NASCAR National Series News & Notes -- Martinsville

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: First Data 500

The Place: Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Sunday, Oct. 29

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio                   

Distance: 263 miles (500 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 130),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 260), Final Stage (Ends on lap 500)

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Next Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

The Place: Texas Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, Oct. 21

The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 

Next Race: Texas Roadhouse 200 Presented By Alpha Energy Solutions

The Place: Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Saturday, Oct.  28

The Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 105.2 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 50),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 100), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Kicks Off Round of 8

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kicks off its Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway with Sunday’s First Data 500 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Martin Truex Jr. heads the Playoffs leaderboard (52 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson on the cutoff line). Here’s a look at the Round of 8 drivers heading into Martinsville:

Rank	Driver	Points	Race Wins	Playoff Points	Pts from Cutoff
1	Martin Truex Jr.	4069	-	69	-
2	Kyle Busch	4042	-	42	-
3	Brad Keselowski	4026	-	26	-
4	Kevin Harvick	4017	-	17	-
5	Jimmie Johnson	4017	-	17	-
6	Denny Hamlin	4014	-	14	3
7	Ryan Blaney	4009	-	9	8
8	Chase Elliott	4006	-	6	11

Hendrick Motorsports has won the last three Playoffs races at Martinsville since the "win and advance" era was implemented in 2014. Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited Victory Lane at the .526-mile track after he was eliminated from the Playoffs in 2014. Jeff Gordon won at Martinsville for a ticket to Homestead in 2015 and finished third in the final standings. Last year, Jimmie Johnson won the Round of 8 race at Martinsville on his way to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Keselowski Goes For Season Sweep Of Martinsville, Advancement to Championship 4 Race

Brad Keselowski might have Martinsville figured out. He won the last race at the track affectionately known as "The Paperclip," has finished second or better in three of his last five races there and has placed fifth or better in four of his last five races there.

He’ll go for the season sweep at Martinsville Speedway in Sunday’s First Data 500 as he tries to join Kyle Larson (Michigan) as the second driver to win both races at a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series track this year.

In 15 career starts at Martinsville, Keselowski claims one win, five top fives, nine top 10s and a 12.9 average finish.

Keselowski, who has never advanced to the Championship 4, earned his berth in the Round of 8 by winning at Talladega.

Kyle Busch Tries To Continue Martinsville Hot Streak

Kyle Busch has made Martinsville Speedway his personal playground in his last few races there.

In his past four starts at Martinsville, he finished fifth or better. He led a race-high 352 laps to win its 2016 spring race and paced the field for an event-high 274 laps on his way to a runner-up showing in this April’s contest.

Overall, Busch owns one win, 12 top fives, 13 top 10s and a 13.6 average finish in 24 career starts at Martinsville. Among active drivers, he ranks third in Martinsville average running position (11.6) and driver rating (101.1).

Busch has advanced to the Championship 4 the last two seasons. He won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title in 2015 and finished third last year.

Clockstopper: Johnson Attempts To Extend Active Martinsville Wins Lead

Jimmie Johnson leads active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers with nine wins at Martinsville Speedway – four more than Denny Hamlin who has the second most victories at "The Paperclip."

He’ll attempt to extend his wins lead by defending his fall victory from last year at Martinsville. Johnson’s win placed him in the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he took the checkered flag to capture the series title.

If he visits Victory Lane on Sunday, Martinsville would become the second track where he has double-digit wins (Dover, 11).

In addition to his nine wins, Johnson has 19 top fives, 24 top 10s and a series-best 7.5 average finish at Martinsville. He also leads active drivers at the Southern Virginia track in driver rating (116.9) and average running position (8.0).

Hamlin Hopes For Win At Hometown Track

Virginia’s own, Denny Hamlin, has five wins at Martinsville Speedway – second among active drivers. A sixth victory in Sunday’s First Data 500 would earn him a berth in the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The Chesterfield native currently sits three points below Kevin Harvick on the cutoff line to the Championship 4 race. In addition to his five Martinsville wins, he claims 12 top fives and 17 top 10s. He ranks second among active drivers in Martinsville average finish (10.1), average running position (9.8) and driver rating (106.6).

Hamlin enters the Round of 8 coming off a strong second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs where he finished sixth or better in his last three starts.

Elliott Eyes First Victory At Martinsville

Chase Elliott has upped his performance in The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and is knocking on the door of his first win.

Through seven Playoff races, Elliott has racked up three runner-ups and has a low finish of 16th at Talladega. He enters Sunday’s race at Martinsville coming off a fourth-place showing at Kansas.

The Round of 8 sets up well for Elliott if he can repeat his performances at the track from earlier this season.

In the April race at Martinsville, Elliott finished third and led 30 laps. At Texas, he placed ninth after starting 33rd. He led 106 laps on his way to a 12th-place finish this spring at Phoenix.

Short Tracks

Three drivers remaining in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs rank in the top four in active short track victories. 

*Martinsville win totals are marked in parentheses.

