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COLE CUSTER – 2018 Iowa NXS Race Report

Cole Custer Finishes Fourth at Iowa

Haas Automation Driver Earns Fourth Straight Top-Five

Date:                     June 17, 2018
Event:                   Iowa 250 Presented by Enogen (Round 14 of 33)
Series:                  NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location:            Iowa Speedway in Newton (.875-mile oval)
Format:                250 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/130 laps)
Start/Finish:      5th/4th(Running, completed 250 of 250 laps)
Point Standing:2ndwith 500 points (Four points behind leader Elliott Sadler)

 

Race Winner:    Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

  • Custer started fifth, finished fifth and earned six bonus points.
  • Custer noted tight-handling conditions at the beginning of Stage 1 and fell outside of the top-10.
  • He piloted the Haas Automation Ford back to fifth place before the stage concluded.
  • Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments. He gained two spots on pit road at the end of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

  • Custer started third, finished fourth and earned six bonus points.
  • Custer battled in the third position for the majority of Stage 2.
  • He raced hard for second place, but said his Haas Automation Ford needed adjustments to turn better in the center of the turns.
  • He pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments. He gained three spots on pit road to take the lead.

 Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-250):

  • Custer started first, finished fourth.
  • Custer led the first six laps in the final stage.
  • During a lap-199 caution, Custer pitted for four tires and fuel to regain the lead.
  • A final caution was brought out on lap 232. Custer did not pit and restarted from the third position.
  • He held the Haas Automation Ford inside the top-five before the checkered flag waved.

Notes:              

  • This marks Custer’s second Xfinity Series top-10 at Iowa and 11thtop-10 of the season.
  • This marks Custer’s second Xfinity Series top-five at Iowa and fifth top-five of the season.
  • Custer earned 12bonus points in the Iowa 250.
  • Custer led a total of six laps.
  • Five cautions slowed the race for 31laps.
  • Only 18of the 40drivers finished on the lead lap.
  • No Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers were entered in the Iowa 250.
  • Justin Allgaier won the Iowa 250 to score his seventh career Xfinity Series victory, second of the season and first at Iowa. His margin of victory over second-place Christopher Bell was .745 of a second.

 

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

“We had a good day, but just couldn’t keep the Haas Automation Ford up front. I’m so proud of the consistency we are bringing to the track every weekend. I was really hoping we could put it in Victory Lane on Father’s Day, but we’ll move on to Chicagoland and see if we can make it up.”

Next Up:          

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Overton’s 300 on Saturday, June 30 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, I. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.