Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Ben Beshore stunned some racing fans ahead of the 2023 NASCAR season by moving down to the Xfinity Series. Now, however, a win at Auto Club Speedway justified this decision.
Beshore, who spent the past three seasons with Kyle Busch and the No. 18 team, joined forces with John Hunter Nemechek for the 2023 Xfinity Series season. This move has paid immediate dividends for both of them. The No. 20 Toyota GR Supra has finished top two in the first two races, which includes a strong performance at Auto Club Speedway.
A trip to Victory Lane!📸
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“Man, this whole 20 team gave me one heck of a race car. Nemechek said after winning the final race on the two-mile configuration of the California track. “Just a huge shout-out to all the guys who work on this 20 team.
“I think a lot of guys doubted Ben coming down from the Cup Series, and to have him on the box and to be able to establish the relationship I have with him, it’s been awesome. I’ve worked with a lot of the guys on the team the last couple of years, and the pit crew—they got it done when it counted tonight.”
The No. 20 Toyota Was Unbeatable Late
GettyJohn Hunter Nemechek (front) races at Auto Club Speedway.
Nemechek started second overall in Southern California while Daytona winner Austin Hill led the field to the green flag. Nemechek led the first 20 laps of the race, but he fell back into the pack after the competition caution while Cole Custer jumped to the lead in what was a dominant car.
The driver of the No. 00 swept the first two stages while Nemechek finished ninth and second. However, the situation changed for both drivers. A cut tire and contact from Austin Dillon led to Custer scraping against the wall and sustaining a significant amount of damage. This knocked him out of contention.
Nemechek, for comparison, was dominant during the final stage. He held off multiple challengers such as Hill and Sam Mayer while leading the final 12 laps. Mayer tried multiple lanes in an effort to get close to Nemechek’s bumper, but he could not make any headway. He ultimately crossed the finish line .761 seconds behind the No. 20.
This win locked Nemechek into the playoffs, and it created a unique piece of history for his family. His father, Joe Nemechek, won the pole for the first-ever Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway back in 1997.
Fast-forward to 2023, and the younger Nemechek won the final race on the two-mile configuration. The Xfinity Series race actually took place after the Cup Series race on February 26 due to rain and snow washing out all on-track action the previous day.
Nemechek & Beshore Now Sit in a Solid Position
GettyJohn Hunter Nemechek celebrates a win at Auto Club Speedway.
The first two races of the Xfinity Series season are complete, and the No. 20 team is sitting pretty. It has reached Victory Lane in one race and finished second in another. Equally important are the stage points that the team has accumulated.
These factors have put the No. 20 team in a solid position. Nemechek is now second in the regular-season standings with 91 total points. He sits in a tie with JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier, and they are both seven points behind leader Austin Hill.
There are now 24 races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular season. There is a significant amount of time remaining for other drivers to punch their tickets to the playoffs with wins, which could shake up the standings even further. There is also plenty of time for Nemechek and Beshore to continue stacking wins while justifying the veteran crew chief’s move down from the Cup Series.
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Xfinity Series Race at Fontana Justifies Ben Beshore’s Move