2023 Ambetter Health 200

Race details
Race 18 of 33 of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series
Date	July 15, 2023
Official name	29th Annual Ambetter Health 200
Location	New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.058 mi (1.703 km)
Distance	206 laps, 218 mi (350 km)
Scheduled Distance	200 laps, 211 mi (340 km)
Average speed	82.417 mph (132.637 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Chandler Smith	Kaulig Racing
Time	30.159
Most laps led
Driver	John Hunter Nemechek	Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps	137
Winner
No. 20	John Hunter Nemechek	Joe Gibbs Racing
Television in the United States
Network	USA
Announcers	Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte
Radio in the United States
Radio	PRN

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 1.058 miles (1.703 km) 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. ^[1] 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 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire, which America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) 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.

Practice

The first and only practice session was held on Friday, July 14, at 5:05 PM EST, and would last for 20 minutes. ^[2] 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 123.526 mph (198.796 km/h). ^[3]

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, July 14, at 5:35 PM EST. ^[2] 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. ^[4] Chandler Smith, driving for Kaulig Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 30.159, and an average speed of 126.291 mph (203.246 km/h). ^[5]

Race results

Stage 1 Laps: 45

Stage 2 Laps: 45

Stage 3 Laps: 116

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