Active Short Track Winners	Wins
Jimmie Johnson	14 (9)
Kyle Busch	11 (1)
Denny Hamlin	9 (5)
Kurt Busch	9 (2)
Kevin Harvick	6 (1)
Matt Kenseth	6
Dale Earnhardt Jr	5 (1)
Brad Keselowski	4 (1)
Joey Logano	4
Clint Bowyer	2
Kasey Kahne	2
Ryan Newman	2 (1)
Kyle Larson	1

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Playoff Round Of 8 Will Separate The Best From The Rest 

Kansas Speedway served up some great action this past weekend as the first of three tracks in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Round of 8. The top four drivers at the conclusion of the Round of 8 advance to the Championship 4 Round in Homestead-Miami. Below are the latest Playoff standings following Kansas:

NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff Round Of 8
Rank	Driver	Points	Leader	Cutoff	Race Wins	Playoff Pts
1	Justin Allgaier	3,066	0	33	2	23
2	William Byron	3,064	-2	31	3	26
3	Elliott Sadler	3,055	-11	22	0	20
4	Brennan Poole	3,038	-28	5	0	6
5	Matt Tifft	3,033	-33	-5	0	4
6	Ryan Reed	3,032	-34	-6	1	5
7	Daniel Hemric	3,032	-34	-6	0	9
8	Cole Custer	3,030	-36	-8	0	7
9	Brendan Gaughan	2,103	-963		0
10	Michael Annett	2,081	-985		0
11	Jeremy Clements	2,064	-1002		1
12	Blake Koch	2,059	-1007		0

*- Chart Colors: Green (in position to advance); Orange (in position to be eliminated); Red (eliminated from Playoffs).

Next up on the Playoff schedule is Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 4). Here are the Round of 8 Playoff driver’s average finishing positions at Texas – Cole Custer (5.0), William Byron (7.0) Elliott Sadler (9.4), Justin Allgaier (11.0), Matt Tifft (12.7) Ryan Reed (14.9), Brennan Poole (19.2) Daniel Hemric (32.0). 

10 Different XFINITY Winners Over The Last 10 Races

Date	2017 Winners	Track
8/12/2017	Sam Hornish Jr	Mid-Ohio
8/18/2017	Kyle Busch	Bristol
8/27/2017	Jeremy Clements	Road America
9/2/2017	Denny Hamlin	Darlington
9/8/2017	Brad Keselowski	Richmond
9/16/2017	Justin Allgaier	Chicago
9/23/2017	Tyler Reddick	Kentucky
9/30/2017	Ryan Blaney	Dover
10/7/2017	Alex Bowman	Charlotte
10/21/2017	Christopher Bell	Kansas

Competition within the NASCAR XFINITY Series has been running at full-steam, producing a streak of 10 different winners over the most recent 10 races; dating back to August 12 at Mid-Ohio.

Could we see an 11th different winner? Possibly. For example, Kyle Larson, the defending winner of last season’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs race at Texas, and Erik Jones, the winner of this season’s spring Texas race are not on the 10 different winners list.

The last time the NASCAR XFINITY Series saw a streak of 11 different winners was back in 2014 – Elliott Sadler (Talladega), Sam Hornish Jr. (Iowa), Kyle Larson (Charlotte), Kyle Busch (Dover), Paul Menard (Michigan), Brendan Gaughan (Road America), Kevin Harvick (Kentucky), Kasey Kahne (Daytona), Brad Keselowski (New Hampshire), Chase Elliott (Chicago) and Ty Dillon (Indianapolis).

This season’s statistical magnificence doesn’t end there, 2017 has produced a total of 17 different winners in total; which is the first time the series has seen that many different winners since 1994 (23 seasons ago). 17 different winners in a single NASCAR XFINITY Series season has only happened three other seasons (1994, 1992 and 1989), and is the second highest number of different winners in single season behind the record of the 18 different winners in 1988.  

The action fires back up next week (Saturday, Nov. 4) at Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) at 8:30 p.m. ET. 

Bell’s Victory Marks Sixth First-Time Winner Of NASCAR XFINITY Series Season

Christopher Bell not only took the checkered flag in dramatic fashion this past weekend at Kansas Speedway, but he also became the sixth first-time winner of the NASCAR XFINITY Series 2017 season joining William Byron (Iowa), Tyler Reddick (Kentucky), Ryan Preece (Iowa), Jeremy Clements (Road America) and Alex Bowman (Charlotte).

The 2017 season is now tied with seven other seasons (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2006) for the second most first-time winners behind the inaugural series season, 1982, which saw 14 first-time winners.

The last season the series saw six first-time winners, 2006, all six of the drivers went on to have careers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The first-time winners are names you might recognize – Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Paul Menard, David Gilliland, Casey Mears and Dave Blaney.

Don’t be surprised if a seventh first-time winner is on the horizon. Texas Motor Speedway has produced five first-time NASCAR XFINITY Series winners – Erik Jones (2015), Chase Elliott (2014), Trevor Bayne (2011), Kurt Busch (2006) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998).

Since 2007 (last 10 seasons), there have been 35 first-time winners fielded by 12 different organizations in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Of the 12 organizations since 2007, Joe Gibbs Racing has produced the most first-time winners (six: Christopher Bell, Ryan Preece, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola and Joey Logano); followed by Chip Ganassi Racing and Roush Fenway Racing (with five each).  

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.

Series Pole Winners Aplenty: Not only has the NASCAR XFINITY Series seen a myriad of different winners this season, it has also produced 17 different Coors Light Pole Award winners, which is tied with 2012, 2007, 1990 and 1989 for the fifth-most different pole winners in a single season. The top four seasons with most different pole winners are 1998 (24 pole winners), 1995 (21), 1991 (20) and 2009 (18).

Sunoco Rookie of the Year Update: William Byron continues to lead the NASCAR XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by 41 points over second-place Daniel Hemric following the 30th race of the season (Kansas). Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings - Byron (293), Hemric (252), Cole Custer (237), Matt Tifft (208), Spencer Gallagher (139) and Ben Kennedy (134). Four of the six rookies this season are in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs Round of 8.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Marching Into Martinsville

After the off-week, the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs heads to Martinsville Speedway to begin the Round of 6 with the Texas Roadhouse 200 Presented By Alpha Energy Solutions on Saturday, October 28 (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter is the defending race winner and proved to be a title-contender in last year’s race.

