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 15^th 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.

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.

Cole Custer Finishes 10th at Michigan

Haas Automation Driver Leads 15 Laps, Claims Fourth Consecutive Top-10

Date: June 17, 2017
Event: Irish Hills 250 (Round 13 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format: 125 laps, broken into three stages (30 laps/30 laps/65 laps)
Start/Finish: 7th/10th (Running, completed 125 of 125 laps)
Point Standing: 8th (309 points, 151 out of first)

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Elliot Sadler of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-30):

• Started seventh, finished ninth. Earned two stage points.
• Custer reported a loose-handling condition for a majority of Stage 1.
• At the conclusion of the stage, Custer pitted for two tires, chassis adjustments and fuel to gain nine positions.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 31-60):       

• Started first, finished 11th.
• Custer led 15 laps before the loose-handling condition returned.
• During a lap-58 caution that ended Stage 2, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and wedge adjustments.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 61-125):

• Started third, finished 10th.
• Custer battled in the top-10 throughout the final stage.
• During a lap-84 caution, Custer pitted for two tires, fuel and adjustments then restarted fifth.
• Custer restarted the race in seventh with five laps remaining before securing his sixth top-10 finish of the season.

Notes:              

• Custer led a career-high 15 laps.
• Saturday marked Custer’s fourth consecutive top-10 finish and his eighth top-10 in 18 career starts.
• Seven cautions slowed the race for 32 laps.
• Denny Hamlin won the Irish Hills 250 to score his 16th career XFINITY Series victory, his first of the season and his third at Michigan. His margin of victory over second-place William Byron was .012 of a second.

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

“I thought we were solid. Our Haas Automation Ford Mustang was loose the whole race. We couldn’t get going great, but we fought all day and had a good strategy. We were able to stay up there, but were missing a little bit.”

Event:               Axalta presents the Pocono 400 (Round 14 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format:             160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish:      5^th/4^th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standing: 14^th (331 points, 253 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Ryan Blaney of Wood Brothers Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:             Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

• Kurt Busch started fifth, finished seventh. Earned four bonus points.
• Quickly moved to fourth at the start of Stage 1.
• Made a green-flag pit stop for four tires, fuel and adjustments on lap 16 to correct a tight-handling condition.
• After several cars in front of Busch made green-flag pit stops, he was able to drive his Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion back into the top-10. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

• Started 12^th, finished eighth. Earned three bonus points.
• Car became loose after adjustments made at the conclusion of Stage 1.
• On lap 66, Busch pitted under green-flag conditions for four tires and fuel.
• After a red-flag period, Busch battled his way to an eighth-place finish on a one-lap shootout that ended the stage. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-160):

• Started 15^th, finished fourth.
• Busch drove his Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford into the top-four at the beginning of the final stage.
• On lap 125, Busch made a green-flag pit stop for four tires and fuel. He came off pit road in 17^th.
• In only four laps, Busch battled his way back into the top-10.
• With 17 laps to go, Busch took his last pit stop under caution for four tires and fuel.
• Busch restarted in the seventh position and moved through the field to secure his second top-five finish of 2017. 

Notes:

• Busch came into the Axalta presents the Pocono 400 as the defending race winner.
• Busch’s fourth-place finish was his 14^th top-five and 19^th top-10 in 32 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono. It was his second top-five and seventh top-10 of 2017.
• Twenty-four of the 39 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
• There were 13 lead changes among nine drivers.
• There were four caution periods for a total of 18 laps.
• Ryan Blaney won the Axalta presents the Pocono 400 to score his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory. His margin of victory over second-place Kevin Harvick was .139 of a second.

