COLE CUSTER – 2017 Iowa I Race Report

Event: American Ethanol E15 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: 38th/24th (Running, completed 249 of 250 laps)
Point Standing: 7th (322 points, 180 out of first)

Race Winner: William Byron of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Brendan Gaughan of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

  • Started 38th, finished 19th.
  • Qualified 24th, but had to start at the rear of the field after sustaining a flat right-rear tire in qualifying.
  • Battled a tight-handling racecar at the beginning of the stage, particularly in the middle of the corners.
  • Pitted for four tires and fuel with chassis adjustments at the end of the stage. (Right-rear tire was losing air pressure prior to stop.)

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):     

  • Started 15th, finished 13th.
  • Despite changes, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang remained tight in the middle of the corners.
  • Caution on lap 114 allowed Custer to pit for four tires, fuel and tire pressure adjustments.
  • Stayed out at the end of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-250):          

  • Started 13th, finished 24th.
  • Cracked the top-10 with 96 laps to go.
  • Ran as high as sixth by lap 155.
  • Running seventh when caution came out on lap 163. Stayed out to maintain track position.
  • Made scheduled, four-tire pit stop under green-flag conditions on lap 219. But caution came out during pit stop, trapping Custer on pit road and putting him a lap down. Restarted in 24th position on lap 230.
  • Tight-handling condition persisted through the end of the race.

Notes:              

  • This was Custer’s first NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Iowa Speedway and his 19th career XFINITY Series start.
  • There were nine caution periods for a total of 65 laps.
  • Nineteen of the 40 drivers in the American Ethanol E15 250 finished on the lead lap.
  • William Byron won the American Ethanol E15 250 to score his first career XFINITY Series win. His margin of victory over second-place Ryan Sieg was 1.140 seconds. Byron led five times for 78 laps, including the final 21.
  • Elliott Sadler leads the championship standings with 502 points and has a 25-point margin over his nearest pursuer, Justin Allgaier.

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

“The car didn’t start our great, but we worked hard to make our Haas Automation Ford Mustang better throughout the race. We had a top-10 car, just had back luck on pit strategy. Nothing we could do about it.” 

Next Up:          

The next event on the NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule is the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 on Friday, June 30 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.

KURT BUSCH – 2017 Sonoma Race Advance

Kurt Busch was a 19-year-old aspiring racecar driver when he first competed in a stock car at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in 1998. He was a rookie on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour and in just his 13th career start and first on a road course, he finished third after qualifying 19th for Yahoo! Sports 200.

A year later, Busch was back at Sonoma working to exchange his rookie-of-the-year title for a championship crown. He qualified third, led 31 of the 64 laps and promptly won his first road course race amid a six-win season that earned him the 1999 Southwest Tour championship.

It was a pivotal victory, for it happened on a rare companion weekend with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Car owners and crew chiefs in NASCAR’s top division were on hand to witness Busch’s impressive drive, and one car owner in particular took notice.

Jack Roush, the veteran Ford team owner, decided to host driver auditions for his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. Busch’s Sonoma performance, combined with a run of four straight victories in the Southwest Tour’s final six races, earned him a spot in what became known as “The Gong Show”. Busch wound up winning the competition and, only months removed from his Southwest Tour championship, was a rookie again in the Truck Series driving Ford F-150s for Roush.

Busch began that 2000 season by scoring a second-place finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in his first Truck Series start. He scored his first Truck Series win July 1 at The Milwaukee Mile and then added three more victories before the year was out, including two from the pole. In his rookie season, Busch finished second in the championship standings.

Although it was only one season, Roush saw all he needed to know that Busch was a star. Less than a year after hiring him to race in the Truck Series, Roush announced that Busch would succeed Chad Little as driver of his No. 97 Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series. Barely a year after running Late Models on the Southwest Tour, Busch took over for Little in the final seven races of 2000 as he prepared for a full-time Cup Series effort in 2001.

Twenty-nine wins, 21 poles and one NASCAR Cup Series championship later, Busch returns to Sonoma as a 17-year Cup Series veteran intent on adding to each one of those statistics.

The Save Mart 350k Sunday at Sonoma will mark Busch’s 17th Cup Series start at the 1.99-mile road course and his 592nd career Cup Series start. At Sonoma alone, the driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing has a pole (2006), a win (2011), four top-threes, seven top-fives and eight top-10s with a total of 197 laps led.

