After a delay for weather of over five hours, The Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina from Charlotte North Carolina would finally take the green on Saturday night. The race, originally scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., took the green at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET, making it the first night race of the NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs. It was also the first elimination race of the NXS playoffs, meaning that four drivers hopes for a championship would come to an end. Ryan Reed held the last spot in, with Brendan Gaughan, Michael Annett, Blake Koch and Jeremy Clements being the four out.
The Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina would consist of 200 laps around the 1.5-mile tri-oval track. The race would be broken up into three stages. The first two stages would each be 45 laps. The final stage a much longer 110 laps.
With around 20 laps to go in stage one, Blake Koch reported that he had lost power steering. He stayed out, hoping for a chance to make repairs at the end of stage one.
Lap 28, Angel Ruch spun, bringing out the first caution of the race. Blake Koch took the opportunity to bring his No. 11 machine down pit road and work on his power steering situation. The team would decide that replacing the power steering pump would cost them any shot at continuing in the playoffs, so they sent Blake back out to wrestle the car without assistance. Due to pitting before pit road was open, Koch would restart at the end of the longest line, putting a big dent in his playoff hopes.
None of the leaders took the opportunity to pit under the yellow from Ruch’s spin. Some drivers from the back of the field did take the opportunity.
Daniel Suarez led the field to the green with 12 to go in the stage. Racing through turns one and two, Elliott Sadler got loose underneath Brennan Poole, sliding both cars high up the track. Sadler made light contact with the outside wall and lost many positions getting back up to speed. Both drivers continued without pitting.
With four laps to go in the stage, Erik Jones made a challenge for the lead and finally succeeded as the two raced down the backstretch.
With two to go, Angela Ruch spun once again, this time loosing control entering turn two and making hard impact with the outside retaining wall. The No. 74 would come to rest at the bottom of the track and would be unable to restart. This caution would lead into the end of stage one. Top ten at the end of stage one, in order: Jones, Suarez, Ryan Blaney, Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric, WIliam Byron, Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Cole Custer, Sam Hornish, Jr.
Leaders pitted during the caution before the start of stage two. Daniel Suarez lead the race off pit road, followed closely by Ryan Blaney. Erik Jones had a slow stop and dropped to fifth. Justin Allgaier, who hit debris from the Ruch accident, had to spend additional time in the pits for damage repair and would restart near the back of the field.
Once again, Suarez lead the field to the green flag. Blaney and Jones would follow.
At 27 to go in the stage, Spencer Gallagher’s No. 23 machine blew a tire and hit the outside retaining wall, bringing out another yellow. Gallagher would take his car to the garage. Brennan Poole would take the opportunity under this caution to make some repairs to a tire rub from his earlier contact with the No. 1 car. Justin Allgaier would also come in for further repairs to his machine. He had been reporting an overheating issue which was causing him to lose power.
On the restart with 24 to go in the stage, Suarez continued to hold the lead. Blaney and Jones would be in hot pursuit. Blaney started to try running his line a little higher on the track, hoping for a better drive off the corners.
The green-and-white checkers flew at the conclusion of lap 90 signifying the end of an uneventful stage two. Suarez led all the way, winning his first NXS stage of the season. Garrett Smithley received the free pass. Top ten at the end of stage two, in order: Suarez, Jones, Hornish Jr., Blaney, Bowman, Hemric, Byron, Custer, Sadler, A. Dillon.
Another round of pit stops took place under this caution period. Suarez led the race off pit road followed by Hornish Jr., Blaney, Byron and Jones. Ryan Reed, Brendan Gaughan and Michael Annett all pitted from outside the top 15 but were in a tight battle for the final playoff spot. Gaughan was holding fairly steady right on Reed’s tail, with Annett now needing to make up 11 points to advance. Reed ran over the foot of a crew member exiting his pit. Luckily, it was the crew member’s shoe that took most of the damage. All leaders took four tires. No one stayed out on an alternative strategy. Byron was caught speeding exiting pit road and would need to restart at the tail end of the longest line.
The field took the green flag to begin the final stage on lap 97. Daniel Suarez once again jumped to the lead. Gaughan and Reed raced side-by-side in contention for the final playoff position. Reed would jump ahead of the No. 62 after a couple of laps. Elliott Sadler made contact with the car in front of him on the restart. Minor front end damage was the result, but Sadler reported engine temperature rising.
