Xfinity Series News (6309)
NASCAR Xfinity Series News
Spencer Gallagher No. 23 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro Kansas Speedway
22 Oct 2017 Written by Steven B. WilsonHeading to Kansas Speedway for the first time in his NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) career, Spencer Gallagher and the No. 23 Allegiant team got to work early finishing Friday’s practice sessions 13th and 16th fastest. Gallagher went on to secure the 14th starting position for Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300.
Running in the top-15 for the first 45 laps of the 200-lap event, Gallagher reported to the No. 23 team that he was battling a loose Allegiant Chevy Camaro. Finishing Stage One in the 13th-place, Gallagher came to pit road under the stage break, for four tires, fuel and a both a track bar and air pressure adjustment to help tighten up his Chevy. Restarting 15th for the start of Stage Two, Gallagher immediately radioed to his Allegiant team that he felt a vibration in the right rear. Forced to come to pit road under green on lap 63 when the vibration worsened, Gallagher got four fresh tires, returning to the track two laps down.
When the caution came out on lap 78, crew chief Joey Cohen called the No.23 down pit road for a splash of gas, lining him up 25th for the remaining 9 laps of Stage Two. During the final stage break, Gallagher was going to “wave around” to try get one of his laps back, but unfortunately varying pit strategy among the leaders hindered that plan. Instead, Gallagher came to pit road for four tires and fuel for the final stage.
When the caution came out on lap 139, Gallagher hit pit road for the final time for four tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment, lining him up 22nd for the final restart. During the remaining 56 laps, Gallagher reported that he felt an issue with the right rear tire again, but was able to hold on to finish the race in the 21st position, three laps down.
Quote:
"I’m so proud of the Allegiant Chevy that my GMS Racing team brought me this weekend. It was probably one of the best cars we have had at an intermediate track all year. I hate that we couldn’t get the finish we deserved, but this weekend shows that we’re heading in the right direction. We’ll regroup during the off week and get ready for Texas.”
Additional Notes:
- To support the Vegas victims and their families, t-shirts and stickers are available at DriversForVegas.com.
GMS Racing PR
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):
● Cole Custer started seventh, finished 10th. Earned one bonus point.
● Custer piloted his Haas Automation/Code 3 Associates Ford Mustang to ninth place before noting loose handling conditions.
● Handling became tighter as the stage wore on, but Custer was able to stay inside the top-10 before the stage ended.
● At the conclusion of the stage, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):
● Started 12th, finished seventh. Earned four bonus points.
● During a lap-77 caution, Custer pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure and chassis adjustments.
● Restarted in the 16th position and powered his Haas Automation/Code 3 Associates Ford Mustang to another top-10 stage finish.
● Crew chief Jeff Meendering radioed Custer to the pits at the conclusion of the stage for two fresh tires and fuel.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):
● Started fourth, finished 19th.
● Custer ran as high as second on the initial restart, but fell to eighth as those with fresher tires proved quicker.
● Pitted under caution on lap 137 for four fresh tires, fuel and chassis adjustments. Restarted in seventh.
● Custer ran inside the top-10 until lap 195 when he was forced to the pits due to a cut tire.
● The Haas Automation/Code 3 Associates crew changed four tires under green and sent Custer back out to finish the race.
Notes:
● Custer has earned the most points at 1.5-mile tracks among NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers this season with 326 points.
● Custer earned a total of five combined stage points.
● The Kansas Lottery 300 was the first race of the second round of the playoffs. Two more races remain before the season finale Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
● This was Custer’s 35th XFINITY Series start and his third at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
● Four cautions slowed the race for 20 laps.
● Christopher Bell won the Kansas Lottery 300 to score his first career XFINITY Series victory. His margin of victory over second-place Tyler Reddick was 2.670 seconds.
Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation/Code 3 Associates Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“We had a solid Haas Automation/Code 3 Ford Mustang. We fought hard to keep it in the top-10 and earned good stage points. There was nothing we could do at the end of the race because we ran over something late that crippled the right front. It’s just how it goes. There was a big cut in the tire and we had to pit. We ran well at Texas, so I still think we have a good shot at making it into the final four.”
