The 2022 Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina was the 29th stock car race of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the final race of the Round of 12, and the 50th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, October 8, 2022, in Concord, North Carolina at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, a permanent road course. The race was increased from 67 laps to 72 laps, due to several NASCAR overtime finishes. A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, held off Ty Gibbs in the final few laps to earn his 15th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his fifth of the season. To fill out the podium, Noah Gragson, driving for JR Motorsports, would finish 3rd, respectively. Allmendinger and Gibbs would mostly dominate, leading 25 and 24 laps.
Eight drivers would advance into the next round of the playoffs: Noah Gragson, A. J. Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, and Sam Mayer. Ryan Sieg, Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst, and Jeremy Clements would fail to advance.
This was the debut race for the former F1 driver, Daniil Kvyat, and the current IndyCar driver, Marco Andretti.
Background Since 2018, deviating from past NASCAR events at Charlotte, the race will utilize a road course configuration of Charlotte Motor Speedway, promoted and trademarked as the "Roval". The course is in length and features 17 turns, utilizing the infield road course and portions of the oval track.
During July 2018 tests on the road course, concerns were raised over drivers "cheating" the backstretch chicane on the course. The chicanes were modified with additional tire barriers and rumble strips in order to encourage drivers to properly drive through them, and NASCAR will enforce drive-through penalties on drivers who illegally "short-cut" parts of the course. The chicanes will not be used during restarts. In the summer of 2019, the bus stop on the backstretch was changed and deepened, becoming a permanent part of the circuit, compared to the previous year where it was improvised.
If a driver fails to legally make the backstretch bus stop, they must skip the front-stretch chicane and make a complete stop by the dotted line on the exit, before being allowed to continue. A driver who misses the front-stretch chicane, must also stop before the exit.
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 MotorsportsChevrolet5Scott HeckertB. J. McLeod MotorsportsFord6Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08Andy LallySS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet13Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsChevrolet16A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet18James DavisonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet23Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet26Daniil KvyatSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet31Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet32Austin Wayne Self (i)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet34Kaz Grala (i)Jesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet35Brad Perez (i)Emerling-Gase MotorsportsFord36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet38Patrick GallagherRSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord44Josh Bilicki (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Stefan ParsonsAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet47Gray GauldingMike Harmon RacingChevrolet48Marco Andretti (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet52Brennan Poole (i)Jimmy Means RacingChevrolet54Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota66J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsToyota68Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet78Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Preston PardusDGM RacingChevrolet92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice The only 20-minute practice session was held on Saturday, October 8, at 10:00 AM EST. A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:23.147, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed116A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet1:23.147100.449219Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:23.210100.373354Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:23.330100.228Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, October 8, at 10:30 AM EST. Since the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval is a road course, the qualifying system used is a two group system, with two rounds. Drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and Group B. Each driver will have a lap to set a time. The fastest 5 drivers from each group will advance to the final round. The fastest driver to set a time in the round will win the pole. A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 1:21.694, and an average speed of in the second round. Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)116A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet1:21.612102.3381:21.694102.235254Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:22.243101.5531:21.767102.144311Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet1:22.015101.8351:22.098101.73242Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1.22.131101.6911:22.365101.40257Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:22.370101.3961:22.510101.22461Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:22.103101.7261:22.734100.950710Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet1:22.528101.2021:22.743100.939821Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1:22.558101.1651:22.914100.731902Sage KaramOur MotorsportsChevrolet1:22.557101.1661:23.083100.5261051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1:22.583101.135 - -Eliminated from Round 11198Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord1:22.567101.154 - -1236Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet1:22.577101.142 - -1345Stefan Parsons (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet1:22.782100.891 - -148Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:22.860100.797 - -1519Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:22.922100.721 - -1618James DavisonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:23.031100.589 - -1739Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1:23.061100.553 - -1823Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet1:23.076100.534 - -1991Preston PardusDGM RacingChevrolet1:23.132100.467 - -2044Josh Bilicki (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet1:23.199100.386 - -2134Kaz Grala (i)Jesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet1:23.337100.220 - -2292Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet1:23.382100.166 - -2327Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet1:23.468100.062 - -2426Daniil KvyatSam Hunt RacingToyota1:23.70699.778 - -2566J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsToyota1:23.72999.750 - -265Scott HeckertB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1:23.98199.451 - -2735Brad Perez (i)Emerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota1:23.99599.434 - -2838Patrick GallagherRSS RacingFord1:24.01899.407 - -2908Andy LallySS-Green Light RacingFord1:24.14399.260 - -3048Marco Andretti (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet1:24.17599.222 - -3131Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1:24.38598.975 - -324Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:24.65198.664 - -3378Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1:24.68898.621 - -Qualified by owner's points3413Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota1:24.71398.592 - -3507Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord1.25.22098.005 - -366Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:25.26997.949 - -379Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet - - - -3868Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet - - - -Failed to qualify3947Gray GauldingMike Harmon RacingChevrolet1:24.84198.443 - -4052Brennan Poole (i)Jimmy Means RacingChevrolet1.24.94798.320 - -4132Austin Wayne Self (i)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1:25.45097.741 - -Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 20 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts116A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet10254Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota931Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet8421Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet7598Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord667Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet5718James DavisonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota4810Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet398Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet21002Sage KaramOur MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 20 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts119Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota10298Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord931Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet847Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet7518James DavisonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota6611Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet578Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet4823Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet392Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet21054Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 3 Laps: 32* Fin.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1116A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet7225Running502254Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7224Running453379Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet721Running3441618James DavisonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota720Running43557Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet720Running4461236Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet720Running3171519Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota723Running408148Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet720Running3591739Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord720Running2810710Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet720Running301161Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet720Running42121823Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet720Running28133131Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet720Running24141051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet720Running23152426Daniil KvyatSam Hunt RacingToyota720Running221642Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet7218Running2317311Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet720Running25182327Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet720Running19192566J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsToyota720Running18203378Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet720Running17211991Preston PardusDGM RacingChevrolet720Running1622265Scott HeckertB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet720Running15232735Brad Perez (i)Emerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota720Running024366Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet720Running13251345Stefan Parsons (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet720Running026324Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet720Running11273507Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord720Running10283413Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota720Running029821Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet700Running1530902Sage KaramOur MotorsportsChevrolet700Running8312908Andy LallySS-Green Light RacingFord690Running6321198Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord671Accident20332838Patrick GallagherRSS RacingFord670Engine4342044Josh Bilicki (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrlet660Running0352134Kaz Grala (i)Jesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet590Accident0363048Marco Andretti (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet450Accident1372292Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet350Track Bar1383868Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet70Accident1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 1 Noah Gragson 3,056 1 2 A. J. Allmendinger 3,044 (-12) 3 Ty Gibbs 3,038 (-18) 2 4 Justin Allgaier 3,033 (-23) 5 Josh Berry 3,022 (-34) 2 6 Austin Hill 3,018 (-38) 4 7 Brandon Jones 3,011 (-45) 1 8 Sam Mayer 3,005 (-51) 1 9 Ryan Sieg 2,098 (-958) 1 10 Daniel Hemric 2,089 (-967) 1 11 Riley Herbst 2,080 (-976) 12 Jeremy Clements 2,046 (-1,010)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References