John Hunter Nemechek (third-place finish) and Christopher Bell (fourth-place finish) both finished inside the top-five at Martinsville last year.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champions – Where Bell Stacks Up

There is no arguing Christopher Bell is having a stellar season that could result in a 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. Through 19 races this season in the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra, Bell has five wins, 13 top-five finishes and 17 top-10 finishes. He’s led 739 laps.

Here is how Christopher Bell’s 2017 season compares to the last five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions:

Season	Driver	Race Wins	Top-Fives	Top-10s	Laps Led	Average Finish
2017	Christopher Bell	5	13	17	739	5.8
2016	Johnny Sauter	3	12	19	130	8.0
2015	Erik Jones	3	11	20	925	6.3
2014	Matt Crafton	2	13	17	298	7.0
2013	Matt Crafton	1	7	19	87	7.9
2012	James Buescher	4	10	14	505	8.6

With four races remaining in Bell’s 2017 championship campaign, he already has more wins, is tied for top fives, is second in laps led and has the best average finish of the last five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions through their complete seasons.

Bell will look to advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and has three chances to do it, beginning with this week at Martinsville.

Last season, Bell finished fourth at Martinsville, 11th at Texas and seventh at Phoenix to advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead.

Racing At Martinsville Speedway – Advantage, Veterans?

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series former champions Matt Crafton (2013 and 2014) and Johnny Sauter (2016) appear to have the veteran advantage at Martinsville Speedway.

Crafton owns multiple track records at the 0.526-mile track. He has the most NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts (31), top 10s (18), lead lap finishes (27) and laps completed (6,915). He has two wins there (fall 2015 and spring 2014) and eight top fives.

Sauter is equally as impressive. In 19 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Martinsville, Sauter has three wins (most among active series drivers), seven top fives and 10 top 10s. He’s led 398 laps, which is the most among active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers.

Between Crafton and Sauter, the two combined for at least one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Martinsville over the last four seasons.

Fall, 2016 – Sauter

Fall, 2015 – Crafton

Spring, 2014 – Crafton

Spring, 2013 – Sauter

Sauter’s other Martinsville Speedway win came in 2011 when he won the Keystone Light Pole and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Both Crafton and Sauter will be looking to win at Martinsville and punch their ticket to the Championship 4.

2017 NASCAR Playoffs Outlook Update: Post-Talladega

Following the elimination race at Talladega Superspeedway, below is an updated NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs grid heading into the Round of 6:

Rank	Driver	Points	Race Wins	Playoff Points	Pts from Cutoff
1	Christopher Bell	3047	-	47	-
2	Johnny Sauter	3027	-	27	-
3	Matt Crafton	3014	-	14	-
4	JH Nemechek	3014	-	14	-
5	Ben Rhodes	3013	-	13	1
6	Austin Cindric	3007	-	7	7

2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Round of 6 Drivers:

As the Round of 8 wrapped up at Talladega Superspeedway, below are some quick hits and 2017 statistics on the Round of 6 drivers:

1.    Christopher Bell: The top seed heading into the Round of 6, Christopher Bell has been the top of his class this season. His five wins this season are the most in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He has led a season-high 739 laps and has 13 top fives and 17 top 10s in 19 starts.

2.    Johnny Sauter: Last season’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter is gearing up for another strong championship run this season. He has two wins on the season and has yet to finish outside the top 23 all year. The next two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs races in the Round of 6 are at Martinsville and Texas. Last year’s winner at both? Johnny Sauter. 

3.    Matt Crafton: Two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton has quietly been flying under the radar this season. His lone win of the year came unexpectedly at Eldora as Crafton is known for being a 1.5-mile paved track master. Since the Playoffs began at New Hampshire, Crafton has three-consecutive top-10 finishes. Martinsville and Texas are both places where Crafton has visited Victory Lane. 

4.    John Hunter Nemechek: John Hunter Nemechek survived Talladega to advance to the Round of 6 and now will look for a way to continue advancing. Nemechek has two wins this season and just finds ways to get it done when he needs to. He’s led 100 laps this season and has seven top fives and 10 top 10s.

5.    Ben Rhodes: Ben Rhodes impressively captured his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Round of 8. Now, Rhodes will look for an opportunity to get to Homestead. Ranked fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs standings, Rhodes finished top-20 or better at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix last season. Will that be enough to get him to Homestead? Rhodes has six top fives this season, with 11 top 10s and has led 160 laps on the year.

6.    Austin Cindric: Austin Cindric is the only remaining NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie left in the 2017 Playoffs field. Since the Playoffs started, Cindric has proved he belongs with the rest. He has finished in the top eight or better in all three races so far and will look to continue that in the Round of 6. He has six top fives this season and 12 top 10s. He has not finished outside the top-15 since Texas in early June.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs By Round

As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series begins its Round of 6 at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, below is a look at the remaining NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs rounds and which tracks line up per round.

ROUND OF 6

Texas Roadhouse 200 Presented By Alpha Energy Solutions at Martinsville Speedway

(Saturday, October 28 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

JAG Metals 350 at Texas Motor Speedway

(Friday, November 3 at 8 p.m. on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway

(Friday, November 10 at 8:30 p.m. on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

CHAMPIONSHIP 4

Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

(Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Martinsville Speedway Quick Facts

As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for the Texas Roadhouse 200 Saturday (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), below are some series quick facts at the 0.526-mile track:

Races: 37

Pole Winners: 25

Youngest Pole Winner: Cole Custer (10/31/2015 – 17 years, 9 months, 8 days)

Oldest Pole Winner: Joe Ruttman (04/07/2001 – 56 years, 5 months, 10 days)

Race Winners: 26

Youngest Winner: Darrell Wallace Jr. (10/26/2013 – 20 years, 0 months, 18 days)

Oldest Winner: Jim Hensley (04/17/1999 – 53 years, 6 months, 6 days)

Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 9

Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Chase Elliott (04/01/2017)

Race Record: Jimmy Hensley – 74.282 mph (04/17/1999)

Qualifying Record: Joey Logano – 97.088 mph (03/28/2015)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Etc.