TSC PR
Reed Earns Top-10 Finish at Kansas to Kick Off The Round of 8
22 Oct 2017 Written by Steven B. WilsonRyan Reed kicked off The Playoffs Round of 8 with a 10th-place finish Saturday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. Reed started the race 15th in his No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang and capitalized on chassis adjustments and fast pit stops throughout the race to earn a top-10 finish. Reed is currently sixth in the Playoff standings with two more races before the Playoff field is narrowed down to four contenders vying for the XFINITY Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“Phil, my crew chief, made a great call to put two spring rubbers on the car and I thought, ‘Man, that’s a really big change.’ I didn’t think that we were that far off. It worked,” said Reed. “The car came to life after that and started to pick up a lot of speed and got competitive. I had really good restart on the last restart and picked up some track position. That was really the key to having a good finish. I had to make up a bad restart that I had earlier in the day. P10, not bad. I think we made up some points. We’re going to have to be better. We need to find some more speed. We’re up to the challenge. We’re only five or six points out. Five or six points out, we can make that up. We’re hanging around and everyone knows that we’re there. We’re ready to go get them.”
Reed started the 200-lap race at Kansas Speedway from the 15th position and despite reporting that he was loose on entry, he maintained the position to close out Stage 1 15th. Reed made slight gains over the course of Stage 2 with the help of fresh Goodyear tires and a chassis adjustment. Reed was still looking for help with turn but on lap 90 at the conclusion of Stage 2 Reed was running 12th.
Crew chief Phil Gould made the call to put spring rubbers in both rears at the conclusion of Stage 2. Reed lost ground on the ensuing restart, but over the course of the final Stage the handling came around and Reed was able to make up ground on the track. Reed steadily advanced through the field and crossed the finish line 10th in his No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford.
RFR PR
Austin Dillon Recovers from Challenges to Earn Sixth-Place Finish in Rheem Chevrolet |
 "We started off really fast today in the Rheem Chevrolet. I found grip early, and we were posting the fastest lap times of the field. Once the track started to rubber up, the rest of the field moved up to my line and caught up. Then, we got behind there with a tire that corded. We fought back and finished sixth. The car handled really well, and it was a good recovery for our team. It makes me excited for Texas. ." - Austin Dillon |
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| Ty Dillon Earns Top-10 Finish in the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet |
 "When we started the race, our Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet was just way too tight. My crew chief, Matt Swiderski, took a big swing at adjustments during the first stage break and got my balance how I needed it for the second stage. We used strategy to flip the stage during a caution before the final break, and we were able to restart in first for the final stage. I held on for a couple laps before people with fresher tires caught up. We knew that would happen, but it gave us the advantage that we needed to hold our track position in the top 10 to finish out the race." - Ty Dillon |
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| Late-Race Pit Road Penalty Hurts Daniel Hemric and the Blue Gate Bank Team's Day at Kansas Speedway |
 "I'll take the blame on that one. I struggled getting into the pit box all day and getting the Blue Gate Bank Chevrolet pointed the right way. I put some rear brake into it and just got too aggressive. I was trying to get all I could get and overstepped it. It put us in a bad spot for the pit stop, and the car was over the line. The guys already had the right-front tire off the car and put the sticker tire on before we backed up. We got penalized a lap for that. It was not ideal. We fought through and passed a bunch of cars at the end, but we got trapped a lap down and never got the caution we needed. The name of the game is pressure, and you have to rise up. Today we didn't do that. I did not do that. I've just got to do better, and we'll be fine moving forward." - Daniel Hemric |
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Brandon Jones Overcomes Radio Issues to Finish 11th at Kansas Speedway in the American Ethanol/Casey's General Store Chevrolet |
