XFINITY Series Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Race Lineup

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300

Saturday, February 18th, 2023

Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL

  • 30 Chevrolet
  • 9 Ford
  • 5 Toyota

  • Daytona International Speedway
  • Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300
  • Pole Winner: Austin Hill
  • Age: 28
  • Team : No. 21 - Bennett Transportation Chevrolet
  • Owner: Richard Childress
  • Crew Chief: Andy Street
  • Austin Hill won the Pole Award for the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 with a lap of 49.298 seconds, 182.563 mph.
  • This is his second pole in 49 NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
  • This is his first pole and first top-10 start in 2023.
  • This is his first pole in four races at Daytona International Speedway.
  • Parker Kligerman (second) posted his first top-10 start of 2023 and his third in four races at Daytona International Speedway.
  • Cole Custer (third) posted his second top-10 start at Daytona International Speedway. It is his first in one race this season.
  • Chandler Smith (eighth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.

  • Saturday, February 18th, 2023
  • NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer
Hill wins NASCAR Xfinity opener in overtime photo finish at Daytona

After Sam Mayer spun on the roof of his Chevrolet on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway, trailing a shower of sparks, Austin Hill, Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek sat in their cars and waited.

And after what must have seemed an eternity to the drivers, NASCAR reviewed video of the final lap of overtime and declared Hill the winner of his second straight season opener at the World Center of Racing in front of the largest crowd to witness an Xfinity Series race at Daytona since the $400-million renovation of the facility in 2016.

A consummate superspeedway racer, Hill led a race-high 38 laps in Saturday's Beef. It's What's for Dinner. 300 and was narrowly ahead of surging John Hunter Nemechek when the sanctioning body called the caution for Mayer's spectacular accident on Lap 125-five circuits beyond the scheduled distance.

"As soon as the caution lights came on, I thought I had it, but it was so close," Hill said. "To get back-to-back here at Daytona, it's really special. That's three wins for me now, two in the Xfinity, one in the truck here. We came from the back two different times.

"I hope everyone enjoyed it. It was such a blast. I had so much fun. We won at Daytona! Let's go!"

Hill's first thought, however, was for Mayer. Contact between Hill's No. 21 Camaro and Mayer's No. 1 Chevrolet sent Mayer spinning and then flipping upside down until his car hit the infield grass and landed upright.

Mayer was treated and released from the infield care center.

"When I saw the 1 (Mayer) and the 7 (Allgaier) get together, I just went to go squeeze them, and the 1 came down, he started getting loose, and then you can't lift-it's last lap," Hill said. "I hope Sam is OK, man. That was a heck of a flip there."

Allgaier, who was credited with a third-place finish, had another close call in the race that has eluded him.

"I've been short my whole life, so I guess it's just fitting," quipped the 5-foot-6-inch driver. "But really proud of everybody at JR Motorsports. Our Chevy Camaros tonight were absolutely blazing fast.

"Obviously, I'm glad Sam is OK. He had a heck of a run there at the end."

Rookie Parker Retzlaff finished a career-best fourth, followed by Myatt Snider. Riley Herbst, Joe Graf Jr., Ryan Sieg, Cole Custer and Justin Haley completed the top 10.

Hill won the first stage, but only through Allgaier's benevolence. On the final lap of the stage, Hill steered down the track to block Allgaier's Chevrolet. Allgaier backed out of the throttle to give Hill room, as the rear bumper of Hill's Camaro slid uncomfortably close to the nose of Allgaier's car.

"If I don't lift, I wreck the whole field," Allgaier said on his radio. "It's stupid racing."

"Justin really cut me a break," Hill acknowledged. "I really appreciate that from him."

Allgaier must have gotten some karmic benefit from his magnanimity. When Parker Kligerman turned Sheldon Creed's Chevrolet while bump-drafting near the entrance to Turn 1 on Lap 40, Allgaier's Chevrolet spun sideways onto the apron behind the initial wreck.

After a tape job to the left rear of his car, Allgaier returned to the track, started at the rear of the field and quickly charged back into the lead on Lap 54. Allgaier went on to win the second stage, with Mayer close behind him.

"To go to the back and have that spin and just battle our way through, it's crazy how fast our car was tonight and how good we were in traffic," Allgaier said.

Unfortunately for the veteran driver, speed, maneuverability and good karma could carry him only so far.

  • Drivers Entered: 44 (6 drivers will not make the race)
  • Laps Scheduled: 120
  • Laps Actual: 125 - NASCAR OVERTIME!
  • Margin of Victory: N/A Seconds
  • Time of Race: 2 Hours 21 Minutes 30 Seconds
  • Average Speed: 132.509
  • Cautions: 8 for 32 laps
  • Lead Changes: 25
  • Green Flag Passes: 5,000 (53.8 passes per green flag lap)