No Rookie Stripes For These Sunoco Rookies: All nine NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders have made previous series starts at Martinsville Speedway. Chase Briscoe (11th), Wendell Chavous (23rd), Austin Cindric (21st), Cody Coughlin (19th), Grant Enfinger(17th), Stewart Friesen (25th), Noah Gragson (fourth), Kaz Grala (15th) and Justin Haley (26th) raced in the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season.

NASCAR Next Drivers Looking To Play Spoiler At Martinsville: NASCAR Next and NASCAR K&N Pro Series drivers Todd Gilliland and Harrison Burton will both be racing for Kyle Busch Motorsports this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Gilliland will be in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra, while Burton will be in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra. Gilliland scored a career-best finish (third) at New Hampshire earlier this season, while Burton has a string of top-20 finishes in his five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts this season.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner Standings Update: Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 4 Toyota Tundra leads GMS Racing’s No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado by a narrow 20 points in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner standings after 19 races this season. Kyle Busch’s second entry, the No. 51 Toyota Tundra (-25), ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 Toyota Tundra (-33) and NEMCO Motorsports’ No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado (-35) round of the top five.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturer Standings Update: Through 19 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season, Toyota leads Chevrolet by 42 points in the manufacturer standings, 713-671. In third place, Ford sits at 602 points.

Darrell Wallace Jr. to pilot No. 43 car full-time in 2018

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – In one of the organization's most anticipated moments in its history, Richard Petty Motorsports announced today Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. as the new driver of the No. 43 made famous by team co-owner, "The King" Richard Petty. Wallace, 24, will compete full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and for the Sunoco Rookie of The Year beginning at the 2018 Daytona 500.

Wallace, a native of Mobile, Alabama, is already one of the sport's most popular figures with an incredible record of success behind the wheel. A graduate of both NASCAR's Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Next programs, Wallace has broken several barriers and records throughout his rise within the sport.

Earlier this season, Wallace made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut as a substitute driver for the injured Aric Almirola in the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) at Pocono (Penn.) Raceway on June 11. Wallace showed rapid improvement over the four races he participated, substantially improving his finish position every race, culminating with an 11th place finish at Kentucky Speedway on July 8.

Wallace initially rose to prominence in 2013 with a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, becoming the first African-American driver in 50 years to win a NASCAR national touring series feature since NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Wendell Scott. The next season Wallace finished third overall in the truck series point standings with four wins for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Wallace moved up full-time to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Roush Fenway Racing in 2015, where he earned 31 Top-10 finishes over the last three seasons before making his Cup debut in June with RPM.

"This is a dream come true to race for 'The King', Richard Petty Motorsports, the iconic No. 43 and for all the fans and partners that have and continue to support this team," said Wallace. "I believe in what Richard Petty Motorsports is doing and their desire to win races. I believe this team, its partners and fans are ready to see some great things again. I'm humbled that they have chosen me to take that next step with them. I'm ready for next season to begin and to prove to people that we can compete at the level we all expect to be at."

Veteran and winning crew chief Drew Blickensderfer will continue to lead the No. 43 team in 2018 with Wallace. Petty believes that Wallace brings the current youth movement to RPM.

"We have hired a lot of different drivers in the past, but Wallace brings a lot of youth and talent to our team," explained Petty. "He's proven at a young age to be able to be consistent on a weekly basis, give feedback to the team to help improve the car and race hard to get the best finish possible. He knows how to win, too. His records leading up to the top levels of NASCAR speak for themselves. We feel that Bubba can immediately come in and compete. He's really eager to show what he can do and that he belongs in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series."

Wallace will become the first full-time African-American driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series since Scott. Partners for Wallace and the No. 43 team for the 2018 season will be announced at a later date.

Who’s in, who’s out: Round of 8 set after Kansas

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs field was whittled from 12 drivers to eight on Sunday following an elimination race at Kansas Speedway, with Martin Truex Jr. winning.

Kansas was the site of the third and final race in the Round of 12, with the four drivers lowest in the standings eliminated from the postseason and the ability to compete for a championship in Miami.

The following drivers advanced to the Round of 8; they are listed by official seeding and points.

1. Martin Truex Jr., 4,069 points
2. Kyle Busch, 4,042 points
3. Brad Keselowski, 4,026 points
4. Kevin Harvick, 4,017 points
5. Jimmie Johnson, 4,017 points
6. Denny Hamlin, 4,014 points
7. Ryan Blaney, 4,009 points
8. Chase Elliott, 4,006 points

WHO’S OUT: Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray

UP IN SMOKE: Kyle Larson’s engine trouble produced a story line perhaps no one saw coming: The No. 42 was eliminated from the Round of 12. Larson entered the day third in the standings, but severe engine issues relegated him to a 39th-place finish. He could only watch helplessly from the garage as he dropped below the cutoff line.