 "It's always a challenge when radio issues happen during a race, but the No. 33 American Ethanol/ Casey's General Store team really came together and managed to still get a great 11th-place finish out of the day. We fired off lacking rear grip at the start of the race, but that grip came in eventually. From there on out, I was just fighting a snug feeling all day. Having to communicate with hand signals back to my crew chief, Brandon Thomas, was tough but luckily we have a great spotter in Doug Campbell and he was able to relay to the team what I was feeling. It feels good to overcome an issue like that and still walk away with a solid finish." - Brandon Jones |
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| Brendan Gaughan and the South Point/City Lights Shine Team Fight Back from Disappointing Qualifying Effort to Finish 13th at Kansas Speedway |
 "Today, it was about track position and considering we started 24th and got all the way up to 10th shows the quality of car we had. I cannot be more pleased with the pit crew. They were on point. They gained spots on pit road for me every time. We had a top-10 car and after the final stop, we were four laps short on fuel so we conserved a little and then went all out with about two laps to go. I brushed the wall trying to get 12th position and unfortunately that slowed us down a little. Considering where we started, I'm pretty pleased with our finish." - Brendan Gaughan |
RCR PR
Compromised Engine Handcuffs Spencer Boyd’s Return to Kansas Speedway
21 Oct 2017 Written by Steven B. WilsonSpencer Boyd was optimistic in his return to Kansas Speedway after a successful run earlier in the year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. After dropping a cylinder on lap 5 of the Kansas Lottery 300, a 33rd place finish was all the rookie driver could muster for the No. 07 Grunt Style Chevrolet Camaro.
“It was a frustrating weekend, especially considering how hard our team works,” a disappointed Boyd expressed. “We struggled with speed in both practices, but couldn’t identify the problem despite many changes. We even incurred a penalty and changed the carburetor after qualifying. Apparently it was internal as that cylinder gave up at the start of the race.”
The Grunt Style Camaro would start in 38th position after Boyd’s qualifying effort on the weakened engine. While the first stage would be rather uneventful for the field, losing a cylinder on lap 5 was the defining moment of the weekend for SS Green Light Racing. Erik Jones would capture the Stage One checkered flag with Spencer in 34th position.
Erik Jones would dominate the race winning Stage 2 only to be caught up in an accident with four laps to go when teammate Christopher Bell pulled a slide move to go in front of Jones for the race win. Boyd would trade spots with Bobby Dale Earnhardt for much of the second half of the race and was able to pass one more car at the end to finish 33rd.
"It’s racing," said Boyd. "There are ups and downs and this weekend was definitely a down. We’ll get back at it though for Texas. We’re a determined bunch and have a lot to look forward to with a full season in Xfinity next year.”
The 33rd-place finish in Boyd’s fifth start of NASCAR Xfinity Series competition this season wasn’t what the team was hoping for after a 13th place finish at Talladega last week.
Spencer Boyd PR
NXS: Christopher Bell Wins Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway
21 Oct 2017 Written by Brett WinninghamChristopher Bell went to victory lane for the first time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday. Bell, after starting in the fourth position, led just three laps to score his first career victory in the series.
Kansas Speedway is sort of a home track for Bell. That is because the 22-year old grew up in the state of Oklahoma in Norman.
The race victory didn’t come easy for the young man. He and leader Erik Jones made contact in the closing laps that caused Jones to lose the top spot and finish one lap down in 15th.
In five XFINITY Series starts in 2017, Bell holds two top five and three top 10 finishes.
Tyler Reddick started on the pole for the first time of his career in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday. When it was all said and done -- Reddick found himself in the runner-up position.
Reddick will leave Kansas Speedway with three top five and five top 10 finishes this season.
Ryan Blaney will round out the top three finishers on Saturday afternoon. Blaney led three of the 200 circuits and will leave the track with his ninth top five and ninth top 10 finish through 10 races.
William Byron will be the highest finishing NASCAR Playoff driver with a fourth-place run. Byron started the Kansas Lottery 300 from the rear of the field for unapproved adjustments.
