Cole Custer Finishes Sixth at Auto Club

Haas Automation Driver Earns Third Straight Top-10

Date: March 17, 2018
Event: Roseanne 300 (Round 5 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California  (2-mile oval)
Format:150 laps, broken into three stages (35 laps/35 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish: 4^th/6^th (Running, completed 150 of 150 laps)
Point Standing: 6^th with 144 points

Race Winner:    Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-35):

• Custer started fourth, finished third. Earned eight bonus points.
• Custer piloted the Haas Automation Ford to the second position by lap two.
• During the stage, he noted visibility and handling issues due to sand on the windshield and tight-handling conditions.
• After a lap-33 caution, the stage concluded under caution. He pitted for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 36-70):

• Custer started third, finished sixth. Earned five bonus points.
• Custer fell to the sixth position during the restart, but battled back to third place on lap 48.
• On lap 69, the caution flag was raised due to a cut tire on the No. 42 car, ultimately ending Stage 2 under caution.
• He pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments, and gained one position on pit road.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 71-150):

• Custer started fifth, finished sixth.
• Custer piloted his Haas Automation Ford Mustang in and around the top-five until a lap-96 caution.
• During the caution, crew chief Jeff Meendering radioed Custer to the pits for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.
• Custer climbed to as high as second and ran inside the top-10 before another caution on lap 139. He pitted for four tires and fuel.
• Custer restarted in the third position behind a car on older tires. As a result, he was caught in traffic and battled just outside of the top-five before the conclusion of the race.

Notes:              

• This was Custer’s second NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway.
• This marks Custer’s first top-10 at Auto Club and third top-10 of the season.
• This was Custer’s third straight top-10.
• Custer earned 13 bonus points in the Roseanne 300.
• Only 22 of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
• Seven cautions slowed the race for 32 laps.
• Joey Logano won the Roseanne 300 to score his 29^th career Xfinity Series victory, first of the season and third at Auto Club Speedway. His margin of victory over second-place Justin Allgaier was 1.429 seconds.

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

“We had good speed today out of our Haas Automation Ford Mustang, but we got caught up there on the final restart behind the 39 car who was on old tires. I don’t know if we had enough to compete with the 22 car, but we definitely had a top-three car. It was a good day for the team and I’m glad we were able to put on a good race for my hometown fans.”

Event: DC Solar 200 (Round 4 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Serie
Location: ISM Raceway near Phoenix (mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 3^rd/8^th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 11^th with 100 points

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

• Cole Custer started third, finished 11^th.
• Due to a jack bolt malfunction before the race, Custer was demoted to the rear of the field after the team replaced the broken part for the start of today’s race.
• Custer piloted the Haas Automation Ford to the top-20 in just 13 laps and battled just outside the top-10 before the stage ended.
• At the conclusion of the stage, inclement weather caused red-flag conditions for one hour and 34 minutes.
• When the red flag was raised, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct his loose-handling racecar.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):

• Custer started 12^th, finished third to earn eight bonus points.
• After a solid restart, Custer built momentum and powered his Haas Automation Ford into the top-five on lap 62.
• On lap 83, the second red flag of the event was raised due to rain.
• When racing continued, Custer restarted in the third spot and maintained the position during the one-lap shootout.
• Custer pitted for four tires and fuel at the end of Stage 2. Thirteen other cars did not pit at the end of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):

• Custer started 15^th, finished eighth.
• He re-entered the top-10 on lap 110.
• Custer pitted on lap 166 from the seventh position for four tires and fuel.
• After green-flag pit stops cycled through, he was scored in the eighth position where he ran until the race concluded.

Notes:              

• This was Custer’s third NASCAR Xfinity Series race at ISM Raceway near Phoenix.
• Today’s event was Custer’s second Xfinity Series top-10 at Phoenix and second top-10 of the season.
• Custer earned eight bonus points in the DC Solar 200.
• Only eight of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
• Four cautions slowed the race for 24 laps.
• Brad Keselowski won the DC Solar 200 to score his 37^th career Xfinity Series victory, first of the season and second at Phoenix. His margin of victory over second-place Justin Allgaier was 0.530 seconds.