Busch’s seven top-fives at Sonoma are the most of all active Cup Series drivers, and his 2011 victory was dominant as he led four times for a race-high 76 laps, including the final 23 with a whopping 2.685-second margin of victory over second-place and four-time series champion Jeff Gordon.

Busch has remained strong at Sonoma earning two top-twos, four top-fives and five top-10s in his last six starts. His only finish outside the top-10 was 12th in 2014.

That Busch is successful at Sonoma is not surprising. The Las Vegas native has proven adept at road courses throughout his career.

Between Sonoma and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International – the series’ second road-course stop – Busch has 32 road-course starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. Collectively, he has two poles, a win, 10 top-fives and 15 top-10s with 262 laps led (197 laps led at Sonoma and 65 laps led at Watkins Glen). Busch has completed 3,092 of the 3,213 laps available, earning a lap completion rate of 96.2 percent.

Busch swept the poles for both road-course races during the 2006 Cup Series season. He won the pole at Sonoma in June to score his fifth career Cup Series pole and kept his quick pace at Watkins Glen in August to earn his sixth career pole.

Additionally, Busch has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen (2006, 2007 and 2011). He started first in each of them, won two of them (2006 and 2011) and finished third in 2007. In these three races, Busch led 98 of the 250 laps available (39.2 percent). He also has two Truck Series starts on road courses – Portland (Ore.) International Raceway and Watkins Glen. Both starts came in 2000, with Busch finishing 11th at Portland and second at Watkins Glen.

This road-course success was sown in Sonoma, and while Busch’s career has grown immensely since that crucial Southwest Tour triumph 18 years ago, he returns in 2017 with the same hunger that drove him to that first checkered flag.

 

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

 

We just came from Michigan International Speedway where terms like aerodynamic downforce and clean air versus dirty air were often heard. How much are you looking forward to a road-course race where those terms aren’t really a factor?

“I really enjoy the road courses and yes, there’s not much of an aerodynamic problem as far as clean air and dirty air goes at Sonoma. It will be great to go left, go right, go up and down the hills and shift gears, then at the end of the race it’s just all-out chaos.”

How has road-course racing changed over the years?

“The way that we respected each other on road courses early in my career is out the window. It feels like it’s rip and gouge and take all you can get at any moment. In a way, it’s a shame that some of the respect and putting on a bit of the collared shirts and class is gone, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to win.”

Are road courses the new short track when it comes to tight racing and short tempers?

 “It definitely seems like it’s easier for payback at the road courses.”

We used to see supposed road-course ringers show up at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, but that’s pretty rare now. Why do you think that is?  

“If you’re a good driver and you want to be in the top tier of NASCAR, you’ve got to drive well everywhere. The road courses were a bit more of a specialty back in the day and you used to be able to take advantage of the guys that didn’t put forth the full effort in the road courses, but not anymore.”

You’ve proven to be a pretty good road-course driver. Was it something you took to right away or did you really have to work at it to enjoy the success you’ve had?

“I really enjoyed it right off the bat. I thought it was fun and different and I worked at it to develop the skills that I have in Legends car races and Late Model races. I even went to the Bob Bondurant Driving School. My first professional type of road-course race was in the Truck Series. I jumped right in there. (Greg) Biffle won that day and I beat Ron Fellows.”

You mentioned that racing Legends cars was how you were first introduced to road-course racing. Where did you race?  

“Legends racing was big in the mid-90s in the desert southwest and they would let us run on the infield road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as well as the exterior road course there. We also ran road-course races at Buttonwillow (Raceway Park) and they had a street-course race in Los Angeles and they raced up in Sonoma. I was just kind of thrown into the fire with road-course racing, but I loved it from the first time I jumped on track.”

You won the 1999 NASCAR Southwest Tour race at Sonoma. Was that your first road-course win in a stock car? Was it a pivotal victory considering NASCAR teams were there and you were able to showcase your talents to Cup Series car owners and crew chiefs?  

“That was my first win in a stock car at a road course. I’ve always believed that Saturday race was the most important stage to stand on because there wasn’t a Truck Series race or an Xfinity Series race. Back in the day, the Southwest Tour race was the support race, and my race was live on ESPN. I’ve always thought Sonoma helped springboard me into the spotlight, and I’m very thankful for that chance.”

How important is it to have a positive mindset when you come into a road-course race?

“I love road racing and I think it’s fun. It’s important to have appositive mindset everywhere, but it’s not problem for me at the road courses.”

What do you like best about road-course racing?

