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It took Nemechek just five laps to take the lead for the first time and ended up leading 198 of the 250 laps, 1.518 seconds ahead of Sammy Smith to the win.
A late warning for a wreck involving Riley Herbst and Sam Mayer prompted a restart with 17 laps to go, but Nemechek pulled away quickly and was never seriously challenged for the lead.
This is Nemechek’s second this season and fourth of his career. Not only does he win a coveted Martinsville grandfather clock, but he also claims the $100,000 Dash4Cash program bonus.
“I can’t say enough about this whole team,” Nemechek said. “If you asked me yesterday if we had won I thought we were 10th place car in practice; I didn’t like us very much.
“I’m just grateful that the guys made the right adjustments and gave me a fast (car). Let’s party! Coy (Gibbs) – I wish he was here to celebrate with us. Second of the year!”
Cole Custer was third, Josh Berry overcame a late flat tire to finish fourth and Brandon Jones rounded out the top-five.
Completing the top 10 were Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric, Derek Kraus, Brett Moffitt and Chandler Smith.
Nemechek, Sammy Smith, Custer and Berry will be eligible for the $100,000 Dash4Cash bonus next weekend at Talladega (Alabama) Superspeedway.
Race winner John Hunter Nemechek, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Supra
Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images
level 3
After the break between stages 2 and 3, all the cars on the lead lap opted to pit with Nemechek off the pit lane first.
On the restart on lap 132, Sammy Smith, Jones, Custer and Berry trailed behind Nemechek.
Joe Graf Jr. and Ryan Ellis failed at Turn 1 on Lap 135 to put the race under caution for the fifth time. Berry was forced to pit under caution to replace a flat tire.
The race resumed on lap 143 with Nemechek still in command.
Leland Honeyman, Dawson Cram and Alex Labbe destroyed Turn 2 on Lap 144 to put the race back under caution. Nemechek stayed ahead at the restart on lap 156.
Josh Williams spun out of Turn 2 and stalled on track, forcing NASCAR to place the race under caution on Lap 163. Nemechek was still leading the restart on lap 169.
With 50 laps to go, Nemechek kept almost a 1 second lead on Custer while Sammy Smith was third.
Jeremy Clements crashed into the wall at Turn 2 on Lap 209, resulting in the eighth caution of the race.
Most of the lead lap cars, with Nemechek again, pit first off the pit lane. Allgaier fell behind and took the lead, leading the restart on lap 218.
Nemechek only needed a little more than one lap to pass Allgaier on fresh tires and regain the lead.
Herbst and Mayer failed at Turn 2 after Ryan Truex got behind Mayer on Lap 222 to put the race back under caution.
Nemechek remained in the lead at the restart on lap 233.
Level 2
Nemechek took the lead with 13 laps to go and rode to victory of stage two over Berry.
Custer was third, Sammy Smith fourth and Hemric rounded out the top five.
After the break between Stages 1 and 2, most of the cars pitted with the lead lap, but Austin Hill was among those who stayed out and took the lead. He was leading the restart on lap 72.
Berry finally rode down the hill on lap 74 and took the lead for the first time in the race.
By lap 80, Nemechek was already up to second on new tires and had his sights set on Berry to challenge for the lead.
Kaden Honeycutt appeared to explode and blow up the engine on lap 87 and stalled at Turn 2, earning the third warning of the race.
After an exceptionally long cleanup, the race was finally restarted on lap 101 with Berry in the lead.
Exiting Turn 4 after the restart, Sammy Smith pushed Berry out of the way and took the lead for the first time in the race.
Nemechek raced around Sammy Smith on lap 107 to reclaim top spot.
With five laps to go, Nemechek had built up a 1.9 second lead over Berry while Sammy Smith dropped to third place.
stage 1
Nemechek easily fended off Sammy Smith to take the first stage win, his second stage win of the 2023 season.
Custer finished third, Mayer third, and Herbst rounded out the top-5.
Custer started on pole and led the first five laps until Nemechek rounded him at Turn 4 to move up on Lap 6.
With 30 laps to go, Nemechek maintained a small lead over Custer while Sammy Smith was third.
Moffitt spun at Turn 4 on Lap 37 to invoke the first caution of the race. A handful of teams decided to pit, but Nemechek stayed behind and in the lead as the race returned to green on Lap 44.
With five laps to go, Nemechek stayed ahead of Sammy Smith with Custer in third.