Category: Post-Race Reports

Date: September 1, 2018
Event: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (Round 24 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 147 laps, broken into three stages 45 laps/45 laps/57 laps)
Start/Finish: 6th/2nd (Running, completed 147 of 147 laps)
Point Standing: 3rd with 871 points (17 points behind leader Justin Allgaier)

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Ross Chastain of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Ross Chastain of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

● Custer started sixth, finished 11th.
● Custer moved from sixth to fourth in the opening two laps.
● He began fading through the field as the stage progressed.
● Custer told the crew during the break his car was tight in some parts of the track and “wrecking loose” in others.
● Custer made a four-tire pit stop for adjustments during the stage break.
● The pit crew gained Custer four spots on the pit stop.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):

● Custer started seventh, finished seventh to earn four bonus points.
● Custer told the crew that he grazed the wall “pretty good” on lap 58, but the impact made no damage.
● He restarted sixth with 20 laps remaining in the stage, but dropped to seventh.
● Custer pitted after the stage break and returned to the track in ninth.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-147):

● Custer started ninth, finished second.
● Custer climbed to seventh in the final stage before leaders Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick wrecked with 37 laps remaining.
● During the caution, Custer pitted from fifth and great pit work returned the No. 00 to the track in second.
● Custer spent the remainder of the race on Brad Keslowski’s bumper, but could not make the pass.
● He finished less than a second behind winner Keselowski.

Notes:               

● This was Cole Custer’s second, second-place finish in his 62-race Xfinity Series career.
● Custer’s only better career finish was his victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 18, 2017.
● Custer scored his 10th top-five of the season and his first at Darlington.
● Custer scored his 20th top-10 of the season and his second at Darlington.
● Six cautions slowed the race for 30 laps.
● Only 18 of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
● Brad Keselowski won the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 to score his 39th career Xfinity Series victory, third of the season and first at Darlington.
● As part of Darlington’s fourth annual NASCAR “Throwback Weekend.” Custer’s No. 00 Haas Automation paint scheme honored A.J. Foyt and his iconic No. 00 1965 Ford Galaxie that he ran at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway.

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

“We just had to tighten our car up a lot to where it was secure, but I was pretty happy with our Haas Automation Mustang. It was a pretty good run. We just need a little bit more, but I’ll take a second at Darlington. I was a little bit better than Brad (Keselowski) at the start of the run, but I tried to pace myself and at the end of the run we would just always get too loose. It was a solid day.”

Date: September 1, 2018
Event: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (Round 24 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 147 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/57 laps)
Start/Finish: 7th/29th (Accident, completed 111 of 147 laps)

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Ross Chastain of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Ross Chastain of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

● Harvick started seventh and finished third.
● Before a caution on lap three, Harvick was shuffled to ninth place.
● He piloted the No. 98 Ford back into the top-five by lap 21 and continued to climb through the field before the stage ended.
● Harvick took the Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford to the pits for four tires, fuel and adjustments at the end of the stage and gained one position.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):

● Harvick started second and finished third.
● Harvick drove the Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang to the lead when the green flag waved and led 18 laps.
● During a lap-77 caution, Harvick told crew chief Richard Boswell that he needed more rear grip to roll through the center of the turns better.
● He held the Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford in third place until Stage 2 ended and continued to note tight-handling conditions.
● Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and wedge adjustments between stages.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-147):

● Harvick started third and finished 29th.
● Harvick moved the Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford to second place by lap 107.
● With 37 laps to go, Harvick and Ross Chastain battled for the lead.
● The No. 42 car of Chastain made contact with the right-rear quarter panel of the No. 98 Ford sending Harvick into the wall and ending his day.

Notes:               

● He led once for 18 laps to bring his laps led total to 207 in 16 career Xfinity Series starts at Darlington.
● Six cautions slowed the race for 30 laps.
● Only 18 of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
● Brad Keselowski won the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 to score his 39th career Xfinity Series victory, third of the season and first at Darlington.