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

“It was a solid day for our Haas Automation Mustang team. The guys brought me a really good car, we just weren’t able to get the track position that we needed at the front there. Another top-10 finish though, so that is something to be proud of. Everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing is working hard and I think it is showing. We are getting closer and closer.”

Event: Boyd Gaming 300 (Round 3 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/90 laps/200 laps)
Start/Finish: 4^th/9^th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 13^th with 63 points

Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

• Cole Custer started fourth, finished seventh. Earned four bonus points.
• Custer piloted the Haas Automation Ford in and out of the top-10 while noting that his car became tighter as the stage wore on.
• He pitted at the conclusion of the stage for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. The quick pit stop earned Custer three positions off of pit road.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):

• Custer started third, finished fourth. Earned seven bonus points.
• Custer battled the Haas Automation Ford Mustang inside the top-five for the majority of the stage.
• At the conclusion of Stage 2, he pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. He gained one more spot on pit road.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):

• Custer started third, finished fourth.
• Custer fought to the second position on the initial restart and consistently ran in the top-three for the first half of the stage.
• On lap 132, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments. The quick stop by the Haas Automation pit crew vaulted Cole to the lead off pit road.
• Custer ran in and out of the top-five until a lap-189 caution. He restarted in sixth place and held the Haas Automation Ford inside the top-10 for the remainder of the 200-lap race.

Notes:              

• This was Custer’s second NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Six cautions slowed the race for 29 laps.
• This marks Custer’s first Xfinity series top-10 at Las Vegas and first top-10 of the season.
• Custer earned 11 bonus points in the Boyd Gaming 300.
• Only 17 of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
• Kyle Larson won the Boyd Gaming 300 to score his ninth career Xfinity Series victory, first of the season and first at Las Vegas. His margin of victory over second-place Christopher Bell was .881 seconds.

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

“I thought we had a solid Haas Automation Ford Mustang. I thought we had a top-five car. We just didn’t have the best restarts and I think that is what hurt us the most. I was happy with how much speed we have. We will be able to build off that. We definitely wanted more but the restarts just weren’t there today. Some runs we were really good on the long runs and some we were better on the short runs. It could go either way. I think you need the balance of both.”

Event: Atlanta 250 (Round 2 of 33)
Series:  NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 163 laps, broken into three stages (40 laps/40 laps/83 laps)
Start/Finish: 4^th/39^th (Accident, completed 10 of 163 laps)
Point Standing: 25^th with 25 points

Race Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-40):

• Cole Custer started fourth, finished 39^th.
• Custer piloted the Haas Automation Ford inside the top-three in the opening laps of the race.
• On lap 11, the No. 42 car made contact with Custer sending him into the wall, ultimately ending his day.

Notes:              

• This was Custer’s second NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Four cautions slowed the race for 21 laps.
• Only seven of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
• Kevin Harvick won the Atlanta 250 to score his 47^th career Xfinity Series victory, first of the season and fifth at Atlanta. His margin of victory over second-place Joey Logano was 4.183 seconds.

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

“I was just kind of biding my time there trying to save my tires and I don’t even know exactly what happened. I just got hit going down the straightaway and got wrecked from there. It sucks because I thought we had a great Haas Automation Mustang. We’ll go on to the next one and battle our way back up in the playoff points standings.”

