2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race

Race details
Race 33 of 33 of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series
Date	November 4, 2023
Official name	25th Annual NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race
Location	Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
Course	Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km)
Distance	202 laps, 202 mi (325 km)
Scheduled Distance	200 laps, 200 mi (320 km)
Average speed	90.527 mph (145.689 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Sammy Smith	Joe Gibbs Racing
Time	27.153
Most laps led
Driver	Cole Custer	Stewart–Haas Racing
Laps	96
Winner
No. 00	Cole Custer	Stewart–Haas Racing
Television in the United States
Network	USA
Announcers	Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Radio in the United States
Radio	MRN

The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race was the 33rd and final stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the Championship 4 race, and the 25th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, November 4, 2023, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix Raceway, a 1 mile (1.6 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 200 laps, but was increased to 202 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. In a wild overtime restart, Cole Custer, driving for Stewart–Haas Racing, took advantage of the lead, and held off the rest of the field to earn his 13th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his third of the season. Custer also dominated the race, winning the second stage and leading a race-high 96 laps.^[1] To fill out the podium, Sheldon Creed, driving for Richard Childress Racing, and Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

In addition to winning the race, Custer also claimed the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, finishing in two positions ahead of his closest competitor, Justin Allgaier. This was the first championship for Custer after previously finishing second in the standings from 2018 to 2019, and the first championship for Stewart–Haas Racing in the Xfinity Series.^[2] Sam Mayer finished in fifth and ranked third in the championship. John Hunter Nemechek had dominated the early stages of the race, leading 66 laps and winning the first stage. He ultimately hit the wall on the final lap and finished 28th while running in the top five; he finished fourth in the championship.^[3]

Background

Phoenix Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

Phoenix Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop in the western United States, as well as the fourth and the last track on the schedule.

Practice

The first and only practice session was held on Friday, November 3, at 4:05 PM MST, and lasted for 50 minutes.^[4] John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.679, and an average speed of 130.063 mph (209.316 km/h).^[5]

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Saturday, November 4, at 12:30 PM MST.^[4] Since Phoenix Raceway is a mile oval, the qualifying system used was a single-car, one-lap system with only one round. In that round, whoever set the fastest time won the pole.^[6] Sammy Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, scored the pole for the race, with a lap of 27.153, and an average speed of 132.582 mph (213.370 km/h).^[7]

Race results

Stage 1 Laps: 45

Stage 2 Laps: 45

Stage 3 Laps: 110

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 3 1 Cole Custer 4,040 2 Justin Allgaier 4,034 (-6) 2 3 Sam Mayer 4,032 (–8) 1 4 John Hunter Nemechek 4,009 (–31) 5 Austin Hill 2,273 (–1,767) 6 Sammy Smith 2,248 (–1,792) 2 7 Sheldon Creed 2,225 (–1,815) 1 8 Daniel Hemric 2,224 (–1,816) 1 9 Chandler Smith 2,219 (–1,821) 2 10 Parker Kligerman 2,209 (–1,831) 11 Josh Berry 2,172 (–1,868) 12 Jeb Burton 2,126 (–1,914) Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.

References