Xfinity Series News (7158)
NASCAR Xfinity Series News
Quin Houff continued his late-season run through the Xfinity Series schedule Saturday, finishing 26th in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Houff signed on with JD Motorsports with Gary Keller and is making gains in the closing weeks of the season.
“I would say we had another successful weekend at the track,” Houff said. “The team did a great job all weekend working with me to get me up to speed at another new track for me. I wish we had a little better luck on the way the cautions fell so that we had a chance to race up in the top 20 where I felt we should have been speed-wise.
“However, there wasn’t a scratch on the car, I learned a lot, and I improved in categories I set out to improve on. We will build on it and continue to strive for better. I can’t wait to go to Phoenix and learn yet another new track. I can’t thank JD Motorsports and everyone involved for making this happen.”
Houff is scheduled to drive the JD Motorsports No. 15 Chevrolet in the final races of the season at Phoenix and Homestead, Fla.
Cole Custer won the race.
The series will race at ISM Raceway in Phoenix Nov. 10.
JDM PR
Cole Custer picked up his second NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) victory at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday and clinched a position in the NXS Championship 4 in two weeks’ time at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Californian won the Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead a season ago but wasn't inside the Championship 4. Custer absolutely dominated the event, winning by 15.4 seconds over Sam Hornish, Jr.
To make things better for the sophomore driver, the series' "big-two" sit outside the cutline, needing a win at next weekend's ISM Raceway. Defending NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (CWTS) Champion, Christopher Bell and this season's NXS Regular Season Champion, Justin Allgaier are considered the NXS "big-two" and need a good day in the desert.
Allgaier sits 12 points below the cutline, while Bell faces a 34 point deficit. The two can get it done in the desert, with Allgaier winning the 2017 DC Solar 200 at the speedway in April. Christopher Bell was leading last season's CWTS event at ISM Raceway before he tangled with his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate towards the end of the 150-lapper.
Custer's current competition in the Championship 4 is Tyler Reddick, Elliott Sadler and Daniel Hemric. Custer beat Reddick on a last lap pass, Saturday in Texas. Elliott Sadler is trying to win his first NXS Championship in his final season of competition. Daniel Hemric has shown tons of speed, but falls under pressure during races, not winning a single NXS or CWTS yet in his career.
If the Playoff Grid doesn't change after next week's race in Phoenix, can Reddick hold off Custer in Miami for Texas redemption and a championship in his rookie season? Can Sadler end up on top? Will Hemric finally close the door on his biggest stage, yet? Or does Custer prove his worth to Stewart-Haas Racing at the Homestead-Miami Speedway?
But first, the Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 at ISM Raceway is Saturday, November 10 at 3:30PM EST on NBC.
Boyd would roll off from the 33rd position for the running of the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300. The green flag waved and it was deja vu all over again to the opening laps of Kansas. The 20 of Christopher Bell got loose and spun around in front of the entire field. Fortunately, most cars were able to escape relatively unharmed this time. On lap 13 caution waved for debris and again waved on lap 21 as the 11 of Ryan Truex & the 39 of Ryan Sieg made contact. Daniel Hemric went on to claim the stage one victory with Boyd staying put in the 33rd position.
Boyd radioed in saying he was very loose on corner entry and tight center off. Miller called for four tires, fuel, and adjustments for the Grunt Style Chevy and sent Boyd back out. On lap 81 the No. 9 of Tyler Reddick made contact, sending Joey Gase around right in front of Boyd. Somehow, Boyd steered clear of the spinning Gase and managed to keep his car off the wall as well. Cole Custer won stage two with Boyd in the 32nd position.
The final stage began and trouble once gain ensued. On lap 96 the 19 of Brandon Jones made contact with the 5 of Michael Annett, bringing out yet another caution. On lap 120 Boyd came over the radio extremely frustrated with the handling of his Grunt Style Chevrolet, as he was still in the 32nd position. Spotter Chris Monez and Crew Chief Jason Miller did their best to pump up their driver. The wrecks were not over. Sure enough, on lap 126 the 11 of Ryan Truex found the wall once again. Miller elected for Boyd to stay out and take a wave around. Boyd was now up to P30. On lap 134 one of the championship favorites Christopher Bell, backed his No. 20 hard into the wall. Three more cautions would wave for a total of 13 cautions in this attrition filled race. After a dramatic last lap pass, Cole Custer went on to win his first race of the season and punch his ticket to Homestead. Boyd was patient, kept his Grunt Style Chevy in one piece, and managed to bring home a respectful 25th place finish.
