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

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on Lap 55):

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

Stage 2 Recap (Ended on Lap 110):

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

Final Stage Recap (Ended on Lap 188):

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

Notes:

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

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

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

Next Up:                                                                        

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

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

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on lap 55):

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

Stage 2 Recap (Ended on lap 110):

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

Final Stage Recap (Ended on lap 191):

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

Notes:              

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

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

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

Next Up:                                                                        

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

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

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

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on Lap 55):

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

 Stage 2 Recap (Ended on Lap 110):

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

Final Stage Recap (Ended on Lap 188):

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

Notes:                          

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

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

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

Next Up:                                                                        

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

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

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 55):

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

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 110):

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

Final Stage Recap (Ended at Lap 188):

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

Notes:              

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

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

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

Next Up:          

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

Cole Custer Finishes 26th at Talladega

Haas Automation Driver Battles Through After Being Collected in Lap-50 Accident

Date: May 6, 2017
Event: Sparks Energy 300 (Round 9 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile oval)
Format: 113 laps, broken into three stages (25 laps/25 laps/63 laps)
Start/Finish: 13th/26th (Running, completed 95 of 113 laps)
Point Standing: 12th (165 points, 165 out of first)
Race Winner: Aric Almirola of Biagi-DenBeste Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: Aric Almirola of Biagi-DenBeste Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of Junior Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-25): 

•  Started 13th, finished 14th.
• Battled tight-handling conditions throughout Stage 1.
• On lap 22, Custer weaved his way through a multicar accident that brought out a red-flag caution.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 26-50):

•  Started third, finished 28th.
• Custer ran as high as second and ran in and around the top-10 throughout Stage 2.
• On the final lap of Stage 2, Custer was collected in an accident that damaged his Ford Mustang.

 Final Stage Recap (Laps 51-113):

•  Started 26th, finished 26th.
• After the red-flag caution, Custer utilized the five-minute clock to put his car back on track.
• The Haas Automation crew worked tirelessly throughout the final stage to ensure the No. 00 Ford Mustang would finish the race.

 Notes:              

• The Sparks Energy 300 marked Custer’s first NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Twelve cars finished on the lead lap.

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

“We had a pretty solid Haas Automation Ford Mustang today. We played it safe at the beginning. We got up to there a bit, and somebody just turned somebody and we got collected in it. It’s great that the team was able to fix the car and keep me going. It’s good to be able to come home with something, but we’ll move on to Charlotte, and I think we’ll be pretty good.”

Event:               Richmond 400 (Round 9 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Format:             400 laps, broken into three stages (100 laps/100 laps/200 laps)
Start/Finish:      6th/5th (Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)
Point Standing: 6th (286 points, 112 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Matt Kenseth of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on Lap 100):

• Kevin Harvick started sixth, finished fourth, earning seven bonus points.
• Busch Light Ford Fusion entered the top-five on lap four.
• Pitted for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment under caution on lap 78.
• Pitted at end of stage for four tires, fuel, wedge and air pressure adjustments to fix a loose-handling condition.

Stage 2 Recap (Ended on Lap 200):

• Started fourth, finished third, earning eight bonus points.
• Passed the No. 42 for the second position on lap 135.
• Reported he was loose at the three-quarter mark and needed more help on exit.
• Pitted at end of stage for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustments to help the car on the exit of the corner.

Final Stage Recap (Ended on Lap 400):

• Started second, finished fifth.
• Made the pass for the lead on lap 228.
• Battled a tight-handling condition through the center of the corner and loose off throughout the final stage.
• Restarted 10^th following a caution on lap 381 on fresh tires while several cars opted to stay out.
• Raced his way to fifth in the closing laps.

Notes:                          

• Harvick’s fifth-place finish in the 400-lap race at Richmond was his third straight top-five finish of the season. Harvick finished third on Monday at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and fourth at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
• This is Harvick’s 12^th top-five and 21^st top-10 finish in 33 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond and his 157^th top-five and 289th top-10 finish in 582 career Cup Series starts.
• Harvick led three times for 11 laps to bring his laps-led total at Richmond to 1,061 and season laps-led total to a series-high 444.
• There were nine caution periods for a total of 53 laps.
• Twenty-eight drivers finished on the lead lap. 