“I just like the rhythm. I like how you use one corner to help you in the next corner. You have to be thinking three corners ahead.”

Is there more opportunity on a road course because mistakes are magnified and because the race is more in the driver’s hands?

“Everything seems to have a larger consequence because track position is so important. So as soon as you have a flat tire or a fender rub or you go off track, it’s very difficult to get back the track position you once had.”

You have a history of success on road courses. Stewart-Haas Racing has a history of success on road courses. What are your expectations for this weekend at Sonoma?

“We hope that we can win. The No. 14 car won last year with Tony Stewart. I know (Clint) Bowyer is really excited for the weekend and so are we. We could’ve won this race two years ago and I finished second to my little brother Kyle in the first Busch one-two finish, and last year we just burned the rear tires off of the car. We just have to get a hang of the tires that are constantly changing to get our Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford where we want it to be.”

 

 

KEVIN HARVICK – 2017 Sonoma Race Advance

Kevin Harvick will drive the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) for the third time this year as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to the first of two road-course races on the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series schedule – Sunday’s Save Mart 350k at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

The demands on both man and machine throughout a road-course race can test even the most talented drivers and sophisticated mechanical equipment. Thankfully, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion has an equally impressive partner in Mobil 1, which is known for standing up to the toughest challenges.

Mobil 1 is the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR” and the Mobil brand of lubricant products are the “Official Lubricants of NASCAR.” Mobil 1 engine oils have long been the lubricant of choice for race teams competing in the most demanding and popular motorsports series around the globe.

The history of Mobil 1 in motorsports dates back to rally competition during the early 1970s. However, its involvement in racing became more official in 1978 through sponsorship of the Williams Formula One team and the 1987 sponsorship of Rusty Wallace’s No. 27 car in NASCAR.

From that time, the presence of Mobil 1 on racetracks and circuits has grown by global proportions. Today, Mobil 1 is relied upon for its ability to deliver exceptional engine performance and protection even under some of the most extreme conditions. Automotive technicians, racecar drivers, team owners and the world’s leading automotive manufacturers can all testify to the advanced technology delivered by Mobil 1 lubricants.

This weekend will be the third of six races with Mobil 1 as the primary partner on the No. 4 Ford in 2017. Mobil 1 also appeared on the No. 4 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and again at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May. It will appear as the primary partner of the No. 4 Ford for three additional races starting July 31 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, followed by appearances Sept. 24 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and Nov. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Harvick, ranked fourth in Cup Series points, also knows how to stand up to the demands of road-course racing. While he is still searching for his first trip to victory lane at Sonoma in the NASCAR Cup Series, he first visited victory lane at Sonoma in the K&N Pro Series West in 1998, when he started third and beat Brandon Ash to the finish line by .154 of a second, leading only the last lap of the race.

Harvick is slated to make his first K&N Pro Series West appearance since 2007 and his first West Series appearance at Sonoma since 1998 this weekend, when he drives the No. 4 Fields, Inc. Ford for Jefferson Pitts Racing.

The Bakersfield, California native recorded his best Cup Series finish at Sonoma in 2007, when he finished second to Juan Pablo Montoya by 4.097 seconds. He finished third at Sonoma in 2003 and 2010, and fourth in 2015.

Harvick scored his only Cup Series road-course win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in 2006, when he led 28 laps and beat SHR co-owner Tony Stewart to the finish line by .892 of a second. However, he scored back-to-back road-course wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2007 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and Watkins Glen.

This weekend, Harvick is looking to match his road-course prowess with that of Mobil 1’s to score his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of 2017 at the 10-turn, 1.99 mile Sonoma circuit to secure his spot in the Cup Series playoffs.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion:

What is the first thing you think of when you think of Sonoma?

“The first thing I think of when we are going to Sonoma is that we are going road racing. It’s definitely the first road race of the year and Sonoma is a very technical, slower-type road course. I’ve been fortunate to race there for a long time and look forward to going there every year.” 

Sonoma is one of only two road courses on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule and it’s widely regarded as the more technical of the two. What are the big differences between Sonoma and Watkins Glen?

“I think the biggest difference between Sonoma and Watkins Glen is that the speeds are drastically different. Sonoma is a much tighter course with sharper corners and a lot less speed, where you don’t really even use fourth gear, unless you’re saving gas. It’s a much slower track than Watkins Glen and the tires fall off a lot more than they do at The Glen. So, you’ve got to get your car to technically be very good as it turns the corner, but also keep track of the forward grip as you go through a run.”