After the race Boyd reflected, “We just really struggled with the handling of our car today. I was surprised because we showed some decent speed in practice, but I just could not go anywhere during the race. My guys did a great job helping me keep my head in the game when I was getting frustrated and fortunately it worked out. This is a really fast and tricky race track, so there's not a whole lot of forgiveness when you get up out of the groove. Overall we will take another top 25 and get ready to finish these last two races in this 2018 season strong!"
After a cautioned filled race, Boyd manages a 25th place finish at Texas Motor Speedway and remains 25th in driver standings. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will return to action next week at ISM Raceway for one last race before the finale at Homestead. Race coverage of the Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 will begin 3:30 PM ET Saturday November 10th on NBC.
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GMS Racing PR
Ty Majeski rebounded from a long day at Texas Motor Speedway to cross the line 13th in his first ever start at the 1.5-mile track in his Ford Performance Mustang in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity race.
Majeski’s day got off to a rocky start after he spun out in qualifying earlier in the day, sustaining minor rear end damage on his Ford Mustang. But, the No. 60 team made repairs prior to the 200-lap race, as Majeski would roll of 38th due to the pre-race repairs.
Once the race went green, it didn’t last for long as the leaders were collected in the first lap, but Majeski maneuvered his way through, getting all the way to 22nd just one lap in. He would restart 20th at lap four, before another yellow came out 10 minutes later. Majeski reported the car was extremely loose, and the team went to work under the caution for major adjustments.
After restarting 34th, he worked his way back inside the top-20 less than 20 laps later, before finishing the opening 45-lap stage in 19th. By lap 80, the Seymour, Wisconsin, native worked his way into the top-15, before finishing the stage in 17th.
He lined up 13th for the final 110-lap stage, and worked his way into 11th by lap 100. To this point, the caution flag had waved five times, with plenty more yellow flags to be displayed throughout the duration. The team continued work on the 60 with 75 to go, when Majeski ran 19th, still reporting he was way too loose.
After restarting 18th with 70 to go, Majeski got back up to 13th just three laps later, and never fell below that spot for the remainder of the race. A series of four cautions would come out over the final 70 laps, before Majeski eventually finished 13th in his first career start at Texas.
The No. 60 returns to the track next weekend with Majeski back behind the wheel at Phoenix. Race coverage begins next Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and PRN.
RFR PR
Contact at the front of the field brought out the caution on lap one Saturday afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway. Reed avoided any major damage in the melee, but suffered some cosmetic hood damage that required multiple trips down pit road for bearbond. Reed rebounded from the early contact and by the end of the race was in contention for a solid top-10 finish, until another competitor got underneath him on the track causing the No. 16 Drive Down A1C Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang to get into the outside wall. The damage was too severe to continue, sending Reed to the garage four laps shy of the scheduled distance and scored with a 29th-place finish.
“We just struggled all day, we tried a lot of stuff and it just didn’t work out the way we wanted it to,” said Reed. “I am really proud of the effort of the guys for sticking with it. All the No. 16 team guys. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to work hard and at least try to go for successful runs. Unfortunately the parts and pieces just weren’t there this evening.”
Reed started the 200-lap race 14th, but suffered some minor damage as an incident unfolded in front of him on lap one. The buckled hood required a trip down pit road for bearbond. Despite the setback, Reed was able to drive from the back up to 17th to close out the first 45-lap stage.
Over the course of stage two the bearbond continued to flap around and required multiple pit stops, when timing allowed, to try and secure everything in place. The extra pit stops marred Reed back in the field and at the stage two conclusion on lap 90 he was scored 22nd.
Reed lined up 20th for the final stage and after some track bar and air pressure adjustments the No. 16 was making up lost ground on the track. As the laps dwindled down there were multiple cautions in the field. Reed was able to capitalize and was on his way to a solid top-10 finish when he became a victim of one of the many cautions. The damage sent Reed to the garage four laps shy of the scheduled race distance.
RFR PR
Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste (Ford)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):
● Custer started third, finished second earning nine bonus points.
● The Autodesk Ford driver said the No. 00 Ford Mustang was a bit loose early in the stage.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):
● Custer started third, finished first earning 10 bonus points.
● The No. 00 Autodesk Ford Mustang pitted on lap 48 for four tires and fuel.
