NASCAR Fast Facts: Bell, Byron, Truex champions

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES

Ford EcoBoost 400 - Nov. 19, 2017 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race Winner: Martin Truex Jr. (P)
Age: 37
Team: No. 78 - Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota
Owner: Furniture Row Racing
Crew Chief: Cole Pearn

Martin Truex Jr. (P) won the 19th Annual Ford EcoBoost 400, his 15th victory in 441 NASCAR Monster  Energy Cup Series races. This is his eighth victory and 26th top-10 finish in 2017. This is his first victory and eighth top-10 finish in 13 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kyle Busch (P) (second) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 13 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  It is  his 22nd top-10 finish in 2017.

Kyle Larson (third) posted his third top-10 finish in five races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Erik Jones (21st) was the highest finishing rookie. Erik Jones is the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

Martin Truex Jr. (P) is the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Toyota has won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer's championship.

Driver Champion: Martin Truex Jr.
Team: No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota
- Martin Truex Jr has won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship, becoming the 32nd
different series champion.
- Truex wins in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to claim the 2017 title.
- Truex has become the fourth different driver to win a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship in the
elimination-style format of the Playoffs; joining Kevin Harvick (2014), Kyle Busch (2015) and Jimmie Johnson
(2016).
- Truex joins Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte and Brad Keselowski as only the fifth driver all-time to
boast both Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series championships.
- In 2017, Truex has posted eight wins, 19 top fives, 26 top 10s and three poles.
- Truex (Mayetta) is the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion from the state of New Jersey.
Owner Champion: Barney Visser, Furniture Row Racing
- This is Furniture Row Racing’s first series owner championship in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
- Furniture Row Racing’s previous best championship standings finish was fourth in 2015 with driver Martin Truex
Jr.
- Furniture Row Racing is the only Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team based out of Denver, Colorado.
Crew Chief Champion: Cole Pearn
- Cole Pearn has won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship with driver Martin Truex Jr.
- Pearn is the 39th different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series crew chief to win a championship.
- Pearn has posted 13 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories – all with driver Martin Truex Jr.

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NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Ford EcoBoost 300 - Nov. 18, 2017 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race Winner: Cole Custer
Age: 19
Team: No. 00 - Haas Automation Ford
Owner: Gene Haas
Crew Chief: Jeff Meendering

Cole Custer  won the 23rd Annual Ford EcoBoost 300, his first victory in 38 NASCAR XFINITY Series races. This is his first victory and 19th top-10 finish in 2017. This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in two races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Sam Hornish Jr. (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in seven races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is his third top-10 finish in 2017.

William Byron (P (third) posted his first top-10 finish in his first start at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Cole Custer (first) was the highest finishing rookie.

William Byron # (P) is the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion.

William Byron # (P) is the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

Chevrolet is the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series manufacturer's champion.

The 2017 season has seen 18 different winners tying the series record set back in 1988.

Driver Champion: William Byron
Team: No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro
- William Byron won his first NASCAR XFINITY Series championship; becoming the 28th different driver to win the title
and the second in series history to win the championship in his Sunoco rookie season joining Chase Elliott (2014).
- Byron finished third in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to claim the title.
- At the age of 19 years, 11 months, 20 days, William Byron has become the second youngest champion in NASCAR
XFINITY Series history; behind record holder Chase Elliott, who won the series title at the age of 18 years, 11 months,
18 days.
- Byron made 33 starts this season posting four wins, 12 top fives, 22 top 10s and two Coors Light poles.
- Byron (Charlotte) has become the sixth NASCAR XFINITY Series champion from the state of North Carolina; joining
Austin Dillon (2013 champion, Welcome, N.C.), Brian Vickers (2003, Thomasville, N.C.), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998,
1999, Kannapolis, N.C.), Jack Ingram (1985, 1982, Asheville, N.C.) and Sam Ard (1983, 1984, Asheboro, N.C.).
Owner Of Driver Champion: Dale Earnhardt Jr., JR Motorsports
- This is JR Motorsport’s second NASCAR XFINITY Series driver championship (Chase Elliott, 2014).
- In addition to the No. 9 Chevrolet driven by William Byron, JR Motorsports had two other teams in the 2017 NASCAR
XFINITY Series Playoff Championship 4; the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Elliott Sadler (finished eighth at Homestead)
and the No. 7 Chevrolet driven by Justin Allgaier (finished 12th at Homestead).
- Owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., a two-time (1998, ’99) NASCAR XFINITY Series driver champion, fielded his first car as an
owner in the series with driver Mark McFarland at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19, 2005.
- JR Motorsports has led 12 different drivers to Victory Lane for a total of 37 wins in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Crew Chief Champion: David Elenz
- This is David Elenz’s first career NASCAR XFINITY Series championship.
- Elenz is the 25th different crew chief to win the NASCAR XFINITY Series title.
- Elenz has won eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races with four different drivers: William Byron (four),
Kevin Harvick (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one) and Chase Elliott (one).
Owner Champion: Roger Penske, Team Penske No. 22 Ford
- This is Team Penske’s fourth NASCAR XFINITY Series owners championship (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017).
- Five drivers made starts in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford this season: Ryan Blaney (11 starts), Brad Keselowski
(nine), Joey Logano (seven), Sam Hornish Jr. (five), Austin Cindric (one).
- The No. 22 team has posted four wins, 23 top fives and 28 top 10s this season.