What can you tell me about your days in the late 1990s running in the West Series?

“I guess it was the middle of 1997, I went to work for Wayne and Connie Spears to basically be a mechanic for about $24,000 a year. I just wanted the opportunity to race something. We had kind of gone through the point of all of our family stuff and where we were on that stuff because we couldn’t really afford to keep going racing cars and doing all the things that we were doing. I went to work there as a mechanic hoping I would get a shot to drive. I got the shot to drive my first race in Bakersfield (California) in the Winston West Series. Then I got to drive in the Truck Series at Louisville (Kentucky). I think the track in Louisville was nine turns and a jump. That was the coolest racetrack. Every time we showed up, there would be 15,000 people packed around this little D-shaped racetrack. It was one of those racetracks that you never got full throttle. You’d wait for the jack stub to hit in the last corner, then you’d jump toward the finish line. I only went there a couple years but, every year I went there, someone would back into the fence in qualifying trying to get to the start-finish line. If you drove it to the finish line, you’d back into the fence in turn one. Mike Wallace can vouch for that because I remember seeing him back it into the fence there.

“That all led into the 1998 season. I drove the second half of the Truck Series season for Wayne and Connie Spears. So we decided going in to 1998 that we were going to start off running the full truck series schedule and the first part of the Winston West schedule. I think we started (the K&N Pro Series West season) off in Tucson (Arizona). We had a good run there. We wound up going to Las Vegas and winning the race. The next thing we know, we are two or three races into the season and leading the points. So Wayne – you just have to know Wayne to be able to understand his enthusiasm for racing and the way that he approaches things, he’s a cool old dude – he said, ‘Alright, we’re going to run them both.’ So I’m like, ‘Perfect.’ I was 21 or 22 years old and I was going to go run the full Truck Series schedule and the full West Series. We wound up winning the third (West Series) race of the season in Las Vegas. I think we won five West Series races that season – we won in Las Vegas, Altamont Raceway, Pikes Peak – which is one of the coolest racetracks I’ve ever raced at, Sonoma, and probably the biggest win that we had that year was at California Speedway. I got to race against Ken Schrader. It was the first time I’d ever been around his car close enough on a racetrack to even see what was on the back bumper, the side of his car or what the front bumper looked like, because he won pretty much every Southwest Tour race, Winston West race and he ran pretty much every type of race you could run in the country. It was just one of those years where we had fun everywhere we went.

“So we get done with the second or third race of the season and Wayne decides we are going to run the whole schedule, but he said he had some rules about what we have to do in order to get to that. He told me he wasn’t buying another truck and trailer and you only have one car. I was like, ‘OK.’ We were all pretty enthusiastic about the things we were doing. Well, he told us there was a 1977 Winnebago that sat outside for 15 years. He told us that was our tow vehicle and there was a 28-foot trailer and that’s all you get on the weekends, where there is no truck and trailer that’s gone racing trucks. So we went out back and we fixed this 1977 Winnebago to get it running. That’s what we traveled up and down the road with when the truck hauler was gone. It had green shag carpet throughout the whole thing and the tires were literally buried halfway up. We had to put all new tires on this thing. It wouldn’t run. We got it running and had a lot of fun going up and down the road. We won some races and had a lot of good stories.

“We ended up winning the West Series championship in Las Vegas. We had gone out and had too much fun the night before and I apparently showed up to the racetrack the next day still hung over, so we qualified that morning and they sent me back home to take a shower. Then we came back and won the championship on that particular night. This was 20 years ago, so don’t hold that against me. Things have changed and we’re more responsible these days, but that was a time. Riding in the Winne.”

DANICA PATRICK – 2017 Sonoma Race Advance

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams will switch things up this week as drivers will be making both left and right turns when they visit Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway for the first of two road-course events this season.

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), heads to Sonoma with 11 races under her belt at the track dating back to 2005. However, seven of those starts came in the IndyCar Series and unfortunately won’t offer much assistance to Patrick as she competes in Sunday’s Save Mart 350k NASCAR Cup Series event.

The IndyCar Series utilized two different Sonoma road-course layouts during the seven years Patrick competed there and neither is identical to the 1.99-mile, 10-turn configuration she will drive Sunday.

Patrick’s top NASCAR Cup Series result at the track is an 18th-place finish she scored in 2014. The following year, her hopes of earning another top-20 at the track were dashed when late-race contact forced Patrick off course and left her with a 24th-place finish.

