The 2023 Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today was the 6th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 3rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Austin, Texas, at Circuit of the Americas, a permanent asphalt road course. The race completed the scheduled 46 laps. A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, would put on a dominating performance, leading 28 laps for his 16th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, William Byron, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, and Ty Gibbs, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a grade 1 FIA-specification motorsports facility located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas. It features a road racing circuit. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand Prix, and the Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas, a round of the FIM Road Racing World Championship. It previously hosted the Supercars Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the IMSA SportsCar Championship, and IndyCar Series.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake00Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet02Kyle WeathermanOur MotorsportsChevrolet2Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet6Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Carson Hocevar (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08Aric Almirola (i)SS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet10A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet16Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet17William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet18Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Ty Gibbs (i)Joe 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 RacingChevrolet35Parker ChaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota38Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet50Preston PardusPardus RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53Brad PerezEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet66Cameron LawrenceMBM MotorsportsToyota74Baltazar LeguizamónCHK RacingChevrolet78Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet88Miguel PaludoJR MotorsportsChevrolet91Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet92Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Friday, March 24, at 5:30 PM CST, and would last for 20 minutes. A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 2:15.055, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed110A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2:15.05590.896217William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:15.50790.59332Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2:16.01290.257Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, March 24, at 6:00 PM CST. Since Circuit of the Americas is a road course, the qualifying system is a two group system, with two rounds. Drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and Group B. Each driver will have multiple laps 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 that round will win the pole.
Under a 2021 rule change, the timing line in road course qualifying is ''not'' the start-finish line. Instead, the timing line for qualifying will be set at the exit of Istanbul 8. A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, would win the pole after advancing from the preliminary round and setting the fastest lap in Round 2, with a lap of 2:13.184, and an average speed of .
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Garrett Smithley, Parker Chase, Cameron Lawrence, and Baltazar Leguizamón.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime ()Speed ()Time ()Speed ()110A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2:12.93392.3472:13.18492.173218Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2:14.20991.4692:13.68691.827319Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2:12.92992.3502:13.92291.66542Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2:13.71991.8042:13.94191.652548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet2:14.00991.6062:14.61291.195620John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2:14.71191.1282:14.87191.020798Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord2:14.43391.3172:14.93390.97887Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:14.12791.5252:14.98690.943917William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2:13.00292.299——1000Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord2:13.76491.774——Eliminated from Round 11111Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet2:14.15391.507——1221Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2:14.41291.331——1308Aric Almirola (i)SS-Green Light RacingFord2:14.50391.269——141Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:14.75091.102——158Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:15.09890.867——1644Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2:15.33090.712——1707Carson Hocevar (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2:15.39390.669——1888Miguel PaludoJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:15.43690.641——1950Preston PardusPardus RacingChevrolet2:15.52190.584——2026Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota2:15.61390.522——2127Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet2:15.64690.500——2224Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota2:15.67490.482——2392Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet2:15.68390.476——2491Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet2:15.75490.428——2551Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2:15.77590.414——269Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:15.82990.378——2716Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2:16.07990.212——2825Brett MoffittAM RacingFord2:16.70989.797——2978Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2:16.79289.742——3053Brad PerezEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet2:16.80689.733——3139Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord2:16.93389.650——3243Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2:17.38789.353——3302Kyle WeathermanOur MotorsportsChevrolet2:17.50589.277——Qualified by owner's points3431Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet2:18.43688.676——3538Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord2:18.65088.539——3645Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2:19.03288.296——376Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet2:19.80387.809——3828Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord2:21.09887.003——Failed to qualify3966Cameron LawrenceMBM MotorsportsToyota2:18.65188.539——4074Baltazar LeguizamónCHK RacingChevrolet2:20.49187.379——414Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet2:21.25886.905——4235Parker ChaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Notes
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 14 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts110A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet022Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet9348Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet8419Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0517William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet0698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord577Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet489Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet3918Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2101Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 16 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts12Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet10239Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord9320John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota8408Aric Almirola (i)SS-Green Light RacingFord058Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet6610A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet0717William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet0819Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0918Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota21027Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1
Stage 3 Laps: 16 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1110A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet4628Running02917William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet461Running03319Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota460Running04218Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota460Running37587Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet460Running3661111Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet460Running317141Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet460Running318158Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet460Running35942Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4616Running4710798Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord460Running3211269Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet460Running29122716Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet460Running25131888Miguel PaludoJR MotorsportsChevrolet460Running24142551Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet460Running23152392Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet460Running22162978Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet460Running21173431Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet460Running20182026Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota460Running19192224Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota460Running18203243Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet460Running17212127Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet460Running17223302Kyle WeathermanOur MotorsportsChevrolet460Running15233139Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord460Running23241308Aric Almirola (i)SS-Green Light RacingFord460Running0253645Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet460Running12263828Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord460Running1127620John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota460Running18282491Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet460Running9293053Brad PerezEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet460Running8303538Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord460Running731548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet461Running14321000Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord450Running533376Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet290Steering4342825Brett MoffittAM RacingFord270Engine3351644Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet230Engine2361950Preston PardusPardus RacingChevrolet160Suspension1371221Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet130Engine1381707Carson Hocevar (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet70Suspension0Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Austin Hill 249 1 2 Riley Herbst 234 (-15) 1 3 John Hunter Nemechek 220 (–29) 1 4 Justin Allgaier 200 (–49) 1 5 Chandler Smith 196 (–53) 6 Sam Mayer 187 (–62) 7 Sammy Smith 185 (–64) 4 8 Sheldon Creed 184 (–65) 1 9 Josh Berry 183 (–66) 10 Daniel Hemric 176 (–73) 11 Parker Kligerman 156 (–93) 3 12 Cole Custer 152 (–97)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References