The 2023 Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation was the 16th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the final race of the regular season, and the 4th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Richmond, Virginia at Richmond Raceway, a permanent quad-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. Carson Hocevar, driving for Niece Motorsports, would make a late-race pass for the lead on Ty Majeski with under five laps to go, and held on to earn his third career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win. Majeski would dominate the entire race, starting from the pole, winning both stages, and eventually came back from an early pit road speeding penalty. Majeski's pit road strategy to stay out for the remainder of the final stage would be unsuccessful, as Hocevar would take advantage in the final laps. To fill out the podium, Majeski, driving for ThorSport Racing, and Zane Smith, driving for Front Row Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The ten drivers that would qualify for the NASCAR playoffs are Corey Heim, Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes, Nick Sanchez, Matt DiBenedetto, and Matt Crafton. Heim would also claim the Regular Season Championship during the race.
Background Richmond Raceway (RR), formerly known as Richmond International Raceway (RIR), is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia, in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the IndyCar series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted two USAC sprint car races.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake1William SawalichTricon GarageToyota02Will RodgersYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet4Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet5Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota9Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet11Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota12Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet13Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord14Trey HutchensTrey Hutchens RacingChevrolet15Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota16Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota17Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota19Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet20Mason Massey (i)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet22Christian RoseAM RacingFord23Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet24Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet25Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet30Ryan VargasOn Point MotorsportsToyota32Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet33Derek LemkeReaume Brothers RacingFord34Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingFord35Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet38Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord41Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet42Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet43Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet45Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet46Memphis VillarrealG2G RacingToyota51Matt MillsKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet52Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota56Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota66Conner JonesThorSport RacingFord88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord90Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota98Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord99Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Friday, July 28, at 5:05 PM EST, and would last for 20 minutes. Ty Majeski, driving for ThorSport Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 22.813, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed198Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord22.813118.354288Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord22.844118.193319Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet22.995117.417Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, July 28, at 5:35 PM EST. Since Richmond Raceway 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. Ty Majeski, driving for ThorSport Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 22.689, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed198Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord22.689119.000211Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota22.741118.72831William SawalichTricon GarageToyota22.839118.219499Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord22.842118.203551Matt MillsKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet22.872118.048619Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet22.887117.971715Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota22.896117.925888Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord22.952117.63794Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet22.975117.5191025Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet22.998117.4021141Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet23.004117.3711235Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet23.015117.3151323Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet23.062117.076142Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet23.070117.0351538Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord23.120116.7821624Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet23.136116.7011742Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet23.144116.6611843Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet23.144116.6611917Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota23.150116.631205Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota23.199116.3842116Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota23.217116.2942245Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet23.283115.9642352Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota23.297115.8952466Conner JonesThorSport RacingFord23.351115.6272513Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord23.368115.5432632Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet23.370115.533279Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet23.402115.3752830Ryan VargasOn Point MotorsportsToyota23.597114.4212902Will RodgersYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet23.600114.4073056Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota23.620114.3103133Derek LemkeReaume Brothers RacingFord23.708113.886Qualified by owner's points3212Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet23.797113.4603320Mason Massey (i)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet23.897112.9853490Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota23.905112.9473522Christian RoseAM RacingFord23.908112.9333634Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingFord24.034112.341Failed to qualify3714Trey HutchensTrey Hutchens RacingChevrolet24.106112.0053846Memphis VillarrealG2G RacingToyota24.828108.748Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 70 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts198Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord10299Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord9311Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota8419Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet7588Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord661William SawalichTricon GarageToyota5735Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet484Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet3951Matt MillsKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet21025Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 70 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts198Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord10299Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord9311Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota8419Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet7542Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet6635Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet5788Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord481William SawalichTricon GarageToyota392Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet21051Matt MillsKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet1
Stage 3 Laps: 110 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts11742Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet25064Running482198Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord250168Running5531538Zane SmithFront Row MotorsportsFord2500Running3441235Jake Garcia (R)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet2500Running425551Matt MillsKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet2500Running356211Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota2509Running477888Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord2500Running408142Nick Sanchez (R)Rev RacingChevrolet2490Running3191323Grant EnfingerGMS RacingChevrolet2490Running281031William SawalichTricon GarageToyota2490Running3511619Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet2490Running4012499Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord2499Running43132116Tyler AnkrumHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota2490Running24141917Taylor Gray (R)Tricon GarageToyota2490Running23152513Hailie DeeganThorSport RacingFord2490Running2216715Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota2490Running21171025Matt DiBenedettoRackley WARChevrolet2490Running21181141Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet2480Running19191624Rajah Caruth (R)GMS RacingChevrolet2480Running18202466Conner JonesThorSport RacingFord2480Running17211843Daniel Dye (R)GMS RacingChevrolet2480Running162294Chase PurdyKyle Busch MotorsportsChevrolet2480Running18233056Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota2480Running1424279Colby HowardCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet2470Running1325205Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota2470Running12262902Will RodgersYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2470Running11272352Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota2470Running10282245Lawless AlanNiece MotorsportsChevrolet2470Running9292632Bret Holmes (R)Bret Holmes RacingChevrolet2470Running8302830Ryan VargasOn Point MotorsportsToyota2460Running7313490Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota2450Running6323522Christian RoseAM RacingFord2440Running5333133Derek LemkeReaume Brothers RacingFord2430Running4343320Mason Massey (i)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet2420Running0353212Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2400Running2363634Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingFord2390Running1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Corey Heim 2,030 2 Zane Smith 2,022 (-8) 4 3 Carson Hocevar 2,021 (-9) 2 4 Christian Eckes 2,019 (-11) 2 5 Grant Enfinger 2,017 (-13) 1 6 Ty Majeski 2,014 (-16) 3 7 Ben Rhodes 2,013 (-17) 1 8 Nick Sanchez 2,005 (-25) 1 9 Matt DiBenedetto 2,002 (-28) 10 Matt Crafton 2,002 (-28)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References