Month: May 2017

KURT BUSCH – 2017 Kansas I Race Advance

For Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), there are racetracks on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule to which he’s been able to quickly adapt. There are others that took time to master. Then, there’s Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

He’s found his way to victory lane at 15 of 23 active racetracks on the circuit for a total of 29 career NASCAR Cup Series triumphs. His first came at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Driving the No. 97 Ford, he found his way to the winner’s circle in just his third start at the .533-mile oval. It took 32 attempts at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to find his way to victory lane, but he was finally able to do so in the 2017 season-opening Daytona 500.

At the eight mile-and-half venues where the NASCAR Cup Series competes, Busch has earned a total of six victories. They’ve come at four tracks – three at Atlanta Motor Speedway and one apiece at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch is still searching for victory lane at four – Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Kansas.

Kansas has been a racetrack for Busch that has been complicated and vexing, but since being paired with crew chief Tony Gibson in 2015, he’s seen marked improvement. In the four races with Gibson atop the pit box, Busch has scored finishes of eighth, sixth, third and 13th for an average finish of 7.5. His average finish prior was 19th. So, while he has yet to find victory lane there, he has been able to compete at the track with the kind of consistency that could see him continue that trend of marked improvement this weekend.

Busch has been running at the end of all but two of the races he’s competed in at the 1.5-mile oval, the first DNF ending prematurely with an engine failure in 2003, the other due to an accident in October 2014. And in addition to a pair of top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 22 starts there, Busch owns one pole at Kansas, having scored the top starting spot in June 2011. The Kansas pole was the first of three consecutive poles Busch scored that month.

So, while a breakthrough victory at Kansas would add to the list of successes the Las Vegas native has experienced in his career, it would do much more than that for his 2017 championship hopes, as it would give Busch and his No. 41 team a second victory in 2017 and another five valuable bonus points for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. With his postseason eligibility already in place, they can head west and look to finally conquer Kansas.

 

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

Talk about racing at Kansas this weekend. How important is this race considering that this racetrack is part of the NASCAR Playoffs?  

“Anytime we have a track that’s in the spring portion of our schedule and it matches up with a Playoff race in the fall, it’s very important. We’ll definitely have a full run log of what we want to accomplish and understand. And Kansas is in a unique spot, too, because it’s the week before we head to Charlotte for the All-Star and for the 600, so you’re trying to gather as much data through those few weeks because Charlotte is a very important race in the Playoffs, as well.”

 

Kansas hasn’t always been a strong racetrack for you but, as of late, that seems to be changing. Do you agree? 

“Kansas has been a good track and a tough track. It’s fun to go race there and, with the way the tires change and the downforce has changed, I haven’t quite found that perfect combination to win. But, as of late, we consider it one of our strong tracks.”

 

What has been the key to your three top-10 finishes in three of your four most recent starts at Kansas?

“I think it’s a matter of being on the right pit strategy and understanding when to pit for the final time. Track position becomes so important at these fast mile-and-a-half tracks that, if you are stuck around 10th or 12th, there is no way to crack that top-five. You’ve got to be there before the final sequences start. But, honestly, a big part of it has been having this great car setup by Tony Gibson and everyone on the Haas Automation/Monster Energy team.”

 

What is one part of the racetrack or your driving style that you’ve had to work on at Kansas over the years?

“It always seems like turn four is the toughest part about Kansas, whether it’s the wind angle or the sharper corner exit with the SAFER Barrier jumping out at the cars. You either lose a lot of time or gain a lot of time in turn four at Kansas.”

DANICA PATRICK – 2017 Kansas I Race Advance

When Danica Patrick gets to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City for this weekend’s Go Bowling 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, she will be looking to celebrate another wonderful race at the 1.5-mile track.

