Chandler Smith Grabs First NASCAR Xfinity Victory at Richmond – Motorsports Tribune

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

Rookie Chandler Smith earned his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday afternoon at Richmond (Va.) Raceway holding off John Hunter Nemechek on a final race restart with six laps remaining to hoist the ToyotaCare 250 trophy.

Smith’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet led a race best 83 of the 250 laps – the bulk of that early in the race. But the 20-year year old Georgia native was able to run among the top five for most of the day and ultimately drive his Chevy around Nemechek’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on that last restart, pulling away to a .298-second victory after some intense side-by-side action for the lead in the closing laps.

Smith has had three top-five finishes, including a gut-wrenching near miss at Las Vegas last month. After leading a dominant 118 laps and being out front with one lap to go at Vegas four races ago, he had to settle for third place. So this victory at Richmond was especially motivating for the young driver.

“Feels great,’’ a smiling Smith said. “This goes to testimony as to Vegas, dominated that race but didn’t win and said, it was all in God’s timing. … here we are in Richmond, my favorite race track and we’re sitting in victory lane.’’

It marks the third-consecutive runner-up finish for Nemechek at the 0.75-mile Richmond track; including a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and the last two NASCAR Xfinity Series races there.

“We weren’t very good on the short run, we had a long-run speed car,’’ Nemechek said, “But we came from the back up there to battle for the win, put ourselves in position.’’

“Disappointed to run runner-up again, that’s the last three races I’ve run here, finished second. Frustrated but we’ll go back to work. The 16 (Smith) just had the best car on the short run.”

JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry finished third in the No. 8 JRM Chevrolet. He led 63 laps and was out front with 65 laps remaining until a series of caution flags and restarts that characterized the race ending.

Kaz Grala turned in a strong day with a fourth place showing in the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota -equaling his career best effort in the Xfinity Series. And Cole Custer rallied to a fifth place finish in the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford after a problem on pit road and some tight side-by-side racing late in the day.

Justin Allgaier – who started his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet from pole position…