Date: August 25, 2018
Event: Road America 180 (Round 23 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (4-mile, 14-turn road course)
Format: 45 laps, broken into three stages 10 laps/10 laps/25 laps)
Start/Finish: 2nd/4th (Running, completed 45 of 45 laps)
Point Standing: 4th with 833 points (13 points behind leader Christopher Bell)

Race Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Matt Tifft of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-10):

● Custer started second, finished seventh and earned four bonus points.
● Custer piloted the Haas Automation Ford Mustang in the second and third position for the majority of Stage 1.
● After a lap-seven caution, Custer restarted the one-lap shootout from second place until he drove the Haas Automation Ford hard into Turn 2, resulting in a flat-spotted tire.
● He fell back to the seventh position before the stage ended to earn four bonus points.
● After the stage ended, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 11-20):

● Custer started 11th, finished seventh and earned four bonus points.
● Custer powered the Haas Automation Ford into seventh place when the green flag waved to start Stage 2.
● He ran inside the top-10 for the entirety of the stage.
● Custer pitted when the stage concluded for four tires, fuel and adjustments.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 21-45):

● Custer started 13th, finished fourth.
● Custer quickly climbed to eighth place and was promoted to fourth when regular-season championship contenders Justin Allgaier and Christopher Bell made contact in front of him.
● On lap 28, Custer steered the Haas Automation Ford off the track to avoid a multicar spin.
● He pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments during the caution period.
● The California native restarted in 15th place and drove to sixth until a lap-37 caution.
● With three laps to go, Custer was promoted to third when the second and third-place cars spun off the track. He fell one position before earning his first top-five at Road America.

Notes:               

● This marks Custer’s 19th top-10 of the season and first at Road America.
● This marks Custer’s 9th top-five of the season and first at Road America.
● Custer earned eight bonus points in the Road America 180 at Road America.
● Seven cautions slowed the race for 10 laps.
● Justin Allgaier won the Road America 180 to score his ninth career Xfinity Series victory, fourth of the season and first at Road America. His margin of victory over second-place Matt Tifft was 5.403 seconds.

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

“We had a car to contend with all day. I’m glad we were able to take away another great points finish after a rollercoaster of a day. Really proud of the team for improving our road-course cars. We’re in a good spot as we get close to the end of the regular season.”

Date: Aug. 18, 2018
Event: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race (Round 24 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish: 9th/1st (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 4th (796 points, 207 out of first)

Race Winner: Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Blaney for Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125):

● Kurt Busch started ninth, finished seventh, collecting four bonus points.
● The Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford was involved in a multicar accident on lap three and sustained minor hood damage.
● On lap 11, Busch pitted for hood repair only and restarted 29th on lap 13.
● Busch returned to pit road on lap 63 for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. He came in 15th and went out 15th.
● Was in the top-10 by lap 85.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

● Busch started fifth, finished ninth, collecting two bonus points.
● The Monster Energy/Haas Automation driver pitted on lap 130 for four tires and fuel.
● Busch pitted under caution for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):

● Busch started sixth, finished first, collecting five playoff points for scoring the victory.
● The Monster Energy/Haas Automation driver pitted on lap 254 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.
● Busch was in the top-three from lap 255-353 and pitted on lap 354 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.
● Busch lined up beside teammate Clint Bowyer on the lap-477 restart and was able to clear Bowyer as he exited turn two. From there, Busch survived one more restart and outlasted Kyle Larson on newer tires to bring home the win.

Notes:

● Busch won the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race to score his 30th career Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his sixth at Bristol. His margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was .367 of a second.
● Busch’s triumph delivered the 100th points-paying victory for Ford’s Fusion in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It was Ford’s 669th all-time win in the NASCAR Cup Series and its 37th victory at Bristol.
● It was also his 11th top-five and 18th top-10 at the .533-mile oval.
● Busch led once for 24 laps to increase his laps-led total at Bristol to 1,086.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 70 laps.
● Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race finished on the lead lap.

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

Describe the victory tonight.

“It’s awesome to do it at Bristol. I love this place. We now have won six times here, and I have great teams that have always helped me win. This group of guys, Billy Scott, my crew chief, this is his first win, and to be able to do it with Ford and Monster and Haas Automation is just what it’s all about. It’s executing as a team, and we had good restarts when we had to, and then you’ve got to get clever and start throwing everything at it.”