A loose tire from Matt Tifft’s pit box brought out a yellow at lap 104. He had to pit under green for a bad vibration. That stop and the tire violation, dropped the No. 19 below the cut line, moving Brendan Gaughan into the final playoff spot. He was running in 13th place. Tifft continued to report a vibration even after the tire change. Justin Allgaier would receive the free pass under this caution.
The field bunched up for the restart, continuing to be lead by Daniel Suarez. Ryan Blaney got a nose in front through the first set of corners, but he No. 18 surged in front on the straight. Matt Tifft gained positions and moved him back ahead of the No. 62 for the final advancing spot.
Lap 113 saw Justin Allgaier’s engine expire. He took his car to the garage. Allgaier was already locked into the next round of the playoffs, so his DNF will not affect who will advance.
Lap 122 Saw Erik Jones, in second position, spin coming through turn two while trying to work the high side of the track. He made decent contact with the inside wall. The yellow would wave and Jones would come in for repairs. Matt Tifft, still reporting a vibration, would receive the free pass. This would put him back in control of advancing in the playoffs and hurt the chances of Brendan Gaughan.
Suarez, Blaney and Hornish Jr. would lead the field down pit road for service. Gaughan, Reed and Annett, still battling to advance, would go head-to-head to see who could take advantage of a quick stop. All were running just outside the top-15. Ryan Blaney would grab the lead off pit road, followed by Suarez, Hornish Jr., Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman.
Ryan Blaney was able to hold the lead on the restart. Suarez challenged to the outside, but Blaney kept his No. 22 up front. A few laps in, Sam Hornish, Jr. was able to pass Suarez for second. The middle lane appeared to be coming in, allowing for multiple grooves and better racing.
The scoring clock fell from the flag stand and caused a brief caution. The leaders all stayed out.
Another caution for fluid on the track from the No. 52 of Joey Gase. Leaders came to the pits. William Byron and Elliott Sadler Stay out. They will lead the field to green.
The green flew with 34 laps to go. William Byron lead with Sadler starting second. Michael Annett spins coming off turn four, but did not make contact with anything. His car ended up pointed down pit road. He went into the pits and the race stayed green. Annett dropped to 27th place. He would need a lot of help to advance in the playoffs.
With 30 to go, Erik Jones came back into the pits with a flat tire and smoke in the cockpit. His race would effectively be over.
Brendan Gaughan and Ryan Reed would battle hard for position, and for the chance to advance in the playoffs. Gaughan eventually would get in front and Reed would battle Brandon Jones for position which would determine if he or the No. 62 would advance. As the race wound down to four to go, Reed and Jones continued to battle. It would be an extremely close race for the cutoff position.
Alex Bowman would move to the lead. Sam Hornish Jr. and Ryan Blaney would follow. Byron and Sadler would fall from the front, but the strategy would keep them around the top-10.
With four laps to go, Bowman continued to lead. Gaughan lead Reed by just over one second, and Reed and Jones continued to battle for position. Any change of position would change who would advance and who would be eliminated.
Bowman would stretch his lead to over two seconds. Reed would need to hold position or fall out of the playoffs. Taking he white flag, Bowman looked for his first career NXS win.
Alex Bowman would win the Race for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shuield of North Carolina. Ryan Reed would hold of Brandon Jones to advance to the next round of the playoffs. Brendan Gaughan, Michael Annett, Blake Koch and Jeremy Clements would be eliminated from the playoff hunt.
The top-10 driver from Charlotte, in order: Alex Bowman, Sam Hoirnish Jr., Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, Brennan Poole, Cole Custer, Daniel Hemric, Daniel Suarez, Matt Tifft, Elliott Sadler.
Bowman, who had not run a NASCAR XFINITY Series race all year, took the victory. When asked about being out of the car for so long, Alex said, “I kept thinking a caution was going to come out, you know? Just can’t thank Mr. Hendrick enough Chip Ganassi for letting me drive this car enough… To get my fist win in my second home town of Charlotte means so much.” Bowman will drive the No. 88 for HMS in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series next year, replacing a retiring Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The drivers advancing to the second round of the NXS playoffs: Justin ALlgaier, William Byron, Elliott Sadler, Cole Custer, Daniel Hemric, Brennan Poole, Matt Tifft, Ryan Reed. Eliminated: Brendan Gaughan, Michael Annett, Blake Koch, Jeremy Clements. Reed earned the final advancing position by just one point over Brendan Gaughan.
The NASCAR XFINITY Series begins round two of the 2017 playoffs Saturday, October 21, at Kansas Speedway in the Kansas Lottery 300. (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
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