BUBBLE BOYS: The playoff picture was tight entering Kansas, with plenty of big names on the bubble. Ryan Blaney entered the day seventh, but started from the rear of the field after his post-qualifying time was disallowed. Jimmie Johnson sat on the cutoff line, with Kyle Busch (-7) and Matt Kenseth (-8) below him. Blaney’s charge through the field cemented his spot in the next round, while Busch and Johnson capitalized on misfortune that befell both Larson and Kenseth.

PLAYOFF BONANZA: Martin Truex Jr. will be the top seed for the Round of 8 by virtue of his playoff points. He has 69. The point totals for the eight playoff drivers will reset to 4,000 for the Round of 8, with each driver’s playoff points total added to that.

Truex rallies for Kansas win, as Playoff field is trimmed to eight drivers

Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Martin Truex Jr. survived a restart penalty and an unscheduled pit stop to return to what has become a thoroughly familiar locale—Victory Lane—in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

In a dramatic race that brought Truex his seventh Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win of the season, calamity eliminated four drivers from the series Playoff. Jamie McMurray, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson all saw their postseason hopes end with the final event in the Round of 12.

The shocker was Larson, who fell out of the race on Lap 77 when his engine exploded on the frontstretch after dropping a cylinder a few laps earlier. The driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet finished 39th in a 40-car field and dropped to ninth in the standings, nine points behind Jimmie Johnson.

The seven-time champion moved into the Round of 8 despite spinning twice in the space of five laps late in the race. But Johnson was the prime beneficiary when NASCAR parked Kenseth, after a massive wreck on Lap 198, for a violation of the damaged vehicle policy, specifically having too many crewmen over the wall to work on the car on pit road.

Racing just hours after Furniture Row Racing road-crew fabricator Jim Watson succumbed to a heart attack, Truex finished 2.284 seconds ahead of runner-up Kurt Busch to become the first driver to sweep both Kansas races in the same year. The victory was Truex’s second at the track and the 14th of his career.

"Just can’t say enough about all these guys on this Furniture Row/Bass Pro Toyota," Truex said. "Just really proud of them. Definitely racing with heavy hearts today with losing Jim (Watson) last night. Want to send our condolences to his family and all of his friends. He was a heck of a guy and a great worker and put a lot of speed in these Furniture Row Toyotas, so glad we could get him one here.

"Excited to get another one here at Kansas. This feels really awesome. It’s really Furniture Row’s home track (closest to the team’s Denver, Colorado, headquarters). "It just feels really good to finally get – to finally get another one here. We got that one in the spring after so many heartbreaks, and then today it looked like it was going to happen and we just persevered.

Ryan Blaney charged from a 40th-place starting spot—the result of an inspection failure after qualifying—to finish third and cruise into the Round of 8.

"We started off in the back, and I was able to make some good ground early," said Blaney, who starts the Round of 8 as the seventh seed, 60 points behind Truex, who increased his series-leading playoff point total to 69.

"We were able to run up through there and made good adjustments throughout the day, which got us in a spot to be up toward the front towards the end and advance. It was a solid day for our team. We overcame a lot coming from the back, and they should be proud of that."

Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin ran fourth and fifth, respectively, to advance to the Round of 8. Kevin Harvick also stayed alive in the postseason with an eighth-place result, as did Kyle Busch with a 10th-place finish.

Johnson came home 11th after avoiding serious damage during his two spins, the first of which sent his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet sliding across the frontstretch grass.

It wasn’t a problem-free race for Truex either. On a Lap 36 restart after a competition caution, Truex dipped below the white line on the apron before reaching the start/finish line—a point of admonition in the drivers’ meeting earlier in the day.

After serving a pass-through penalty, Truex remained on the lead lap and began to work his way forward, but an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 91 because of a loose wheel put the No. 78 Toyota a lap down. Brett Moffitt’s crash into the Turn 2 wall with four laps left in Stage 2 kept him on the lead circuit after the other contending cars had come to pit road for green-flag stops.

"Just couldn’t believe some of the things that were happening and thought there was no way that we were going to win that race at some point," Truex said. "That first restart violation really caught me by surprise and that hurt, but that wasn’t the last blow we had to take. There was the loose wheel we had to pit for under green and getting a lap down and being able to stay out through that last stage and get that lap back was crucial.

"Without that, we didn’t have a shot. Then we got back mid-pack and had a couple really good restarts to get some track position and then really fought the car through that part of the race and had to make some big adjustments. I felt like at the end we got dialed in pretty good. I’m pretty happy with that."