Entering the weekend, Patrick is looking to score results similar to her May 2014 performance at Kansas, when she started ninth and finished seventh. The effort was one of two times in her career she has started and finished in the top-10, with the other being the 2013 Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, where she started on the pole and finished eighth. Patrick ran well throughout the night at Kansas in 2014 and was scored as high as third late in the race before finishing seventh.

After a top-10 run at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Sunday was derailed by a late-race accident, the timing couldn’t be better for Patrick to return to Kansas. Aside from her seventh-place finish in May 2014, Patrick has earned a total of four top-20 results at the track in NASCAR Cup Series competition. In two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts there, she finished a career-best 10th in October 2012.

Patrick has also made six IndyCar Series starts at Kansas. She qualified on the pole in 2005, and earned one top-five finish and three top-10s at the track in that series.

For Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway, Patrick’s No. 10 Ford Fusion will sport a special paint scheme featuring “Wonder Woman.” The iconic “Wonder Woman” logo appears on the hood and TV panel while “Wonder Woman” herself graces the hood and both door panels. In theaters June 2, Gal Gadot returns as the title character in the epic action adventure “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins.

In addition, Patrick’s No. 10 Ford will feature the One Cure initiative through a collaboration with Code 3 Associates. One Cure is a project led by the Colorado State University Flint Animal Cancer Center, where innovative cancer treatments for pets are being evaluated in clinical trials to benefit people. The center sees more than 1,500 new animal cancer patients every year, with approximately 400 patients enrolling in carefully monitored clinical trials specific to their cancer type. The canine and feline patients are helping pioneer cancer research, moving cutting-edge treatments out of the laboratory and into clinical practice, ultimately providing hope to the next generation of animal and human cancer patients.

Channeling “Wonder Woman” herself, Patrick and her No. 10 “Wonder Woman”/One Cure Ford Fusion team will be looking to have a wonderful weekend at Kansas Speedway.

 

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 “Wonder Woman”/One Cure Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

Your No. 10 Ford Fusion will feature a “Wonder Woman”/One Cure paint scheme this weekend. What do you think of the paint scheme?

“Funny enough, I think the Wonder Woman image on the hood kind of looks like me. Consider (the gauntlets) my front bumper blocking all of the bad stuff or pushing stuff out of the way. And it’s great to have One Cure on the car this weekend, as well. I love dogs and I’m glad we can bring more awareness to all of the work the team at the Flint Animal Cancer Center is doing. Our pets are members of our families and, when they aren’t well, we want to do everything we can to help. Cancer has touched so many of us. Knowing we can use what we learn from keeping our animals healthy to potentially helping save human lives is a cause I’m honored to support.” 

What are your overall thoughts on going back to Kansas this spring?

“I’ve always liked going to Kansas. It’s a nice facility and I’ve got a lot of experience there compared to some places, even if a lot of it was in IndyCar.”

What is the hardest part of the track to figure out at Kansas?

“It’s a fast track. I think it’s the same problem we face at most tracks we go to – you have to get through the center well enough to be comfortable enough to be very aggressive with the throttle at the same time. I think, for sheer speed, you can’t be too loose, but in the race you can’t be too tight or you’ll fall back. These cars are finicky. It’s about focusing on the small things and getting the most out of the car itself instead of trying to throw the kitchen sink at it if you’re a little off. It’s all in the little details. I think that’s the most important thing.” 

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. What has your mother meant to you?  

“She’s just a great, great person. She’s kind and she’s always been someone I go to when I need to be comforted. I feel like that’s the role of moms, and my mom definitely does a great job with that. I wish my mom and dad could be at the race every weekend, but they make it to as many as possible. I’m very grateful to have such great parents.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2017 Kansas I Race Advance

No. 14 Mobil 1 Annual Protection Ford driver Clint Bowyer wants to win the Daytona 500 someday, and a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title would cap a perfect career.

