2023 Contender Boats 300

Race details
Race 31 of 33 of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series
Date	October 21, 2023
Official name	29th Annual Contender Boats 300
Location	Homestead–Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Distance	200 laps, 300 mi (482 km)
Scheduled Distance	200 laps, 300 mi (482 km)
Average speed	116.517 mph (187.516 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Cole Custer	Stewart–Haas Racing
Time	32.608
Most laps led
Driver	Cole Custer	Stewart–Haas Racing
Laps	114
Winner
No. 1	Sam Mayer	JR Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network	USA
Announcers	Rick Allen, Steve Letarte, and Dale Jarrett
Radio in the United States
Radio	MRN

The 2023 Contender Boats 300 was the 31st stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the second race of the Round of 8, and the 29th iteration of the event. The race washeld on Saturday, October 21, 2023, in Homestead, Florida at Homestead–Miami Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In a wild finish, Sam Mayer, driving for JR Motorsports, would take the lead in the late stages of the race, and held off a fast-charging Riley Herbst in the closing laps to earn his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his fourth of the season, and his first win on an oval track. He would also earn a spot in the Championship 4.^[1] Cole Custer would dominate the majority of the race, winning the first stage and leading a race-high 114 laps, until hitting the wall and blowing a tire in the late stages. To fill out the podium, Herbst, driving for Stewart–Haas Racing, and John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Background

Homestead–Miami Speedway is a motor racing track located in Homestead, Florida. The track, which has several configurations, has promoted several series of racing, including NASCAR, the NTT IndyCar Series and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

From 2002 to 2019, Homestead-Miami Speedway has hosted the final race of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series. The track has since held races on different dates in 2020 (June) and 2021 (February), which were both effected by the COVID-19 pandemic, before being moved back into the Playoffs as the second race of the Round of 8 in 2022, with the date being kept for 2023.

Practice

The first and only practice session was held on Friday, October 20, at 6:05 PM EST, and would last for 20 minutes.^[2] Cole Custer, driving for Stewart–Haas Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 32.964, and an average speed of 163.815 mph (263.635 km/h).^[3]

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, October 20, at 6:35 PM EST.^[2] Since Homestead–Miami Speedway is an intermediate racetrack, the qualifying system used is a single-car, one-lap system with only one round. In that round, whoever sets the fastest time will win the pole.^[4] Cole Custer, driving for Stewart–Haas Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 32.608, and an average speed of 165.604 mph (266.514 km/h)^[5]

Race results

Stage 1 Laps: 40

Stage 2 Laps: 40

Stage 3 Laps: 120

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 John Hunter Nemechek 3,154 2 2 Cole Custer 3,113 (-41) 3 Austin Hill 3,113 (–41) 2 4 Sam Mayer 3,111 (–43) 3 5 Justin Allgaier 3,110 (–44) 1 6 Sammy Smith 3,064 (–90) 2 7 Chandler Smith 3,059 (–95) 8 Sheldon Creed 3,048 (–106) 9 Daniel Hemric 2,177 (–977) 10 Parker Kligerman 2,161 (–993) 11 Josh Berry 2,096 (–1,058) 12 Jeb Burton 2,073 (–1,081) Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.

References