"I'm happy a JGR car won" - Chandler Smith elaborates on race-long battle with teammate John Hunter Nemechek in Las Vegas

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Chandler Smith and John Hunter Nemechek dominated the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with Nemechek prevailing over Smith to win The LiUNA! on Saturday, March 2.

Smith, piloting the #81 Toyota, rolled off the front row, winning the first two stages, and leading 74 laps. Meanwhile, Nemechek, in the #20 Toyota, took control in the final stage leading a race-high 99 laps. He took the checkered flag more than four seconds ahead of second-place finisher Cole Custer.

Despite having a strong outing, Chandler Smith had to settle for the third-place finish. He later said that the team went in the wrong direction with the setup choices as the race progressed.

"We just over-adjusted a little bit. [We were] trying to stay ahead of the race track, and it feels actually like it might have gotten a little colder as well," he was quoted as saying by NASCAR.com.

The 21-year-old added that the missed opportunity served as a learning opportunity, and was happy to see a JGR car in the victory lane.

"It felt like track definitely freed up, and we went in that same direction, thinking it was going to tighten up. So you live and you learn… We were pretty dominant and we just over-adjusted, but I’m happy that a Joe Gibbs Racing car still won."

John Hunter Nemechek, who recently graduated from the Cup Series, was stoked to return behind the wheel of his #20 Toyota and take it to the victory lane. Nemechek secured his 10th career win in the Xfinity Series.

After three races into the 2024 Xfinity season, Chandler Smith holds the second position in the standings, trailing leader Austin Hill by 22 points. Hill won the first two races of the season.

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Chandler Smith "disappointed" after letting the win slip away in Las Vegas

Chandler Smith lamented losing out on a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track he had marked down ahead of his 2024 campaign.

The #81 Joe Gibbs Racing driver got off to a strong start, sweeping the first two stages and leading all the laps in the first stage. However, his afternoon took a turn on Lap 125 when he heard a strange pop that affected the car balance for the rest of the race.

"I just got laterally super-free after we came in at the end of Stage 2," Smith told NASCAR.com. "But at the same time when I fired back off, there was a really loud pop, like something broke or something in the rear, and after that, I went to crap for the rest of the race."

Smith then rued the missed opportunity to win his second Xfinity race:

"I’m disappointed but I shouldn’t be. Yeah, that’s cool, but I really felt like I let this one get away today."

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Phoenix Raceway for the fourth race of the season on March 9.