A few more trophies from historic racetracks where he hasn’t won like Indianapolis, Bristol and Darlington, just to name a few, would also be pretty cool to add to the trophy case at home. But the Emporia, Kansas native admits deep down he wants to win one trophy in particular and he’ll get his chance to do just that Saturday night when the Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

“Kansas Speedway this weekend in Kansas, I finally get to go home and I can’t wait to get there,” Bowyer said. “Hopefully, Saturday night I can get my first win at home. That would be huge. We’d have a heck of a party. Everyone would be invited.”

The Kansas dirt is where Bowyer came from. He began racing motocross in 1985, collecting more than 200 wins and several championships. After moving from motorcycles to cars, Bowyer gained a reputation for success at Lakeside and I-70 Speedways in Kansas City. Scott Traylor and some local Kansas City businessmen built and put Bowyer in an ARCA car at Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway in August 2003, and Bowyer led 47 laps before finishing second. He got a call from NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress to come south and the rest, they say, is history.

Bowyer’s current home is in North Carolina, but he hasn’t turned his back on Kansas, especially the 25,000 residents of Emporia. He returns often to deer hunt, visit friends or just be part of the community. In March 2013, he bought the Clint Bowyer Autoplex car dealership on U.S. Highway 50, where he once worked as a lot attendant, dent specialist and detailer.

Across the street sits the Clint Bowyer Community Building, constructed in 2012 thanks to a $1.5 million donation from his foundation. Inside are 25 new computers at the public library. There is a scoreboard at the aquatic center, a video camera at the auditorium, shoes for the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program, backpacks for kids, Christmas trees for needy families. And, in nearby towns, playground equipment and the reconstruction of a tornado-ravaged community center – all of it and more paid for by Bowyer’s foundation, or out of the driver’s own pocket.

Bowyer even brought country music star Blake Shelton to Emporia for a concert. Emporia appreciates its native son, having renamed the street on which the family towing business resides as “Hon. Clint Bowyer Boulevard.” He’s even recreated a little bit of Kansas at his 650-acre farm near Mocksville, North Carolina. It’s everything one would expect at a Bowyer farm: vintage cars, trucks, racecars, cows, eagles, donkeys and goats.

“In Kansas, you might have two trees and the rest pastures but, in North Carolina, everything is woods, so you can’t see anything,” Bowyer said. “When I drove down the long driveway for the first time, you could see everything – the pasture, the lakes. This was the Promised Land for me. There’s literally something to do from sunup to sundown.”

He’ll be all Kansas this weekend. He and wife Lorra, along with their toddler Cash and infant Presley, packed up the motorhome Clark Griswold-style Sunday night and drove from Talladega, Alabama to Memphis, Tennessee to visit the zoo, then on to Kansas, where he’ll be in high demand in front of the home folks.

Over the years, Bowyer has enjoyed some success at Kansas Speedway, posting two top-five finishes and five top-10s with 48 laps led in 17 starts. But, he’s never returned home with a race team like Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) that will bring a Ford Fusion powered by a Roush-Yates engine to the Jayhawk State.

The No. 14 Ford team led by Mike Bugarewicz has delivered fast cars this season, combining with Bowyer to climb to ninth place in the standings despite just their first season together. Last Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Bowyer led 10 laps, his first of the season, on his way to a 14th-place finish dampened by a late pit stop for tire damage. Bowyer has finished in the top-15 in all races in 2017 except the season-opening Daytona 500, where a midrace accident ruined his day.

The North Carolina writer Thomas Wolfe in 1940 wrote the classic novel “You Can’t Go Home Again.” Clint Bowyer hopes to prove Wolfe wrong this weekend in Kansas.

 

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Annual Protection Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

What is the secret to doing well at Kansas Speedway?

“The secret is to just have a fast hot rod. It has to unload off the track fast. It’s an incredible racetrack with a lot of grip since the repave. Qualifying, track position and everything that leads up to that race are going to be really important. The key word you’ll hear this weekend will be grip. All of us will be looking for grip in places other than just the bottom of the track.”

