After a controversial finish created inner team drama at Atlanta, the NASCAR Xfinity Series invades New England for the Ambetter Health 200
Kaulig Racing had the NASCAR Xfinity Series field covered in Atlanta, yet none of their drivers won the race. Justin Haley led 80 straight laps in the final stage until an overtime restart changed everything. Chandler Smith ran out of fuel on the restart leaving Haley with no drafting help behind him.
After regaining his momentum Haley went for a pass on teammate Daniel Hemric instead of working together past John Hunter Nemechek. The two teammates fought side by side for second place allowing Nemechek to race ahead and take the win.
Justin Haley’s story is that his car started to sputter because it was low on fuel so he pulled down low. He then side-drafted Hemric and continued at full speed for an entire lap. The Kaulig confusion was a welcome sight for John Hunter Nemechek as he took his third NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the year.
Justin Haley says he was sputtering and ran out of fuel and that's why he moved down under Daniel Hemric pic.twitter.com/xTyC2RddeV
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) July 9, 2023
The Track
Saturday’s Ambetter Health 200 marks the only trip to New England on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. Just an hour and a half north of Boston, New Hampshire Motor Speedway gives race fans in the Northeast an opportunity to experience the sport.
The track is a difficult one that challenges the discipline of drivers. With almost no banking in the corners, it can be easy to overshoot the entry with too much speed. The Magic Mile rewards those who can be precise with their line lap after lap. Passing is difficult and pit crews will need to be on top of their game to keep track position.
Prediction
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is the final proving ground for young drivers looking towards the Cup Series. They come in as talented teenagers posting quick lap times but struggle to put together a full race. Sam Mayer has been a prime example of this process over the last several years.
Mayer came into the series with lots of hype as one of Chevrolet’s top prospects. Finishing races cleanly was a struggle at first but the 20-year-old has found a good run of form in his second full-time season.
Mayer has four top 10s in the last five races including three top 5s. New Hampshire has a history of producing first-time winners and I’m picking Sam Mayer to be the latest one.
How To Watch – NASCAR Xfinity Series Ambetter Health 200 (All times ET)
- Practice/Qualifying: Friday, July 14, 5:05 p.m. on USA
- Ambetter Health 200: Saturday, July 15, 3 p.m. on USA
