John Hunter Nemechek closes out 2-mile Auto Club with PAG 300 win

Due to a rainout on Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series became the final division to hold a race on Auto Club Speedway in its two-mile configuration. A twelve-lap dash to the finish meant John Hunter Nemechek would be the last to stand in a larger Victory Lane before future celebrations took place in smaller confines of a half-mile short track.

Nemechek held off an onslaught of Chevrolets led by JR Motorsports‘ Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier to score his third career win in the Xfinity Series and second for Joe Gibbs Racing.

After nearly winning the opener at Daytona, Nemechek started on the front row alongside victor Austin Hill. The lead would change hands twenty-three times, the third most for a non-superspeedway race in Xfinity Series history, among nine drivers.

“I’ve peaked too early in years past, so hopefully we can keep the ball rolling all year long,” said Nemechek. “I’m confident in this whole team, confident in all of our guys—everyone at JGR, the motor shop, Toyota, TRD—just can’t thank everyone enough. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and the plan of stepping back to move back up the ranks is paying off so far.

“To write my name in history as the final winner at this two-mile oval, what a great place. You can run all of the lanes. You slip and slide around. The seams are treacherous, but after Kyle (Busch) won, there’s been a lot of doubt, I feel like, from fans about Ben (Beshore) coming back to be my crew chief. After Kyle won the race, I texted Ben. He came up to the box and I told him that it was our turn to go get one, and now here we are.”

Cole Custer had dominated the race by winning the first two stages, but was knocked out on lap 92 when he slid up into the turn two wall and hit from behind by Austin Dillon. While Custer was able to get his car repaired and continue, he finished a distant twenty-seventh.

Sheldon Creed, nicknamed The Showstopper for his driving style in off-road racing, lived up to the moniker amid a tumultuous day. On lap 45, he attempted to block Josh Berry on the backstretch but instead got turned and sent hurdling towards the inside wall, yet managed to drift the car and only lightly tap the barrier with his rear. Although the save dropped him back, he fought his way through the order and was able to lead fifteen laps, mostly under caution, before electing to stay out for the final restarts. On much older tyres than the rest, Creed quickly slipped again and would finish twenty-third.

Eight cautions for race-related incidents were flown, with Gray Gaulding‘s lap 26 crash being the first.

Race results