KURT BUSCH – 2017 Talladega I Race Report

Event:               Geico 500 (Round 10 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (.266-mile oval)
Format:             188 laps, broken into three stages (55 laps/55 laps/78 laps)
Start/Finish:      15th/6th (Running, completed 191 of 191 laps) 
Point Standing: 15th (227 points, 201 out of first) 
Race Winner:    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Roush Fenway Racing (Ford) in overtime

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on Lap 55):

  • Kurt Busch started 15th, finished 15th.
  • The Haas Automation/Monster Energy driver battled a loose-handling condition at the beginning of the stage.
  • He raced as high as third on lap 44 working with teammate Clint Bowyer and utilizing the inside lane.
  • Busch visited pit road at the conclusion of Stage 1 for four tires, right-rear adjustments, tape and air pressure adjustments to correct his loose-handling condition. 

Stage 2 Recap (Ended on Lap 110):

  • Started 14th, finished seventh.
  • The Haas Automation/Monster Energy driver raced consistently inside the top-10 for the first half of Stage 2.
  • He reported a loose-handling condition during the lap-82 caution period. The team pitted from the fourth position for adjustments.
  • Busch was able to work his way through the middle lane to finish Stage 2 in the seventh spot, earning four bonus points.
  • He visited pit road at the conclusion of Stage 2 to take four tires and fuel and chassis adjustments. 

Final Stage Recap (Ended on Lap 188):

  • Started seventh, finished sixth.
  • The Haas Automation/Monster Energy driver pitted under green on lap 150 for four tires and fuel.
  • Crew chief Tony Gibson called Busch in during the lap 160 caution period for four tires and fuel. Busch restarted in the 23rd spot.
  • Busch’s dexterity and the guidance of spotter Tony Raines allowed him to avoid the majority of the 18-car accident on lap 169. His Ford Fusion received light body damage that the crew was able to repair during the caution period.
  • Busch battled back in the closing laps of the race to finish sixth. 

Notes:

  • Busch earned his fifth top-10 of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
  • It was his 18th top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway in 33 starts at the Alabama track.
  • Busch finished seventh in Stage 2 to earn four bonus points.
  • There were eight caution periods for a total of 33 laps.
  • A total of 23 drivers finished on the lead lap.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I felt like we had a nice bit of strength today. It was good to come back to a restrictor-plate race and battle and defend what we did in Daytona. We got sixth today. Had a really good run with (Jamie) McMurray down the back straightaway, and I thought we were going to do some great things coming to the front straightaway. We just didn’t keep that draft with him. The 43 behind us did what he had to do to advance himself. I would have done the same thing as him, go to the inside and gain spots when you don’t have a chance to win. Awesome day for Ford and the way that (Ricky) Stenhouse won and how all of us worked together. It’s good teamwork for the Blue Oval.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Go Bowling 500 on Saturday, May 13 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

DANICA PATRICK – 2017 Talladega I Race Report

Event:               Geico 500 (Round 10 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile oval)
Format:             188 laps, broken into three stages (55 laps/55 laps/78 laps)
Start/Finish:      31st/38th (Accident, completed 168 of 191 laps) 
Point Standing: 31st (114 points, 314 out of first) 
Race Winner:    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Roush Fenway Racing (Ford) in overtime

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on lap 55):

  • Danica Patrick started 31st and finished eighth to earn three bonus points.
  • The No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford Fusion sustained nose damage at the start of the race, but the team was able to make repairs when the caution flag waved at lap 17.
  • Patrick predominantly ran in the top lane of the draft and was scored in the eighth position at the end of the stage.
  • The team made an extended pit stop at the end of Stage 1 for further repairs to the nose of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford. Crew chief Billy Scott called Patrick back to pit road at lap 61 to top off with fuel before the start of Stage 2. 

