The 2023 Dead On Tools 250 was the 32nd stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the final race of the Round of 8, and the 4th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, October 28, 2023, in Ridgeway, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent paper-clip shaped racetrack. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 250 laps, but was extended to 256 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. In a wild race that resulted in 15 cautions, Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would survive the chaos on the final lap, and hold off Sheldon Creed in a close finish to earn his 23rd career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his fourth of the season. He would also earn a spot in the Championship 4.[1]Sammy Smith would dominate the majority of the race, winning the second stage and leading a race-high 147 laps. After navigating through the field in the final stage, he would finish third.[2] To fill out the podium, Creed, driving for Richard Childress Racing, and Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The race was mostly known as an exciting battle for the final Championship 4 spot between Allgaier, Austin Hill, and Cole Custer. Coming into the race, the three drivers were only separated by four points. Both Custer and Hill were involved in the last lap wreck, but it would be Custer who would prevail by six points over Hill.[3]Sam Mayer, Allgaier, John Hunter Nemechek, and Custer would advance into the Championship 4. Hill, Sammy Smith, Creed, and Chandler Smith would be eliminated from championship contention.[4]
Background
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track is also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948. Along with this, Martinsville is the only NASCAR oval track on the entire NASCAR track circuit to have asphalt surfaces on the straightaways, then concrete to cover the turns.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
(i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
For practice, drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and B. Both sessions will be 15 minutes long, and was held on Friday, October 27, at 5:00 PM EST.[5]Blaine Perkins, driving for Our Motorsports, would set the fastest time between both sessions, with a lap of 20.480, and an average speed of 92.461 mph (148.802 km/h).[6]
Qualifying was held on Friday, October 27, at 5:35 PM EST.[5] Since Martinsville Speedway is a short track, the qualifying system used is a single-car, two-lap system with only one round. In that round, whoever sets the fastest time will win the pole.[7]Sammy Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 20.035, and an average speed of 94.515 mph (152.107 km/h).[8]
