The 2023 Road America 180 was the 20th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 14th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at Road America, a 4.048 miles (6.515km) permanent road course. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 45 laps, but was extended to 49 laps due to a NASCAR overtime finish. In an incredible overtime finish that saw the leaders make numerous mistakes, Sam Mayer, driving for JR Motorsports, would take advantage of those mistakes, and held off Parker Kligerman on the final lap to earn his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win. Justin Allgaier would dominate the entire race, winning both stages and leading a race-high 42 laps, before he spun in turn 8 with two laps to go. To fill out the podium, Kligerman, driving for Big Machine Racing, and Austin Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Background

Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, Sports Car Club of America GT World Challenge America and Trans-Am Series and the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
  • (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake
00Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord
1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet
02Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet
2Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
4Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet
6Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet
07Katherine LeggeSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet
7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet
08Alex LabbéSS-Green Light RacingFord
8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet
9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet
10A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet
11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet
16Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet
18Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
19Connor Mosack (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
20John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
24Sage KaramSam Hunt RacingToyota
25Brett MoffittAM RacingFord
26Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota
27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet
28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord
31Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet
35Stanton BarrettEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota
38Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord
39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord
43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet
44Brad PerezAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet
45Leland HoneymanAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet
48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet
51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet
53Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet
66Dexter StaceyMBM MotorsportsToyota
78Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet
91Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet
92Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet
98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord

Practice

The first and only practice session was held on Friday, July 28, at 4:00 PM CST, and would last for 50 minutes. Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.360, and an average speed of 110.100mph (177.189km/h).

Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:12.360110.100
298Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord2:13.276109.343
310A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2:13.385109.254

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, July 28, at 5:00 PM CST. Since Road America is a road course, the qualifying system is a two group system, with two rounds. Drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and Group B. Each driver will have multiple laps to set a time. The fastest 5 drivers from each group will advance to the final round. The fastest driver to set a time in that round will win the pole. A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 1:10.574, and an average speed of 111.606mph (179.612km/h).

Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)
110A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2:11.898110.4852:10.574111.606
200Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord2:11.574110.7572:10.872111.352
37Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:10.768111.4402:11.093111.164
498Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord2:12.179110.2502:11.764110.598
51Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:11.616110.7222:11.909110.476
624Sage KaramSam Hunt RacingToyota2:12.261110.1821:12.189110.242
719Connor Mosack (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2:11.848110.5272:12.410110.058
820John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2:12.143110.2812:12.652109.857
926Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota2:12.230110.2082:13.439109.209
1018Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2:12.483109.9982:23.142101.807
Eliminated from Round 1
1191Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet2:12.577109.920——
122Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2:13.043109.535——
138Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:13.146109.450——
1421Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2:13.288109.333——
1525Brett MoffittAM RacingFord2:13.309109.316——
1616Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2:13.363109.272——
1748Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet2:13.513109.149——
1892Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet2:13.580109.094——
1927Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet2:14.417108.415——
2031Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet2:14.466108.375——
2144Brad PerezAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2:14.577108.286——
2245Leland HoneymanAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet2:15.210107.779——
2378Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2:15.532107.523——
2407Katherine LeggeSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2:15.673107.411——
2502Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet2:16.132107.049——
266Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet2:16.203106.993——
2728Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord2:16.423106.821——
2835Stanton BarrettEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota2:17.612105.898——
2953Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet2:19.411104.531——
3066Dexter StaceyMBM MotorsportsToyota2:19.912104.157——
3151Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2:34.27394.461——
3211Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet————
339Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet————
Qualified by owner's points
3439Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord————
3538Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord————
3643Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet————
3708Alex LabbéSS-Green Light RacingFord————
384Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet————

Race results

Stage 1 Laps: 22

Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts
17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet10
200Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord9
310A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet0
420John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7
524Sage KaramSam Hunt RacingToyota6
698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord5
726Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota4
821Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3
91Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2
1018Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1

Stage 2 Laps: 12

Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts
17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet10
200Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord9
324Sage KaramSam Hunt RacingToyota8
410A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet0
51Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet6
626Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota5
78Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet4
848Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet3
918Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2
1091Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet1

Stage 3 Laps: 15

Pos.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts
151Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet492Running48
21748Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet490Running38
31421Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet490Running37
4624Sage KaramSam Hunt RacingToyota490Running47
5498Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord490Running37
6138Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet490Running35
7926Kaz GralaSam Hunt RacingToyota490Running39
81191Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet490Running30
9110A. J. Allmendinger (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet495Running0
10339Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet490Running27
113211Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet490Running26
121927Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet490Running25
133439Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord490Running24
142031Parker Retzlaff (R)Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet490Running23
15266Brennan PooleJD MotorsportsChevrolet490Running22
162378Anthony AlfredoB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet490Running21
172502Blaine Perkins (R)Our MotorsportsChevrolet490Running20
1837Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet4942Running39
192144Brad PerezAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet490Running18
20384Kyle WeathermanJD MotorsportsChevrolet490Running17
211892Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet490Running16
222953Patrick EmerlingEmerling-Gase MotorsportsChevrolet490Running15
233538Joe Graf Jr.RSS RacingFord490Running14
242835Stanton BarrettEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota490Running13
253066Dexter StaceyMBM MotorsportsToyota490Running12
26122Sheldon CreedRichard Childress RacingChevrolet490Running11
273151Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet490Running10
282245Leland HoneymanAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet450Transmission9
29719Connor Mosack (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota440Rear Gear8
30200Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord410Accident25
311018Sammy Smith (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota410Accident9
322728Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord390Brakes5
333708Alex LabbéSS-Green Light RacingFord380Accident4
34820John Hunter NemechekJoe Gibbs RacingToyota310Accident10
353643Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet250Accident2
361525Brett MoffittAM RacingFord230Hub1
371616Chandler Smith (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet200Accident1
382407Katherine LeggeSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet90Mechanical1

Standings after the race

PosDriverPoints
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 1 Austin Hill 775 1 2 John Hunter Nemechek 761 (-14) 3 Justin Allgaier 735 (–40) 4 Cole Custer 691 (–84) 1 5 Josh Berry 612 (–163) 3 6 Sam Mayer 593 (–182) 2 7 Chandler Smith 588 (–187) 1 8 Daniel Hemric 579 (–196) 1 9 Sammy Smith 557 (–218) 1 10 Riley Herbst 530 (–245) 1 11 Sheldon Creed 527 (–248) 12 Parker Kligerman 505 (–270) Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
11Austin Hill775
12John Hunter Nemechek761 (-14)
3Justin Allgaier735 (–40)
4Cole Custer691 (–84)
15Josh Berry612 (–163)
36Sam Mayer593 (–182)
27Chandler Smith588 (–187)
18Daniel Hemric579 (–196)
19Sammy Smith557 (–218)
110Riley Herbst530 (–245)
111Sheldon Creed527 (–248)
12Parker Kligerman505 (–270)
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