How did you take the lead?

“It was up to (Clint) Bowyer to choose the lane. He chose the outside, and we got a perfect start on the inside. I dug it perfect right into turn one and two, and the spotter said, ‘Take it. Take it.’ – which meant go to the wall on exit, and I didn’t even bother to look in the mirror.  He said, ‘Take it,’ and when you trust your team to give you the right stuff setup-wise, you’ve got to trust the spotter the same way. Tony Raines. He’s a racer. That’s why he’s my spotter, and it worked out perfect.”

How big is it to solidify a playoff spot tonight?

“It just matters to win. It’s all about winning. I’m glad we did. We’ve been the most consistent team this year that hasn’t won. I wasn’t worried about not making the Playoffs, so we could kind of treat these races coming up as free-for-alls, and we’re just gonna keep going after it. The Southern 500 is after this week off, and we’ve got Indianapolis, and then my hometown kicks off the Playoffs, so we’re all about these next 12.”

Date:  Aug. 18, 2018
Event:  Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race (Round 24 of 36)
Series:  Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:  Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format:  500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish:  16th/6th (Running, completed 500 of 500)
Point Standing:  5th (776 points, 227 out of first)

Race Winner:  Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:  Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:  Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125):

● Bowyer started 16th and finished third, collecting eight bonus points.
● Bowyer was 10th after the first lap when a multicar accident brought out the caution.
● Passed teammate Aric Almirola for seventh on lap 26.
● During competition caution on lap 60, Bowyer pitted for four tires and fuel. Only adjustment was to tire pressures.
● Restarted third on lap 67, but fell to sixth before rallying to fourth by lap 75.
● Passed Erik Jones for third on lap 90.
● At conclusion of stage, Bowyer brought the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford to the pits for four tires and fuel.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

● Bowyer started third and finished sixth, collecting five bonus points.
● Was fifth at lap 150, but by lap 163, Bowyer radioed that his Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford was “way too loose.”
● Caution on lap 199 allowed Bowyer to pit for four tires and fuel with a right-rear wedge adjustment.
● Restarted in 10th on lap 204 and climbed to seventh after one lap.
● Passed Jones for sixth on lap 240.
● “Got a little tight toward the end,” said Bowyer at the end of Stage 2.
● Pitted for four tires and fuel at end of the stage, and reversed previous right-rear wedge adjustment.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 251-500):

● Bowyer started seventh and finished sixth.
● Bowyer brought his No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford up to fifth by lap 290.
● Passed Almirola for fourth on lap 311.
● Cracked top-three with pass of Joey Logano on lap 320.
● Passed teammate Kurt Busch for second on lap 344.
● Caution on lap 353 sent everyone to pit road. Bowyer was happy with his car and radioed, “No changes.”
● Pit stop was fast, allowing Bowyer to take the lead on lap 356.
● Bowyer led the next 86 laps, pitting one final time for fuel and tires on lap 442.  He resumed the lead on lap 443.
● Bowyer continued to lead until lap 476, where a caution forced one final restart.
● Busch, who was running in second, took the lead from Bowyer on lap 477 as Bowyer spun his tires, dropping to sixth.

Notes:

● Bowyer earned his 13th top-10 in 26 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol.
● Bowyer led twice for 120 laps to increase his laps-led total at Bristol to 257.
● Kurt Busch won the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race to score his 30th career Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his sixth at Bristol. His margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was .367 of a second.
● Busch delivered the 100th points-paying victory for Ford’s Fusion in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It was Ford’s 669th all-time win in the NASCAR Cup Series and its 37th victory at Bristol.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 70 laps.
● Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race finished on the lead lap.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Fusion:

“I just clearly didn’t do a good job on the restarts. When I had the lead I thought I got a good jump and about the time I shifted Kurt (Busch) hit me in the door and it just lit the tires up. He didn’t do anything wrong – it’s just a product of it. Then when I was on the bottom, I spun the tires real bad and they all got around me. It’s disappointing. You get a car that good and you get that close you hate to not come home with it, but, all in all, for as terrible as we started the weekend and as bad as our day was yesterday, to lead laps or even be in the top-10, I was pretty surprised to be honest with you. In the grand scheme of things, it was a pretty good run for us, but you hate to give them up like that.”