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race - Hollywood Casino 400

Kansas Speedway

Kansas City, Kansas

Sunday, October 22, 2017

               1. (1) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota, 267.
               2. (15) Kurt Busch, Ford, 267.
               3. (40) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford, 267.
               4. (14) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, 267.
               5. (4) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 267.
               6. (20) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 267.
               7. (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 267.
               8. (2) Kevin Harvick (P), Ford, 267.
               9. (25) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267.
               10. (7) Kyle Busch (P), Toyota, 267.
               11. (12) Jimmie Johnson (P), Chevrolet, 267.
               12. (23) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 267.
               13. (10) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford, 267.
               14. (11) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 267.
               15. (21) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 267.
               16. (29) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 267.
               17. (27) David Ragan, Ford, 267.
               18. (16) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 267.
               19. (9) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 267.
               20. (28) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 267.
               21. (17) Joey Logano, Ford, 267.
               22. (30) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 267.
               23. (31) Landon Cassill, Ford, 265.
               24. (35) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 263.
               25. (37) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 263.
               26. (38) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 261.
               27. (34) Corey LaJoie #, Toyota, 261.
               28. (33) * Gray Gaulding #, Toyota, 259.
               29. (24) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P), Ford, Accident, 256.
               30. (36) * BJ McLeod(i), Chevrolet, 254.
               31. (32) * Brett Moffitt(i), Toyota, 238.
               32. (26) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 232.
               33. (18) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Accident, 203.
               34. (8) Jamie McMurray (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 198.
               35. (6) Erik Jones #, Toyota, Accident, 197.
               36. (5) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, Accident, 197.
               37. (3) Matt Kenseth (P), Toyota, Accident, 197.
               38. (22) Danica Patrick, Ford, Accident, 197.
               39. (13) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet, Engine, 73.
               40. (39) * Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, Handling, 35.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  125.189 mph.
Time of Race:  03 Hrs, 11 Mins, 57 Secs. Margin of Victory:  2.284 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  10 for 49 laps.
Lead Changes:  14 among 7 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   M. Truex Jr. (P) 1-34; K. Busch (P) 35-47; B. Keselowski (P) 48-50; R. Blaney (P) 51-53; K. Busch (P) 54-81; K. Harvick (P) 82; K. Busch (P) 83-128; J. McMurray (P) 129; B. Keselowski (P) 130-144; K. Busch (P) 145-156; K. Harvick (P) 157; D. Hamlin (P) 158-162; K. Harvick (P) 163-197; K. Busch (P) 198-210; M. Truex Jr. (P) 211-267.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  K. Busch (P) 5 times for 112 laps; M. Truex Jr. (P) 2 times for 91 laps; K. Harvick (P) 3 times for 37 laps; B. Keselowski (P) 2 times for 18 laps; D. Hamlin (P) 1 time for 5 laps; R. Blaney (P) 1 time for 3 laps; J. McMurray (P) 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 18,4,11,21,1,48,24,78,20,77
Stage #2 Top Ten: 11,4,2,20,18,77,1,21,24,48

Christopher Bell gets first NASCAR XFINITY Series win at Kansas

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 may have been the opening race in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff, but the real drama involved two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates outside the championship battle.

On Lap 197 of 200 at Kansas Speedway, Christopher Bell caught and passed Erik Jones for the lead, clearing Jones’ No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a slide job and drifting up to the outside wall right in front of his JGR teammate.

Under a full head of steam, Jones plowed into the back of Bell’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, wrecking the No. 20 Camry, which slowed markedly and finished 15th, a lap down.

Bell took the checkered flag with polesitter Tyler Reddick and some hard feelings on Jones’ part in his wake.

"It’s not dirt racing," Jones complained, referencing Bell’s dirt-track background. "He’s not clear. I can’t just stop on the top. I didn’t expect him to drive in on the bottom so hard he wouldn’t be able to hold his lane.

"It’s unfortunate. I thought we were going to race for the win, and unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a race—it was more of a wreck. We’ll just have to move on."

Jones had led four times for 186 laps before Bell ran him down from more than two seconds back in the closing laps. The series leader in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Bell got the victory in his fifth start, becoming the first driver to get his maiden XFINITY win at the 1.5-mile track.

Bell also is the 10th straight different winner in the series.

"I never want to wreck anyone, especially my teammate," Bell said. "I don’t know. My spotter said ‘Clear.’ I drove it in really deep. I felt like I cleared him – I don’t know.

"It’s my first XFINITY win. I’m sorry that Erik didn’t finish the race, but, man, I’m just stoked. This thing was awesome. To be able to win in the XFINITY Series is something I dreamed of as a kid. We were both on old tires. We were sliding around…

"Bummed for the way it finished, but I’m glad it held on, man. I was getting tire smoke in the car there those last couple of laps, and I was worried we weren’t going to make it."

Ryan Blaney ran third, followed by playoff drivers and JR Motorsports teammates William Byron and Justin Allgaier, the latter of whom collected 11 stage points and took over the top spot in the standings by two points over Byron, who had to start from the rear of the field because of unapproved pre-race adjustments to his No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

Elliott Sadler, another JRM entry, recovered from a spin in Turn 4 on Lap 76 to finish seventh and is third in the Playoff standings, 11 points behind Allgaier.

"A tire came apart—I don’t know whether I ran over something or not," said Sadler, who turned sideways in the path of oncoming traffic. Eventual sixth-place finisher Austin Dillon did a masterful job of avoiding Sadler’s spinning car.

"I gave ‘em a big target, but nobody hit us," a relieved Sadler said after the race.

Beyond the top three Playoff positions, little was decided. With two races left in the Round of 8, there’s an eight-point gap between fourth-place Brennan Poole, who ran 12th on Saturday, and eighth-place Cole Custer, who brought his No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to pit road with two laps left because of a cut tire and finished 19th, two laps down.


