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COLE CUSTER – 2017 New Hampshire Race Report

Cole Custer Finishes Ninth at New Hampshire

Haas Automation Driver Earns Seventh Top-10

Date: July 15, 2017
Event: Overton’s 200 (Round 17 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 10th/9th (Running, completed 199 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 6th (396 points, 224 out of first)
 

Race Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

  • Started 10th, finished 14th.
  • Custer noted tight-handling conditions until inclement weather brought out the red flag.
  • Before the green flag resumed the stage, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments. He restarted in the 20th position.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):       

  • Started ninth, finished 11th.
  • Custer ran just outside of the top-10 throughout Stage 2 noting that his car was tight on the bottom groove, loose in the middle and loose at the top.
  • He pitted for four tires, fuel and wedge adjustments at the conclusion of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):

  • Started 10th, finished ninth.
  • Custer ran as high as seventh place in the final stage.
  • On lap 168, Custer pitted for two tires, fuel and wedge adjustments to come off pit road in the 11th position.
  • Custer continued to fight tight-handling conditions, but drove his Ford inside the top-10 before the conclusion of the race.

Notes:              

  • Custer earned his seventh top-10 of the 2017 season and his ninth top-10 in 22 XFINITY Series starts.
  • This marks Custer’s fourth top-10 in five starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
  • Three cautions slowed the race for 15 laps.
  • Only six of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
  • Kyle Busch won the Overton’s 200 to score his 89th career XFINITY Series victory, his third of the season and his sixth at New Hampshire.

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

“We fought the handling on our Haas Automation Ford Mustang a good bit today. We definitely got it better. Our short track stuff hasn’t been the best this year, but we know we can get it better. We know where we are kind of struggling. We will keep working hard on it and come back better next time.”