The 2023 NOCO 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on April 16, 2023, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 400 laps on the 0.526 mile (0.847 km) paperclip-shaped short track; it was the ninth race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Report
Background
Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track on the NASCAR circuit since its beginning in 1948.
This race saw the return of Chase Elliott, after he missed the prior six races after an injury from a skiing accident.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes the driver ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Zane Smith (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 Anthony Alfredo (i) Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice Tyler Reddick was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 20.217 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 20.217 93.664 2 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20.395 92.846 3 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 20.397 92.837Official practice results
Qualifying Ryan Preece scored the pole for the race with a time of 19.979 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 20.046 19.979 2 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 20.139 20.081 3 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 20.059 20.081 4 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 20.055 20.112 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20.106 20.119 6 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 20.252 20.128 7 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 20.159 20.150 8 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20.193 20.155 9 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 20.059 20.167 10 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 20.244 20.191 11 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20.227 — 12 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20.232 — 13 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 20.267 — 14 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 20.297 — 15 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 20.304 — 16 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 20.307 — 17 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 20.326 — 18 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 20.353 — 19 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20.356 — 20 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 20.362 — 21 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 20.377 — 22 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20.382 — 23 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20.382 — 24 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20.384 — 25 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 20.394 — 26 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 20.395 — 27 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 20.408 — 28 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 20.409 — 29 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 20.469 — 30 78 Anthony Alfredo (i) Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 20.478 — 31 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 20.507 — 32 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 20.507 — 33 51 Zane Smith (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 20.571 — 34 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 20.619 — 35 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 20.624 — 36 15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 20.673 —Official qualifying results
Race
Race results
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 102 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 93 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 84 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 75 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 66 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 57 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 48 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 39 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 100
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 102 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 93 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 75 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 66 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 57 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 48 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 39 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 210 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 220
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 19 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 432 15 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 400 353 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 400 344 11 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 400 445 4 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 400 476 3 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 400 427 31 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 400 308 16 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 400 299 9 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 400 3210 24 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 2711 23 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 2612 18 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 -3513 34 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 400 2914 10 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 400 2315 1 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 400 3216 22 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 400 2117 2 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 400 3018 12 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 400 1919 20 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 400 1820 7 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 400 3221 17 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 1622 6 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 400 3023 8 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 1524 21 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 400 1925 13 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 399 1626 27 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 399 1127 14 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 399 1028 26 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 398 929 32 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 398 830 29 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 398 731 28 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 398 632 35 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 397 533 25 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 397 434 33 51 Zane Smith (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 395 035 30 78 Anthony Alfredo (i) Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 390 036 36 15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 337 0Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 10 among 9 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 5 for 50 laps Red flags: 0 Time of race: 2 hours, 50 minutes, and 35 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television Fox Sports covered their 23rd race at the Martinsville Speedway. Mike Joy, 2018 Spring Martinsville winner Clint Bowyer and 2002 Spring Martinsville winner Bobby Labonte called the race from the broadcast booth. Jamie Little and Regan Smith handled the pit road for the television side. Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.
FS1Booth announcersPit reportersIn-race analystLap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Clint BowyerColor-commentator: Bobby Labonte Jamie LittleRegan Smith Larry McReynolds
Radio MRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and Todd Gordon called the race in the booth when the field races down the front stretch. Dave Moody called the race from a platform inside the backstretch when the field races down the backstretch. Steve Post, Kim Coon, and Dillon Welch worked the pit road for the radio side.
MRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reportersLead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Todd Gordon Backstretch: Dave Moody Steve PostKim CoonDillon Welch
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Christopher Bell 302 2 Ross Chastain 297 (–5) 3 Kevin Harvick 287 (–15) 4 Kyle Larson 285 (–17) 2 5 Martin Truex Jr. 266 (–36) 1 6 Tyler Reddick 265 (–37) 1 7 Joey Logano 258 (–44) 2 8 Kyle Busch 250 (–52) 3 9 Denny Hamlin 247 (–55) 10 Ryan Blaney 241 (–61) 11 Alex Bowman 237 (–65) 3 12 Brad Keselowski 235 (–67) 13 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 223 (–79) 6 14 Chase Briscoe 210 (–92) 1 15 William Byron 208 (–94) 16 Chris Buescher 206 (–96)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 342 2 Toyota 313 (–29) 3 Ford 303 (–39) Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
References