Date:                 Aug. 18, 2018
Event:               Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 24 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format:             500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish:      8^th/31^st (Running, completed 428 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 12^th (658 points, 345 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125):

• Aric Almirola started eighth and finished Stage 1 in the fifth spot to earn six stage points.
• The Smithfield driver avoided an early caution and was in seventh when the competition caution was displayed on lap 60.
• During that caution he reported the No. 10 Ford Fusion was too tight. He came to pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments during the caution and restarted 10^th on lap 66.
• The balance of the stage ran under green, and Almirola finished fifth in the Smithfield Anytime Favorites Ford. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

• Almirola started Stage 2 in fifth and completed it fourth to earn seven bonus points.
• On lap 194 Almirola entered the second spot with the Smithfield Ford.
• The fourth caution was display on 198; Almirola pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments and restarted third on lap 203.
• The remainder of the stage was under the green flag, and Almirola ended it fourth to earn seven stage points.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):

• Almirola started the final stage in the second position and ended it 31^st.
• On lap 336, while running in fifth, Almirola was black flagged by NASCAR because of smoke coming from his Ford Fusion.
• Ultimately, the Tampa native had to bring the Smithfield Ford behind the wall for the crew to repair a fluid leak.
• Once the leak was repaired, Almirola returned to the race to log laps for the remainder of the event, finishing in 31st.

Notes:

• Almirola finished fifth in Stage 1 to earn six bonus points and fourth in Stage 2 to earn an additional seven bonus points.
• Almirola led twice for two laps, which were his first laps led at Bristol.
• Kurt Busch’s victory in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race marked the 54^th overall win for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). It was the organization’s 49^th points-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win, its second consecutive victory and its second win at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
• Busch’s margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was .367 of a second. There were nine caution periods for a total of 70 laps, and only 15 of the 40 drivers in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race finished on the lead lap.
• This was SHR’s 13^th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.
• Busch delivered the 100^th points-paying victory for Ford’s Fusion in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It was Ford’s 669^th all-time win in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Date:                 Aug. 18, 2018
Event:               Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race (Round 24 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format:             500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish:      6th/10th (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing:  2^nd (960 points, 43 out of first)

Race Winner:    Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125): 

• Kevin Harvick started sixth, finished second, collecting nine bonus points.
• The Jimmy John’s driver raced in the top-five until the competition caution on lap 60.
• The No. 4 Ford came to pit road for four tires, fuel and a small adjustment on lap 64 and came out in fourth.
• Harvick raced from fourth to second on the lap-66 restart and held the position the remainder of the stage.
• Harvick challenged for the lead in the closing laps of the stage and finished .003 of a second behind stage winner Ryan Blaney.
• He came to pit road for four tires and fuel at the conclusion of the stage and claimed the lead on pit road.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

• Started first, finished 21st.
• Harvick raced out front at the start of the stage before dropping back to third.
• The Jimmy John’s Ford reported a tire issue on lap 185 and was forced to make an unscheduled four-tire pit stop. The stop resulted in Harvick losing two laps to the leaders.
• Harvick narrowly avoided a wreck on lap 200 that brought out a caution. The No. 4 team took the wave-around to gain a lap back.
• The Jimmy John’s Ford remained a lap down the remainder of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):

• Started 20th and finished 10th.
• Harvick raced his way up to the 17^th position while remaining one lap down until staying out under caution on lap 442 to return to the lead lap.
• The No. 4 Ford restarted 15^th on lap 445 and gained one position by the following caution on lap 472.
• Harvick brought the Jimmy John’s Ford to pit road for the final time on lap 474 for four tires and fuel.
• The team restarted 13^th on lap 477 and battled through a series of late-race cautions to capture a top-10 finish.