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

“It was warm and we battled really hard today and had a nice, consistent run. I just didn’t have any special speed, but we ran good lap times, so I’m really proud of our Haas Automation/Monster Energy guys. It’s great to see a Ford in victory lane, so congratulations to the Wood Brothers. To see Ryan Blaney win – he’s going to be a superstar in this sport. He’s a good kid. I’m going to keep pushing hard, though. We’re chiseling away at this and we’re going to get in good position.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Firekeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 18 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

Event:               Axalta presents the Pocono 400 (Round 14 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format:             160 laps, broken into three segments (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish:      24th/16th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standings: 30th (175 points, 409 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Ryan Blaney of Wood Brothers Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:             Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

• Danica Patrick started 24th and finished 20th.
• The No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion team gained ground at the drop of the green flag, and Patrick cracked the top-20 at lap 15.
• Crew chief Billy Scott called Patrick to pit road at lap 24 for a scheduled, green-flag stop. The team changed tires and added fuel.
• Patrick was scored as high as second during the cycle of green-flag pit stops and closed out the stage in the 20th position.
• At the end of Stage 1, the team pitted for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

• Started 20th and finished 16th.
• Patrick noted a vibration midway through the stage. The team pitted for tires and fuel at lap 87.
• She was scored in the 20th position after the caution flag waved at lap 95. The red flag was displayed so that safety workers could clean up the track, stopping action for 23 minutes and 25 seconds.
• The field went back to green-flag racing at lap 99, and Patrick ended Stage 2 scored 16th. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-160):

• Started fifth and finished 16th.
• Scott had Patrick stay out between stages as a part of the team’s race strategy, which put the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford fifth when the field took the green flag at lap 105.
• Patrick only lost a handful of positions to teams with newer tires before Scott called her to pit road for tires and fuel at lap 125.
• She was scored in the 15th position when the caution flag waved at lap 141 and the team elected to pit for tires and fuel. Patrick took the green flag in the 16th spot at lap 147.
• After losing a couple of spots on the initial start, Patrick was able to make up ground in the final laps to finish 16th. 

Notes:              

• Patrick’s 16th-place result in Sunday’s race tied her career-best finish at Pocono. She previously earned the mark in August 2015.
• Patrick scored her fourth top-20 finish of 2017.
• Patrick earned 21 points in Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway, which puts her at 175 total points for the season thus far. She is ranked 30th in the driver point standings.
• There were four caution periods for a total of 18 laps.
• A total of 24 drivers in the 39-car field finished on the lead lap.
• Ryan Blaney won the Axalta presents the Pocono 400 to score his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory.

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

“All in all, it was a clean day for the Aspen Dental Ford team. We didn’t make any mistakes at all and ended up with a solid finish. I wish we’d had more grip there at the end, but overall it was a good day for our team.” 

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 18 at Michigan International Raceway in Brooklyn. The event starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

Event:               Axalta presents the Pocono 400 (Round 14 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format:             160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish:      12^th/2^nd (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standing: 3rd (480 points, 104 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Ryan Blaney of Wood Brothers Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:             Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

• Kevin Harvick started 12th, finished second and scored nine bonus points.
• Made a green-flag pit stop while racing in the fourth position on lap 16 for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.
• Raced his way up to the second position by lap 36.
• Came to pit road for four tires and fuel at the conclusion of Stage 1.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

• Started fourth, finished fourth and scored seven bonus points.
• Made a green-flag pit stop while racing in the fifth position on lap 68 for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.
• Restarted second for a one-lap shootout following a 23-minute red-flag period on lap 98.
• Came to pit road for four tires and fuel at the conclusion of Stage 2. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-160):

• Started 17th, finished second.
• Made a green-flag pit stop while racing in the sixth position on lap 125 for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.
• Pitted from the fourth position under caution on lap 143 for four tires and fuel.
• Restarted sixth on lap 146 and battled for the race win in the closing laps. 

Notes:

• Harvick scored his fifth top-five finish of 2017.
• Harvick scored his ninth top-five finish in 33 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono.
• There were four caution periods for a total of 18 laps.
• Twenty-four drivers finished on the lead lap.
• Ryan Blaney’s win in the Pocono 400 is his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“The guys did a great job. I’m really proud of the engine shop. I don’t know how the engine didn’t blow up with the third to second shift. Obviously the durability is good enough in the engines to do that. But we had a really fast car. Seemed like the caution came out there at the end of that second stage, and then we got back behind. I think we were 23rd when we restarted, and got back up towards the front and had another caution, and got almost all the way back towards the front. But I had a tough time driving in the corner all day. We never could stop like we needed to all weekend, so you just had to be really careful with the brakes. If I’d over drive it for a lap or two the pedal would start going down, and then I was really at a deficit. So I had to be very aware of where I let off every lap.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Firekeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 18 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

