Winners: Kyle Larson (Cup); Chandler Smith (Xfinity); Carson Hocevar (Trucks) with Sean Hingorani (ARCA West)
NASCAR Cup
Kyle Larson Prevails Late at Richmond for First 2023 Win
With the benefit of a fast final pit stop, Kyle Larson put his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet out front at Richmond Raceway and then held off the field in the last 25 laps of Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 to earn his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2023 season.
The 30-year-old Californian had to out-duel his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Josh Berry on a pair of restarts in the closing laps to secure the win at the first short-track event of the season (the 0.75-mile Richmond oval). Berry, driving the No. 9 Hendrick Chevy for injured Chase Elliott, finished runner-up, capturing his best NASCAR Cup Series finish — 1.535 seconds behind Larson to the checkered flag.
“It’s really cool, we’ve been close to winning a couple,” Larson said, adding, “Things just worked out and my pit crew had a great stop.”
Larson led four different times, totaling 93 laps, and survived contact on pit road with Daniel Suárez’s Chevrolet early in the race. It was Larson’s second Richmond win (also in 2017) and the fifth win for Chevy through the season’s opening seven races.
“What an awesome Hendrickcars.com Chevy,” Larson said. “Can’t say enough about it. I got into the 99 [Suárez] on pit road there sometime in the second stage, and we were awful after that. I was hoping the damage was the reason why, but they had to calm me down a little bit and get refocused and was able to get it done.
“Thanks to everyone on this team, Cliff Daniels, for everything he does to prepare the team to be as strong as we are without him on the box. So good to get a win, and hopefully many more.”
This win is special. 💙 pic.twitter.com/BP878UHv9Q
— Hendrick Automotive Group (@HendrickCars) April 3, 2023
Pole: Alex Bowman
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Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, Apr. 9 - 6:00 PM for the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Xfinity
Chandler Smith Finds Late-Race Momentum, Wins Xfinity Series Race at Richmond
Rookie Chandler Smith earned his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday afternoon at Richmond 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-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 0.298-second victory after intense side-by-side action for the lead in the closing laps.
“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.‘‘
Im so proud of @CSmithDrive for what he accomplished on Saturday and Sunday. His future is so bright in this sport, he continues to show it every weekend.
— Chris Rice (@C_Rice1) April 3, 2023
But he couldnt do it without everyone at @KauligRacing setting him up for success, total team effort! #trophyhunting pic.twitter.com/QuRLv3qBTy
Pole: Justin Allgaier
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Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, Apr. 15 - 6:30 PM for the Call 811.com Before You Dig. 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
NASCAR Trucks
Carson Hocevar finds Magic in NASCAR Overtime, Wins at Texas
Nick Sanchez led an absolutely dominant 168 of 172 laps in Saturday’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway, but the 21-year-old rookie and reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith collided at the front of the field after taking the white flag and Carson Hocevar instead drove through to take his first career victory in double overtime.
The 20-year-old Hocevar led only that last overtime lap in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet to claim his first win by 1.628 seconds over Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Chase Purdy – career-best finishes for both drivers.
After slight contact with Smith racing door-to-door for the win, Sanchez got loose and had to regain control of the truck heading to the white flag. Video replays showed that as he steadied his truck, he was hit from behind by Hocevar, whose truck was carrying the momentum as Sanchez was recovering from his slight miscue. The contact from behind was just enough to spin Sanchez back across the track and collect Smith’s truck while Hocevar drove forward to the finish line and waited for official word of the win.
“I didn’t mean to get into him, I just meant to give him a push, and he got sideways the second I hit him, I apologize to them, I’ll take the fall for it. I wrecked a Chevy, and I’ll go talk to him about it – he deserved to win for sure,” Hocevar said of the contact with Sanchez.
“But all the times we were the fastest car, and I don’t win, and this team deserves to win more than anything, I can stop getting the same question asked all the time now,” continued Hocevar, who has four career runner-up finishes. “We didn’t deserve to win today, but we were in the right spot at the right time.”
it was a dream i’ve dreamt before, but for the first time i woke up and my dream was reality. thank you @wwexracing. pic.twitter.com/yh4PdHtRn7
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) April 2, 2023
Pole: Nicholas Sanchez
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Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Saturday, Apr. 8 - 7:00 PM for the Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt.
ARCA
Sean Hingorani earns first ARCA West victory at Irwindale Speedway
It only took three starts with Venturini Motorsports for Sean Hingorani to break through in a big way.
The 16-year-old notched his first ARCA Menards Series West victory Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway during the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150, fending off a charge from Landen Lewis late in the race.
The victory marked the first ARCA Menards Series West triumph for Venturini Motorsports.
Hingorani, who celebrated by climbing Irwindale’s frontstretch catch fence alongside his crew, expressed his gratitude to everyone at Venturini Motorsports for all their hard work to ensure he would be prepared to contend for wins right out of the gate.
“Our Toyota Camry was so fast [on Saturday],” Hingorani said. “We were fast all weekend, but my crew chief Kevin Reed Jr. has been [to Irwindale] a couple times and finally got himself a win. It’s so awesome to win here.”
You never forget your first!@seanhingorani wins the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150 at Irwindale Speedway! pic.twitter.com/KD374iIGZX
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) April 2, 2023
Pole: Trevor Huddleston
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Next Race: The ARCA Series West will return on April 22, 2023 for the NAPA Nightvision 150 at Kern County Raceway Park.
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