Nemechek beats Mayer to Fontana Xfinity win
After a runner-up finish last weekend at Daytona, John Hunter Nemechek did one better, winning Sunday’s rain-delayed NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway.
Nemechek powered to the lead on a restart with 12 of 150 laps remaining and held off Sam Mayer by 0.761 seconds for his first series win with Joe Gibbs Racing.
The win is the third of Nemechek’s career and first since 2021.
“Man, Ben (Beshore, crew chief) and this whole No 20 team gave me one heck of a race car,” said Nemechek. “A huge shoutout to all the guys who work on this No. 20 team. I think a lot of guys doubted Ben coming down from the Cup series and have him on the (pit) box and be able to establish the relationship I have with him, it’s been awesome.
“The pit crew got it done when it counted tonight. I have some things that I need to address on my end, but overall, an amazing win.”
Justin Allgaier ended up third, Chandler Smith was fourth and Josh Berry rounded out the top-five.
Completing the top-10 were Austin Hill, Riley Herbst, Austin Dillon, Brett Moffitt and Parker Kligerman.
Stage 3
Following the caution between Stages 2 and 3, most of the lead-lap cars elected to pit but Berry remained on the track and inherited the lead.
On the restart on Lap 77, Berry was followed by Sammy Smith, Sheldon Creed and Austin Hill. Sammy Smith powered to the lead quickly on the restart.
On Lap 86, Brandon Jones wrecked after spinning off the front bumper of Tyler Reddick to bring out the seventh caution.
Most of the lead-lap cars elected to pit under the caution with Sammy Smith the first off pit road. Creed was among those who stayed out and inherited the lead.
The race resumed on Lap 91 with Creed out front followed by Allgaier, Herbst and Chandler Smith.
Entering Turn 2, Cole Custer suffered a right-front flat and he fell off the pace and got pinched into the wall by Dillon, which placed the race back under caution.
The race resumed on Lap 96 with Creed out front, followed by Allgaier and Chandler Smith.
With 50 laps remaining, Sammy Smith maintained a small lead over Nemechek, only to see Nemechek power ahead on fresher tires to return to the front on Lap 101.
Sammy Smith went to the inside of Nemechek on Lap 108 and came away with the lead as Berry moved into third. Nemechek went to the outside and reclaimed the lead on Lap 110.
Allgaier hit pit road on Lap 113, the first of the leaders to make his final green-flag pit stop for tires and fuel to make it to the finish of the race. Herbst, Mayer and Austin Hill soon followed.
Ryan Ellis spun off Turn 2 and into the grass on Lap 128 to place the race under caution. All the lead-lap cars elected to pit with Dillon first off pit road.
Creed stayed out and inherited the lead. On the restart on Lap 134, Creed was followed by Dillon, Nemechek, Allgaier and Sammy Smith.
Coming off Turn 2 on the restart, Sammy Smith got turned by Austin Hill as Allgaier edged into the lead and race went back under caution.
The race returned to green with 12 laps remaining.
Nemechek quickly got past Allgaier on the restart to reclaim the lead.
With 10 laps remaining, Nemechek remained out front followed by Mayer, Allgaier and Austin Hill.
Nemechek pushed his lead to more than a second over Mayer with four laps remaining while Allgaier remained in third.
Stage 2
Custer held off Nemechek by 0.190 seconds to take the Stage 2 win, completing a sweep of both stages in the race.
Sammy Smith was third, Dillon fourth and Kligerman rounded out the top-five.
Following the caution between Stages 1 and 2, most of the lead-lap cars pit but Allgaier was among those who remained on the track and in the lead.
On the restart on Lap 41, Allgaier was followed by Jeremy Clements, Mayer and Custer. Custer quickly powered back to the lead on the restart.
Creed spun off the nose of Berry and spun down the backstretch to bring out a caution on Lap 44.
The race returned to green on Lap 49 with Custer still in command. He was followed by Austin Hill, Allgaier and Herbst.
With 10 laps remaining in the stage, Custer held a 3.3-second lead over Nemechek while Austin Hill ran third.
On Lap 62, Berry spun off Turn 2 to bring out the fifth caution of the race. Allgaier, who was forced to pit under green with a vibration earlier in the stage, received the free pass and returned to the lead lap.