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

“We had a good day. This has been a tough racetrack for us. We ran in the top-five all day and battled up front for the lead off and on. The last three runs we got tight in the center and loose off the corner and couldn’t find anything to make that better. Our Busch Light Ford team did a great job, and we just keep knocking off those top-fives. The wins will come. It was a lot of fun. That is what we want to be able to do, we want to be able to pass.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Geico 500 on Sunday, May 7 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX.

Event:               Richmond 400 (Round 9 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Format:             400 laps, broken into three stages (100 laps/100 laps/200 laps)
Start/Finish:      21st/18th (Running, completed 400 of 400 laps) 
Point Standing: 29th (110 points, 288 out of first) 
Race Winner:    Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on lap 100):

• Danica Patrick started 21st and finished 24th.
• Patrick ran as high as 18th during the first stage of the race as the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford Fusion team battled a tight-handling racecar.
• Patrick pitted three times during the stage so the team could change tires, add fuel, make wedge adjustments and pull tape from the grille to improve the car’s handling. 

Stage 2 Recap (Ended on lap 200):         

• Patrick started 25th and finished 24th.
• The tight-handling condition persisted for Patrick during Stage 2. She went a lap down to the leader at lap 189 but raced her way into the Lucky Dog position and was able to get back on the lead lap when the caution flag waved to end the stage.
• At the end of Stage 2, crew chief Billy Scott called for the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford team to change tires, make air pressure adjustments, pull tape from the grille and add a spring rubber to the right rear. 

Final Stage Recap (Ended on lap 400):

• Patrick started 24th and finished 18th.
• Patrick raced her way up to 19th during the final stage of the race but fell back to 23rd as she continued to struggle with the car’s handling.
• As the field cycled through green-flag pit stops, Patrick was one of several drivers called for a commitment line violation. As a result, she had to serve a pass-through penalty, which dropped the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford two laps down to leader in the 29th position.
• Patrick worked her way back to one lap down, and when the caution flag waved at lap 343, Scott called for Patrick to stay out and take the wave-around, which put her back on the lead lap.
• On the final restart, Patrick took the green flag in the 18^th position and ran as high as 17th before taking the checkered flag in 18th. 

Notes:              

• Patrick earned 19 points in Sunday’s race at Richmond, which puts her at 110 total points for the season thus far. She is ranked 29th in the driver point standings heading into next weekend’s race. 

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“We were just off to start the race, but the guys made changes all day in an effort to make the Code 3 Associates Ford handle better. The car was just way too tight in the center of the corner. The penalty definitely didn’t help matters, but we still came home with the best finish we’ve had in a while, so we’ll take it and move on to Talladega.” 

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Geico 500 on Sunday, May 7 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX.

Event:               Richmond 400 (Round 9 of 36) 
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 
Location:          Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (.75-mile oval) 
Format:             400 laps, broken into three stages (100 laps/100 laps/200 laps)
Start/Finish:      9th/8th (Running, completed 400 of 400 laps) 
Point Standing: 17th (192 points, 206 out of first)
Race Winner:    Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

• Kurt Busch started ninth, finished 20th.
• Battled a loose-handling condition on corner entry and exit and was tight through the middle for much of the stage.
• Pitted under caution on lap 66 for four tires, fuel, wedge and air pressure adjustments.
• Visited pit road at the conclusion of Stage 1 to take four tires, fuel wedge and air pressure adjustments. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

• Started 19th, finished 25th.
• Struggled with a loose-handling condition on corner entry and exit and was tight through the middle.
• Lost a lap to the leader on lap 192.
• Visited pit road at the conclusion of Stage 2 to take four tires, fuel, a right-front shock adjustment and a left-rear spring rubber.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 200-400):

• Started 27th, finished eighth.
• Was awarded the free pass as the first car one lap down when the caution flag waved on lap 250.
• Pitted on lap 252 to take four tires, fuel, air pressure and another right-front shock adjustment.
• Battled from 25th to finish eighth. 

