JH Nemechek takes a NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday afternoon in the Tennessee Lottery 250.

LEBANON, Tenn. – John Hunter Nemechek survived a steamy hot afternoon. On Saturday afternoon, he held off a highly motivated field to win the Tennessee Lottery 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.

JH Nemechek Takes a NASCAR Xfinity Series Win at Nashville

It’s the second Xfinity Series win of the season for Nemechek in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – and the 11th of his career in the series. The 27-year-old North Carolinian won Stage 2 and led a race-best 76 of the 188 laps, including the final 46 after taking the lead on a re-start from Cole Custer, who navigated a corner too high allowing Nemechek to get by.

“Feels good to be back in the 20-machine, we’ve been close to winning a lot this year in this thing,’’ said Nemechek, who will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Nashville on Sunday when he competes in his full-time ride, the No. 42 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club.

“Being able to capitalize on it is huge. … it’s great to get it done here in Nashville.

Joe Gibbs Racing Takes the Top Two Spots on a Hot Day in Nashville

It was a Joe Gibbs Racing one-two with Nemechek’s teammate Chandler Smith rallying to a runner-up finish. Smith’s finish was 1.234 seconds behind Nemechek. With in-car temperatures nearing 130 degrees, many in the field were left standing outside their cars on pit road taking water and resting after the race. Several drivers either didn’t wear a ‘cool suit’ or had malfunctions with the one they did use.

The Tennessee Lottery 250 Results

Much of the hard work came from the rear of the starting grid. After starting from the rear for technical issues, championship contenders Jesse Love, Austin Hill, and Sheldon Creed rallied to race up front at the finish.

Creed’s No. 18 JGR Toyota ran among the top ten after starting at the back of the 38-car field. But in the closing laps, he had engine issues.

The Richard Childress Racing teammates Love and Hill certainly had impressive hard-earned finishes in their Chevrolets. Despite the weather challenges and positions on the starting grid – the RCR duo raced to third and fourth-place finishes, respectively.

NASCAR Cup Series regular and former Xfinity Series title contender Noah Gragson rounded out the top five in the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford. It was his second start in the car this season.

“I have no idea,’’ a smiling Love said of how he passed 69 cars on the day and finished top five when his cool suit was not working properly.

“Just proud to be part of a team that doesn’t give up,’’ he continued. “That was probably the hottest I’ve ever been. Just proud of my guys.’’

Another driver suffering from the heat when his cool suit didn’t work was Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst. He still managed a sixth-place finish despite the circumstances. The 2023 Nashville race winner, A.J. Allmendinger finished seventh, followed by Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, and Sam Mayer.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Point Standings

Custer holds on to the Xfinity Series championship lead by 15 points over Chandler Smith. Custer, as expected, was frustrated missing out on his first victory this season, after leading an impressive 64 laps. He fell back to fifth losing the lead to Nemechek on a race-deciding restart and ultimately had his work cut out to stay among the top ten.

“I think I over-drove on that restart a little bit into turn one,’’ said the Stewart-Haas Racing driver Custer. “There’s a couple things I could have done better.

“Everyone’s got dirty air and man, it was hard to make speed. I felt like we were solid when we were in the top-three cars but once we got back there it was tough to get the car to handle.

“I can’t say enough about our guys. We’re bringing cars that compete for wins every week, it’s just heartbreaking every week not to win. We’re bringing good cars and leading laps, we’ll get it eventually. We’ll keep digging.’’

Next Up

The NASCAR Xfinity Series joins the NASCAR Cup Series for a summer-time double-header on the streets of Chicago in next Saturday’s The Loop 110 at 3:30 p.m.ET. NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry coverage. Custer won last year’s inaugural race from pole position.