NASCAR XFINITY Series Race - Kansas Lottery 300

Kansas Speedway

Kansas City, Kansas

Saturday, October 21, 2017

               1. (4) Christopher Bell(i), Toyota, 200.
               2. (1) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 200.
               3. (3) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, 200.
               4. (6) William Byron # (P), Chevrolet, 200.
               5. (13) Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, 200.
               6. (5) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
               7. (11) Elliott Sadler (P), Chevrolet, 200.
               8. (8) Matt Tifft # (P), Toyota, 200.
               9. (16) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 200.
               10. (15) Ryan Reed (P), Ford, 200.
               11. (12) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 200.
               12. (9) Brennan Poole (P), Chevrolet, 200.
               13. (24) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 200.
               14. (20) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 199.
               15. (2) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 199.
               16. (19) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 199.
               17. (21) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 199.
               18. (10) Daniel Hemric # (P), Chevrolet, 199.
               19. (7) Cole Custer # (P), Ford, 198.
               20. (23) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 198.
               21. (14) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 197.
               22. (31) Quin Houff, Chevrolet, 196.
               23. (18) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 196.
               24. (28) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 195.
               25. (22) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 195.
               26. (17) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 194.
               27. (32) David Starr, Chevrolet, 194.
               28. (34) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 192.
               29. (36) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet, 192.
               30. (35) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 192.
               31. (40) Bobby Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 188.
               32. (26) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 188.
               33. (38) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 188.
               34. (33) Josh Berry, Toyota, Engine, 182.
               35. (39) Jennifer Jo Cobb(i), Chevrolet, 139.
               36. (30) Timmy Hill, Dodge, Vibration, 36.
               37. (37) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Suspension, 24.
               38. (27) Reed Sorenson(i), Chevrolet, Handling, 7.
               39. (29) Gray Gaulding(i), Chevrolet, Brakes, 3.
               40. (25) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Handling, 2.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  141.158 mph.
Time of Race:  02 Hrs, 07 Mins, 31 Secs. Margin of Victory:  2.670 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  4 for 20 laps.
Lead Changes:  8 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   T. Reddick 0; E. Jones(i) 1-51; T. Reddick 52-54; E. Jones(i) 55-81; R. Blaney(i) 82-84; E. Jones(i) 85-93; T. Dillon(i) 94-97; E. Jones(i) 98-196; C. Bell(i) 197-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  E. Jones(i) 4 times for 186 laps; T. Dillon(i) 1 time for 4 laps; C. Bell(i) 1 time for 4 laps; T. Reddick 1 time for 3 laps; R. Blaney(i) 1 time for 3 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,22,42,2,18,1,48,7,21,00
Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,22,7,18,42,9,00,48,21,2

Full weekend schedule for Kansas

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series concludes its Round of 12 in the playoffs while the XFINITY Series is back in action for the opening race of its Round of 8. Both series will be action this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

Check out the full on-track weekend schedule below.

Note: All times are ET

FRIDAY, OCT. 20
ON TRACK
-- 1-2:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
-- 2:30-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBC Sports App
-- 5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
-- 6:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

SATURDAY, OCT. 21
ON TRACK
-- 11-11:50 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBC Sports App
-- 12:05 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
-- 1:30-2:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
-- 3 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App

SUNDAY, OCT. 22
ON TRACK
-- 3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

NASCAR on NBC TV Ratings/Info - MENCS at Talladega

Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race on NBC from Talladega delivered a 2.75 overnight rating, +35% from the same race last year on NBCSN (2.04).

The 2.75 overnight rating for the race on NBCSN is the highest rating for the fall Talladega race since 2012 (ESPN/2.97).

The race had a Total Audience Delivery of 4.743 million viewers, +32% vs. 2016 (3.593M). The race produced a 2.84 rtg., +30% from the same race last year on NBCSN (2.19).

Viewership for the race peaked with nearly 7 million viewers in the 6:30-6:45 quarter hour. It finished with 5.2M live minutes streamed across all NBC Sports Digital platforms, +18% vs. 2016.

Last-lap pass gives Brad Keselowski victory in wild Talladega race

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

TALLADEGA, Ala. – On the Longest Day at Talladega—in a war of attrition that required three red flags and left 14 cars running at the finish—Brad Keselowski powered his No. 2 Team Penske Ford past the No. 31 Chevrolet of Ryan Newman on the final lap to win Sunday’s Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Two laps after the final restart on Lap 186 of 188, Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano ganged up on Newman, who held the runner-up position after Keselowski shot past him. Trevor Bayne ran third in a damaged No. 6 Ford, with Logano and Aric Almirola finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Denny Hamlin came home sixth, the only Playoff driver other than Keselowski whose car wasn’t heavily damaged in one of the myriad wrecks that punctuated an event that consumed 3 hours, 53 minutes, 17 seconds—not including the three stoppages that totaled 35 minutes, 29 seconds.

But in winning for the fifth time at Talladega, the third time this season and the 24th time in his career, Keselowski claimed the important prize—a ticket into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Round of 8.

In his final run at Talladega in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, pole winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. restarted third after the 11th and final caution, tried unsuccessfully to push Keselowski to the lead through the first two corners and fell back to seventh at the finish.

"I feel like only eight cars finished the race," said Keselowski, who gave Ford its seventh straight victory in restrictor-plate races, despite running much of the final stage with a broken radio antenna and intermittent communication with his spotter and crew chief. "It was one of those crazy days. I think we’ve seen that at the plate tracks this year—a lot of attrition…

"This is still sinking in. It’s a special place to get to race and a special place when you win here. It was really a collaborative effort with the team and getting a real fast car and making the right moves as a driver and a lot of help from up above with staying out of those wrecks. It really takes all three and we had them all today."

Though Newman surged to the front after the final restart, he assumed his stint at the point would be short-lived.

"We held them off longer than I expected," Newman said. "I couldn’t tell how much nose damage I had and I hadn’t led all day, so I didn’t know what to expect. I saw the No. 2 car in the mirror backing up and then he lost his draft and then he backed up again and he caught the No. 22 (Logano). That was all it took for him to get a good run.

"I would have maybe played it differently and backed it up in hindsight, backed up to them in hindsight, but I don’t think it would have made a difference. They were double-teaming me, and it was still a good race to finish second with the Caterpillar Chevrolet."

Any of the 10 Playoff contenders whose cars were heavily damaged in wrecks throughout the race would have gladly settled for second. Jamie McMurray was out of the race after 25 laps, his car destroyed in a six-car collision off Turn 4. That was a harbinger of the intense action to come. Playoff drivers Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick all suffered varying degrees of damage in a 16-car accident triggered by series leader Martin Truex Jr. on Lap 172.

