Entry List

The official 2023 Raptor King of Tough 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series entry list features top NASCAR drivers set to compete at Atlanta Motor Speedway, highlighting the full lineup of race participants and teams.

Raptor King of Tough 250

Saturday, March 18th, 2023

Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA

  • 8 Ford
  • 6 Toyota
  • 24 Chevrolet

  • Atlanta Motor Speedway
  • Raptor King of Tough 250
  • Pole Winner: Sammy Smith
  • Age: 18
  • Team: No. 18 - Pilot Flying J Toyota
  • Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
  • Crew Chief: Jeff Meendering
  • Start positions set by NASCAR's Performance Metrics Qualifying (PMQ).
  • Sammy Smith won the Pole Award for the Raptor King of Tough 250 by having the highest total PMQ.
  • PMQ is a total number calculated on four performance metrics from the previous race:
  • 15% of the driver's fastest lap time position.
  • 25% of the driver's final race finish position.
  • 25% of the owner's final race position.
  • 35% of the Owner Points position.

  • Saturday, March 18th, 2023
  • NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer
Austin Hill wins at Atlanta for third NASCAR Xfinity victory of 2023

In a race that started in chaos and ended in bedlam on the last lap, Austin Hill won his third NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the season, beating Daniel Hemric to the checkered flag in Saturday's RAPTOR King of the Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

With his family in attendance, the Winston, Ga., native, led three times for a race-high 103 laps and dominated an event that featured a record 12 cautions for 68 laps.

NASCAR called the final yellow on the last lap, after a multicar wreck erupted as Hill and Hemric approached the finish line.

Parker Kligerman made a race of it until the cars entered the frontstretch dogleg on the last lap. At the end of a two-lap dash to the finish, Kligerman's Chevrolet turned sideways across the front bumper of Hemric's car and hit the right rear of Hill's No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevy.

Hill maintained control and took the checkered flag with Hemric trailing by .085 seconds. Kligerman slid backwards across the finish line in fourth, as Ryan Truex edged him for the third spot by .001 seconds.

"They knew we were here," Kligerman radioed to his Big Machine Racing team.

The defending race winner, Hill came to Atlanta with victories at Daytona and Las Vegas and, understandably, the Xfinity Series lead. The win was Hill's second at Atlanta and the fifth of his career.

The only thing that shook Hill all night was the contact with the right rear of his car in the final 100 yards.

"I have no idea how I saved it coming to the line," Hill said, after his young daughter ran out to greet him at the finish line. "What a start to the season. Everybody at Richard Childress Racing, ECR engines—we've just had such a fast start with Chevrolet. This has been special, for sure."

Riley Herbst finished fifth, followed by Brett Moffitt, Josh Berry, John Hunter Nemechek, Sam Mayer and Justin Haley.

Hill won the first stage, and Kligerman gave Big Machine its first-ever stage victory in the second.

In the first two stages combined, the race featured more caution laps than green-flag laps—49 to 31, to be exact—the result of nine yellow flags.

Josh Williams' No. 92 Chevrolet sustained damage in a Lap 27 accident with the No. 02 Chevy of Kyle Weatherman, and when Williams dropped debris on the frontstretch to cause the fourth caution moments after the subsequent Lap 32 restart, NASCAR parked him under the Damaged Vehicle Policy.

Instead of driving his car to the garage, however, a frustrated Williams parked it at the start/finish line. NASCAR ordered Williams to the hauler for a discussion of the incident, after he was released from the infield care center.

  • Drivers Entered: 38
  • Laps Scheduled: 163
  • Margin of Victory: 0.085 Seconds
  • Time of Race: 2 Hours 44 Minutes 49 Seconds
  • Average Speed: 91.382
  • Cautions: 12 for 68 laps
  • Lead Changes: 13
  • Green Flag Passes: 2,205 (23.2 passes per green flag lap)

