Cole Custer wins 2023 Xfinity Series championship: After an overtime restart that saw title contenders engage in a breathtaking three-wide battle down the backstretch, Cole Custer deftly negotiated a tightly bunched pack of cars to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race and the series title on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.(Read more)(11-4-2023)

After spending the previous three seasons in the Cup Series, #00-Cole Custer won the 2023 Xfinity Series championship in his return year to the series by winning the championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Custer led a race-high 96 laps en route to Stewart-Haas Racing’s first Xfinity title. Custer held off his championship competitors on an overtime restart.
#2-Sheldon Creed earned his second straight runner-up finish to end his tenure at Richard Childress Racing. #7-Justin Allgaier finished third, ranking second in the championship battle. In fourth, #98-Riley Herbst ends the season with five straight top-five finishes. #1-Sam Mayer rounded out the top five and finishes third in the championship standings.
#8-Josh Berry, #21-Austin Hill, #16-Chandler Smith, #18-Sammy Smith and #26-Kaz Grala completed the top 10.
#20-John Hunter Nemechek wrecked on the final lap and finished 28th in the race and fourth in points. He led 66 laps and won the opening stage.
There were 12 lead changes among six drivers and eight cautions for 46 yellow flag laps.
See race details at: Race Results, Drivers Points Standings, Owners Points Standings, Cumulative Report, Penalty Report.

Phoenix Paint Schemes

Race Fast Facts – Phoenix:
Cole Custer (P) won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race, his 13th victory in 143 Xfinity Series races.
This is his third victory and 21st top-10 finish in 2023.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in eight races at Phoenix Raceway.
Sheldon Creed (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in five races at Phoenix Raceway. It is his 15th top-10 finish in 2023.
Justin Allgaier (P) (third) posted his 18th top-10 finish in 27 races at Phoenix Raceway.
Chandler Smith (eighth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Cole Custer (P) wins the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.
Sammy Smith has won the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
Chevrolet has won the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer’s Championship.

Xfinity Series Standings after Phoenix (Race 33 of 33):
1)#00-Cole Custer 4,040
2)#7-Justin Allgaier 4,034, -6
3)#1-Sam Mayer 4,032, -8
4)#20-John Hunter Nemechek 4,009, -31
See the Drivers Points Standings and Owners Points Standings.

Champion Fast Facts:
Driver Champion: Cole Custer
Cole Custer has won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship; his previous best finish in the final series standings was runner-up (twice) in 2018 and 2019.
Custer has become the 33rd different driver to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.
Custer has won the season finale at Phoenix Raceway to claim the NASCAR Xfinity Series title.
Custer made 33 starts this season, posting three wins, 14 top fives, 21 top 10s and six poles.
In the Playoffs this season, Custer has posted one win, four top fives, five top 10s and two poles in seven starts.
In total, Custer has made 143 starts in the Xfinity Series career, putting up 13 wins, 55 top fives, 96 top 10s and 18 poles.
Custer, from Ladera Ranch, California has become the third NASCAR Xfinity Series champion from the state of California; joining Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, 2001 and 2006) and Tyler Reddick (Corning, 2018 and 2019).

Owner Champion: Tony Stewart & Gene Haas, Stewart-Haas Racing
This is Stewart-Haas Racing’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series driver championship (2023).
This is Stewart-Haas Racing’s second owner championship (2018, 2023).
Stewart-Haas Racing is the 20th different organization to win a driver championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2023), and one of 18 different organizations to win an owners championship (2018, 2023).
Stewart-Haas Racing has 22 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series among three drivers – Cole Custer (11 wins), Chase Briscoe (nine wins) and Riley Herbst (one win).
Stewart-Haas Racing began its NASCAR Xfinity Series program in 2017 at Daytona International Speedway with driver Cole Custer.

Crew Chief Champion: Jonathan Toney
This is Jonathan Toney’s first career NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in his first full season of competition in the series.
Toney is the 31st different crew chief to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
Toney has won three times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, all with Cole Custer

Cars to the rear: #02-Blaine Perkins (unapproved adjustments) and #78-Anthony Alfredo (engine change)

Pit Stall Selections

For the second consecutive week, #18-Sammy Smith wins the pole for the Xfinity Series race (132.582 mph), this time in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. It’s his second career pole.
#21-Austin Hill snagged second (132.572 mph), with #20-John Hunter Nemechek being the best of the Championship 4 drivers in third (132.528 mph). #19-Myatt Snider (132.523 mph) and #2-Sheldon Creed (132.343 mph) round out the top five.
In his final start for Kaulig Racing, #16-Chandler Smith will line up sixth. Championship 4 drivers #00-Cole Custer and #7-Justin Allgaier will start seventh and eighth. #98-Riley Herbst and #24-Connor Mosack round out the top 10.
#1-Sam Mayer, in 16th, is the lone championship eligible driver to start outside the top 10.
Did Not Qualify: #44-Leland Honeyman, #74-Brad Perez
See the complete Phoenix Starting Lineup.

Qualifying Fast Facts — Phoenix
Sammy Smith # won the Pole Award for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship with a lap of 27.153 seconds, 132.582 mph.
This is his second pole in 42 NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
This is his second pole and 21st top-10 start in 2023.
This is his first pole in three races at Phoenix Raceway.
Austin Hill (second) posted his 24th top-10 start of 2023 and his second in four races at Phoenix Raceway.
John Hunter Nemechek (P) (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Phoenix Raceway. It is his 27th in 33 races this season.
Sammy Smith (first) was the fastest qualifying rookie

Qualifying Order

Practice for the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway is complete. After 50 minutes, the top five, slowest, news and notes:
#20-John Hunter Nemechek 130.062 mph
#00-Cole Custer 129.417 mph
#98-Riley Herbst 128.972 mph
#7-Justin Allgaier 128.949 mph
#18-Sammy Smith 128.939 mph
Slowest: #45-Jeffrey Earnhardt 123.064 mph.
Most laps run: #16-Chandler Smith, 56
Notes: #1-Sam Mayer was the only Championship 4 driver outside the top five in 10th. #20-Nemechek also ranked the best on 10-lap averages. Five minutes into the session, #35-Joey Gase spun off Turn 2. #08-JJ Yeley spun late in the session.
See full Phoenix Practice Results.

Crew Rosters

Goodyear Tire Notes

There are 41 drivers/teams on the entry list for the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Three cars will miss the race.
Notables: #4-Stefan Parsons, #07-Dawson Cram, #08-JJ Yeley, #11-Derek Kraus, #17-Rajah Caruth, #19-Myatt Snider, #28-CJ McLaughlin, #29-Kyle Sieg, #35-Joey Gase, #44-Daniel Dye, #45-Jeffrey Earnhardt, #53-Chris Hacker, #66-Timmy Hill, #91-Kyle Weatherman.
Update: #44-Leland Honeyman will drive in place of Daniel Dye.
See the full entry list on the Phoenix Entry List page.

Phoenix At-Track Schedule