The 2023 Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 was the 19th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 22, 2023, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania at Pocono Raceway, a permanent triangular-shaped racetrack. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 90 laps, but was extended to 92 laps due to a NASCAR overtime finish. Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would have a wild battle with Josh Berry on the final lap, and held on to win the race after the final caution came out. This was Hill's sixth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his fourth of the season. Berry had dominated the entire race, leading a race-high 51 laps, until he hit the wall on the final lap, dropping him back to the 24th position. To fill out the podium, Sam Mayer, driving for JR Motorsports, and Chase Elliott, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background Pocono Raceway is a oval speedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1970s. Nicknamed "The Tricky Triangle", the speedway has three distinct corners and is known for high speeds along its lengthy straightaways.
From 1982 to 2019, the circuit had two race weekends. In 2020, the circuit was reduced to one race meeting of two races. The first race was moved to World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis starting in 2022.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake00Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet02Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet2Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet6Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Stefan ParsonsSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08Alex LabbéSS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Daniel Suárez (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet16Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet17Chase Elliott (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet18Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Connor Mosack (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota20John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24Corey Heim (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota25Brett MoffittAM RacingFord26Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord31Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet38Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet66Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota74Dawson CramCHK RacingChevrolet78Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Chad Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevrolet92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Friday, July 21, at 3:35 PM EST, and would last for 20 minutes. Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 54.721, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet54.721164.471200Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord54.743164.405321Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.816164.186Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, July 21, at 4:05 PM EST. Since Pocono Raceway is a superspeedway, the qualifying system used is a single-car, one-lap system with only one round. In that round, whoever sets the fastest time will win the pole. Josh Berry, driving for JR Motorsports, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 53.587, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed18Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet53.587167.951211Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet53.851167.12832Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet53.891167.004419Connor Mosack (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota53.898166.982520John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota53.946166.834618Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota53.973166.75079Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet54.046166.52581Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet54.049166.51697Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet54.134166.2541000Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord54.136166.2481121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.235165.9451227Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet54.241165.9261317Chase Elliott (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.286165.7891451Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet54.321165.6821524Corey Heim (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota54.394165.4591616Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet54.440165.3201739Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord54.444165.3071825Brett MoffittAM RacingFord54.445165.3041931Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet54.448165.2952028Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord54.504165.1252198Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord54.575164.9112248Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet54.579164.8992310Daniel Suárez (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet54.601164.8322426Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota54.742164.408253Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet54.825164.1592678Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet54.912163.8992743Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet55.233162.9462892Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet55.334162.6492944Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet55.349162.6053038Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord55.503162.153316Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet55.749161.4383208Alex LabbéSS-Green Light RacingFord55.805161.2763391Chad Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevrolet55.872161.082Qualified by owner's points344Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet55.875161.0743545Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet55.975160.7863653Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet56.125160.3563735Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet56.274159.9323802Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet56.278159.920Failed to qualify3974Dawson CramCHK RacingChevrolet56.018160.6634066Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota56.318159.8074107Stefan ParsonsSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet56.424159.507Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 20 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts18Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet10211Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet9320John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota8418Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota752Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet669Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet571Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet487Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet3919Connor Mosack (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota21021Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 20 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts18Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet1027Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet9320John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota849Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet7500Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord6618Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota571Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet4898Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord3911Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet21016Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 52 Pos.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts11121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet922Running41281Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet920Running4331317Chase Elliott (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet929Running042198Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord923Running365211Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet920Running436618Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota920Running43779Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet9212Running4281825Brett MoffittAM RacingFord920Running2992248Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet920Running28102310Daniel Suárez (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet925Running01132Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet920Running32121227Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet920Running25132678Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet920Running2414253Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet920Running0151451Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet920Running22162028Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord920Running21173038Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord920Running20182743Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet920Running19193545Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet920Running18201616Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet920Running1821344Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet920Running16221739Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord920Running152397Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet928Running262418Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9151Running33252426Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota910Running12263653Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet910Running11273802Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet910Running10283208Alex LabbéSS-Green Light RacingFord910Running929316Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet910Running8303391Chad Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevrolet910Running0313735Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet900Running632520John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota890Running21331000Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord872Running1034419Connor Mosack (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota850Accident5351931Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet840Running2362892Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet820Running1371524Corey Heim (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota810Suspension0382944Sage KaramAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet70Transmission1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 John Hunter Nemechek 751 2 Austin Hill 738 (-13) 3 Justin Allgaier 696 (–55) 4 Cole Custer 666 (–85) 5 Chandler Smith 587 (–164) 6 Josh Berry 577 (–174) 7 Daniel Hemric 553 (–198) 8 Sammy Smith 548 (–203) 9 Sam Mayer 545 (–206) 10 Sheldon Creed 516 (–235) 11 Riley Herbst 493 (–258) 12 Parker Kligerman 467 (–284)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References