{"id":44765,"date":"2024-03-02T19:50:55","date_gmt":"2024-03-03T01:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=44765"},"modified":"2024-03-09T22:02:18","modified_gmt":"2024-03-10T04:02:18","slug":"john-hunter-nemechek-wins-desert-duel-of-joe-gibbs-racing-teammates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/02\/john-hunter-nemechek-wins-desert-duel-of-joe-gibbs-racing-teammates\/","title":{"rendered":"John Hunter Nemechek wins desert duel of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #20 Safeway\/Albertsons Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 02, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

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By Reid Spencer<\/span>  <\/em><\/p>\n

NASCAR Wire Service<\/span><\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n

LAS VEGAS, Nv. \u2014 Chandler Smith won the battle. John Hunter Nemechek won the war.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates spent most of Saturday afternoon racing each other for the top spot in The LiUNA!, a 300-mile NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was Nemechek who proved superior in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n

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John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #20 Safeway\/Albertsons Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 02, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

After Smith won the first two stages of the race\u2014the second with a deft last-lap pass of Nemechek\u2019s No. 20 Toyota\u2014Nemechek asserted his dominance.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

By the time Nemechek crossed the finish line at the end of Lap 200, he held a 4.360-second lead over pole winner Cole Custer, who had charged into second place after a late cycle of green-flag pit stops.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

\u201cHats off to all the guys on this 20 team for Joe Gibbs Racing, said Nemechek, who led a race-high 99 laps in securing his first victory of the season, his first at Las Vegas and the 10th<\/sup> of his career.<\/span> <\/p>\n

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John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #20 Safeway\/Albertsons Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 02, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cMan, it\u2019s awesome to come out here and win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a limited number of starts. Our goal is to come and win as many as we possibly could. Nothing else matters.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

\u201cCongrats to Tyler (Allen). He\u2019s the crew chief this year on the 20 car\u2014his first win as a crew chief. Our spotter, Ryan Blanchard\u2014his first win as well\u2026 Man, it feels so good to win here in Las Vegas. Got to rest for tomorrow., so I\u2019m excited.\u201d<\/span>  <\/p>\n

Now full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series with Legacy Motor Club, Nemechek will race in Sunday\u2019s Pennzoil 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).<\/span><\/p>\n

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John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #20 Safeway\/Albertsons Toyota, and Chandler Smith, driver of the #81 QuickTie Toyota, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 02, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Smith arguably had the best car in the race until he pitted with the rest of the field at the second stage break.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

\u201cWe just over-adjusted a little bit,\u201d said Smith, who led 74 laps, including the first 49, and came home third. \u201c(We were) trying to stay ahead of the race track, and it feels actually like it might have gotten a little colder as well.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt like track definitely freed up, and we went in that same direction, thinking it was going to tighten up. So you live and you learn\u2026 We were pretty dominant and we just over-adjusted, but I\u2019m happy that a Joe Gibbs Racing car still won.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chandler Smith, driver of the #81 QuickTie Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Xfinity Series The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 02, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Austin Hill, who triumphed in the first two races of the season, at Daytona and Atlanta, was fourth, with Riley Herbst finishing fifth after dominating the Las Vegas race last fall. AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Sieg, Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones and Justin Allgaier completed the top 10.<\/span> <\/p>\n

Hill retained his series lead by 22 points over Smith in second. Hailie Deegan was the top Sunoco rookie with a 15th<\/sup>-place finish.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

For the second time in three races, ill fortune beset JR Motorsports\u2019 Sam Mayer, who completed just 22 of 120 laps in the season opener at Daytona.<\/span><\/p>\n

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John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #20 Safeway\/Albertsons Toyota, Chandler Smith, driver of the #81 QuickTie Toyota, and Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 02, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Meg Oliphant\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Mayer was running 10th<\/sup> on Lap 8 on Saturday when the No. 31 Chevrolet of fifth-place qualifier Parker Retzlaff turned sideways in front of him and slammed into the right side of Mayer\u2019s car, knocking him out of the race.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the year from hell,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cVery frustrating and unfortunate and can\u2019t wait to get to Phoenix (for next Saturday\u2019s race).\u201d<\/span>  <\/p>\n

Another early casualty was New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, who took his Kaulig Racing Chevrolet behind the wall with overheating problems after completing 27 laps.<\/span>  <\/p>\n

Van Gisbergen and Mayer finished 37th<\/sup> and 38th<\/sup>, respectively, in the 38-car field.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Interviews:<\/h3>\n