The 2023 Ambetter Health 200 was the 18th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 15, 2023, in Loudon, New Hampshire at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 200 laps, but was extended to 206 laps due to a NASCAR overtime finish. John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would put on a dominating performance, leading a race-high 137 laps, and winning the race after leading when the caution came out on the final lap. This was Nemechek's sixth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his fourth of the season. To fill out the podium, Chandler Smith, driving for Kaulig Racing, and Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire, which America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a road has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as the longest-running motorcycle race in North course, which includes much of the oval.
The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.
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 MotorsportsChevrolet6Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Stefan ParsonsSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08Mason MasseySS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet16Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet18Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Joe Graf Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota20John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota25Brett MoffittAM RacingFord26Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord31Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet38Chris Hacker (i)RSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Greg Van AlstAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53C. J. McLaughlinEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet66Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsFord78Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Friday, July 14, at 5:05 PM EST, and would last for 20 minutes. Sammy Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.834, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed118Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.834123.526200Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord30.879123.346319Joe Graf Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.895123.282Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, July 14, at 5:35 PM EST. Since New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a mile oval, 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. Chandler Smith, driving for Kaulig Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 30.159, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed116Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet30.159126.291220John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota30.199126.12338Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.313125.64947Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.337125.55059Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.356125.471600Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord30.368125.421718Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.470125.002821Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.500124.879910Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet30.518124.805101Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.589124.5151111Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet30.596124.4871225Brett MoffittAM RacingFord30.615124.4101331Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet30.622124.3811498Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord30.647124.2801548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet30.659124.2311651Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet30.666124.203172Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.759123.8271878Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet30.771123.7791919Joe Graf Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.795123.6822027Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet30.822123.5742191Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet30.888123.3102292Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet31.007122.837234Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet31.091122.505246Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet31.158122.2412524Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota31.198122.0852628Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord31.266121.8192744Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet31.279121.7692835Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet31.282121.7572943Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet31.304121.6713007Stefan ParsonsSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet31.347121.5043138Chris Hacker (i)RSS RacingFord31.353121.4813202Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet31.472121.0223308Mason MasseySS-Green Light RacingFord31.514120.861Qualified by owner's points3466Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsFord32.021118.9473553C. J. McLaughlinEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet32.967115.5343645Greg Van AlstAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet33.310114.3443739Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord––3826Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota––Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 45 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet10220John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9300Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord8416Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet758Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet669Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet5710Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet081Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet3911Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet21021Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 45 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts118Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota10231Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet932Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet849Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet7592Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet667Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet5719Joe Graf Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota4820John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3910Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet01016Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 116 Pos.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1220John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota206137Running522116Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet20610Running433821Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2060Running3541111Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet2060Running355718Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota20618Running42647Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet20627Running4672027Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet2060Running3082292Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet2060Running3591225Brett MoffittAM RacingFord2060Running28103308Mason MasseySS-Green Light RacingFord2060Running271159Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet2060Running38122191Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet2060Running25133826Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota2060Running24142835Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet2060Running23151651Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2060Running2216910Austin Dillon (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2064Running01738Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet2060Running2618101Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2060Running22192943Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2060Running18201498Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord2060Running1721172Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2050Running2422600Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord2050Running23232628Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord2050Running1424246Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet2040Running13253202Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet2030Running12262524Connor Mosack (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota2030Running1127234Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet2020Running10283553C. J. McLaughlinEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet2010Running9291919Joe Graf Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1968Accident12303138Chris Hacker (i)RSS RacingFord1950Running0311331Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1902Accident15321548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet700Accident5333739Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord700Accident4341878Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet700Accident3353466Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsFord600Suspension2363007Stefan ParsonsSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet480Suspension1372744Rajah Caruth (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet470Oil Line0383645Greg Van AlstAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet170Brakes1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 John Hunter Nemechek 730 2 Austin Hill 697 (-33) 1 3 Justin Allgaier 670 (–60) 1 4 Cole Custer 656 (–74) 5 Chandler Smith 569 (–161) 6 Josh Berry 544 (–186) 1 7 Daniel Hemric 510 (–220) 1 8 Sammy Smith 505 (–225) 2 9 Sam Mayer 502 (–228) 10 Sheldon Creed 484 (–246) 11 Riley Herbst 457 (–273) 12 Parker Kligerman 439 (–291)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References