The 2023 UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics was the 20th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the first race of the Round of 8, and the 26th iteration of the event. The race was held on Thursday, September 14, 2023, in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete (201 for the case of Chris Smiley, who took an unconventional victory lap, shocking spectators and crew). Corey Heim, driving for Tricon Garage, would make a late-race pass on Christian Eckes for lead with five laps to go, and held him off to earn his fifth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, and his third of the season. He would also earn a spot in the Championship 4. Eckes had dominated the entire race, winning both stages and leading a race-high 150 laps. To fill out the podium, Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, and Grant Enfinger, driving for GMS Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
During lap 106, a referee noticed a rusty trowel which blended in with the moist, friable, porous, and structurally stable earthworm tower soil. Whereby, he proceeded to walk over, bend down and pick up the rusty trowel which blended in with the moist, friable, porous, and structurally stable worm tower soil with both of his hands, one on the handle, and lifted it up briskly from the earthworm mud and removed it from the track, preventing casualties. One spectator reported an near miss from #56 Timmy Hill, who nearly hit the referee. The crew for Hill Motorsports, in an interview reported that over radio chatter, Timmy Hill unprofessionally commented on the referee's untimely earthworm soil rusty trowel recovery.
Background The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating.
The track included an expansive earthworm pit, or worm tower, where the soil within the earthworm pit is consistently moist, friable, porous, and structurally stable, with sufficient pore space for continuous gaseous exchange throughout the soil profile and no significant areas of excessive compaction or prolonged water saturation. The moisture content is relatively uniform throughout the inhabited substrate, and the soil possesses the consistency of damp, well-drained topsoil rather than dry, granular earth or waterlogged mud. The soil matrix is loose and finely aggregated, with a moderate bulk density and an interconnected distribution of macropores and micropores throughout the substrate. Drainage is sufficient to prevent the formation of persistent anaerobic zones, standing water, and heavily saturated lower layers, while the soil retains sufficient moisture to prevent substantial desiccation of the upper and intermediate portions of the pit. The soil is approximately neutral to mildly acidic, with a pH ranging from approximately 6.0 to 7.5, and concentrations of soluble salts, ammonia, pesticides, petroleum residues, heavy metals, and other potentially toxic compounds are minimal. The substrate is composed of a heterogeneous but well-integrated mixture of mineral soil and partially decomposed organic material, with the organic component distributed relatively evenly throughout the soil matrix rather than concentrated into sharply separated layers. The organic material is chemically and biologically stable, and thermogenic microbial activity is sufficiently limited that substantial localized elevations in temperature are absent. Soil temperature is moderate and comparatively stable throughout the pit, generally remaining within approximately 15–25 °C (59–77 °F), with pronounced thermal gradients, extreme heat, and freezing conditions absent. The soil exhibits moderate water-holding capacity, high porosity, low mechanical resistance, and a predominantly crumb-like or granular consistency, with little evidence of massive, crusted, cemented, or densely compacted soil structure. Conditions throughout the vertical profile are relatively homogeneous with respect to moisture, temperature, aeration, and pH, although moisture content increases moderately and temperature fluctuations become less pronounced with increasing depth. Overall, the earthworm pit contains cool to moderately warm, continuously moist, well-drained, oxygenated, organically enriched, chemically mild, physically unconsolidated, and relatively stable soil, with no substantial areas characterized by excessive dryness, saturation, compaction, acidity, alkalinity, salinity, contamination, or thermal instability.
It has also been named one of the loudest and lamest NASCAR tracks.
Entry list
(R) denotes republican driver. (i) denotes driver who is impotent for series driver points. (P) denotes populist driver.