● On lap 80, while attempting to pass Tyler Reddick for the lead, both cars nearly hit the spinning car of Joey Gase. Both cars avoided him and Custer was the leader.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):
● Custer started 11th, finished first.
● The No. 00 Autodesk Ford Mustang pitted on lap 93 for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment.
● Custer pitted on lap 127 for four scuffed tires and fuel. He was penalized for a man over the wall too soon and restarted 23rd.
● On lap 135, Custer pitted for fuel only. Restarted in18th position.
● By lap 150, Custer was up to eighth
● On the last restart with two laps to go, it was Custer and Tyler Reddick starting one-two. Custer dove below Reddick on the backstretch and they made contact, but the No. 00 car got by Reddick to score the all-important victory.
Notes:
● Custer won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 to score his second career Xfinity Series victory, first of the season and first at Texas.
● With this win, Custer automatically advances to the Championship round at Homestead-Miami Speedway Nov. 17.
● Custer earned 19 bonus points in the O’ Reilly Auto Parts 300.
● There were 13 cautions slowed the race for 54 laps.
● Only 16 of the 39 drivers finished on the lead lap.
Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Autodesk Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing With Biagi-DenBeste:
“I can’t believe it. The 1 (Elliott Sadler) is the best pusher in the series and I hated that I didn’t have him behind me. We did all we could. I drove it in deeper than I have all weekend and it worked out. I am pumped for Autodesk, their first time on the car. Gene Haas, I wouldn’t be here without him and Haas Automation. I am pumped. We are going to Homestead and I think we have a great shot of winning.
On the last restart when Tyler Reddick got away, what were you thinking? Did you know you had enough to time to get back to him?
“No, I thought it was going to be tough. I knew I had to make it happen in turns one and two because it was just hard to pass in three and four all day. I drove it into turn one probably five car lengths deeper than I had all day and it worked out somehow. I was able to get him loose on his bumper and get to his inside and we were side drafting on the back stretch and got together and it worked out in our favor I guess.”
Thoughts on Homestead?
“I think we have some confidence going in there but also I think it is just a point of us having to execute well and we have a really good baseline to go off of from last year. Things will change this year. There is a different tire and different body rules. The track will be the same. We need to stay on our game to make sure it is good but I think we have the best baseline out there and we will do our jobs to make sure it is right and I will make sure to do my job to make sure I am driving the car right.”
Playoff Standings:
1. Tyler Reddick (3105 +7)
2. Elliott Sadler (3098 points, -7)
3. Daniel Hemric (3097 points, -8)
4. Justin Allgaier (3085 points, -20)
5. Matt Tifft (3083 points, -22)
6. Cole Custer (3063 -42 – 1 win, Advanced to Championship Four)
7. Christopher Bell (3063 points, -42)
8. Austin Cindric (3,036 points, -69)
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 on Saturday, Nov. 10 at ISM Raceway near Phoenix. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC.
TSC PR
RCR PR
Cole Custer won Saturday's O'Reilly Autoparts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Custer got into the side of race-leader Tyler Reddick on the backstretch of the final lap and was able to hold off Reddick for the victory.
This was Custer's second NASCAR Xfinity Series win.
"I can't believe it," Cole Custer told NBCSN. "We just did all we could. I drove it in deeper than i have all weekend into Turn 1 trying to get on Reddick's bumper. It worked out."
Saturday's win for Custer sends him and the 00 team to the Championship 4 in just two weeks at Homestead, where he will compete for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. Custer will head into Homestead with confidence because Custer won the Homestead race just won year ago but was not in the Championship 4 at the time.
Rounding out the top five were Tyler Reddick in second, Austin Cindric in third, John Hunter Nemecheck in fourth and Justin Allgaier in fifth.
Rounding out the top ten were Brandon Jones in sixth, Matt Tifft in seventh, Elliott Sadler in eighth, Spencer Gallagher in ninth and Daniel Hemric in tenth.
Title-contender Christopher Bell would see his day come to an end early after Austin Cindric got into the left-rear of Bell and Bell would spin and back into the Turn 2 wall.
"I won six races this year. I've got a chance to win two or more," Bell said. "I'm going to go out there and try to win races. I've never been a points racer and my results show for that."
"I'm either up front or crashing."
Christopher Bell would finish in 32nd.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will head into ISM Raceway next Saturday in the running of the Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 with coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on NBCSN.
Stage 1 Winner: Daniel Hemric
Stage 2 Winner: Cole Custer
Race Winner: Cole Custer
