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COLE CUSTER – 2017 Talladega Race Report

Cole Custer Finishes 26th at Talladega

Haas Automation Driver Battles Through After Being Collected in Lap-50 Accident

Date: May 6, 2017
Event: Sparks Energy 300 (Round 9 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile oval)
Format: 113 laps, broken into three stages (25 laps/25 laps/63 laps)
Start/Finish: 13th/26th (Running, completed 95 of 113 laps)
Point Standing: 12th (165 points, 165 out of first)
Race Winner: Aric Almirola of Biagi-DenBeste Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: Aric Almirola of Biagi-DenBeste Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of Junior Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-25): 

  •  Started 13th, finished 14th.
  • Battled tight-handling conditions throughout Stage 1.
  • On lap 22, Custer weaved his way through a multicar accident that brought out a red-flag caution.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 26-50):

  •  Started third, finished 28th.
  • Custer ran as high as second and ran in and around the top-10 throughout Stage 2.
  • On the final lap of Stage 2, Custer was collected in an accident that damaged his Ford Mustang.

 Final Stage Recap (Laps 51-113):

  •  Started 26th, finished 26th.
  • After the red-flag caution, Custer utilized the five-minute clock to put his car back on track.
  • The Haas Automation crew worked tirelessly throughout the final stage to ensure the No. 00 Ford Mustang would finish the race.

 Notes:              

  • The Sparks Energy 300 marked Custer’s first NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Talladega Superspeedway.
  • Twelve cars finished on the lead lap.

 

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

We had a pretty solid Haas Automation Ford Mustang today. We played it safe at the beginning. We got up to there a bit, and somebody just turned somebody and we got collected in it. It’s great that the team was able to fix the car and keep me going. It’s good to be able to come home with something, but we’ll move on to Charlotte, and I think we’ll be pretty good.”