Aric Almirola’s Day Ends Early in Xfinity Series Season Opener at Daytona

Smithfield/DenBeste Water Solutions Driver Collected in Late-Race Accident

Date: Feb. 17, 2018
Event: Powershares QQQ 300 (Round 1 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Raceway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 120 laps, broken into three stages (30 laps/30 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish: 13th/35th (Accident, completed 121 of 143 laps in overtime)

Race Winner: Tyler Reddick of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-30):

● Aric Almirola started Stage 1 in the 13th position and reached the top-10 before completing it in 15th.
● The Tampa, Florida, native pitted on lap 10 for fuel, four tires and adjustments.
● Almirola pitted at the conclusion of Stage 1 for fuel and adjustments to improve the No. 98 machine’s handling.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 31-60):           

● The Ford driver began Stage 2 from the fourth spot, and finished second.
● At the end of the stage, Almirola made his third pit stop of the day for two right-side tires and fuel only.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 61-143): 

● The 33-year-old started the final stage in the first position.
● After jockeying for positions throughout the final stage Almirola restarted fourth with five scheduled laps remaining in the race.
● Unfortunately, Almirola was caught up in a multi-car accident during the first overtime attempt which ultimately ended his day.

Notes:                   

● This marks Almirola’s 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and 101st career Xfinity start.
● Almirola led one time for four laps in the Smithfield/DenBeste Water Solutions Ford, bringing his Xfinity Series Daytona laps led total to 16.
●12 cautions slowed the race for 49 laps
●The race went 23 laps past the scheduled 120-lap distance.
●Tyler Reddick won the Powershares QQQ 300 to score his second careerXfinity Series victory, first of the season and first at Daytona. His margin of victory over second-place Elliot Sadler was .001 seconds.

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 98 Smithfield/DenBeste Water Solutions Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi DenBeste:               
“I hate that we got caught up in a wreck.  Our Ford Mustang was really fast and I thought we were going to get us another Xfinity victory, but unfortunately we didn’t.  I’m really proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste.  They brought some really nice race cars for speedway racing.”

Next Up:               
The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Atlanta 250 on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race starts at 2p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1.

Cole Custer Finishes 14th At Daytona

Haas Automation Driver Survives Wreck-Filled Race

Date: Feb. 17, 2018
Event: Powershares QQQ 300 (Round 1 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 120 laps, broken into three stages (30 laps/30 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish: 14^th/14^th (Running, completed 143 of 143 laps) in overtime
Point Standing: 12th with 24 points

Race Winner:    Tyler Reddick of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-30):

• Cole Custer started 14^th, finished 10^th. Earned one bonus point.
• Custer piloted the Haas Automation Ford in and out of the top-10 throughout the stage.
• With two laps to go, Custer found a push from the rear sending him to the seventh position.
• Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments at the conclusion of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 31-60):       

• Started 10^th, finished 12^th.
• Custer battled inside the top-15 for the majority of Stage 2 while noting tight-handling conditions.
• At the conclusion of the stage, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 61-143):

• Started 16^th, finished 14^th.
• On lap 79, Custer powered the Haas Automation Ford Mustang to the ninth position.
• During the lap 83 caution, crew chief Jeff Meendering radioed Custer in for a fuel-only stop. He restarted in the ninth position.
• Custer was involved in an accident on lap 99 causing splitter damage on both sides.
• He pitted for damage repair five times during two caution periods and remained on the lead lap.
• After numerous cautions pushing the race 23 laps past the scheduled distance, Custer survived the late race chaos untouched and battled in and out of the top-10 before finishing 14^th at the checkered flag.

Notes:              

• The 14^th-place finish was Custer’s highest finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
• Custer is 24th in the Xfinity Series Playoff points standings.
• 12 cautions slowed the race for 49 laps.
• The race went 23 laps past the scheduled 120-lap distance.
• Tyler Reddick won the Powershares QQQ 300 to score his second career Xfinity Series victory, first of the season and first at Daytona. His margin of victory over second-place Elliot Sadler was .001 seconds.

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

“I have to give a huge thanks to the Haas Automation crew for keeping us alive in this race. We were caught up in an accident early and were able to salvage a decent finish. It was still really drivable there at the end. I was really surprised, but I had a huge vibration, so we didn’t have the fastest car there. I was happy with it. Compared to last year, this is a lot better. We didn’t put ourselves in a hole, so I’m looking forward to Atlanta.”

