# 2023 Ambetter Health 200

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. 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.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | Haas Automation |
| 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | Accelerate Pros Talent |
| 02 | Blaine Perkins (R) | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | Inflatable Park |
| 2 | Sheldon Creed | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Whelen |
| 4 | Kyle Weatherman | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | JD Motorsports |
| 6 | Brennan Poole | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 511Auction.com |
| 07 | Stefan Parsons | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | Ollie's Bargain Outlet |
| 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | BRANDT |
| 08 | Mason Massey | SS-Green Light Racing | Ford | BRUNT Workwear |
| 8 | Josh Berry | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | Jarrett Logistics Systems |
| 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | Watts, Menards |
| 10 | Austin Dillon (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | LA Golf |
| 11 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | Campers Inn RV |
| 16 | Chandler Smith (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | Quick Tie Products |
| 18 | Sammy Smith (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | TMC Transportation |
| 19 | Joe Graf Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Rocky's Ace Hardware |
| 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Persil |
| 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Bennett Transportation |
| 24 | Connor Mosack (R) | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | F.W. Webb Company |
| 25 | Brett Moffitt | AM Racing | Ford | AM Technical Solutions |
| 26 | Kaz Grala | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | Island Coastal Lager |
| 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | Rocky Boots |
| 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | Onsite Power Academy |
| 31 | Parker Retzlaff (R) | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | FUNKAWAY |
| 35 | Patrick Emerling | Emerling-Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | Emerling-Gase Motorsports |
| 38 | Chris Hacker (i) | RSS Racing | Ford | Morgan & Morgan |
| 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | CMR Construction & Roofing |
| 43 | Ryan Ellis | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | Costa Oil |
| 44 | Rajah Caruth (i) | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | Circle |
| 45 | Greg Van Alst | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | CB Fabricating |
| 48 | Parker Kligerman | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | Big Machine Spiked Light Coolers |
| 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | Spartan Waste, Fox Sports 98.3 |
| 53 | C. J. McLaughlin | Emerling-Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | Sci Aps |
| 66 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Ford | Wild Willies |
| 78 | Anthony Alfredo | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | Steele Group |
| 91 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | VR Victoriaville |
| 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | Sleep Well, Alloy Employer Services |
| 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | Monster Energy |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice

The first and only practice session was held on Friday, July 14, at 5:05 PM EST, and would last for 20 minutes. 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).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Sammy Smith (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.834 | 123.526 |
| 2 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 30.879 | 123.346 |
| 3 | 19 | Joe Graf Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.895 | 123.282 |
| Full practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, July 14, at 5:35 PM EST. 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. 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).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 16 | Chandler Smith (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 30.159 | 126.291 |
| 2 | 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.199 | 126.123 |
| 3 | 8 | Josh Berry | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.313 | 125.649 |
| 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.337 | 125.550 |
| 5 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.356 | 125.471 |
| 6 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 30.368 | 125.421 |
| 7 | 18 | Sammy Smith (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.470 | 125.002 |
| 8 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.500 | 124.879 |
| 9 | 10 | Austin Dillon (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 30.518 | 124.805 |
| 10 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.589 | 124.515 |
| 11 | 11 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 30.596 | 124.487 |
| 12 | 25 | Brett Moffitt | AM Racing | Ford | 30.615 | 124.410 |
| 13 | 31 | Parker Retzlaff (R) | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 30.622 | 124.381 |
| 14 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 30.647 | 124.280 |
| 15 | 48 | Parker Kligerman | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 30.659 | 124.231 |
| 16 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 30.666 | 124.203 |
| 17 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.759 | 123.827 |
| 18 | 78 | Anthony Alfredo | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.771 | 123.779 |
| 19 | 19 | Joe Graf Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.795 | 123.682 |
| 20 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 30.822 | 123.574 |
| 21 | 91 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 30.888 | 123.310 |
| 22 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 31.007 | 122.837 |
| 23 | 4 | Kyle Weatherman | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.091 | 122.505 |
| 24 | 6 | Brennan Poole | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.158 | 122.241 |
| 25 | 24 | Connor Mosack (R) | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 31.198 | 122.085 |
| 26 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 31.266 | 121.819 |
| 27 | 44 | Rajah Caruth (i) | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 31.279 | 121.769 |
| 28 | 35 | Patrick Emerling | Emerling-Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.282 | 121.757 |
| 29 | 43 | Ryan Ellis | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 31.304 | 121.671 |
| 30 | 07 | Stefan Parsons | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 31.347 | 121.504 |
| 31 | 38 | Chris Hacker (i) | RSS Racing | Ford | 31.353 | 121.481 |
| 32 | 02 | Blaine Perkins (R) | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.472 | 121.022 |
| 33 | 08 | Mason Massey | SS-Green Light Racing | Ford | 31.514 | 120.861 |
| Qualified by owner's points |||||||
| 34 | 66 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Ford | 32.021 | 118.947 |
| 35 | 53 | C. J. McLaughlin | Emerling-Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.967 | 115.534 |
| 36 | 45 | Greg Van Alst | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 33.310 | 114.344 |
| 37 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | – | – |
| 38 | 26 | Kaz Grala | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | – | – |
| Official qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