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NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Ford EcoBoost 200 - Nov. 17, 2017 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race Winner: Chase Briscoe
Age: 22
Team: No. 29 - Cooper Standard Ford
Owner: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Buddy Sisco

Chase Briscoe  won the 22nd Annual Ford EcoBoost 200, his first victory in 24 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races. This is his first victory and 14th top-10 finish in 2017. This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in two races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Christopher Bell (P) (second) posted his second top-10 finish in four races at Homestead-Miami  Speedway. It is his 21st top-10 finish in 2017. Johnny Sauter (P) (third) posted his eighth top-10 finish in 12 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Chase Briscoe (first) was the highest finishing rookie. Briscoe wins the 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

Christopher Bell (P) wins the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.

Toyota wins the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturer's championship.

Driver Champion: Christopher Bell
Team: No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra
- Christopher Bell won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship; his previous best finish in the
final driver standings was third last season.
- Bell is the 16th different driver to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
- Bell finished second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck season finale to win the title.
- Bell finished the 2017 season with five wins, 15 top fives, 21 top 10s and five poles.
Owner Champion: Kyle Busch, Kyle Busch Motorsports
- This is Kyle Busch Motorsport’s record fifth-consecutive and sixth all-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
owner championship.
- Kyle Busch Motorsport’s previous owner championships were in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 – In 2013,
KBM’s No. 51 tied ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 in owner points, but was awarded the championship due the
tiebreaker (wins).
- Kyle Busch Motorsports is the first team in NCWTS history to win five consecutive owner championships.
- Kyle Busch Motorsports now has the most owner titles in the NCWTS with six.
- Kyle Busch Motorsports has led 10 different drivers to Victory Lane for a total of 65 series wins.
- This is Kyle Busch Motorsport’s second driver championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Erik
Jones, 2015).
- Kyle Busch Motorsports made its series debut back in 2010 with driver Johnny Benson Jr. at Texas.
Crew Chief Champion: Ryan Fugle
- This is Ryan Fugle’s second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship; he won his first with
Erik Jones in 2015.
- Fugle has 21 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories with four different drivers – Kyle Busch
(five), Erik Jones (four), William Byron (seven) and Christopher Bell (five).

No. 24 Truck Series team assessed L1 penalty after Texas

The No. 24 GMS Racing team was assessed an L1 penalty after the Texas NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, according to the NASCAR penalty report issued Tuesday.

The race finish was encumbered per Section 12.10 of the NASCAR Rule Book after both the front and rear of the truck measured below tolerances in post-race inspection, per the report. Justin Haley drove the No. 24 Chevrolet to a fifth-place finish at the JAG Metals 350 Driving Hurricane Harvey Relief.

Crew chief Kevin Bellicourt has been fined $5,000 and suspended from the next NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship points event at Phoenix. The team also was assessed the loss of 10 driver points and 10 owner points.

In addition, one lug nut was discovered to be improperly secured on the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports truck driven by Christopher Bell. Crew chief Ryan Fugle was fined $2,500.

Bell is leading the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs standings; Haley did not make the eight-driver playoffs field.

Christopher Bell races to first NASCAR XFINITY Series win

By JORDAN WOLF
Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Christopher Bell raced to his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday, beating dominant Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones after they made contract with four laps left at Kansas Speedway.

Bell led for just those four laps, hanging in second place behind Jones for much of the race before sliding in front of him shortly before the collision. After watching his teammate control the race for so long, the finish came as a surprise for Bell.

"I didn't think winning was a possibility," Bell said.

Jones led 186 laps of 200 laps, and won both of the first two stages. He failed to finish the race.

Jones had drifted to the top of the track before Bell attempted to slide past him underneath. Bell said after the race that he felt he was clear. Jones disagreed.

"It's not dirt racing, you know," Jones said. "He's not clear. I can't just stop on the top."

While Jones was initially excited for the race to come down to the wire against a teammate, he was very disappointed in how the race finished as he felt they didn't truly get to compete for the win.

"I thought we were going to race for the win and unfortunately it wasn't much of a race," Jones said. "It was more of a wreck."

Despite his frustrations, though, he knows that unfortunate endings like this one happen, and not to dwell on it moving forward.

"That's racing," Jones said. "It's not always going to go your way and you know it definitely didn't go our way today. We just have to come back ... and do it a little bit better."

For two teammates to be in such a tight race for first is a dicey situation in and of itself, but for one to make a move like Bell did shows the true competitive nature of the sport.

"We both want to win, and that's a product of it," Bell said.

Bell hadn't gotten the chance to apologize to Jones before meeting with the media, but said he intended to and that "it sucks that we couldn't race it out, or that he didn't finish the race."

Bell, a regular in the Truck Series, and Jones are not eligible for the series playoffs.

Justin Allgaier entered the race trailing teammate William Byron in the playoff standings, but now sits in first place after finishing fifth.

Byron, now in second place in the standings, finished fourth and now trails Allgaier by two points.

Elliott Sadler finished not far behind in seventh, maintaining his position of third place but now trailing the lead by 11 points.

Pole winner Tyler Reddick finished second, and Ryan Blaney was third.

NEAR-CRASH: The caution flag came out on Lap 76 when Elliot Sadler spun out. Sadler didn't make contact with any other drivers, as Austin Dillon was able to barely navigate past the smoking No. 1 car as it spun toward the infield. He would return to the race.

SLOWED START: Gray Gaulding and Reed Sorenson were pushed to the rear prior to the race for missing driver introductions, and Spencer Boyd, Byron and Tifft were sent to the rear as well for unapproved adjustments. Byron and Tifft are in the playoff hunt, so the ruling put them in an uphill battle early to catch up with their competition.

UP NEXT: Nov. 4 at Texas Motor Speedway. Jones won at the track in April.


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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