Last year, Patrick started 11th and took the checkered flag in the 19th position after the team’s race strategy was hindered by ill-timed cautions.

When Patrick gets to Sonoma this weekend, her No. 10 Ford will carry the white and blue colors of Code 3 Associates. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing professional animal disaster response and resources to communities, as well as administering professional training to individuals and agencies involved in animal-related law enforcement and emergency response. Its mission is accomplished through hands-on animal rescue and care operations during disaster events in the United States and Canada, and through certified animal welfare training seminars, which include animal cruelty training for investigators.

As the team prepares for the weekend ahead, Patrick will be looking to have a smooth and clean race, remain on course and notch another solid run in the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford at Sonoma.

 

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

There are only two road-course races on the NASCAR schedule, but they’re two of the most talked about and anticipated races of the year. Why is that?

“Road-course racing is something we don’t do a lot of and I think they are some fun races to watch because the cars don’t really handle very well. Our cars are like big buses trying to get around a racetrack and we’re sliding around, our brake zones are very long, tires go off and those are things that create passing opportunities.” 

Is it a breath of fresh air to turn right and left, or do you have to psyche yourself up a bit to compete on a road course?

“Yeah, I feel like I have to psyche myself up a little bit in my approach about being aggressive and hitting the curbs and the ‘it doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be fast’ kind of attitude. But it’s fun. I mean, as long you can come out of the box with that and kind of start that rhythm, it’s easier to maintain all weekend, then.” 

What are the keys to racing at Sonoma?

 “I think, at Sonoma, you have to get through the high-speed esses comfortably, which leads to a good high-speed balance. Power down is also important there because it’s easy for the rear tires to just spin all the time. The fast lap times come from the high-speed balance, so that is the key for me and the Code 3 Associates team.”

 

What is it about the road courses that you enjoy?

“I’m very used to racing on road courses. That’s how I grew up in go-karting. It’s what I did in Europe when I raced and it’s what IndyCar Racing really became before I left. There were three IndyCar road-course races when I started and, by the end, the majority of the races were on road courses – I think it was eight or nine races. So, I’m super familiar and super comfortable on road courses, but jumping into a stock car on a road course does feel a lot different than a lot of the other cars I’ve driven before on a road course. It still makes for great races because the braking zones are longer in stock cars, which allows more opportunities for passing.”

What is the hardest part about road racing?

“The hardest part of road racing is just putting a whole lap together. The hardest part of road racing is just nailing every corner and doing it consistently when it counts.”

COLE CUSTER – 2017 Iowa Race Advance

Event:               American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen (Round 14 of 33)
Date:                 June 24, 2017
Location:          Iowa Speedway in Newton
Layout:             .875-mile oval

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

 

  • The American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen will mark Cole Custer’s 19th career NASCAR XFINITY Series start and his first XFINITY Series start at Iowa Speedway in Newton. 
  • While the American Ethanol E15 250 will be Custer’s first XFINITY Series start at Iowa, it will be his eighth overall start at the .875-mile oval. Custer has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts and four NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts at Iowa.
  • Custer scored his first career Pro Series East victory Aug. 2, 2013 at Iowa from the pole. At 15 years, 6 months and 10 days, he became the youngest winner in Pro Series history. In addition to breaking Dylan Kwasniewski’s record for youngest race winner by nearly six months, Custer also became the first driver to lead every lap (150) in the combination East/West race.
  • Custer’s best Truck Series finish at Iowa is second, earned in 2016. Custer finished .431 of a second behind race-winner William Byron, who he’s now competing with for XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year honors.
  • Custer has earned a win, a pole, four top-fives, six top-10s and has led 237 laps in his seven career starts at Iowa. He was only one position away in the 2014 Pro Series East race from earning a top-10 in all seven finishes.
  • Custer is striving to earn his fifth consecutive top-10 in the American Ethanol E15 250. He comes into Iowa fresh off a 10th-place finish last Saturday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
  • Custer’s best finish in the 13 XFINITY Series races run this season is fourth, earned in the 11th event June 3 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. It was his eighth top-10 and third top-five and it equaled his career-best finish in 18 career XFINITY Series starts.
  • Custer is third in the XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year standings, 20 points behind leader Byron and one point behind second-place Daniel Hemric.
  • Custer is tied with Byron for the most Rookie of the Race awards with five this season. Rookie of the Race awards are given to the highest-finishing XFINITY Series rookie at each race.
  • Custer is eighth in the NASCAR XFINITY Series driver standings, 151 points behind series leader Elliot Sadler.
  • Custer’s best qualifying effort in the 13 XFINITY Series races run this season is third, earned in the seventh race of the season April 22 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Custer has eight top-10 starts and three top-five starts this season.
  • Since 2015 across 18 XFINITY Series starts, 42 Camping World Truck Series starts, 29 K&N Pro Series starts and five ARCA Series starts, Custer has earned three wins, two poles, six top-fives, 13 top-10s and has led 689 laps at tracks currently on the NASCAR circuit that are less than a mile in length.