The race returned to green with five laps remaining in the stage and Custer still in command.
Stage 1
Custer edged Austin Hill by 0.460 seconds to take the Stage 1 win.
Chandler Smith was third, Daniel Hemric fourth and Herbst fifth.
Austin Hill started on the pole after qualifying was rained out on Saturday but Nemechek powered to the lead on the start.
NASCAR displayed a competition caution on Lap 17 to allow teams to check tire wear. Several lead-lap cars elected to pit but Nemechek remained on the track and in the lead.
The race returned to green on Lap 20. Austin Hill quickly moved into the lead on the restart.
Custer got around Austin Hill on Lap 25 to take the lead for the first time.
Gray Gaulding hit the wall on Lap 27 to bring out the second caution of the race. The race returned to green on Lap 32 with Custer still out front.
Clements started the race from the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments.
Cla | # | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Time | Gap | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Toyota | 150 | 2:35'53.410 | ||
2 | 1 | Sam Mayer | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:35'54.171 | 0.761 | |
3 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:35'54.715 | 1.305 | |
4 | 16 | Chandler Smith | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:35'57.651 | 4.241 | |
5 | 8 | Josh Berry | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:35'59.367 | 5.957 | |
6 | 21 | Austin Hill | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'00.210 | 6.800 | |
7 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Ford | 150 | 2:36'00.526 | 7.116 | |
8 | 10 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'00.694 | 7.284 | |
9 | 25 | Brett Moffitt | Ford | 150 | 2:36'03.036 | 9.626 | |
10 | 48 | Parker Kligerman | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'04.165 | 10.755 | |
11 | 19 | Joe Jr. | Toyota | 150 | 2:36'04.470 | 11.060 | |
12 | 11 | Daniel Hemric | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'04.971 | 11.561 | |
13 | 26 | Kaz Grala | Toyota | 150 | 2:36'05.356 | 11.946 | |
14 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | Ford | 150 | 2:36'08.724 | 15.314 | |
15 | 38 | Kyle Sieg | Ford | 150 | 2:36'10.333 | 16.923 | |
16 | 92 | Josh Williams | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'11.673 | 18.263 | |
17 | 78 | Anthony Alfredo | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'12.570 | 19.160 | |
18 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'13.247 | 19.837 | |
19 | 18 | Sammy Smith | Toyota | 150 | 2:36'13.797 | 20.387 | |
20 | 31 | Parker Retzlaff | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'15.063 | 21.653 | |
21 | 45 | Rajah Caruth | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'16.071 | 22.661 | |
22 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'18.411 | 25.001 | |
23 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'21.624 | 28.214 | |
24 | 91 | Ross Chastain | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'21.901 | 28.491 | |
25 | 6 | Brennan Poole | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'25.675 | 32.265 | |
26 | 44 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Chevrolet | 150 | 2:36'25.999 | 32.589 | |
27 | 00 | Cole Custer | Ford | 149 | 2:36'00.905 | 1 Lap | |
28 | 28 | Alex Labbé | Ford | 149 | 2:36'11.015 | 1 Lap | |
29 | 35 | Joey Gase | Ford | 149 | 2:36'21.052 | 1 Lap | |
30 | 4 | Bayley Currey | Chevrolet | 149 | 2:36'21.232 | 1 Lap | |
31 | 07 | Blaine Perkins | Chevrolet | 149 | 2:36'23.081 | 1 Lap | |
32 | 66 | Timmy Hill | Chevrolet | 149 | 2:36'24.597 | 1 Lap | |
33 | 9 | Brandon Jones | Chevrolet | 149 | 2:36'24.924 | 1 Lap | |
34 | 43 | Ryan Ellis | Chevrolet | 149 | 2:36'30.957 | 1 Lap | |
35 | 02 | David Starr | Chevrolet | 148 | 2:36'21.168 | 2 Laps | |
36 | 24 | Tyler Reddick | Toyota | 148 | 2:36'25.463 | 2 Laps | |
37 | 53 | CJ Mclaughlin | Chevrolet | 147 | 2:36'26.437 | 3 Laps | |
38 | 08 | Gray Gaulding | Ford | 26 | 24'12.363 | 124 Laps |
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