NASCAR Playoff Drivers by Finish: | ||
POS | CAR | DRIVER |
4 | 9 | William Byron |
5 | 7 | Justin Allgaier |
7 | 1 | Elliott Sadler |
8 | 19 | Matt Tifft |
10 | 16 | Ryan Reed |
12 | 48 | Brennan Poole |
18 | 21 | Daniel Hemric |
19 | 00 | Cole Custer |
Elliott Sadler hit a snag towards the middle portion of the race. The No. 1 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet spun off of turn four on lap 76 to bring out the caution flag. Sadler was able to rebound and finish seventh on the leaderboard.
The NASCAR XFINITY Series will return to action on November 4 at Texas Motor Speedway. Race will air live on NBCSN at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM Ch. 90 will carry the live radio broadcast.
Tyler Reddick will start on the pole for the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday. Reddick, driving the No. 42 BBR / Dustin Lynch Chevrolet, posted a 29.815 seconds, 181.117 mph. In the final round of qualifying to score his first career XFINITY Series pole.
Reddick enters the weekend looking to score his second career XFINITY Series victory. At Kentucky in September, Reddick led 66 of the 200 circuits to score his first career XFINITY Series win.
Through 16 starts this year, Reddick holds two top five and four top 10 finishes.
Erik Jones will start beside Reddick in the No. 20 Reser’s American Classic Toyota. Jones, who led rounds one and two, posted a 29.830, 181.026 mph. in the final round of knockout qualifying.
Jones enters the weekend with two victories through 15 XFINITY Series starts. Those 15 starts also include seven top five and eight top 10 finishes.
Rounding out the top three starters will be Ryan Blaney. Blaney posted a 29.980, 180.120 mph. in the final round. The young driver sat second in round one and third in round two.
William Byron was the highest qualifying rookie in sixth.
Mike Harmon did not qualify for the event as 41 appeared on the weekend entry list.
NextGen Motorsports and March Networks Partner at October 21 NASCAR Xfinity Race to Support Hurricane, Earthquake Victims
20 Oct 2017 Written by Steven B. WilsonIn response to the devastation that has occurred in the United States, Mexico and many of the Caribbean islands following recent natural disasters, NextGen Motorsports, a NASCAR series team, and March Networks®, a global provider of intelligent IP video solutions, are joining forces to help support relief efforts.
March Networks is sponsoring NextGen Motorsports and driver Josh Berry, who will drive the Xfinity NextGen #55 in the NASCAR Kansas Lottery 300 on October 21 in Kansas City. One hundred percent of donations raised around the event at www.donations4disasters.com, will be provided via the Celia Cruz Foundation to established charities working on the ground to help families recover and rebuild following hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the devastating earthquake that hit Mexico September 19.
NextGen Motorsports will also donate 50 percent of any purse money won during the race to the cause, and is working with 22 Days Nutrition to provide food provisions of equivalent value to all funds raised through the website this weekend.
"NextGen Motorsports, along with our drivers Enrique Baca, Luis Rodriguez Jr. and Josh Berry, is committed to helping support victims of these tragic events, as are many people in the NASCAR community," said Carlos Crespo, Co-Owner, NextGen Motorsports. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the many families now struggling to put their lives back together."
"We have established routes into many of the communities affected by these disasters," said Peter Strom, President and CEO, March Networks. "We are honored by this opportunity to join NextGen Motorsports and contribute to ongoing relief efforts that are critically needed in these countries."
NextGen Motorsports PR
After enjoying a week off, Garrett Smithley is eager to get back to racing this Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300.
Smithley made his first start at Kansas Speedway last year and gave the No. 0 JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet Camaro a solid 18th place finish.
“Spending the off-weekend in my hometown was great, but now I’m ready to go back racing” said Rhodes. “I had a great run last year in Kansas, and the Number Nuthin’ team is coming from a great run in Charlotte. I’m very excited to see what we can do this weekend.”
Kansas Speedway practice is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. (CST) Friday. Qualifying will start at 11:05 a.m. Saturday. The Kansas Lottery 300 will get the green flag at 2:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. ET) on NBC.
JDM PR
