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: 2nd/5th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Playoff Point Standings: 6th (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 29th.
● 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 29th, 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 11th, 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 Seriesstarts 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 36th 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.”
Playoff Standings:
1. Elliott Sadler (3,103 points) +29
2. William Byron (3,098 points, -5) +24
3. Justin Allgaier (3,094 points, -9) +20
4. Brennan Poole (3,079 points, -24) +5
5. Matt Tifft (3,074 points, -29) -5
6. Cole Custer (3,066 points, -37) -13
7. Daniel Hemric (3,061 points, -42) -19
8. Ryan Reed (3,046 points, -57) -33
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule is the Ticket Galaxy 200 on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Phoenix Raceway.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