"Well, I tried to get into a hole that was closing up at the wrong time," said Truex, who already had earned a berth in the Round of 8 by winning last Sunday at Charlotte. "By the time that I got in the brakes trying to get out of there I got into the 38 (David Ragan) a little bit on the right rear and he got squirrely out there and all hell broke loose. Just was trying to get to the end and get some track position and try to get towards the front and have a good day and ended up causing a wreck.

"So I hate it for everybody. We definitively had nothing to lose today, but at the same time, you don’t want to be the person that causes others problems. Even though I feel like I’ve never been that guy here before, it looks like today I was, so I hate it for all of those guys and all of their teams. I wish I didn’t make that mistake. Just 18 (laps) to go at Talladega, trying to get going and trying to fill a hole. Bad judgement and should have been more patient."

That wreck caused the first red flag. The second came after a Lap 178 accident that ended Harvick’s day and that of Playoff contender Ryan Blaney, who had led 27 laps, second only to Logano’s 59.

The final caution on Lap 183—followed by the third red flag—wiped out the Chevrolets of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, who were fighting for position at the front of the field when contact from Daniel Suarez’s Toyota ignited a six-car melee that raised the crash toll of Playoff drivers to 10.

The enormous attrition set up a scramble for the final six Playoff positions entering next Sunday’s elimination race at Kansas Speedway. Kyle Busch, Kenseth, Stenhouse and McMurray are below the current cut line, but only 29 points separate Harvick in fourth place from Busch in ninth.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race - Alabama 500

Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega, Alabama

Sunday, October 15, 2017
               1. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford, 188.
               2. (27) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 188.
               3. (10) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 188.
               4. (3) Joey Logano, Ford, 188.
               5. (26) Aric Almirola, Ford, 188.
               6. (15) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 188.
               7. (1) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 188.
               8. (11) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 188.
               9. (39) * Gray Gaulding #, Toyota, 188.
               10. (33) David Ragan, Ford, 188.
               11. (25) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 188.
               12. (20) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 188.
               13. (12) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet, 188.
               14. (19) Matt Kenseth (P), Toyota, 187.
               15. (14) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, Accident, 184.
               16. (2) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 182.
               17. (28) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, Accident, 182.
               18. (9) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford, Accident, 177.
               19. (35) * Brendan Gaughan(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 177.
               20. (22) Kevin Harvick (P), Ford, Accident, 176.
               21. (13) Danica Patrick, Ford, Accident, 175.
               22. (24) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 172.
               23. (21) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota, Accident, 171.
               24. (8) Jimmie Johnson (P), Chevrolet, Parked, 171.
               25. (4) Kurt Busch, Ford, Accident, 171.
               26. (5) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P), Ford, Accident, 171.
               27. (16) Kyle Busch (P), Toyota, Accident, 171.
               28. (30) Landon Cassill, Ford, Accident, 171.
               29. (18) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 171.
               30. (29) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, Accident, 171.
               31. (32) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, Parked, 171.
               32. (37) Joey Gase(i), Toyota, Accident, 164.
               33. (40) * DJ Kennington, Toyota, Accident, 164.
               34. (38) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, Accident, 155.
               35. (7) Clint Bowyer, Ford, Accident, 155.
               36. (23) Erik Jones #, Toyota, Accident, 26.
               37. (17) Jamie McMurray (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 25.
               38. (34) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, Accident, 25.
               39. (36) Mark Thompson(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 25.
               40. (31) * Justin Marks(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 16.



Average Speed of Race Winner:  131.677 mph.

Time of Race:  03 Hrs, 47 Mins, 52 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.210 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  11 for 47 laps.

Lead Changes:  30 among 16 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   D. Earnhardt Jr. 0; J. Logano 1-13; D. Earnhardt Jr. 14-20; C. Elliott (P) 21-25; M. Kenseth (P) 26-29; A. Allmendinger 30; J. Logano 31-54; B. Keselowski (P) 55-57; K. Kahne 58-61; M. Kenseth (P) 62-63; D. Hamlin (P) 64-66; M. Kenseth (P) 67; K. Kahne 68; B. Gaughan(i) 69-70; M. DiBenedetto 71-82; R. Stenhouse Jr. (P) 83-88; K. Busch 89-91; R. Blaney (P) 92-111; R. Newman 112; B. Gaughan(i) 113-116; D. Hamlin (P) 117; R. Blaney (P) 118-124; C. Elliott (P) 125-144; K. Busch (P) 145-148; J. Logano 149-170; D. Suarez # 171-176; C. Elliott (P) 177; D. Suarez # 178-182; B. Keselowski (P) 183-185; R. Newman 186-187; B. Keselowski (P) 188;.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  J. Logano 3 times for 59 laps; R. Blaney (P) 2 times for 27 laps; C. Elliott (P) 3 times for 26 laps; M. DiBenedetto 1 time for 12 laps; D. Suarez # 2 times for 11 laps; B. Keselowski (P) 3 times for 7 laps; M. Kenseth (P) 3 times for 7 laps; D. Earnhardt Jr. 1 time for 7 laps; B. Gaughan(i) 2 times for 6 laps; R. Stenhouse Jr. (P) 1 time for 6 laps; K. Kahne 2 times for 5 laps; K. Busch (P) 1 time for 4 laps; D. Hamlin (P) 2 times for 4 laps; R. Newman 2 times for 3 laps; K. Busch 1 time for 3 laps; A. Allmendinger 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 2,22,21,17,48,14,95,41,6,5

Stage #2 Top Ten: 21,2,14,24,41,3,48,4,18,11