Notes:

• This was Harvick’s series-leading 20^th top-10 finish of the season and his 19^th top-10 finish in 36 career Cup Series starts at Bristol.
• Harvick finished second in Stage 1 by .003 to Blaney to earn nine bonus points.
• Harvick led twice for a total of eight laps to increase his laps-led total at Bristol to 884.
• Busch’s margin of victory over second-place Kyle Larson was .367 of a second.
• There were nine caution periods for a total of 70 laps.
• Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race finished on the lead lap.

Date: Aug. 17, 2018
Event: Food City 300 (Round 21 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format: 300 laps, broken into three stages 85 laps/85 laps/130 laps)
Start/Finish: 9th/4th (Running, completed 310 of 310 laps)
Point Standing: 4th with 791 points
Note: Race extended 10 laps past its scheduled 300-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-75):

● Custer started ninth, finished fifth and earned six bonus points.
● Piloted the Haas Automation Ford Mustang in and around the top-10 until the yellow flag waved on lap 70.
● During the caution, he reported tight-handling conditions, but elected not to pit in order to maintain track position.
● Restarted in first and kept the Haas Automation Ford inside the top-five before the stage ended.
● After the stage concluded, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 76-150):

● Custer started 10th, finished 14th.
● Custer drove the Haas Automation Ford back into the top-five in the opening laps.
● Ran inside the top-10 until a lap-104 caution and noted loose-handling conditions.
● Crew chief Jeff Meendering radioed Custer to the pits during a lap-159 caution for four tires, fueland chassis adjustments.
● Custer restarted in 13th place and remained outside of the top-10 before the stage concluded.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 151-310):

● Custer started eighth, finished fourth.
● Custer was forced into the wall on lap 178, pushing him outside the top-10.
● During a caution on lap 259, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments to correct loose-handling conditions.
● Custer powered the Haas Automation Ford into seventh place before he was forced into the wall again on lap 272, falling back to 11th.
● Custer’s long-run speed proved to be valuable when he battled back to seventh with nine laps to go.
● After a caution was brought out with three laps remaining, the Haas Automation Ford driver climbed to the third position and was passed for fourth place by inches just as the checkered flag waved.

Notes:               

● Custer scored his eighth top-five of the season and his first at Bristol. It was also 18th top-10 of the year and third top-10 at Bristol.
● Custer earned six bonus points in the Food City 300 at Bristol.
● Custer led once for five laps.
● Eight cautions slowed the race for 59 laps.
● Only 11 of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap.
● Kyle Larson won the Food City 300 to score his 12th career Xfinity Series victory, fourth of the season and first at Bristol. His margin of victory over second-place Christopher Bell was .434of a second.

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

“We came back from a lot. We definitely got used up on restarts for no reason. I don’t know why everybody wanted to put us in the wall today, but we had a solid Haas Automation Ford Mustang. The short run wasn’t the best, so maybe I could have done a little bit better, but our long-run speed was really good. I think we need to get a little bit better, but I’m happy that we had a pretty good points day.”

Event:               Consumers Energy 400 (Round 23 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:      3^rd/1^st(Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing:  2^nd(924points, 62out of first)

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

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60): 

• Kevin Harvick started third, finished first, collecting 10 bonus points and one playoff point.
• The Busch Light/Mobil 1 driver stayed out during the first two cautions on lap eight and lap 15.
• The No. 4 Ford came to pit road during the competition caution on lap 25 for two tires and fuel.
• Harvick restarted second on lap 27 and stayed in the lead for the remainder of the stage.
• He came to pit road for four tires and fuel at the end of the stage and came out fifth as the top-four cars opted to stay out.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120): 

• Started fifth, finished first, earning 10 bonus points and an additional playoff point.
• Harvick raced his way back up to the second position by lap 75, when he came to pit road under caution for fuel only.
• The Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford raced up to third by the following caution on lap 85. The team chose to stay out under caution.
• Harvick restarted second on lap 86 and raced to the lead by lap 109 after a long battle with the No. 78.
• The Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford won the stage and came to pit road for four tires and fuel at the conclusion of Stage 2. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200): 

• Started first and finished first.
• Harvick stayed out under caution on lap 140 to remain the leader.
• The No. 4 Ford surrendered the lead to come to pit road for a final time under green-flag conditions for four tires and fuel on lap 171.
• Harvick took the lead for good on lap 190 after the remainder of the field cycled through its final scheduled pit stops.
• Harvick’s margin of victory over second-place Brad Keselowski was 3.233 seconds. 

