The 2023 Food City 300 was the 27th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the first race of the Round of 12, and the 42nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, September 15, 2023, in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would complete a successful pit road strategy, driving through the field and passing Daniel Hemric for the lead with over 10 laps to go, earning his 22nd career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his third of the season. He would also earn a spot in the next round of the playoffs. Allgaier and pole-sitter Cole Custer would end up dominating the entire race, leading 110 and 109 laps, respectively. To fill out the podium, Hemric, driving for Kaulig Racing, and John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
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, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points. (P) denotes playoff driver.
#DriverTeamMake00Cole Custer (P)Stewart-Haas RacingFord1Sam Mayer (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet02Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet2Sheldon Creed (P)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet6Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Stefan ParsonsSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin Allgaier (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet08Chad FinchumSS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh Berry (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Daniel Hemric (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet11Derek KrausKaulig RacingChevrolet16Chandler Smith (R) (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet18Sammy Smith (R) (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20John Hunter Nemechek (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin Hill (P)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet24Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota25Brett MoffittAM RacingFord26Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb Burton (P)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord31Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet38Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker Kligerman (P)Big Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53B. J. McLeodEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet66Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota78Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet88Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet91Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas 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 will be held on Friday, September 15, at 2:35 PM EST. Chandler Smith, driving for Kaulig Racing, would set the fastest time between both sessions, with a lap of 16.038, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed116Chandler Smith (R) (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet16.038119.641200Cole Custer (P)Stewart-Haas RacingFord16.047119.574320John Hunter Nemechek (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota16.076119.358Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, September 15, at 3:10 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. Cole Custer, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 15.684, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed100Cole Custer (P)Stewart-Haas RacingFord15.684122.34128Josh Berry (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet15.712122.123320John Hunter Nemechek (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota15.717122.084416Chandler Smith (R) (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet15.740121.906510Daniel Hemric (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet15.788121.535618Sammy Smith (R) (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota15.792121.505739Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord15.793121.49789Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet15.800121.443951Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet15.801121.435107Justin Allgaier (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet15.807121.389111Sam Mayer (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet15.816121.3201219Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15.843121.1131348Parker Kligerman (P)Big Machine RacingChevrolet15.860120.9841431Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet15.899120.6871588Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet15.911120.5961698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord15.917120.5501745Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet15.936120.4071811Derek KrausKaulig RacingChevrolet15.965120.1881938Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord15.982120.0602092Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet16.019119.783212Sheldon Creed (P)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet16.028119.7152243Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet16.038119.6412308Chad FinchumSS-Green Light RacingFord16.039119.6332491Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet16.058119.4922544Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet16.066119.4322621Austin Hill (P)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet16.068119.4172728Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord16.081119.321286Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet16.095119.2172924Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota16.112119.091304Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet16.112119.0913126Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota16.115119.0693278Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet16.117119.0543302Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet16.175118.628Qualified by owner's points3466Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota16.211118.3643507Stefan ParsonsSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet16.214118.3423625Brett MoffittAM RacingFord16.222118.2843735Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet––3827Jeb Burton (P)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet––Withdrew3953B. J. McLeodEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet––Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 85 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts100Cole Custer (P)Stewart-Haas RacingFord1027Justin Allgaier (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet939Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet8420John Hunter Nemechek (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota7519Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota6616Chandler Smith (R) (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet5748Parker Kilgerman (P)Big Machine RacingChevrolet481Sam Mayer (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet3988Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet21018Sammy Smith (R) (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 2 Laps: 85 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin Allgaier (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet10200Cole Custer (P)Stewart-Haas RacingFord9321Austin Hill (P)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet8488Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet7519Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota6620John Hunter Nemechek (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota5710Daniel Hemric (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet4898Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord3916Chandler Smith (R) (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet21045Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 130 Pos.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1107Justin Allgaier (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet300110Running592510Daniel Hemric (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet30033Running393320John Hunter Nemechek (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota3001Running464100Cole Custer (P)Stewart-Haas RacingFord300109Running525416Chandler Smith (R) (P)Kaulig RacingChevrolet3000Running396739Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord3000Running3171219Trevor BayneJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3000Running4281698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord3000Running329618Sammy Smith (R) (P)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota3000Running29103126Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota3000Running2711212Sheldon Creed (P)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3000Running26121811Derek KrausKaulig RacingChevrolet3000Running25133827Jeb Burton (P)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet3000Running24142924Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota3000Running23151431Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet2990Running22163625Brett MoffittAM RacingFord2990Running21172544Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet2980Running0182243Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2980Running19193507Stefan ParsonsSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2980Running18202092Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet2980Running17212728Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord2980Running1622286Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet2970Running1523304Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet2970Running1424951Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2970Running13253278Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2960Running12261938Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord2950Running11272491Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet2940Running10283302Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet2940Running9292308Chad FinchumSS-Green Light RacingFord2760Running8301588Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet27147Ignition16311348Parker Kligerman (P)Big Machine RacingChevrolet2460Running10321745Jeffrey EarnhardtAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2290Brakes6332621Austin Hill (P)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2170DVP123489Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet1780Suspension1135111Sam Mayer (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet1660Accident53628Josh Berry (P)JR MotorsportsChevrolet1660Accident1373735B. J. McLeodEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1170Power1383466Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota810Rear Gear0Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 John Hunter Nemechek 2,095 1 2 Justin Allgaier 2,085 (-10) 1 3 Cole Custer 2,069 (–26) 2 4 Austin Hill 2,051 (–44) 1 5 Chandler Smith 2,048 (–47) 5 6 Daniel Hemric 2,042 (–53) 1 7 Sammy Smith 2,035 (–60) 8 Sheldon Creed 2,034 (–61) 1 9 Jeb Burton 2,030 (–65) 1 10 Sam Mayer 2,020 (–75) 1 11 Parker Kligerman 2,012 (–83) 5 12 Josh Berry 2,010 (–85)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References