The 2023 Production Alliance Group 300 was the 2nd stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 24th iteration of the event. The race took place at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, a permanent tri-oval shaped superspeedway. The race was originally scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 25, 2023, but due to constant rain showers, the race was postponed until Sunday, February 26, immediately following the Pala Casino 400 Cup Series race on the same day.
The race took the scheduled 150 laps to complete. John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, dominated the final stages of the race, and earned his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, along with his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Sam Mayer, driving for JR Motorsports, and Justin Allgaier, also driving for JR Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
This was also the final Xfinity Series race, and final race ever, to be held on the 2.0 mile version of Auto Club Speedway, as the track will be renovated into a 0.5 mile short track in the mid-2020's.
Background Auto Club Speedway (previously California Speedway) was a , low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which hosted NASCAR racing annually from 1997 to 2023. It was also used for open wheel racing events. The racetrack was located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and Riverside International Raceway. The track was owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and was the only track owned by ISC to have its naming rights sold. The speedway was served by the nearby Interstate 10 and Interstate 15 freeways as well as a Metrolink station located behind the backstretch.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake00Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet02David StarrOur MotorsportsChevrolet2Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet6Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Blaine Perkins (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet16Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet18Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Joe Graf Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota20John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24Tyler Reddick (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota25Brett MoffittAM RacingFord26Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Alex LabbéRSS RacingFord31Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord38Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53C. J. McLaughlinEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet66Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsFord74Ryan VargasCHK RacingChevrolet78Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Ross Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevrolet92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord99Garrett SmithleyB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletOfficial entry list
Starting lineup Practice and qualifying were scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 25, at 9:05 AM PST, and 9:35 AM PST, but were both cancelled due to constant rain showers. The starting lineup would be determined by a performance-based metric system. As a result, Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would earn the pole. Garrett Smithley and Ryan Vargas would fail to qualify. Pos.#DriverTeamMake121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet220John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota37Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet431Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet516Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord727Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet800Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord992Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet109Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet1151Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1208Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingFord1318Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1419Joe Graf Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1510Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1639Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1778Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1838Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord198Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet2045Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet2102David StarrOur MotorsportsChevrolet221Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2348Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet2424Tyler Reddick (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota2525Brett MoffittAM RacingFord2644Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2753C. J. McLaughlinEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet2828Alex LabbéRSS RacingFord2926Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota306Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet312Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3243Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet3307Blaine Perkins (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevroletQualified by owner's points3435Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota3511Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet364Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet3766Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsFord3891Ross Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevroletFailed to qualify3999Garrett SmithleyB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet4074Ryan VargasCHK RacingChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 35 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts100Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord10221Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet9316Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet8411Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet7598Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord662Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet5725Brett MoffittAM RacingFord4810Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet0920John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21048Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 35 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts100Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord10220John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9318Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingChevrolet8410Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet0548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet667Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet571Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet482Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3998Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord21016Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1
Stage 3 Laps: 80 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1220John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15049Running512221Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1500Running39337Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1508Running394516Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1501Running425198Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet1503Running326121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1504Running407698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord1500Running3881510Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet15010Running092525Brett MoffittAM RacingFord1500Running32102348Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet1500Running34111419Joe Graf Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1500Running26123511Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet1500Running32132926Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota1500Running24141639Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1500Running23151838Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1500Running2216992Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet1500Running21171778Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1500Running20181151Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1500Running19191318Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota15014Running2620431Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1500Running17212045Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet1500Running022727Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1500Running1523312Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15015Running22243891Ross Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevrolet1500Running025306Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet1500Running12262644Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1500Running1127800Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord14946Running30282828Alex LabbéRSS RacingFord1490Running9293435Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota1490Running830364Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1490Running7313307Blaine Perkins (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1490Running6323766Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsFord1490Running033109Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet1490Running4343243Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1490Running3352102David StarrOur MotorsportsChevrolet1480Running2362424Tyler Reddick (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota1480Running0372753C. J. McLaughlinEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1470Running1381208Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingFord260Accident1Official race results
Standings after theace
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Austin Hill 98 1 2 John Hunter Nemechek 91 (–7) 1 3 Justin Allgaier 91 (–7) 1 4 Chandler Smith 76 (–22) 1 5 Riley Herbst 73 (–25) 4 6 Cole Custer 60 (–38) 12 7 Sam Mayer 58 (–40) 1 8 Joe Graf Jr. 56 (–42) 8 9 Josh Berry 52 (–46) 2 10 Ryan Sieg 52 (–46) 11 11 Parker Kligerman 51 (–47) 6 12 Parker Retzlaff 50 (–48)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References