Notes:

• This was Harvick’s 44^thcareer Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win, and it ties him with Bill Elliott for 17^thon the all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list.
• This was Harvick’s 21^stMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory since joining Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2014.
• Harvick became the first driver since 2008 to win seven of the first 23 races in a season. Kyle Busch scored all eight of his 2008 victories in the season’s first 22 races.
• This was Harvick’s series-leading seventh victory of 2018. It was also his 17^thtop-five and 19^thtop-10 finish of the season.
• Harvick earned his second victory in 36 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan. It was also his 12^thtop-five and 17^thtop-10 at the track.
• Harvick finished first in Stage 1 to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point, and first in Stage 2 to earn an additional 10 bonus points and one more playoff point.
• Harvick led five times for a race-high 108 laps to increase his laps-led total at Michigan to 480.
• Harvick’s victory in the Consumers Energy 400 marked the 53^rdoverall win for SHR. It was the organization’s 48^thpoints-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its third at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
• SHR swept the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan in 2018. Clint Bowyer won in the series’ June visit to the track.
• Harvick’s win marked SHR’s series-leading ninth points-paying victory 23 races into the 2018 season. SHR also won the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race via Harvick.
• This was SHR’s 12^thMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Kurt Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.
• There were eight caution periods for a total of 37 laps.
• Twenty-one of the 40 drivers in the Consumers Energy 400 finished on the lead lap. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“(Son) Keelan is saving me some work (retrieving the checkered flag after the race). Usually when I get home the next day, we have to mock up a victory lane celebration. For him to be here and able to do that and be a part of NASCAR and bring your son to work and do all the things that we get to do with our kids – I have had him with me by myself the last three weeks, and we have had a ball. I couldn’t be happier to be a dad and be a part of NASCAR where they let your family come to the racetrack and be a part of it. Gotta thank everyone from Busch Light, Mobil 1, Ford, Jimmy John’s, everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and all these fans for coming out today and supporting everything we do here in Michigan.” 

Next Up: 

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday, Aug. 18 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN beginning at 6 p.m.

Event:               Consumers Energy 400 (Round 23 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:      16^th/12^th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing:5^th(732 points, 254 out of first) 

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

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 60):

• Bowyer started 16th and finished 13th.
• He climbed to ninth in the first five laps and moved to fourth by the lap-25 competition caution.
• During that caution Bowyer took four tires while several cars only took two or no tires, dropping Bowyer to 16th before the restart.
• A loose racecar and traffic prevented Bowyer from climbing through the field, and he finished the stage in 13th.

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 120):

• Bowyer started 15th and finished seventh to earn four bonus points.
• Took four tires during the stage break, and the No. 14 crew made adjustments to improve handling.
• Moved to ninth by the halfway mark in the 200-lap race.
• Gained two spots in the closing laps of the stage to finish seventh.

Stage 3 Recap (Ended at Lap 200):

• Bowyer started ninth and finished 12th.
• Dropped a few spots at the start of the stage before returning to the top-10 with 50 laps remaining.
• With 40 to go Bowyer reported his car wouldn’t turn as well as he needed it to turn.
• Pitted from 10th for four tires and fuel with 20 laps remaining.
• Race ran caution free over the final 57 laps.

Notes:

• Harvick’s victory in the Consumers Energy 400 marked the 53^rdoverall win for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). It was the organization’s 48^thpoints-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its third at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
• SHR swept the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan in 2018. Clint Bowyer won in the series’ June visit to the track.
• This was SHR’s 12^thMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Kurt Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.
• This was Bowyer’s 16^thtop-12 finish in 22 races in 2018.

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

“That was a tough race for us today. June was certainly a lot more fun! Our No. 14 Haas Automation Ford got caught up in traffic, and we struggled to get back up to the front. At first it was loose, then got tight at the end. We’ll go to work and get back to where we know we should be running.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday, Aug. 18 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN beginning at 6 p.m.