Stage 2 Recap (Ended on lap 110):

  • Patrick started 29th and finished 15th.
  • The No. 10 team pitted twice during the stage for tires and fuel.
  • Patrick ran the top, middle and bottom lines during Stage 2 but wasn’t able to make up as much ground as she did in the first stage. She was scored as high as 14th before ending the stage in the 15th position. 

Final Stage Recap (Ended on lap 191):

  • Patrick started 12th and finished 38th.
  • The No. 10 team pitted under green-flag conditions at lap 150 for right-side tires and fuel. Patrick noted a vibration during the following run, so Scott called her to pit road when the caution flag waved at lap 162 for tires, fuel and additional repairs to the nose of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford.
  • Patrick raced as high as eighth during the final stage of the race. But when the caution flag waved at lap 169, Patrick went low to avoid a multicar wreck and the No. 32 car clipped the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford in the left rear. The contact turned Patrick and sent the car into the inside wall. The damage was too extensive for Patrick to return to the track, and the team was relegated to a 38th-place finish. 

Notes:              

  • A total of 18 cars were involved in the incident that ended the No. 10 team’s day.
  • Patrick was evaluated and released from the infield care center following the wreck.
  • Patrick earned four points in Sunday’s race at Talladega, which puts her at 114 total points for the season thus far. She is ranked 31st in the driver point standings heading into next weekend’s race. 

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“I was told to go low, and I just got spun. There was a lot of smoke, and it was hard to see. I really thought that everybody was doing a great job all day long. We were running two-, three-, four-wide all day long, and nobody was getting too crazy. It’s to be expected. That’s part of the excitement of superspeedway racing. We had another really fast Aspen Dental Ford, we just couldn’t get to the finish.” 

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Go Bowling 400 on Saturday, May 13 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2017 Talladega I Race Report

Event:               Geico 500 (Round 10 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile oval)
Format:             188 laps, broken into three stages (55 laps/55 laps/78 laps)
Start/Finish:      6th/23rd (Running, completed 191 of 191 laps)
Point Standing: 7th (309 points, 119 out of first)

Race Winner:    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Roush Fenway Racing (Ford) in overtime
Stage 1 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on Lap 55):

  • Kevin Harvick started sixth, finished 28th.
  • Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion led lap 24 and raced in the top-five for the first 30 laps.
  • Reported a vibration on lap 40 and fell back to midpack.
  • Pitted at the conclusion of the stage for multiple extended stops to diagnose and attempt to correct the vibration.

 Stage 2 Recap (Ended on Lap 110):

  • Started 25th, finished second, earning nine bonus points.
  • Pitted under caution from the 19th position on lap 84 for four tires and fuel. He restarted 26th on lap 86.
  • Joined the top-five on lap 95 and raced up to the second position on lap 97.
  • Pitted at the conclusion of Stage 2 for four tires and fuel. He returned to the track as the first car on four new tires.

Final Stage Recap (Ended on Lap 188):

  • Started fourth, finished 23rd.
  • Pitted from the fourth position on lap 150 for four tires and fuel.
  • Returned to the track on lap 151 at the tail end of the lead pack in the 20th position.
  • Narrowly avoided a wreck directly in front of him on lap 160 and stayed out under the caution to gain track position.
  • Collected in an 18-car accident on lap 170 and suffered damage to the right front of the car, causing the team to pit twice for repairs.
  • Suffered a cut right-front tire on the following restart and was forced to pit under green, causing him to lose a lap.
  • Was awarded the free pass on lap 187 and finished as the last car on the lead lap in overtime.

