The 2023 Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola was the 24th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 22nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, August 25, 2023, in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a permanent quad-oval shaped superspeedway. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 100 laps, but was extended to 110 laps due to several NASCAR overtime attempts. In a wild race that saw numerous wrecks with under 10 laps to go, Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would hold off Sheldon Creed in a photo finish to earn his 21st career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season. Allgaier would beat Creed by 0.005 of a second, tying the fourth closest finish in Xfinity Series history. To fill out the podium, Creed, driving for Richard Childress Racing, and Daniel Hemric, driving for Kaulig Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background The race was held at Daytona International Speedway, a race track located in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since its opening in 1959, the track has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts ARCA, AMA Superbike, USCC, SCCA, and Motocross races. It features multiple layouts including the primary high speed tri-oval, a sports car course, a motorcycle course, and a karting and motorcycle flat-track. The track's infield includes the Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The track was built in 1959 by NASCAR founder William "Bill" France, Sr. to host racing held at the former Daytona Beach Road Course. His banked design permitted higher speeds and gave fans a better view of the cars. Lights were installed around the track in 1998 and today, it is the third-largest single lit outdoor sports facility. The speedway has been renovated three times, with the infield renovated in 2004 and the track repaved twice — in 1978 and in 2010. On January 22, 2013, the track unveiled artist depictions of a renovated speedway. On July 5 of that year, ground was broken for a project that would remove the backstretch seating and completely redevelop the frontstretch seating. The renovation to the speedway was done by Rossetti Architects. The project, named "Daytona Rising", was completed in January 2016, at a cost of US $400 million, placing emphasis on improving fan experience with five expanded and redesigned fan entrances (called "injectors") as well as wider and more comfortable seating with more restrooms and concession stands. After the renovations, the track's grandstands included 101,000 permanent seats with the ability to increase permanent seating to 125,000. The project was completed before the start of Speedweeks.
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 RacingChevrolet4Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet6Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet07J. J. YeleySS-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 RacingToyota19Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet22Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet24Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota25Brett MoffittAM RacingFord26Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord31Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet38Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53Natalie DeckerEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord78Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Alex GuenetteDGM RacingChevrolet92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, August 25, at 3:00 PM EST. Since Daytona International Speedway is a superspeedway, the qualifying system used is a single-car, single-lap system with two rounds. In the first round, drivers have one lap to set a time. The fastest ten drivers from the first round move on to the second round. Whoever sets the fastest time in Round 2 wins the pole. Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would score the pole for the race after advancing from the preliminary round and setting the fastest time in Round 2, with a lap of 49.256, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime ()Speed ()Time ()Speed ()121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.371182.29349.256182.71922Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.589181.49249.554181.620318Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota49.626181.35749.584181.510416Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet49.568181.56949.630181.342548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet49.687181.13449.663181.221611Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet49.721181.01049.683181.148720John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49.793180.74849.712181.043819Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49.753180.89449.734180.963910Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet49.767180.84349.735180.9591022Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet49.782180.78849.850180.542Eliminated in Round 11100Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord49.797180.734——127Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet49.851180.538——138Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet49.915180.307——141Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet49.928180.260——1535Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet49.951180.177——1698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord49.977180.083——179Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet49.985180.054——1826Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota50.016179.942——194Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet50.114179.591——2078Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet50.149179.465——2192Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet50.194179.304——2225Brett MoffittAM RacingFord50.235179.158——2331Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet50.262179.062——2428Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord50.269179.037——2502Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet50.277179.008——2638Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord50.311178.887——2745Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet50.338178.791——2843Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet50.389178.610——2924Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota50.412178.529——3044Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet50.511178.179——3191Alex GuenetteDGM RacingChevrolet50.569177.975——3251Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet50.596177.880——3308Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet50.598177.873——Qualified by owner's points3407J. J. YeleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet50.690177.550——3553Natalie DeckerEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord50.692177.543——366Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet51.059176.267——3727Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet————3839Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 30 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1022Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet9316Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet8425Brett MoffittAM RacingFord7578Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet669Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet5711Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet4851Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet3900Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord21019Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 2 Laps: 30 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts12Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet10221Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet9300Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord8418Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota7511Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet6620John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota5719Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota4848Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet391Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet21016Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 50 Pos.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1127Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet11014Running40222Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet11021Running543611Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet1100Running444548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet1101Running3651100Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord1101Running4263839Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1100Running3172331Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1100Running3082078Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1100Running3593308Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1100Running2810910Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1100Running0112745Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1100Running26121022Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1100Running25132428Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1100Running24141535Joey GaseEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1100Running23153727Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1100Running2216366Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1100Running2117138Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet1100Running20182225Brett MoffittAM RacingFord1100Running2619141Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1106Running20201826Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota1090Running1721318Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1094Running2322416Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1091Running2423121Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet10936Running33241698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord1080Running13252502Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet1080Running12263251Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1040Accident14272192Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet1030Accident1028720John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1030Accident1429819Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota10326Accident13303407J. J. YeleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet980Accident7313044Caesar BacarellaAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet920Accident6322843Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet910Accident533194Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet450DVP4342638Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord420DVP3353553Natalie DeckerEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord420Accident236179Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet410Accident6372924Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota410Accident1383191Alex GuenetteDGM RacingChevrolet410Accident1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Austin Hill 919 1 2 Justin Allgaier 892 (-27) 1 3 John Hunter Nemechek 891 (–28) 4 Cole Custer 817 (–102) 5 Sam Mayer 755 (–164) 6 Josh Berry 733 (–186) 2 7 Sheldon Creed 683 (–236) 8 Daniel Hemric 679 (–240) 2 9 Chandler Smith 675 (–244) 1 10 Parker Kligerman 643 (–276) 1 11 Riley Herbst 623 (–296) 12 Sammy Smith 609 (–310)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References