Next Up:          

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Atlanta 250 on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1.

Cole Custer Wins NASCAR XFINITY Series Season Finale at Homestead

Haas Automation Driver Scores First Career XFINITY Series Victory

Date:                 Nov. 18, 2017
Event:               Ford EcoBoost 300 (Round 33 of 33)
Series:               NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location:          Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:             200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish:      2^nd/1^st (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 5^th with 2,288 points

Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

• Cole Custer started second, finished first. Earned 10 bonus points.
• Took the lead on lap three and held it for the next 21 laps around the 1.5-mile oval.
• Relinquished the lead for only three laps following a lap-24 restart before retaking lead on lap 27 from Tyler Reddick.
• Custer led through the end of Stage 1.
• Pitted for four tires, fuel and tire pressure adjustments at the conclusion of Stage 1.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):       

• Started third, finished first. Earned 10 bonus points.
• Custer ran inside the top-five and reassumed his position at the front by lap 62, leading through the end of the stage.
• At the end of Stage 2, pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and tire pressure adjustments to improve his drive off the track’s corners.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):

• Started first, finished first.
• After taking the lead in Stage 2, Custer never gave up the point, leading the race’s final 139 laps, even during a scheduled, green-flag pit stop on lap 144 for four tires and fuel.
• Custer crossed the stripe with a whopping 15.405-second margin of victory over second-place Sam Hornish Jr., the three-time IndyCar Series champion and 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner.

Notes:              

• This marks Custer’s first career NASCAR XFINITY Series victory and it came in only his 38^th XFINITY Series start.
• Earned a perfect driver rating by sweeping both stages and taking the race victory (150.0).
• Custer led three times for a race-high 182 laps. It is a record for the most laps led in a single XFINITY Series race at Homestead.
• This was Custer’s rookie season in the XFINITY Series, and he ends it with seven top-five and 19 top-10 finishes.
• Custer earned the most points at 1.5-mile tracks among XFINITY Series drivers this season (422).
• This was Stewart-Haas Racing’s first win in the XFINITY Series, as the team debuted its XFINITY Series program this season.
• Custer’s win was the ninth XFINITY Series victory of the season for Ford.
• Custer is the 36^th different driver to win an XFINITY Series race with Ford.

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

“We knew we were gonna be really good this weekend, but our Haas Automation Mustang was unreal. We really wanted to have a good showing at Ford Championship Weekend. Even though we weren’t in (the Championship 4), we wanted to win. I want to thank everybody at Haas Automation, Code 3 Associates and Roush Yates Engines – the engines have been unbelievable all year – and XFINITY and everybody at NASCAR and all of our fans, it’s just been unbelievable. Going into this year there were so many question marks, and to see how far we’ve come is really unbelievable. I have to especially thank Gene Haas. I would never be here without him and I can’t thank him enough.

“I can’t stress enough how good this Haas Automation Mustang was. I was just pedaling it going half-speed the last few laps. I’ve had some good cars before, but that was pretty impressive. I can’t say enough about this group. They’ve worked so hard all year getting us up and going and it’s just unbelievable.  There’s no better team I’ve worked with before and I can’t thank them enough.”

Cole Custer Seventh at Phoenix

Haas Automation Driver Earns 18^th Top-10 Finish

Date: Nov. 11, 2017
Event: Ticket Galaxy 200 (Round 32 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: Phoenix Raceway (1-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish: 3^rd/7^th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Playoff Point Standings: 5^th with 2,228 points

Race Winner: William Byron of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

• Cole Custer started third, finished seventh. Earned four bonus points.
• Custer ran in the top-10 for the entirety of the Stage.
• He said the Haas Automation Ford’s balance improved as the stage wore on, but could use an adjustment to become tighter.
• He pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments at the conclusion of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):     

• Started fifth, finished seventh. Earned four bonus points.
• Custer battled a loose-handling condition at the beginning of Stage 2.
• He continued to run inside the top-10 for the duration of the stage.
• At the conclusion of the stage, Custer gained three spots after a pit stop for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):          

• Started fourth, finished seventh.
• Custer noted loose-handling conditions late in the run causing him to fall to the eighth position.
• During a lap-180 caution, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. He gained two positions to restart sixth.
• Custer piloted his Haas Automation Ford Mustang to fifth place, putting him above the cutoff for the Championship Four.
• During the closing laps, Custer was caught pushing him to the seventh position and below the cutoff.