Notes:                          

  • Harvick led three times for 15 laps to bring his laps-led total at Talladega to 202 and season laps-led total to 459.
  • There were eight caution periods for a total of 33 laps.
  • Twenty-three drivers finished on the lead lap. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

DID YOU EVER FIGURE OUT WHAT THE VIBRATION ENDED UP BEING?  “I really don’t know what it was, but it stayed with us all day. I didn’t know what to do. To have a car that can lead laps and run up front, this time we just happened to wreck up front. Solid performance from the Jimmy John’s team, just bad luck.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Go Bowling 400 on Saturday, May 13 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

CLINT BOWYER – 2017 Talladega I Race Report

Event:               Geico 500 (Round 10 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile oval)
Format:             188 laps, broken into three stages (55 laps/55 laps/78 laps)
Start/Finish:      17th/14th (Running, completed 191 of 191 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (289 points, 139 out of first)
Race Winner:    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Roush Fenway Racing (Ford) in overtime

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 55):

  • Started 17th, finished 13th.
  • Climbed to seventh in opening laps before a fuel-only stop on lap 17 moved Bowyer to the lead.
  • Led eight laps during segment, the first laps the No. 14 has led this season. 

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 110):

  • Started 11th, finished 28th.
  • Lap-84 pit stop moved Bowyer to seventh.
  • Bowyer led two laps in Stage 2 before he was shuffled out of the draft in closing laps to finish 28th.

Final Stage Recap (Ended at Lap 188):

  • Started 35th after uncontrolled-tire penalty on pit stop before green flag.
  • Restarted the race in 19th with 24 laps remaining after pitting for four tires and fuel under caution.
  • Raced in the top-five in the closing laps, but tire damage forced a pit stop, dropping Bowyer to 23rd to begin overtime.

Notes:              

  • Avoided by inches a 16-car wreck with 19 to go.
  • Bowyer has now led 2,348 laps in his career.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:              

“It was an up and down day for us. We had a really fast Ford Fusion, and I wish we could have had a chance to be up there racing with those guys in the end. But it was cool to lead some laps again.”

 

Next Up:          

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Go Bowling 400 on Saturday, May 13 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

 

 

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.”

COLE CUSTER – 2017 Talladega I Race Advance

Event:               Sparks Energy 300 (Round 9 of 33)
Date:                 May 6, 2017
Location:          Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
Layout:             2.66-mile oval

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

 

  • The Sparks Energy 300 will mark Cole Custer’s 14th career start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and his first XFINITY Series start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. 
  • In the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega, Custer claimed the pole and led two laps in his first and only start at the 2.66-mile oval.
  • Custer’s best finish in the eight XFINITY Series races run this season is fifth, earned in the sixth event April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. It was his fourth top-10 and second top-five finish in 13 career XFINITY Series starts.
  • Custer is third in the XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year standings, 28 points behind leader William Byron and 23 points behind second-place Daniel Hemric. Custer has achieved two Rookie of the Race awards this season.
  • Custer is 12th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series driver standings, 141 points behind series leader Elliot Sadler.
  • Custer’s best qualifying effort in the eight XFINITY Series races run thus far in 2017 is third, earned in the eighth race of the season April 22 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Custer has five top-10 starts and two top-five starts this season.
  • The Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega is the second of four restrictor-plate races on the 2017 XFINITY Series schedule. The other restrictor-plate tracks are Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (two races) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (one race).

 

Cole Custer, Driver Q&A

 

What are your thoughts on Talladega and restrictor-plate racing?

“I think it’s fun because it’s something different we do in the season, but it makes it tough because you can do everything right and still get wrecked. We’re bringing a more competitive car than we had in Daytona, so I think we’ll have a lot more speed. There are some things that the drivers have to play into at Talladega, but a lot of it has to do with the draft. I don’t think I’m terrible at drafting, but I definitely need to get better.”

 

It seems each week your team has unloaded some fast Haas Automation Ford Mustangs. Has your new partnership with Ford and Stewart-Haas exceeded your expectations? 

“Absolutely. We’ve had some great speed out of our Haas Automation Ford Mustangs, just not the finishes we want. If our luck turns around here soon, hopefully we can put Stewart-Haas and Ford in victory lane where they belong.”

 

Jeff Meendering, Crew Chief Q&A

 

What are your thoughts and expectations on racing at Talladega?