 

Cole Custer, Driver Q&A

 

What was it like to get your first win and pole at Iowa Speedway while leading all 150 laps to become the youngest winner in Pro Series history?

“It was definitely a day I’ll remember. I can’t explain how amazing it felt. Iowa is a special place for our Haas Automation race team. I feel like that win gave me a lot of confidence because it was my first in the K&N Series and I always look forward to coming back. I just love the track. The fans are awesome and it was always one of my favorite tracks growing up. I can’t believe I got to go there and go to victory lane.”

 Why do you seem to run so well at Iowa? 

“I honestly don’t know. I guess it’s just a place that’s natural for me and I’ve always had fast cars there. I grew up running local short tracks, so I was able to familiarize myself with them more than others.” 

Your team has gained a lot of momentum over the past few races. How do you feel heading to Iowa? 

“We’ve been on a pretty good roll for a few weeks now, and hopefully we can keep our consistency going. I feel like we’ve learned a lot since our last short-track race, so I think we’ll have a strong Haas Automation Ford Mustang. I’m confident heading into Iowa knowing that our Stewart-Haas Racing team can put together fast cars each week.” 

 

Jeff Meendering, Crew Chief Q&A

 

What are your thoughts on racing at Iowa?

“I’ve personally never been to Iowa, but I am looking forward to going there knowing the success Cole has had at that track. I feel like our short-track program is getting better after having a good run going at Phoenix and being fast in practice at Richmond before making a bad adjustment for the race. With the Cup guys being in Sonoma, this is a good opportunity for us to contend for a win.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2017 Sonoma Race Advance

Is there a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver less likely to feel at home Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway’s road course than Clint Bowyer?

Or a better one?

The former body shop repairman grew up amid the wheat fields of Emporia, Kansas with the closest major road course at Heartland Park in Topeka, about 60 miles from Emporia. As he honed is driving skills, Bowyer was more focused on motorcycles and dirt ovals than twisty road courses.

The NASCAR Cup Series travels to the California road course set in the scenic Wine Country this weekend, and it’s Bowyer who tops the list of the most points scored on the 10-turn, 1.99-mile track in the last 10 years. Those impressive numbers include a 40th-place finish last year after a lap-five electrical fire.

“Not in a million years would I have imagined this success,” Bowyer said. “After the first couple stabs at it, I was relatively good out there. I struggled a lot at Watkins Glen but always was able to find pretty good speed and get settled in and get comfortable at Sonoma. It has been good to me, it’s a fun racetrack. It’s a short track of road-course racing and it just kind of fits my driving style.”

Bowyer’s best moment at Sonoma came in June 2012, when he held off now Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart, who co-owns Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford. Bowyer dominated the race by leading 70 of the 112 laps. Defending race-winner Busch was all over the bumper of Bowyer’s car late and got a final shot in a two-lap overtime sprint to the finish. Bowyer raced side-by-side with Busch at the green flag, then cleared Busch and pulled away for the win. Bowyer had to walk to victory lane to celebrate with his crew after his car ran out of gas during the cool-down lap. Stewart passed Busch on the final lap to claim second.

Bowyer replaced Stewart in the No. 14 Ford in 2017 and is already off to a good start, posting two top-five finishes and five top-10s. The team is 12th in points as it heads to Sonoma, where Bowyer owns a victory, six top-five finishes and eight top-10s and has led 82 laps. He visits Sonoma for the first time driving an SHR Ford powered by Roush-Yates Engines under the guidance of crew chief Mike Bugarewicz, whose race call in this event last year, combined with Stewart’s driving, gave the three-time champion his final NASCAR victory.

Bowyer hopes he can also drive the No. 14 to victory lane at Sonoma.

“They’ve brought me hot rods all years so I expect to have one this weekend, as well,” Bowyer said. “It takes a heck of a lot to win a race these days, but I know we’ll have just as good of a shot as anyone else if all goes like we expect. They did it last year with Tony and I’d love to go to victory lane this weekend.”