Event:               Axalta presents the Pocono 400 (Round 14 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format:             160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish:      22nd / 17th (Status, Running 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standing: 10th (369 points, 215 out of first)

Race Winner:    Ryan Blaney of Wood Brothers Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:             Kyle Larson of Team (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

• Clint Bowyer started 22nd, finished 11th.
• Reported his car was difficult to turn, which hindered passing.
• Pitted on lap 17 for four tires, fuel and air adjustments.
• He and SHR teammate Kevin Harvick were fastest cars on the track in final laps of the stage. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

• Started 11th, finished 25th.
• Right side of the car made heavy contact with wall on lap 58, then pitted for repairs.
• Dropped to 30^th place and a lap behind the leaders.
• No. 14 was stretching fuel in closing stage laps when lap-96 caution/red flag enabled him to earn free pass and return to lead lap.
• Bowyer made slight wall contact avoiding Kyle Larsen, who accidently swerved warming his tires under caution. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-160):

• Started 26th, finished 17th.
• Climbed to 23rd with 50 laps to go, 20th with 40 laps to go and 17th with 20 laps to go.
• Bowyer made green-flag stops for four tires, fuel and adjustments with 31and 17 laps remaining.
• Handling issues likely caused by the wall contact kept him from climbing higher in the field. 

Notes:

• Ryan Blaney won the Axalta presents the Pocono 400 to score his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory.
• NASCAR red-flagged the race for 23 minutes after Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray crashed on lap 97. Neither was hurt.
• There were four caution periods for a total of 18 laps,
• There were 13 lead changes among nine drivers.

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

“I thought we had a pretty good car on long runs today, but we got into the wall and that ruined our race. We got a lap down but battled back. Our guys didn’t give up and we got an OK finish.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Firekeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 18 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

Cole Custer Finishes Seventh at Pocono

Haas Automation Driver Claims Third Consecutive Rookie of the Race Award

Date: June 10, 2017
Event: Pocono Green 250 (Round 12 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format: 100 laps, broken into three stages (25 laps/25 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 3rd/7th (Running, completed 100 of 100 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (280 points, 129 out of first)

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-25):

•  Started third, finished 27th.
• Custer endured a loose-handling racecar at the beginning of Stage 1, but his Haas Automation Ford Mustang swung to the tight side as the stage went on.
• Custer pitted under green on lap 22 for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 26-50):       

•  Started first, finished third. Earned eight stage points.
• Custer led 14 laps and ran in the top-five throughout Stage 2.
• Pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure and chassis adjustments at the conclusion of Stage 2.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 51-100):

•  Started ninth, finished seventh.
• Custer fought a tight handling racecar throughout the final stage.
• On lap 62, Custer pitted under green for a quick, fuel-only stop.
• After a caution on lap 80, Custer opted not to pit to gain track position. He restarted in first place.
• Drivers with fresher tires were able to pass Custer, but the pit-strategy call allowed him to secure a solid top-10 finish.

Notes:              

• For the third consecutive race, Custer was the highest-finishing NASCAR XFINITY Series rookie.
• The seventh-place result was Custer’s third consecutive top-10 finish.
• Custer has earned the most Rookie of the Race awards (five) this season.
• This was Custer’s seventh top-10 finish in 17 career XFINITY Series starts, his fifth top-10 of 2017 and his third top-10 at Pocono.
• Custer led a career-high 14 laps.
• Brad Keselowski won the Pocono 250 to score his 35th career XFINITY Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Pocono. His margin of victory over second-place Justin Allgaier was .615 of a second.

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

“We had a really solid car. I thought Jeff (Meendering, crew chief) had a really good strategy and got us up there. I think me and whoever was behind me got our communication mixed up on that final restart, so we didn’t know how we were going to push each other going into turn one. We had a solid Haas Automation Ford Mustang and made a lot out of it. It was great to lead a few laps there too. This makes you feel like you deserve to be here. It reaffirms your confidence. I still need to try and win some races, so we’ll focus on that in the future.”