  • Daytona International Speedway
  • Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300
  • Race Winner: Austin Hill
  • Age: 28
  • Team : No. 21 - Bennett Transportation Chevrolet
  • Owner: Richard Childress Racing
  • Crew Chief: Andy Street
  • Austin Hill won the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300, his third victory in 49 Xfinity Series races.
  • This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2023.
  • This is his second victory and second top-10 finish in four races at Daytona International Speedway.
  • John Hunter Nemechek (second) posted his second top-10 finish in four races at Daytona International Speedway. It is his first top-10 finish in 2023.
  • Justin Allgaier (third) posted his 11th top-10 finish in 25 races at Daytona International Speedway.
  • Parker Retzlaff (fourth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek lead the field
Daytona Beach, Florida - February 18, 2023 : Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 BRANDT Chevrolet, and John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #20 Mobil 1 Toyota, lead the field during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 at Daytona International Speedway.
Sean GardnerGetty Images
Race lineup for the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 at Daytona International Speedway
START VEH # DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR TEAM CREW CHIEF
1 21 Austin Hill Chevrolet Bennett Transportation Richard Childress Racing Andy Street
2 48 Parker Kligerman Chevrolet Big Machine Racing Spiked Big Machine Racing Patrick Donahue
3 00 Cole Custer Ford Haas Automation Stewart-haas Racing Jonathan Toney
4 2 Sheldon Creed Chevrolet Whelen Richard Childress Racing Jeff Stankiewicz
5 7 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet BRANDT Jr Motorsports Jim Pohlman
6 11 Daniel Hemric Chevrolet Cirkul Kaulig Racing Jason Trinchere
7 2 John Hunter Nemechek Toyota Mobil 1 Joe Gibbs Racing Ben Beshore
8 16 Chandler Smith Chevrolet Quick Tie Inc. Kaulig Racing Bruce Schlicker
9 98 Riley Herbst Ford Monster Energy Stewart-haas Racing Richard Boswell
10 78 Anthony Alfredo Chevrolet Ticket Smarter Bj Mcleod Motorsports Pat Tryson
11 9 Brandon Jones Chevrolet Menards/Swiffer Jr Motorsports Jason Burdett
12 5 Jade Buford Chevrolet Double Spiked Coolers Big Machine Racing Chris Carrier
13 19 Myatt Snider Toyota Tree Top Joe Gibbs Racing Jason Ratcliff
14 1 Sam Mayer Chevrolet Accelerate Pros Talent Jr Motorsports Mardy Lindley
15 18 Sammy Smith Toyota TMC Joe Gibbs Racing Jeff Meendering
16 31 Parker Retzlaff Chevrolet FUNKAWAY Jordan Anderson Racing Joshua Graham
17 45 Stefan Parsons Chevrolet Clear Cryptos Alpha Prime Racing Frank Kerr
18 8 Josh Berry Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Jr Motorsports Taylor Moyer
19 1 Justin Haley Chevrolet DaaBin Store Kaulig Racing Alex Yontz
20 27 Jeb Burton Chevrolet State Water Heaters Jordan Anderson Racing Shane Whitbeck
21 6 Brennan Poole Chevrolet Macc Door Systems Jd Motorsports Kase Kallenbach
22 38 Ryan Sieg Ford CMRoofing.com Rss Racing Mike Scearce
23 08 Gray Gaulding Chevrolet Panini Ss-green Light Racing Jason Miller
24 44 Jeffrey Earnhardt Chevrolet ForeverLawn Alpha Prime Racing Michael Groves
25 92 Josh Williams Chevrolet Alloy Employer / Call 811 Dgm Racing Bryan Berry
26 28 Kyle Sieg Ford Night Owl Rss Racing TBA
27 07 Blaine Perkins Chevrolet AUTOPARKit.com Ss-green Light Racing Mark Hillman
28 02 David Starr Chevrolet Specia Report with Bret Baier Our Motorsports Teddy Brown
29 39 Joe Graf Jr Ford Getcoverseal.com Rss Racing Steve Addington
30 4 Bayley Currey Chevrolet Mikes Weather Page / Firman Jd Motorsports Wayne G Carroll
31 35 CJ McLaughlin Chevrolet Sci-Aps Emerling Gase Motorsports Paul Clapprood
32 25 Brett Moffitt Ford AM Technical Solutions Am Racing Joe Williams
33 26 Kaz Grala Toyota Island Coastal Lager Sam Hunt Racing Allen Hart
34 66 Dexter Stacey Ford ReCap Recovery Drink Motorsports Business Management Jason Houghtaling
35 24 Parker Chase Toyota Ontivity Sam Hunt Racing Kris Bowen
36 43 Ryan Ellis Chevrolet Heartbeat Hot Sauce Alpha Prime Racing Michael Brandt
37 53 Joey Gase Ford National Crime Prevention Emerling Gase Motorsports Rick Bourgeois
38 34 Jesse Iwuji Chevrolet Jesse Iwuji Motorsports Jesse Iwuji Motorsports Dan Stillman
*39 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet One Stop / All South Electric Jeremy Clements Racing Mark Setzer
*40 91 Josh Bilicki Chevrolet Zeigler / Insurance King Dgm Racing Mario Gosselin
*41 99 Garrett Smithley Chevrolet TROPHY TRACTOR Bj Mcleod Motorsports Lee Leslie
*42 13 Timmy Hill Ford Klutch Vodka Motorsports Business Management Tony Liberati
*43 36 Alex Labbe Chevrolet Larue / DuroKing Dgm Racing Nathan Kennedy
*44 74 Ryan Vargas Chevrolet Leargas Security Chk Racing TBA

* Did Not Qualify (DNQ) for race.