The 2017 VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 was the 27th stock car race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the first race of the Round of 12, and the sixth iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 23, 2017, in Sparta, Kentucky, at Kentucky Speedway, a 1.5-mile (2.41 km) tri-oval speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. Tyler Reddick, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, would dominate the late stages of the race to win his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and his only win of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Brennan Poole, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, and Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 27 of 33 in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
| Date | September 23, 2017 | ||
| Official name | 6th Annual VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 | ||
| Location | Sparta, Kentucky, Kentucky Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.5 mi (2.41 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 300 mi (482.803 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 300 mi (482.803 km) | ||
| Average speed | 151.728 miles per hour (244.183 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 29.633 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | |
| Laps | 66 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBCSN | ||
| Announcers | Dave Burns, Dale Jarrett | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Performance Racing Network | ||
Background
edit
Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned Kentucky Speedway until 2008. The speedway has a grandstand capacity of 117,000. Construction of the speedway began in 1998 and was completed in mid-2000. The speedway has hosted the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, Xfinity Series, IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, and most recently, the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2011.
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Practice
editFirst practice
editThe first practice session was held on Friday, September 22, at 4:00 PM EST. The session would last for 55 minutes.[2] Matt Tifft, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.929 and an average speed of 180.427 mph (290.369 km/h).[3]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Matt Tifft (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.929 | 180.427 |
| 2 | 3 | Brian Scott | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.125 | 179.253 |
| 3 | 20 | Ryan Preece | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.258 | 178.465 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second and final practice
editThe final practice session, sometimes known as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, September 22, at 6:30 PM EST. The session would last for 55 minutes.[2] Ryan Preece, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.731 and an average speed of 181.629 mph (292.304 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Ryan Preece | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.731 | 181.629 |
| 2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.871 | 180.777 |
| 3 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 29.981 | 180.114 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
editQualifying was held on Saturday, September 23, at 5:35 PM EST.[2] Since Kentucky Speedway is under 2 miles (3.2 km) in length, the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included three rounds. The first round was 15 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 15 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 24 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Round 3 consisted of the fastest 12 drivers from Round 2, and the drivers would have 5 minutes to set a time. Whoever was fastest in Round 3 would win the pole.[5]
Kyle Benjamin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole after setting a time of 29.633 and an average speed of 182.229 mph (293.269 km/h) in the third round.[6]
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results
edit| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time (R1) | Speed (R1) | Time (R2) | Speed (R2) | Time (R3) | Speed (R3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Kyle Benjamin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.906 | 180.566 | 29.859 | 180.850 | 29.633 | 182.229 |
| 2 | 20 | Ryan Preece | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.005 | 179.970 | 29.964 | 180.216 | 29.640 | 182.186 |
| 3 | 00 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 30.251 | 178.506 | 29.717 | 181.714 | 29.694 | 181.855 |
| 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.092 | 179.450 | 29.910 | 180.542 | 29.724 | 181.671 |
| 5 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 30.028 | 179.832 | 29.806 | 181.172 | 29.743 | 181.555 |
| 6 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.257 | 178.471 | 29.906 | 180.566 | 29.749 | 181.519 |
| 7 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.078 | 179.533 | 29.865 | 180.814 | 29.751 | 181.507 |
| 8 | 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 30.049 | 179.706 | 29.874 | 180.759 | 29.781 | 181.324 |
| 9 | 19 | Matt Tifft (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.100 | 179.402 | 29.930 | 180.421 | 29.786 | 181.293 |
