 | 0 | Running | 44 |
| 6 | 6 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 7 | 17 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 250 | 0 | Running | 32 |
| 8 | 20 | 48 | Parker Kligerman | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 32 |
| 9 | 18 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 28 |
| 10 | 11 | 10 | Derek Kraus (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 11 | 32 | 91 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 26 |
| 12 | 16 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 25 |
| 13 | 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 2 | Running | 31 |
| 14 | 29 | 38 | Chris Hacker (i) | RSS Racing | Ford | 250 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 15 | 23 | 43 | Ryan Ellis | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 16 | 14 | 31 | Parker Retzlaff (R) | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 17 | 3 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 18 | 34 | 44 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 19 |
| 19 | 2 | 18 | Sammy Smith (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | 40 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 25 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 250 | 0 | Running | 17 |
| 21 | 9 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 24 | Running | 33 |
| 22 | 24 | 25 | Brett Moffitt | AM Racing | Ford | 250 | 0 | Running | 15 |
| 23 | 4 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 250 | 27 | Running | 31 |
| 24 | 5 | 11 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 249 | 0 | Running | 17 |
| 25 | 28 | 45 | Leland Honeyman | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 249 | 0 | Running | 12 |
| 26 | 27 | 02 | Blaine Perkins | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 248 | 0 | Running | 11 |
| 27 | 35 | 35 | Joey Gase | Emerling-Gase Motorsports | Toyota | 248 | 0 | Running | 10 |
| 28 | 19 | 24 | Connor Mosack (R) | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 248 | 0 | Running | 9 |
| 29 | 33 | 53 | Patrick Emerling | Emerling-Gase Motorsports | Ford | 248 | 0 | Running | 8 |
| 30 | 37 | 4 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 248 | 0 | Running | 7 |
| 31 | 38 | 66 | Mason Maggio (i) | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 247 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 32 | 36 | 07 | Stefan Parsons | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 247 | 0 | Running | 5 |
| 33 | 26 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 247 | 0 | Running | 4 |
| 34 | 30 | 6 | Brennan Poole | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 247 | 0 | Running | 3 |
| 35 | 31 | 08 | Gray Gaulding | SS-Green Light Racing | Ford | 245 | 0 | Running | 2 |
| 36 | 12 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 243 | 0 | Running | 1 |
| 37 | 15 | 19 | Joe Graf Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 236 | 0 | Running | 1 |
| 38 | 13 | 78 | Anthony Alfredo | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 144 | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||||
Standings after the race
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