Event:               AAA 400 Drive for Autism (Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Dover (Del.) International Speedway (1-mile, concrete oval)
Format:             400 laps, broken into three stages (120 laps/120 laps/160 laps)
Start/Finish:      6^th/37^th (Accident, completed 93 of 406 laps)
Point Standing: 16^th (291 points, 254 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports in overtime (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 1-120): 

• Kurt Busch started sixth, finished 37^th.
• Began the race strong, climbing to fourth after a lap-22 restart.
• After 25 laps, Busch was third, trailing leader Martin Truex Jr. and second-place Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
• Busch passed Stenhouse for second on lap 37.
• Caution on lap 48 sent field to pit road, but three cars took only two tires, jettisoning Busch to fourth.
• On lap-53 restart, Busch passed Truex for second and set sights on leader Kyle Larson.
• A caution on lap 62 bunched the field and the leaders stayed out.
• For the lap-66 restart, Busch was on the inside of Larson for the lead going into turn one and then got loose in turn two, spinning into the No. 2 Ford of Brad Keselowski.
• Busch made two trips to pit road to fix right-side damage on his No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion, returning to the race one lap down in 36^th position.
• After 88 laps, Busch went another lap down. He remained 36^th.
• Busch cut a left-rear tire on lap 95 that sent him backward into the turn one wall. Damage to his racecar was too extensive to repair.
• Busch was evaluated and released from the infield care center. He was credited with 93 laps completed in the 406-lap race.

Notes:  

• The AAA 400 Drive for Autism was Busch’s 34^th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Dover.
• This was Busch’s first DNF (Did Not Finish) at Dover since June 2012, ending a nine-race streak of running at the finish.
• The race finished in overtime, going six laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance.
• There were 15 caution periods for a total of 72 laps, including the final lap.
• Only 14 drivers in the 39-car field finished on the lead lap.
• Jimmie Johnson won the AAA 400 Drive for Autism to score his 83^rd career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time series win list. It was also Johnson’s third win of the season and his 11^th at Dover.

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

“I got loose on a restart. It’s my bad as a driver, my bad. We had good speed in our car and just couldn’t finish. You can’t make mistakes out here and we did.”

Next Up:                                                                       

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 11 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

Event:               AAA 400 Drive for Autism (Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Dover (Del.) International Speedway (1-mile, concrete oval)
Format:             400 laps, broken into three stages (120 laps/120 laps/160 laps)
Start/Finish:      22^nd/31^st (Running, completed 391 of 406 laps)
Point Standing: 10^th (349 points, 196 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports in overtime (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 1-120):

• Started 22^nd, finished 36^th.
• Bowyer began moving up through the field, but noted that his car was tight on the throttle and loose into the corners.
• Bowyer ran as high as fourth until lap 97 when his Haas Automation crew noticed a mechanical issue while Bowyer was pitting under caution.
• Bowyer brought his Ford Fusion to the garage for repairs, putting him18 laps down.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 121-240):

• Started 36^th, finished 36^th.
• After a lap-195 caution, Bowyer earned one lap to run only 17 laps down.
• Bowyer earned back another lap to run only 16 laps down at the conclusion of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 241-400):

• Started 36^th, finished 31^st.
• Bowyer ran in and around the middle of the field throughout the final stage.
• Bowyer earned one more lap back to run only 15 laps down at the conclusion of the race.

Notes:              

• The race finished in overtime, going six laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance.
• There were 15 caution periods for a total of 72 laps, including the final lap.
• Only 14 drivers in the 39-car field finished on the lead lap.
• Jimmie Johnson won the AAA 400 Drive for Autism to score his 83^rd career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time series win list. It was also Johnson’s third win of the season and his 11^th at Dover.

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

“The guys worked their tails off this week on our Haas Automation Ford. We were a force to be reckoned with. We started 22^nd and moved our way up to the top-five. We were doing great and exactly what we needed to do to get stage points. If we keep doing that and working together as a team, we’ll get back up there where we need to be.”

Next Up:          

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 11 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.