For Bowyer, the trip to Northern California means an all-around good weekend.

“It’s a fun weekend for everyone in the garage area,” he said. “It’s almost like vacation, it really is for everybody — the wives, the girlfriends – they all go on wine tours, we get done with practice and have our hands full with a complete mess on our hands. Nonetheless, everybody is having a lot of fun.”

Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford will carry a special Cars 3 paint scheme this weekend to promote the popular movie that opened this month. In the movie, blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen teams up with tech-savvy trainer Cruz Ramirez to get back into pole position.

Hopefully Bowyer’s movie will end as well in Sonoma.

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Ford Fusion featuring Cars 3 for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

What helped you improve your road-course racing?

“I think a big part of it is engineering. They came into this sport — our engineers were able to get our cars underneath us way better than we could before. Those ringers would go test time and time again all over the place, all sorts of different racetracks, in preparation for these one or two races. And, when we’d get there, our focus is on those mile-and-a-half tracks that make up the biggest part of the season. That’s a big difference. When we get here and we’re on the same playing field as they are, I feel like I’m proud to say the Cup regulars are holding their own.”

KURT BUSCH – 2017 Michigan I Race Report

Event:               FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 15 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format:             200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish:      15th/12th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 14th (359 points, 281 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:             Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

  • Kurt Busch started 15th, finished 11th.
  • Busch started Stage 1 from the rear of the field due to unapproved body modifications prior to the race.
  • Busch’s Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford was loose in and tight off the turns.
  • After pitting for four tires and fuel during a lap-27 caution, Busch ran just outside of the top-10. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

  • Started 10th, finished eighth. Earned three bonus points.
  • Busch powered his way to eighth place at the restart before battling loose handling conditions.
  • On lap 104, Busch pitted under green-flag conditions for fuel only and then ran in the 22nd position.
  • After several cars in front of Busch made green-flag pit stops, he was able to drive his Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion back into the top-10. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

  • Started 15th, finished 12th.
  • Busch noted tight-handling conditions after adjustments made at the conclusion of Stage 2.
  • During a lap-188 caution, Busch opted not to pit and restarted in the 13th position.
  • A caution just four laps later provided Busch the opportunity to restart in the top-10.
  • On the final restart, Busch was caught in traffic and his Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford lost two positions. 

Notes:

  • Busch made his 33rd Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan.
  • Busch’s 12th-place finish in the FireKeepers Casino 400 was his third straight result of 12th or better at Michigan.
  • There were eight caution periods for a total of 34 laps.
  • Twenty-six of the 37 drivers in the FireKeepers Casino 400 finished on the lead lap.
  • Kyle Larson won the FireKeepers Casino 400 from the pole to score his third career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Michigan. His margin of victory over second-place Chase Elliott was .993 of a second.
  • Larson leads the championship standings with 640 points and has a five-point margin over his nearest pursuer, Martin Truex Jr.

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

“I thought we could’ve had a better finish. We have to find what it’s going to take to push us into that next level. Thanks to all the guys on this Monster Energy/Haas Automation team for working hard and trying to find the strategy to help us. It paid off at the end.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Save Mart 350k on Sunday, June 25 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2017 Michigan I Race Report

Event:               FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 15 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format:             200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/120 laps)
Start/Finish:      11th/14th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 4th (508 points, 132 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:             Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

  • Kevin Harvick started 11th, finished 13th.
  • The Jimmy John’s Ford was sent to the rear of the field for the start of the race due to an unapproved body modification.
  • Came to pit road under caution on lap eight for four tires and a wedge adjustment while racing in the 22nd position.
  • Pitted under caution on lap 27 for two tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment while racing 19th.
  • Came to pit road for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments at the conclusion of Stage 1. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

  • Started eighth, finished sixth. Earned five bonus points.
  • Raced his way into the top-five following the restart on lap 68.
  • Came to pit road under green on lap 112 for four tires and fuel while racing in the second position.
  • Stayed out in the sixth position at the conclusion of Stage 2. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

  • Started sixth, finished 14th.
  • Pitted under caution from the fourth position on lap 150 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.
  • Restarted ninth on lap 154 after the top-four cars opted for a two-tire strategy.
  • Stayed out under caution on lap 181 while racing in the 14th position and restarted in 10th on lap 185.
  • Was collected in a multicar incident on lap 190 and forced to pit under caution for repair and fresh tires.
  • Restarted 22nd on lap 195 and rallied to a 14th-place finish in the closing laps. 