Stage 1 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
| 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 16 | Chandler Smith (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 8 | Josh Berry | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 10 | Austin Dillon (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 8 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 11 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
| 1 | 18 | Sammy Smith (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 31 | Parker Retzlaff (R) | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 19 | Joe Graf Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 10 | Austin Dillon (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 10 | 16 | Chandler Smith (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 116
| Pos. | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
| 1 | 2 | 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 206 | 137 | Running | 52 |
| 2 | 1 | 16 | Chandler Smith (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 10 | Running | 43 |
| 3 | 8 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 4 | 11 | 11 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 5 | 7 | 18 | Sammy Smith (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 206 | 18 | Running | 42 |
| 6 | 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 206 | 27 | Running | 46 |
| 7 | 20 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 30 |
| 8 | 22 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 9 | 12 | 25 | Brett Moffitt | AM Racing | Ford | 206 | 0 | Running | 28 |
| 10 | 33 | 08 | Mason Massey | SS-Green Light Racing | Ford | 206 | 0 | Running | 27 |
| 11 | 5 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 38 |
| 12 | 21 | 91 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 25 |
| 13 | 38 | 26 | Kaz Grala | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 206 | 0 | Running | 24 |
| 14 | 28 | 35 | Patrick Emerling | Emerling-Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 23 |
| 15 | 16 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 16 | 9 | 10 | Austin Dillon (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 4 | Running | 0 |
| 17 | 3 | 8 | Josh Berry | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 26 |
| 18 | 10 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 19 | 29 | 43 | Ryan Ellis | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 206 | 0 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 14 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 206 | 0 | Running | 17 |
| 21 | 17 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 205 | 0 | Running | 24 |
| 22 | 6 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 205 | 0 | Running | 23 |
| 23 | 26 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 205 | 0 | Running | 14 |
| 24 | 24 | 6 | Brennan Poole | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 204 | 0 | Running | 13 |
| 25 | 32 | 02 | Blaine Perkins (R) | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 203 | 0 | Running | 12 |
| 26 | 25 | 24 | Connor Mosack (R) | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 203 | 0 | Running | 11 |
| 27 | 23 | 4 | Kyle Weatherman | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 202 | 0 | Running | 10 |
| 28 | 35 | 53 | C. J. McLaughlin | Emerling-Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 201 | 0 | Running | 9 |
| 29 | 19 | 19 | Joe Graf Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 196 | 8 | Accident | 12 |
| 30 | 31 | 38 | Chris Hacker (i) | RSS Racing | Ford | 195 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 31 | 13 | 31 | Parker Retzlaff (R) | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 190 | 2 | Accident | 15 |
| 32 | 15 | 48 | Parker Kligerman | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 70 | 0 | Accident | 5 |
| 33 | 37 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 70 | 0 | Accident | 4 |
| 34 | 18 | 78 | Anthony Alfredo | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 70 | 0 | Accident | 3 |
| 35 | 34 | 66 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Ford | 60 | 0 | Suspension | 2 |
| 36 | 30 | 07 | Stefan Parsons | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 48 | 0 | Suspension | 1 |
| 37 | 27 | 44 | Rajah Caruth (i) | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 47 | 0 | Oil Line | 0 |
| 38 | 36 | 45 | Greg Van Alst | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 17 | 0 | Brakes | 1 |
| Official race results ||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | 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 ||||