  • Atlanta Motor Speedway
  • RAPTOR King of Tough 250
  • Race Winner: Austin Hill
  • Age: 28
  • Team : No. 21 - Bennett Transportation Chevrolet
  • Owner: Richard Childress
  • Crew Chief: Andy Street
  • Austin Hill won the RAPTOR King of Tough 250, his fifth victory in 53 Xfinity Series races.
  • This is his third victory and fifth top-10 finish in 2023.
  • This is his second victory and third top-10 finish in three races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Daniel Hemric (second) posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his third top-10 finish in 2023.
  • Ryan Truex (third) posted his third top-10 finish in four races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Sammy Smith (17th) was the highest finishing rookie.
  • Austin Hill leads the point standings by 46 points over John Hunter Nemechek.
Austin Hill celebrates in victory lane
Hampton, Georgia - July 9, 2022 : Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Jared C TiltonGetty Images
Raptor King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Entry List
ENTRY # DRIVER HOMETOWN DOB AGE MAKE SPONSOR TEAM CREW CHIEF
1 66 Timmy Hill Port Tobacco, MD Feb 25, 1993 30 Ford Prime Bites Protein Brownie Motorsports Business Management Jason Houghtaling
2 19 Ryan Truex Mayetta, NJ Mar 18, 1992 31 Toyota Toyota Genuine Parts Joe Gibbs Racing Jason Ratcliff
3 7 Justin Allgaier Riverton, IL Jun 6, 1986 36 Chevrolet RaptorTough.com JR Motorsports Jim Pohlman
4 48 Parker Kligerman Westport, CT Aug 8, 1990 32 Chevrolet Big Machine Racing Spiked Big Machine Racing Patrick Donahue
5 25 Brett Moffitt Grimes, IA Aug 7, 1992 30 Ford AM Technical Solutions AM Racing Joe Williams
6 35 Joey Gase Cedar Rapids, IA Feb 8, 1993 30 Toyota Donate Life GA Emerling Gase Motorsports Paul Clapprood
7 27 Jeb Burton Halifax, VA Aug 6, 1992 30 Chevrolet Rocky Jordan Anderson Racing Shane Whitbeck
8 44 Jeffrey Earnhardt Mooresville, NC Jun 22, 1989 33 Chevrolet Advanced Material Handling Alpha Prime Racing Michael Groves
9 43 Ryan Ellis Torrence, CA Nov 29, 1989 33 Chevrolet Pella Windows & Doors Alpha Prime Racing Michael Brandt
10 08 Gray Gaulding Colonial Heights, VA Feb 10, 1998 25 Ford Panini SS-Green Light Racing Jason Miller
11 39 Ryan Sieg Tucker, GA Jun 20, 1987 35 Ford CMRroofing.com RSS Racing Mike Scearce
12 02 Kyle Weatherman Wentzville, MO Aug 28, 1997 25 Chevrolet The King Of Lemonade Our Motorsports Teddy Brown
13 11 Daniel Hemric Kannapolis, NC Jan 27, 1991 32 Chevrolet Chevrolet Accessories Kaulig Racing Jason Trinchere
14 6 Brennan Poole Sacramento, CA Apr 11, 1991 31 Chevrolet Walton Press Inc JD Motorsports Kase Kallenbach
15 00 Cole Custer Ladera Ranch, CA Jan 23, 1998 25 Ford Haas Automation Stewart-Haas Racing Jonathan Toney
16 4 Bayley Currey Driftwood, TX Oct 29, 1996 26 Chevrolet Trophy Tractor JD Motorsports Wayne Carroll Jr
17 10 Justin Haley Winamac, IN Apr 28, 1999 23 Chevrolet LeafFilter Gutter Protection Kaulig Racing Alex Yontz
18 20 John Hunter Nemechek Mooresville, NC Jun 11, 1997 25 Toyota Mobil 1 Joe Gibbs Racing Ben Beshore
19 26 Kaz Grala Boston, MA Dec 29, 1998 24 Toyota CRUSH Lime Margarita Sam Hunt Racing Allen Hart
20 21 Austin Hill Winston, GA Apr 21, 1994 28 Chevrolet Bennett Transportation Richard Childress Racing Andy Street
21 9 Brandon Jones Atlanta, GA Feb 18, 1997 26 Chevrolet Menards/Jeld-Wen Windows JR Motorsports Jason Burdett
22 51 Jeremy Clements Spartanburg, SC Jan 16, 1985 38 Chevrolet One Stop / All South Electric Jeremy Clements Racing Mark Setzer
23 38 Joe Graf Jr Mahwah, NJ Jul 12, 1998 24 Ford Jacob Companies RSS Racing Steve Addington
24 92 Josh Williams Port Charlotte, FL Aug 3, 1993 29 Chevrolet Coolray/Alloy Employer DGM Racing Bryan Berry
25 98 Riley Herbst Las Vegas, NV Feb 24, 1999 24 Ford Monster Energy Stewart-Haas Racing Richard Boswell
26 78 Anthony Alfredo Ridgefield, CT Mar 1, 1999 24 Chevrolet JAG METALS LLC BJ McLeod Motorsports Pat Tryson
27 53 Patrick Emerling Orchard Park, NY Sep 19, 1992 30 Chevrolet Sci Aps Emerling Gase Motorsports Rick Bourgeois
28 2 Sheldon Creed Alpine, CA Sep 30, 1997 25 Chevrolet Whelen Richard Childress Racing Jeff Stankiewicz
29 8 Josh Berry Hendersonville, TN Oct 22, 1990 32 Chevrolet Tire Pros Love The Drive JR Motorsports Taylor Moyer
30 07 Blaine Perkins Bakersfield, CA Feb 28, 2000 23 Chevrolet To the Point NC SS-Green Light Racing Mark Hillman
31 28 Kyle Sieg Tucker, GA Apr 16, 2001 21 Ford Cedar Ridge Landscaping RSS Racing Brad Parrott
32 1 Sam Mayer Franklin, WI Jun 26, 2003 19 Chevrolet Accelerate Pros Talent JR Motorsports Mardy Lindley
33 45 Sage Karam Nazareth, PA Mar 5, 1995 28 Chevrolet Til Valhalla Project Alpha Prime Racing Frank Kerr
34 16 Chandler Smith Talking Rock, GA Jun 26, 2002 20 Chevrolet Quick Tie Products, Inc. Kaulig Racing Bruce Schlicker
35 91 Chad Chastain Alva, FL Oct 31, 1998 24 Chevrolet Protect Your Melon DGM Racing Mario Gosselin
36 31 Parker Retzlaff Rhinelander, WI May 21, 2003 19 Chevrolet FUNKAWAY Jordan Anderson Racing Joshua Graham
37 24 Connor Mosack Charlotte, NC Jan 20, 1999 24 Toyota Toyota Racing Development Sam Hunt Racing Kris Bowen
38 18 Sammy Smith Johnston, IA Jun 4, 2004 18 Toyota Pilot Flying J Joe Gibbs Racing Jeff Meendering