The 2023 Tyson 250 was the 10th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the inaugural iteration of the event. The race took place on Saturday, May 20, 2023, in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina at North Wilkesboro Speedway, a permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race was increased from 250 to 252 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. In a wreck-filled race that caused twelve cautions, Kyle Larson, driving for Spire Motorsports, would put on a dominating performance, winning stage two and leading 138 laps, earning his third career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Ty Majeski, driving for ThorSport Racing, and Matt DiBenedetto, driving for Rackley WAR, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
This event also marked the first Truck Series race to take place at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996.
Background North Wilkesboro Speedway is a short oval racetrack located on U.S. Route 421, about east of the town of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, or 80 miles north of Charlotte. It measures and features a unique uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch. It has previously held races in NASCAR's top three series, including 93 Winston Cup Series races. The track, a NASCAR original, operated from 1949, NASCAR's inception, until the track's original closure in 1996. The speedway briefly reopened in 2010 and hosted several stock car series races, including the now-defunct ASA Late Model Series, USARacing Pro Cup Series, and PASS super late models, before closing again in the spring of 2011. It was re-opened in August 2022 for grassroots racing and will host the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, with further renovations planned after the events.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake1Bubba Wallace (i)Tricon GarageToyota02Kris WrightYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet04Johnny SauterRoper RacingFord4Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet5Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota6Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet7Kyle Larson (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet9Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet11Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota12Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet13Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord15Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota16Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota17Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota19Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet20Kaden HoneycuttYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet22Josh Williams (i)AM RacingFord23Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet24Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet25Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet30Chris HackerOn Point MotorsportsToyota32Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet33Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingFord35Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet38Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord41Ross Chastain (i)Niece MotorsportsChevrolet42Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet43Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet45Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet46Akinori OgataG2G RacingToyota51William Byron (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet52Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota56Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota61Christopher Bell (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyota66Conner JonesThorSport RacingFord75Parker Kligerman (i)Henderson MotorsportsChevrolet88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord98Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord99Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Friday, May 19, at 3:05 PM EST, and would last for 50 minutes. Carson Hocevar, driving for Niece Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.589, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed142Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet20.589109.282298Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord20.594109.25534Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet20.642109.001Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, May 20, at 10:30 AM EST. Since North Wilkesboro Speedway is a short track, the qualifying system used is a single-car, two-lap system with only one round. In that round, whoever sets the fastest time will win the pole. Corey Heim, driving for Tricon Garage, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 20.072, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed111Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota20.072112.096242Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet20.156111.629398Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord20.198111.397451William Byron (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet20.253111.09559Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet20.270111.001632Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet20.271110.996723Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet20.272110.99187Kyle Larson (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet20.279110.952961Christopher Bell (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyota20.281110.9411013Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord20.308110.7941120Kaden HoneycuttYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet20.326110.6961241Ross Chastain (i)Niece MotorsportsChevrolet20.346110.5871319Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet20.349110.571141Bubba Wallace (i)Tricon GarageToyota20.352110.5541525Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet20.388110.3591643Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet20.418110.1971716Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota20.438110.0891888Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord20.449110.0301999Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord20.453110.008202Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet20.499109.7612135Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet20.525109.6222245Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet20.530109.5962324Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet20.537109.558244Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet20.559109.441255Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota20.559109.4412656Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota20.562109.4252717Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota20.564109.4152822Josh Williams (i)AM RacingFord20.565109.4092904Johnny SauterRoper RacingFord20.569109.3883066Conner JonesThorSport RacingFord20.609109.1763115Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota20.669108.859Qualified by owner's points3230Chris HackerOn Point MotorsportsToyota20.677108.8173352Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota20.729108.5443402Kris WrightYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet20.921107.5473512Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet20.952107.3883638Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord––Failed to qualify3775Parker Kligerman (i)Henderson MotorsportsChevrolet20.818108.0803833Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingFord20.839107.971396Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet21.923102.632Withdrew4046Akinori OgataG2G RacingToyota––Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 70 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts111Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota10251William Byron (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet0361Christopher Bell (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyota049Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet7542Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet6652Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota5738Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord487Kyle Larson (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet094Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet21016Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota1 Stage 2 Laps: 70 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Kyle Larson (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet0242Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet9338Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord8411Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota7551William Byron (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet0625Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet5723Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet4841Ross Chastain (i)Niece MotorsportsChevrolet091Bubba Wallace (i)Tricon GarageToyota01016Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota1
Stage 3 Laps: 112 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts187Kyle Larson (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet252138Running02398Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord2520Running3531525Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet2520Running394242Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet25216Running485141Bubba Wallace (i)Tricon GarageToyota25213Running06111Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota25275Running4871888Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord2520Running308244Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet2520Running3191241Ross Chastain (i)Niece MotorsportsChevrolet2520Running010723Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet2520Running3111451William Byron (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet25210Running0123230Chris HackerOn Point MotorsportsToyota2520Running25133352Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota2520Running29141643Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet2520Running2315632Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet2520Running2216961Christopher Bell (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyota2520Running0171120Kaden HoneycuttYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2520Running20183115Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota2520Running19192245Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet2520Running18201013Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord2520Running17212717Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota2520Running16223402Kris WrightYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2520Running15232135Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet2520Running142459Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet2520Running20251319Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet2520Running12261716Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota2500Running13273512Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2500Running10282822Josh Williams (i)AM RacingFord2210Water Pump0293066Conner JonesThorSport RacingFord2190Electrical830202Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet2130Running7312656Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota2110Running6323638Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord2040Accident17331999Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord2020Accident4342324Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet2000Accident335255Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota1820Accident2362904Johnny SauterRoper RacingFord1530Electrical1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 2 1 Corey Heim 371 2 Ty Majeski 364 (-7) 2 3 Zane Smith 355 (-16) 2 4 Grant Enfinger 330 (-41) 5 Christian Eckes 311 (-60) 2 6 Ben Rhodes 305 (-66) 7 Matt Crafton 290 (-81) 8 Tanner Gray 273 (-98) 1 9 Stewart Friesen 256 (-115) 1 10 Matt DiBenedetto 252 (-119)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References