Notes:

  • Harvick’s 14th-place result was only his second finish outside the top-five at Michigan since joining SHR in 2014.
  • Harvick finished sixth in Stage 2 to earn five bonus points.
  • There were eight caution periods for a total of 34 laps.
  • Twenty-six of the 37 drivers in the FireKeepers Casino 400 finished on the lead lap.
  • Kyle Larson won the FireKeepers Casino 400 from the pole to score his third career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Michigan. His margin of victory over second-place Chase Elliott was .993 of a second.
  • Larson leads the championship standings with 640 points and has a five-point margin over his nearest pursuer, Martin Truex Jr.

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

“We were just too tight, tight all day long, and we could not get it loosened up enough to be able to challenge. It is too bad really. Just too tight.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Save Mart 350k on Sunday, June 25 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

DANICA PATRICK – 2017 Michigan I Race Report

Event:               FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 15 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format:             200 laps, broken into three segments (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish:      23rd/37th (Accident, completed 190 of 200 laps)
Point Standings: 30th (176 points, 464 out of first)

Race Winner:    Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:             Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

  • Danica Patrick started 23rd and finished 20th.
  • The No. 10 TaxAct Ford Fusion team ran as high as 18th during Stage 1 as Patrick noted the car was “a little unstable on entry.”
  • The team pitted twice for tires and fuel and made air pressure adjustments to address the car’s handling. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

  • Started 19th and finished 26th.
  • Patrick lost ground on the lap-67 restart and slipped back to 26th. She went a lap down to the leader during a cycle of green-flag pit stops and ended the stage scored 26th as she battled a car that was “tight on exit.”
  • The No. 10 TaxAct Ford team pitted twice for tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):          

  • Started 24th and finished 37th.
  • Patrick started the final stage of the race from the 24th position but fell back to 29th after the restart. She was able to race her way back up to 24th by lap 140 and earned the free pass when the caution flag waved at lap 149.
  • The team pitted twice for four tires and fuel during Stage 3.
  • Patrick worked her way up to the 15th position when the field took the green flag at lap 190. She made a move to go low to pass a number of cars, but contact from the No. 19 racecar sent her into the inside wall.
  • The No. 10 TaxAct Ford sustained significant damage and was unable to continue, leaving Patrick with a 37th-place finish. 

Notes:              

  • Patrick was evaluated and released from the care center following the accident.
  • Patrick leaves Michigan with 176 total points for the season thus far. She is ranked 30th in the driver point standings.
  • There were eight caution periods for a total of 34 laps.
  • A total of 26 drivers in the 37-car field finished on the lead lap.
  • Kyle Larson won the FireKeepers Casino 400 to score his third career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Michigan. 

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

“That was an unfortunate way to end what had been a promising weekend for the TaxAct Ford team. I knew when there was a caution with about 15 laps to go that there would end up being another one. I had a good run and went for it and just got hit.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Save Mart 350k on Sunday, June 25 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The event starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

CLINT BOWYER – 2017 Michigan I Race Report

Event:               FireKeepers 400 (Round 15 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format:             200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish:      3rd / 26th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 12th (391 points, 249 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:             Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

  • Clint Bowyer started third, finished sixth to earn five race points.
  • Climbed to second on lap 12 after a restart.
  • Reported his car grew looser as the stage progressed. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

  • Started sixth, finished fifth to earn six race points.
  • Team made tire pressure adjustments to improve handling issues.
  • Bowyer turned top-five lap times in the second half of stage. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

  • Started fifth, finished 26th.
  • Dropped to ninth on a restart and reported his car was tight in traffic.
  • Pitted for four tires and fuel under caution and restarted 12th with 47 to go.
  • Bowyer moved from 12th to eighth during the next two laps.
  • Restarted the race in seventh with 15 laps remaining.
  • With 12 laps remaining, right-side contact with the wall forced Bowyer to pit lane for repairs. 

Notes:

  • Third-place start equaled Bowyer’s best of the season.
  • He rarely raced outside the top-10 throughout therace.
  • Cars were turning laps speeds in excess of 195 mph.
  • Eight cautions slowed the race for 34 laps.
  • Kyle Larson won the FireKeepers 400 to score his third career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Michigan.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We were sitting there seventh with 20 laps to go reeling them in thinking this was our day, and then a debris caution forces a restart. Restarts are the only times you can pass, so everyone was racing hard, and I got into the wall. It killed our day.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 25 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.