The 2024 Raptor King of Tough 250 was the 2nd stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 33rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, a permanent asphalt quad-oval shaped intermediate speedway (with superspeedway rules). The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 163 laps, but was increased to 169 laps due to a NASCAR overtime finish. Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, took advantage of the lead on the final restart with two laps to go, and was able to stretch his fuel mileage to earn his 8th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his second of the season, and his second consecutive win. Hill's teammate, Jesse Love, was the most dominant driver of the race, winning both stages and leading a race-high 157 laps, before his car sputtered on the final restart. To fill out the podium, Chandler Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Shane van Gisbergen, driving for Kaulig Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Report

Background

Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.54-mile race track in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Xfinity Series stock car races since 1992.

The venue was bought by Speedway Motorsports in 1990. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two intermediate ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval, with a new official length of where before it was . The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit. In July 2021 NASCAR announced that the track would be reprofiled for the 2022 season to have 28 degrees of banking and would be narrowed from 55 to 40 feet which the track claims will turn racing at the track similar to restrictor plate superspeedways. Despite the reprofiling being criticized by drivers, construction began in August 2021 and wrapped up in December 2021. The track has seating capacity of 71,000 to 125,000 people depending on the tracks configuration.

Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points. #DriverTeamMake00Cole CusterStewart–Haas RacingFord1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4Dawson Cram (R)JD MotorsportsChevrolet5Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet6Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Patrick EmerlingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet8Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet11Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet14J. J. YeleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet15Hailie Deegan (R)AM RacingFord16A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet18Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Ryan TruexJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20John Hunter Nemechek (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet26Jeffrey EarnhardtSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord29Blaine PerkinsRSS RacingFord31Parker RetzlaffJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet32Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet38C. J. McLaughlinRSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord42Leland Honeyman (R)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet78B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet81Chandler SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota91Kyle WeathermanDGM RacingChevrolet92Nick LeitzDGM RacingChevrolet97Shane van Gisbergen (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart–Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, February 23, at 5:00 PM EST. Since Atlanta Motor Speedway is an intermediate speedway with superspeedway rules, 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 will win the pole.

Jesse Love, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would advance from the preliminary round and set the fastest time in Round 2, with a lap of 31.874, and a speed of . He became the first driver in series history to earn two consecutive poles in his first two starts.

No drivers would fail to qualify.

Qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)12Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet31.948173.53231.874173.935221Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32.065172.89931.916173.706320John Hunter Nemechek (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota32.086172.78631.947173.537498Riley HerbstStewart–Haas RacingFord32.168172.34531.999173.255548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet32.151172.43632.022173.13161Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet32.251171.90232.028173.099716A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet32.072172.86132.035173.061819Ryan TruexJoe Gibbs RacingToyota32.213172.10432.079172.82397Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet32.128172.56032.115172.6301018Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota32.254171.88632.141172.490Eliminated in Round 11100Cole CusterStewart–Haas RacingFord32.258171.864——1281Chandler SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota32.294171.673——1397Shane van Gisbergen (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet32.337171.444——148Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet32.340171.429——155Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet32.414171.037——1611Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet32.430170.953——1791Kyle WeathermanDGM RacingChevrolet32.448170.858——189Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet32.458170.805——1915Hailie Deegan (R)AM RacingFord32.477170.705——2039Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord32.531170.422——2178B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet32.676169.666——2226Jeffrey EarnhardtSam Hunt RacingToyota32.698169.552——2351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet32.728169.396——2431Parker RetzlaffJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet32.772169.169——2527Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet32.796169.045——2628Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord32.853168.752——2738C. J. McLaughlinRSS RacingFord32.900168.511——2829Blaine PerkinsRSS RacingFord32.919168.413——294Dawson Cram (R)JD MotorsportsChevrolet32.969168.158——3044Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet33.086167.563——3192Nick LeitzDGM RacingChevrolet33.100167.492——326Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet33.111167.437——3335Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet33.135167.316——Qualified by owner's points3443Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet33.147167.255——3542Leland Honeyman (R)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet33.151167.235——3614J. J. YeleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet33.187167.053——3707Patrick EmerlingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet33.396166.008——3832Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup

Race results Stage 1 Laps: 40 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts12Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet10298Riley HerbstStewart–Haas RacingFord931Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet8419Ryan TruexJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet6616A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet577Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet4818Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3939Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord2108Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 40 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts12Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1027Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet9398Riley HerbstStewart–Haas RacingFord8419Ryan TruexJoe Gibbs RacingToyota758Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet6681Chandler SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota5700Cole CusterStewart–Haas RacingFord4821Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3916A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet21018Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 3 Laps: 89 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1221Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1692Running4321281Chandler SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1690Running4031397Shane van Gisbergen (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1690Running3441018Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1690Running3752431Parker RetzlaffJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1690Running3262351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1690Running317155Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet1690Running3082226Jeffrey EarnhardtSam Hunt RacingToyota1690Running299819Ryan TruexJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1690Running4210148Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet1690Running341161Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1690Running341212Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet169157Running4513716A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet1698Running3114189Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet1690Running2315498Riley HerbstStewart–Haas RacingFord1680Running39161100Cole CusterStewart–Haas RacingFord1680Running25171791Kyle WeathermanDGM RacingChevrolet1680Running20182178B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1680Running1919548Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet1681Running24203044Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1670Running17213542Leland Honeyman (R)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet1670Running16222039Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1670Running17232527Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1670Running14243614J. J. YeleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1670Running13253443Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1670Running12263192Nick LeitzDGM RacingChevrolet1670Running11271915Hailie Deegan (R)AM RacingFord1670Running102897Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1670Running22293335Joey GaseJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1660Running8302829Blaine PerkinsRSS RacingFord1660Running731294Dawson Cram (R)JD MotorsportsChevrolet1660Running632320John Hunter Nemechek (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1650Running0333707Patrick EmerlingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1650Running434326Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1650Running3352738C. J. McLaughlinRSS RacingFord1640Running2362628Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1641Running1371611Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet1590Running1383832Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet980Steering1Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Austin Hill 102 2 Sheldon Creed 85 (-17) 3 Riley Herbst 74 (–28) 3 4 Chandler Smith 72 (–30) 6 5 Jesse Love 72 (–30) 2 6 Parker Retzlaff 66 (–36) 10 7 Ryan Truex 64 (–38) 8 A. J. Allmendinger 63 (–39) 4 9 Shane van Gisbergen 59 (–43) 5 10 Sammy Smith 57 (–45) 6 11 Justin Allgaier 56 (–46) 3 12 Cole Custer 56 (–46)Official driver's standings

Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 80 2 Toyota 70 (–10) 3 Ford 53 (–27) Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.

References