The 2023 Call 811.com Before You Dig 250 was the 8th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 16th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, April 15, 2023, in Ridgeway, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent paper-clip shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would put on a dominating performance, winning both stages and leading 198 laps, earning his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season; during his celebratory burnout, the rear of his car ignited fire.[1] To fill out the podium, Sammy Smith, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Cole Custer, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Martinsville Speedway is an NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track on the NASCAR circuit since its beginning in 1948.
For practice, drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and B. Both sessions will be 15 minutes long, and will be held on Friday, April 14, at 5:00 PM EST.[2] Cole Custer, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, was the fastest driver in total, with a lap of 20.594, and an average speed of 91.949 mph (147.978 km/h).[3]
Qualifying was held on Friday, April 14, at 5:35 PM EST.[2] Since Martinsville Speedway 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.[4] Cole Custer, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 20.057, and an average speed of 94.411 mph (151.940 km/h).[5]
Stage 1 Laps: 60
Stage 2 Laps: 60
Stage 3 Laps: 130