By ANANDA VINCENT
John Hunter Nemechek claimed his second-consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his fourth series race win of 2023 Saturday in the Ambetter Health 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“We’ve clicked from almost day one,” Nemechek said. “We’ve been consistent all year. Just time to keep clicking off all of these victories.”
Chandler Smith finished second, Austin Hill third, Daniel Hemric fourth, and Sammy Smith rounded out the top-five.
Saturday’s race went into overtime and, then, ended under caution when Cole Custer and Sheldon Creed wrecked on the last lap. After a caution for a Parker Retzlaff spin on lap-191, Sammy Smith turned Sam Mayer on the lap-197 restart, and Joe Graf Jr., Austin Dillon, Brandon Jones and Connor Mosack were collected in a crash that resulted in the ninth caution of the race and sent the race into extra laps.
“It’s nerve-wracking, for sure,” Nemechek said. “Just hats off to this whole 20 team and everyone that works on this Joe Gibbs Racing Persil Toyota GR Supra. It was as fast as Xfinity 10G today. Hats off to them. I appreciate it. They’ve had dominant Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota GR Supras up here the last few years. I had to hold up my end of the bargain.”
Nemechek led a race-high 137 laps, including dominance of the second half of the race that was scheduled for 200 laps but extended to 206.
Nemechek gave up a sizable lead to pit during a cycle of green-flag pit stops on lap 150. A few drivers had yet to make final pit stops by a lap-160 caution for Kyle Sieg. When stops completed under the yellow flag, Nemechek was back up front.
Allgaier won the first of two 45-lap stages. He initially took the lead from pole sitter Chandler Smith on lap two but lost it to Nemechek on lap nine. Allgaier retook the lead on lap 29.
The opening stage ended under caution because of a Chris Hacker spin in lap 42.
After his stage win, Allgaier pitted for only two tires. But after a penalty for pitting outside his pit box, he took the other two tires.
Meanwhile, Chandler Smith was first off pit road. Nemechek took the lead on the lap 55 restart, but after a lap-65 caution when Chad Finchum stalled on pit road, a slow-to-restart Nemechek resulted in a large multi-car crash on lap 71 including, among others, Allgaier Anthony Alfredo, Ryan Sieg, Jeremy Clements and Parker Kligerman.
Nemechek maintained the lead and ran up front most of stage two before giving up the position to pit during a caution for Mosack on lap 85.Sammy Smith won stage two on lap 90 after Retzlaff and Sammy Smith led a group of drivers in staying out during the Mosack caution and restarting first and second on lap 89.
Nemechek retook the lead from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sammy Smith on a lap-108 restart that followed a lap-102 caution for Riley Herbst.
Nemechek, then, pulled away.
Allgaier finished sixth Saturday, Jeb Burton was seventh, Josh Williams eighth, Brett Moffitt ninth, and Mason Massey finished 10th.