“I’m really looking forward to Talladega. We had a car that raced well in Daytona, but we got collected early in an accident. We didn’t get to run long enough to really show what we could do. We were probably a little conservative with our setup going into Daytona with Cole being a rookie and not knowing what to expect. This weekend, we’re focusing on a little more speed in the car and sacrificing some handling. I think we should have a pretty fast Haas Automation Ford Mustang. Our Roush Yates engines were fast in Daytona, so that will be a huge help to us this weekend. Hopefully, we can get the monkey off our back and make it through the wrecks to get a decent finish.”

DANICA PATRICK – 2017 Talladega I Race Advance

Danica Patrick and the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) travel to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway – a track where anything can happen –for Sunday’s Geico 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

Talladega has long been considered a bit of a wild-card race, where a driver’s fate is not entirely in his or her own hands. It is one of only two racetracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit where restrictor plates are used. A restrictor plate is a device installed at the air intake of an engine to limit its power in an effort to reduce speeds, increase safety and help provide an equal level of competition. The horsepower-restricted engines require drivers to draft together, side-by-side, at speeds approaching 200 mph.

As a result, superspeedway events often produce wild, unpredictable racing.

“The cool thing about superspeedways is that anybody can win,” Patrick said. “It’s a toss-up, what’s going to happen.”

And that toss-up always includes the distinct possibility of the seemingly inevitable “big one” – a multicar accident that typically eliminates multitudes of drivers from the event. This type of racing leaves teams wondering what it will take to survive the “big one” and make it to victory lane at the end of the day.

While Patrick has set records at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway – the other restrictor-plate superspeedway on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule – she’s yet to find the same level of success at Talladega. With eight prior starts at the track, her career-best finish is a19th-place effort she earned in October 2014. Last year, a late-race accident left her with a 24th-place result in May and, when the series returned to the track in October, she finished 20th.

Patrick enters this weekend at Talladega fresh off of an 18th-place result at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. The effort marked the team’s second-best finish of the season and first top-20 result since the March 5 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

As the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Talladega this weekend, Patrick and the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford team will be ready to survive the “big one” and go for the win on Sunday.

 

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

You’ve always liked going to Talladega. Why is that?

“The fans really make that place. The campgrounds, all that stuff, make it one, big party. You see how much fun the fans are having and that makes it fun for us as drivers. It’s just a unique place. The sheer size of the facility is amazing. I liked it from the first time I went there and, hopefully, we can have a good run and a good finish. The cool thing about superspeedways is that anybody can win. It’s a toss-up, what’s going to happen. On top of that, SHR’s superspeedway cars are really good.”

 

Describe the intensity of restrictor-plate racing.

“It’s super easy to drive around the track flat-out by yourself. It’s not hard at all. When you put all of the other cars around you, it’s not necessarily about how the car feels on the track, although that can be an issue, for sure, at times. It’s more about what everyone else is doing around you. You’re constantly looking at what’s happening in front of you. You’re also looking at what’s behind you. Probably more important than what’s happening in front of you is what’s happening behind you – who’s coming, who’s following you, who’s helping you move forward. There have been plenty of times that I’ve gone to the bottom and complained, ‘Where’s my help?’ It seems like I’ll slot in on the bottom line and then everyone behind me disappears. You really have to have people behind you, pushing you. The race is constantly evolving and you and your spotter have to be on it. It’s a big race for spotters, so having a really good one that you trust is very important.”

What are three words that describe restrictor-plate races?

“Three words that describe plate racing would be: crazy, fast and risky.”

 

What is your favorite part of going into the Talladega infield?

“My favorite part about going into the infield at Talladega is seeing things you’re not supposed to see. I mean, it’s a crazy party and I feel like those are the kinds of things that keep people coming back. It’s the atmosphere and the whole package of the weekend – not just the racing – but the parties, having fun and making memories.”