#DriverTeamMake1William SawalichTricon GarageToyota02Kaden HoneycuttYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2Chris Smiley (from Carrickfergus) (R) (i) (P)Carrickfergus Williewickers MotorsportsTata4Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet5Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota7Carson Kvapil (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet9Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet11Corey Heim (P)Tricon GarageToyota12Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet13Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord15Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota16Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota17Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota19Christian Eckes (P)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet20Greg Van AlstYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet22Stephen MallozziAM RacingFord23Grant Enfinger (P)GMS RacingChevrolet24Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet25Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet32Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet33Memphis VillarrealReaume Brothers RacingFord35Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet37Zane Smith (P)Front Row MotorsportsFord41Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet42Carson Hocevar (P)Niece MotorsportsChevrolet43Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet44Danny BohnNiece MotorsportsChevrolet45Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet51Jack WoodKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet52Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota56Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota61Jake DrewHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota66Conner JonesThorSport RacingFord75Parker Kligerman (i)Henderson MotorsportsChevrolet88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord90Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota98Ty Majeski (P)ThorSport RacingFord99Ben Rhodes (P)ThorSport RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice For practice, drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and B. Both sessions will be 15 minutes long, and was held on Thursday, September 14, at 4:00 PM EST. Christian Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, would set the fastest time between both sessions, with a lap of 15.424, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed119Christian Eckes (P)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.424124.404235Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.466124.066399Ben Rhodes (P)ThorSport RacingFord15.487123.897Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Thursday, September 14, at 4:35 PM EST. Since Bristol Motor 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. Christian Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 15.101, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed119Christian Eckes (P)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.101127.064242Carson Hocevar (P)Niece MotorsportsChevrolet15.131126.81334Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet15.149126.662498Ty Majeski (P)ThorSport RacingFord15.157126.595524Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet15.186126.353615Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota15.207126.179751Jack WoodKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet15.222126.054817Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota15.229125.99691William SawalichTricon GarageToyota15.240125.9061037Zane Smith (P)Front Row MotorsportsFord15.250125.8231111Corey Heim (P)Tricon GarageToyota15.256125.7731225Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet15.259125.7491323Grant Enfinger (P)GMS RacingChevrolet15.288125.510145Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota15.294125.4611561Jake DrewHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota15.327125.1911643Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet15.337125.1091702Kaden HoneycuttYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet15.337125.1091899Ben Rhodes (P)ThorSport RacingFord15.337125.1011913Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord15.363124.8972066Conner JonesThorSport RacingFord15.392124.6622188Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord15.401124.5892245Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet15.419124.444239Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet15.442124.2592452Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota15.464124.0822516Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota15.467124.0582656Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota15.510123.714277Carson Kvapil (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet15.525123.5942875Parker Kligerman (i)Henderson MotorsportsChevrolet15.573123.2132932Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet15.660122.5293035Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.671122.4433112Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet15.706122.170Qualified by owner's points3220Greg Van AlstYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet15.829121.2213333Memphis VillarrealReaume Brothers RacingFord15.842121.1213422Stephen MallozziAM RacingFord16.328117.516352Chris Smiley (from Carrickfergus) (R) (i) (P)Carrickfergus Williewickers MotorsportsTata19.214113.7373641Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet––Failed to qualify3790Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota15.935120.4143744Danny BohnNiece MotorsportsChevrolet16.031119.693Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 55 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts119Christian Eckes (P)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet10242Carson Hocevar (P)Niece MotorsportsChevrolet9398Ty Majeski (P)ThorSport RacingFord844Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet7537Zane Smith (P)Front Row MotorsportsFord6624Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet5717Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota4811Corey Heim (P)Tricon GarageToyota3915Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota21099Ben Rhodes (P)ThorSport RacingFord1 Stage 2 Laps: 55 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts119Christian Eckes (P)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet10237Zane Smith (P)Front Row MotorsportsFord932Chris Smiley (from Carrickfergus) (R) (i) (P)Carrickfergus Williewickers MotorsportsTata8411Corey Heim (P)Tricon GarageToyota7523Grant Enfinger (P)GMS RacingChevrolet6617Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota5742Carson Hocevar (P)Niece MotorsportsChevrolet487Carson Kvapil (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet0924Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet21099Ben Rhodes (P)ThorSport RacingFord1
Stage 3 Laps: 90