| 10 | 3 | Brian Scott | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.367 | 177.825 | 29.927 | 180.439 | 29.859 | 180.850 |
| 11 | 2 | Ben Kennedy (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.767 | 181.409 | 29.880 | 180.723 | 29.891 | 180.656 |
| 12 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.164 | 179.021 | 29.937 | 180.379 | 29.907 | 180.560 |
| Eliminated in Round 2 | ||||||||||
| 13 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 30.284 | 178.312 | 29.992 | 180.048 | - | - |
| 14 | 33 | Brandon Jones | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.964 | 180.216 | 30.051 | 179.695 | - | - |
| 15 | 22 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Team Penske | Ford | 30.098 | 179.414 | 30.090 | 179.462 | - | - |
| 16 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.612 | 176.401 | 30.129 | 179.229 | - | - |
| 17 | 11 | Blake Koch | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 30.431 | 177.451 | 30.246 | 178.536 | - | - |
| 18 | 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.535 | 176.846 | 30.277 | 178.353 | - | - |
| 19 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 30.273 | 178.377 | 30.361 | 177.860 | - | - |
| 20 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 30.438 | 177.410 | 30.388 | 177.702 | - | - |
| 21 | 4 | Ross Chastain | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.481 | 177.160 | 30.419 | 177.521 | - | - |
| 22 | 14 | J. J. Yeley | TriStar Motorsports | Toyota | 30.678 | 176.022 | 30.443 | 177.381 | - | - |
| 23 | 8 | B. J. McLeod | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.631 | 176.292 | 30.606 | 176.436 | - | - |
| 24 | 28 | Dakoda Armstrong | JGL Racing | Toyota | 30.594 | 176.505 | 30.854 | 175.018 | - | - |
| Eliminated in Round 1 | ||||||||||
| 25 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 30.746 | 175.633 | - | - | - | - |
| 26 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.938 | 174.543 | - | - | - | - |
| 27 | 01 | Harrison Rhodes | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.975 | 174.334 | - | - | - | - |
| 28 | 99 | David Starr | BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 31.060 | 173.857 | - | - | - | - |
| 29 | 46 | Quin Houff | Precision Performance Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.139 | 173.416 | - | - | - | - |
| 30 | 93 | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 31.224 | 172.944 | - | - | - | - |
| 31 | 07 | Korbin Forrister (i) | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 31.332 | 172.348 | - | - | - | - |
| 32 | 90 | Josh Williams | King Autosport | Chevrolet | 31.421 | 171.860 | - | - | - | - |
| 33 | 13 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | 31.490 | 171.483 | - | - | - | - |
| Qualified by owner's points | ||||||||||
| 34 | 52 | Joey Gase | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 31.581 | 170.989 | - | - | - | - |
| 35 | 78 | Angela Ruch | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.210 | 167.650 | - | - | - | - |
| 36 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Chevrolet | 32.334 | 167.007 | - | - | - | - |
| 37 | 72 | Carl Long | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 32.707 | 165.102 | - | - | - | - |
| 38 | 92 | Dexter Bean | King Autosport | Chevrolet | 32.736 | 164.956 | - | - | - | - |
| 39 | 40 | John Jackson | MBM Motorsports | Chevrolet | 33.634 | 160.552 | - | - | - | - |
| 40 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Dodge | 33.649 | 160.480 | - | - | - | - |
| Official qualifying results | ||||||||||
| Official starting lineup | ||||||||||
Race results
editStage 1 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 00 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 18 | Kyle Benjamin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 20 | Ryan Preece | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 19 | Matt Tifft (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 3 | Brian Scott | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 00 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 20 | Ryan Preece | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 3 | Brian Scott | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 18 | Kyle Benjamin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 2 | Ben Kennedy (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 110
Standings after the race
edit
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References
edit- ^ "Tyler Reddick earns first career win in XFINITY Series Playoffs opener at Kentucky Speedway". ESPN.com. 2017-09-24. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ a b c "2017 NASCAR XFINITY Kentucky Race Info". ESPN.com. 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ Bonkowski, Jerry (2017-09-22). "Matt Tifft fastest in first of 2 Xfinity practices at Kentucky Speedway". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ Bonkowski, Jerry (2017-09-23). "Ryan Preece is fastest in final Xfinity practice Friday at Kentucky". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ "NASCAR Qualifying Rules". ESPN.com. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ McFadin, Daniel (2017-09-23). "Kyle Benjamin wins pole for Xfinity playoff opener at Kentucky". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ "2017 VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2022-07-15.