Notes:              

• Custer was eliminated from the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs. He finished in fifth place, just four points below the cutoff for the Championship Four.
• This marks Custer’s 18^th top-10 of the 2017 season, his 20^th top-10 in 36 XFINITY Series starts and his first top-10 at Phoenix Raceway.
• Custer earned eight combined stage points.
• This was Custer’s 36^th NASCAR XFINITY Series start and his second at Phoenix Raceway.
• Five cautions slowed the race for 27 laps.
• William Byron won the Ticket Galaxy 200 to score his fourth career XFINITY Series victory, fourth of the season and first at Phoenix. His margin of victory over second-place Ryan Blaney was .960 seconds.

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

“We fought hard all day and did all we could to compete for a spot in the Championship Four. We have had fast Haas Automation Mustangs all year and just ran into bad luck in the second round of the playoffs. We would be in the final round if it weren’t for that bad luck. For a first-year team, rookie driver and rookie crew chief we competed at a high level. A huge thanks to everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing, Haas Automation, Ford Performance, Code 3 and everyone who has supported us this season. I’m sure we’ll come back next year stronger.”

Cole Custer Fifth at Texas

Haas Automation Driver Earns Second-Straight Top-Five at Texas

Date: Nov. 4, 2017
Event: O’ Reilly Auto Parts 300 (Round 31 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 2^nd/5^th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Playoff Point Standings: 6^th (3,066 points, 37 points out of first / 13 points from cutoff)

Race Winner: Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

• Cole Custer started second, finished 29^th.
• Custer battled for second in the opening laps until a loose-handling car dropped him to the middle of the field.
• Custer brought the Haas Automation Ford Mustang to the pits where the crew found a flat right-rear tire was the cause of the issue.
• At the conclusion of the stage, Custer opted not to pit to rejoin the lead lap.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):       

• Started 29^th, finished seventh. Earned four bonus points.
• On lap 57 Custer pitted during a caution while remaining on the lead lap.
• Custer rejoined the top-10 on lap 81 – a lap before another caution.
• He stayed on the track in seventh and held the position the remainder of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):

• Started 11^th, finished fifth.
• Custer ran just outside of the top-five before a lap-125 caution when he pitted for four tires and fuel.
• He restarted in the eighth position and made his way into the top-five on lap 147.
• Custer pitted for fuel only under green on lap 186.
• He rejoined the race in seventh and drove to fifth before the checkered flag.

Notes:              

• Custer’s second-place qualifying effort was his career-best start in 36 NASCAR XFINITY Series attempts.
• Custer was the highest finishing rookie. He earned his ninth rookie of the race award this season.
• Custer has earned the most points at 1.5-mile tracks among XFINITY Series drivers this season.
• This marks Custer’s sixth top-five of the 2017 season, his seventh top-five in 36 XFINITY Series starts and his second top-five at Texas Motor Speedway.
• The O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 was the first race of the second round of playoffs. One more race remains before the season finale Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• This was Custer’s 36^th NASCAR XFINITY Series start and his second at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
• Seven cautions slowed the race for 33 laps.
• Erik Jones won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 to score his ninth career XFINITY Series victory, third of the season and third at Texas. His margin of victory over second-place Ryan Blaney was 1.018 seconds.

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

“We started the race with a flat and did all we could do to salvage a good day out of it. We have had two pretty good Haas Automation Ford Mustangs, but have just had a flat tire in both of the past two races. It is what it is for us. I think there is no reason why we can’t make that up in Phoenix.”​