The 2023 RAPTOR King of Tough 250 was the 5th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 32nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a permanent tri-oval shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 163 laps to complete. In a chaotic finish, Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would hold off the field on the final restart, and earn his fifth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his third of the season. Hill dominated the race as well, leading 103 laps. To fill out the podium, Daniel Hemric, driving for Kaulig Racing, and Ryan Truex, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.54-mile race track in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Cup Series stock car races since its inauguration in 1960.
The venue was bought by Speedway Motorsports in 1990. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two intermediate ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval, with a new official length of where before it was . The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit. In July 2021 NASCAR announced that the track would be reprofiled for the 2022 season to have 28 degrees of banking and would be narrowed from 55 to 40 feet which the track claims will turn racing at the track similar to restrictor plate superspeedways. Despite the reprofiling being criticized by drivers, construction began in August 2021 and wrapped up in December 2021. The track has seating capacity of 71,000 to 125,000 people depending on the tracks configuration.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake00Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet02Kyle WeathermanOur MotorsportsChevrolet2Sheldon Creed Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet6Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Blaine Perkins (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet16Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet18Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Ryan TruexJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota25Brett MoffittAM RacingFord26Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord31Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord38Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet66Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet74Dawson CramCHK RacingChevrolet78Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Chad ChastainDGM RacingChevrolet92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Starting lineup Qualifying was scheduled to be held on Friday, March 17, at 4:30 PM EST, but was cancelled due to constant rain showers. The starting lineup would be determined by a performance-based metric system. As a result, Sammy Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would earn the pole. Dawson Cram would fail to qualify. Pos.#DriverTeamMake118Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota220John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota321Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet419Ryan TruexJoe Gibbs RacingToyota598Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord616Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet72Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet800Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord98Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet101Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1111Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet1225Brett MoffittAM RacingFord1348Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet1439Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1578Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1627Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1731Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1810Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet197Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet2002Kyle WeathermanOur MotorsportsChevrolet219Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet2292Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet2351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2443Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2524Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota2628Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord2738Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord2826Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota296Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet3045Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet3144Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet3235Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord3353Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevroletQualified by owner's points344Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet3508Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet3607Blaine Perkins (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet3791Chad ChastainDGM RacingChevrolet3866Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevroletFailed to qualify3974Dawson CramCHK RacingChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 40 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1022Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet9320John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota8416Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet7598Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord6625Brett MoffittAM RacingFord5711Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet4839Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord3900Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord21010Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 40 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts148Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet10298Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord939Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet842Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet7578Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet6639Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord578Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet4821Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3900Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord21051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clememts RacingChevrolet1
Stage 3 Laps: 83 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1321Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet163103Running5321111Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet1630Running393419Ryan TruexJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1630Running3441348Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet1635Running435598Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord16311Running4761225Brett MoffittAM RacingFord1630Running36798Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet1630Running348220John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota16310Running379101Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1630Running28101810Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1635Running0111439Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1630Running3412800Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord1630Running2913296Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet1630Running24141578Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet16318Running29152351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1630Running23161627Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1630Running2117118Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1630Running20183235Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord1630Running1919219Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet16310Running26203508Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1631Running172172Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1630Running32223607Blaine Perkins (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1630Running15232443Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1630Running14243791Chad ChastainDGM RacingChevrolet1630Running0252738Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord1630Running12262628Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1610Running11271731Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1540Accident1028616Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1270Rear Gear1629197Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet770Accident8302524Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota690Accident7313045Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet430Radiator6322292Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet330Accident5332002Kyle WeathermanOur MotorsportsChevrolet260Accident4343144Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet110Accident3352826Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota110Accident236344Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet110Accident1373553Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet10Accident1383866Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet10Accident1Official race results
Penalties During the first stage, Josh Williams sustained heavy damage on lap 27. When debris from his repaired car caused another caution, NASCAR parked him under the Damaged Vehicle Policy. In response, Williams stopped his car on the start/finish line and walked back to pit road with the car behind. As a result, NASCAR handed Williams a one-race suspension for the next race.
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Austin Hill 248 2 John Hunter Nemechek 202 (-46) 2 3 Riley Herbst 202 (–46) 4 Chandler Smith 171 (–77) 2 5 Justin Allgaier 164 (–84) 1 6 Sam Mayer 156 (–92) 1 7 Sammy Smith 148 (–100) 1 8 Josh Berry 148 (–100) 1 9 Cole Custer 147 (–101) 10 Daniel Hemric 145 (–103) 1 11 Parker Kligerman 142 (–106) 1 12 Sheldon Creed 137 (–111)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References