The 2022 Food City 300 was the 26th stock car race of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the final race of the regular season, and the 41st iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, September 16, 2022, in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. Noah Gragson, driving for JR Motorsports, took advantage of the lead with 25 laps to go, and held off Brandon Jones for his eleventh career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, along with his sixth of the season, and his third win in a row. Gragson's teammate, Justin Allgaier, dominated most of the race, leading 148 laps and winning a stage. To fill out the podium, Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would finish 3rd, respectively.
12 drivers would qualify for the playoffs: Noah Gragson, Ty Gibbs, Justin Allgaier, A. J. Allmendinger, Josh Berry, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, Jeremy Clements, Sam Mayer, Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst, and Ryan Sieg. Allmendinger would also clinch the Regular Season Championship following the race.
This was the official debut race for CARS Pro Late Model Tour driver, Bobby McCarty. He was originally scheduled to make his debut at the New Hampshire race earlier in the year, but had failed to qualify.
Background Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all-concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks. The track is billed as the "World's Fastest Half-Mile", even though that designation technically belongs to the Volusia Speedway Park dirt track.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet02Sage KaramOur MotorsportsChevrolet2Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet5Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet6Bobby McCartyJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet13Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsFord16A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet18Sammy SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet23Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet26Jeffrey EarnhardtSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet31Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet34Kyle WeathermanJesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet35Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet38C. J. McLaughlinRSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord44Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Stefan ParsonsAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet47Dawson CramMike Harmon RacingChevrolet48Nick SanchezBig Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet52Brennan Poole (i)Jimmy Means RacingChevrolet54Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota66J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsFord68Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet77Ronnie Bassett Jr.Bassett RacingChevrolet78B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice For practice, drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and B. Both sessions will be 15 minutes long, and was held on Friday, September 16, at 2:35 PM EST. Ty Gibbs, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, was the fastest driver in total, with a lap of 16.045, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed154Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota16.045119.58927Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet16.058119.49239Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet16.102119.165Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, September 16, at 3:10 PM EST. Since Bristol Motor Speedway is a short track, the qualifying system used is a single-car, two-lap system with only one round. Whoever sets the fastest time in the round wins the pole. Ty Gibbs, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, scored the pole for the race, with a lap of 15.653, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed154Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15.653122.58428Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet15.715122.10037Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet15.740121.906416A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet15.747121.85251Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet15.792121.505618Sammy SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15.813121.343727Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet15.834121.182811Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet15.841121.12999Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet15.860120.9841039Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord15.886120.7861119Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15.901120.6721298Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord15.941120.369135Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet15.964120.1951445Stefan Parsons (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet15.984120.0451521Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet16.019119.7831610Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet16.028119.7151791Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet16.035119.6631823Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet16.037119.6481951Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet16.037119.648204Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet16.054119.5222126Jeffrey EarnhardtSam Hunt RacingToyota16.080119.328222Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet16.113119.0842335Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet16.131118.9512448Nick SanchezBig Machine RacingChevrolet16.135118.9222536Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet16.136118.9142666J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsToyota16.154118.7822708David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord16.160118.7382844Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet16.177118.6132978B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet16.178118.6063092Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet16.184118.5623102Sage KaramOur MotorsportsChevrolet16.198118.4593277Ronnie Bassett Jr.Bassett RacingChevrolet16.198118.4593334Kyle WeathermanJesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet16.218118.313Qualified by owner's points3468Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet16.221118.2913538C. J. McLaughlinRSS RacingFord16.244118.1243631Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet16.336117.4583707Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord16.392117.057386Bobby McCartyJD MotorsportsChevrolet16.415116.893Failed to qualify3952Brennan Poole (i)Jimmy Means RacingChevrolet16.240118.1534013Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsFord16.352117.3434147Dawson CramMike Harmon RacingChevrolet16.987112.957Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 85 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts154Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1027Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet939Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet841Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet7516A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet668Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet5727Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet4811Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet3910Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet21039Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1 Stage 2 Laps: 85 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1029Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet9316A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet8419Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7598Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord6621Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet5727Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet4811Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet391Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet21018Sammy SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 3 Laps: 130 Fin.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts199Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet30025Running5721119Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3000Running4231521Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3000Running39451Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet3000Running4251298Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord3000Running386416A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet3000Running45728Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet3000Running3581445Stefan Parsons (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet3000Running0937Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet300148Running47101039Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord3000Running2811204Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet3004Running26122126Jeffrey EarnhardtSam Hunt RacingToyota3000Running25131823Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet3000Running2414618Sammy SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2990Running2415727Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet2990Running30161951Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2990Running21173334Kyle WeathermanJesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet2990Running20183102Sage KaramOur MotorsportsChevrolet2990Running19192844Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2990Running1820811Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet2980Running23213092Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet2980Running16223631Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet2980Running15233707Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord2980Running14243538C. J. McLaughlinRSS RacingFord2970Running13253468Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet2970Running12262536Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet2970Running11272335Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet2940Running10283277Ronnie Bassett Jr.Bassett RacingChevrolet2940Running9292448Nick SanchezBig Machine RacingChevrolet2940Running8302708David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord2930Running731386Bobby McCartyJD MotorsportsChevrolet2880Running6321791Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet2710Oil Line5332666J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsToyota2670Accident4342978B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2200Brakes3351610Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet1880Running436154Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota12989Accident1137222Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet12834Accident138135Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet450Accident1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 3 1 Noah Gragson 2,051 2 Ty Gibbs 2,038 (-13) 3 Justin Allgaier 2,033 (-18) 3 4 A. J. Allmendinger 2,032 (-19) 5 Josh Berry 2,022 (-29) 6 Austin Hill 2,016 (-35) 7 Brandon Jones 2,010 (-41) 8 8 Jeremy Clements 2,005 (-46) 1 9 Sam Mayer 2,005 (-46) 10 Daniel Hemric 2,003 (-48) 2 11 Riley Herbst 2,002 (-49) 12 Ryan Sieg 2,001 (-50)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References