Notes:

• Busch made his 33rd Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Richmond International Raceway.
• Sunday marked Busch’s fourth top-10 finish of the 2017 season.
• The Richmond 400 was Busch’s 100th short-track race in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Mobil 1 Annual Protection Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We had to drop back and punt. We came down pit road a lap down, in the Lucky Dog position, and just started throwing rubbers and went wholesale on it and made great improvements. We are somehow missing the balance, but we were able to make changes today to improve the balance and be competitive enough to get in the mix. We got eighth, and that is about as best as we could hope to attain.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the GEICO 500 on Sunday, May 7 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX.

Event:               Richmond 400 (Round 9 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Format:             400 laps, broken into three stages (100 laps/100 laps/200 laps)
Start/Finish:      8th/15th (Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (266 points, 132 out of first)
Race Winner:    Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 100):

• Started eighth, finished ninth to earn two race points.
• Bowyer, like most drivers, battled with a loose racecar in the opening laps.
• After chassis changes during pit stop, Bowyer reported car wouldn’t turn. 

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 200):

• Started seventh, finished eighth to earn three race points.
• Crew said after adjustments Bowyer’s lap times were a tenth-of-a-second faster.
• Bowyer climbed as high as sixth midway through the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Ended at Lap 400):

• Started sixth, finished 15th.
• Bowyer turned in top-five times throughout stage.
• Commitment lane violation while entering pits with 81 laps to go and the drive-through penalty dropped Bowyer to 26th.
• Bowyer returned to lead lap with 52 to go racing in 19th.
• Contact with Ty Dillon coming to pit road caused significant damage to the front end of Bowyer’s car.
• Bowyer rallied to 15th in closing laps.

Notes:              

• Temperatures of 90 degrees outside and 140 degrees inside the car Sunday afternoon made for challenging conditions for all drivers.
• Bowyer gained positions on nearly every pit stop during the 400-lap race.

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

“No doubt we’re disappointed. We were going to have a top-10 and maybe a top-five today. Everyone is trying hard. Car was good, and we had great pit stops today.”

Next Up:          

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the GEICO 500 on Sunday, May 7 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX.

Cole Custer Finishes 13th at Richmond

Haas Automation Driver 12^th in Season Standings

Date: April 29, 2017
Event: Richmond 250 (Round 8 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Format: 250 laps, broken into three stages (75 laps/75 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish: 16th/13th (Running, completed 254 of 254 laps in overtime)
Point Standing: 12th (154 points, 141 out of first)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner: Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of Junior Motorsports (Chevrolet

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-75):

•  Started 16th, finished 15th.
• Battled tight-handling conditions throughout Stage 1.
• At the conclusion of Stage 1, Custer took four fresh tires and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 76-150):    

•  Started 16th, finished 12th.
• Custer’s Ford Mustang improved in handling and battled its way to 10^th place after the restart.
• After a caution on lap 117, Custer restarted in the 12^th position with 26 laps to go.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 151-254):      

•  Started 10th, finished 13th.
• Custer battled in and around the top-10 throughout the final stage.
• A caution with 13 laps to go provided Custer the opportunity to take four fresh tires and restart in 12^th place.
• After a final caution, Custer restarted in the 10^th position before being collected in an accident in overtime.

 Notes:                

• This marked Custer’s second NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Richmond International Raceway and 13th overall start in the XFINITY Series.
• This was Kyle Larson’s second win of the 2017 XFINITY Series season.

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

How was today’s race at Richmond?

“It was a bit of a struggle for our team today. We unloaded a fast Haas Automation Ford Mustang, and we were great in practice but just lost something in the race. We made some improvements to the car throughout the race but still needed a little more.”