The 2024 Xfinity Series spring race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was shaping up to be quite a pleasant weekend for Stewart-Haas Racing after Cole Custer bagged the pole position, but it seems like at the end of the day, Coach Gibbs’s side was the one that came out on top. Custer lost out on the lead at the very start, giving Joe Gibbs Racing stars John Hunter Nemechek and Chandler Smith the perfect opportunity to take over the race’s lead.

John Hunter Nemechek leads the way for JGR as teammates seal the Vegas dominance

While it was C. Smith who dominated the first two stages of the race, John Hunter Nemechek and the #20 Toyota crossed the line to visit victory lane at the end of the third stage. The win at the Las Vegas Spring Race marks the 10th of Nemechek’s Xfinity series career and also the first for JGR crew chief Tyler Allen. The win is also of great significance for Toyota, who have finally opened their books for the 2024 season, ending Chevy’s dominant run in the early races.

However, for the majority of the race, it was Chandler Smith who was poised for the win, also leading the second-most laps in the race with 73. During the final stage, both drivers were occupied in an immense battle for the lead. This was when a pit stop led to a drop in Smith’s pace, ultimately allowing Riley Herbst to sneak past on lap 142. While Smith managed to maintain his position in third, it was Cole Custer who sealed the podium in second after a heroic comeback.

While the pendulum could have swung either way for Smith and John Hunter Nemechek, one thing was for certain: Joe Gibbs Racing had nailed the setup for the windy Vegas. Reflecting on the #20 garage’s efforts to bag an early win in the season, Nemechek told Fox Sports 1, “Hats off to all the guys on this [No.] 20 team of Joe Gibbs Racing. It’s awesome to come back out here to win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a limited number of starts. Our goal was to win as many as we possibly could, and nothing else matters.” 

Nemechek’s father, Joe Nemechek, had also achieved glory in Vegas in 2003, prompting the young JGR star to express his excitement with his early win in his part-time Xfinity role. He concluded, “It feels so good to win in here in Las Vegas, and got some reps for tomorrow, so I’m excited.” Securing the win at the Vegas Spring race has not only boosted Nemechek’s standing in the Xfinity Series, but it has evidently fuelled the 26-year-old to deliver a similarly competitive performance at the Pennzoil 400 for the Cup Series.

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With that said, it’s safe to say Joe Gibbs Racing is shaping up to be the one to beat. While Chandler Smith may have failed to capitalize on his early dominance, the JGR driver is more than happy to play the team game.

‘Happy a JGR car won’ Chandler Smith commends his teammate’s effort after narrowly missing out on glory

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When the first lap of the Xfinity Series Las Vegas Spring Race was done and dusted, it was not pole-sitter Cole Custer out in front, but Chandler Smith, who had wasted no time in slotting his Toyota Supra into the lead. For the longest time, it looked like there was no competition close to Smith, not even his teammate.

But as we know, it all unfolded for the worst for Smith after a pit stop cost the Supra major pace drop-off, allowing John Hunter Nemechek to pull away with a gap of five seconds by the time the checkered flag fell. At the end of it, Smith was disappointed with the last-minute unraveling of one of his best races to date. After all, Smith added two stage wins to his three, almost doubling his previous run.

Summing up the late drop-off, Smith shared with FOX, “We just over-adjusted a little bit trying to stay ahead of the racetrack, and it feels like it got a little colder. I felt like the track freed up, and we went in that same direction, thinking it would tighten up. You live and you learn.” Despite his setbacks, Smith was elated at the overall results the team had brought in as he concluded, “I’m happy a Joe Gibbs Racing car still won though, so congratulations John Hunter.’

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At the end of the day, the Las Vegas Spring Race could not have worked out better for Joe Gibbs Racing, which has finally helped Toyota put an end to Chevrolet’s early dominance. With that said, will other teams like SHR and Ford Mustang strike back soon?