MONSTER
ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
O’Reilly
Auto Parts 500
Texas
Motor Speedway – Ft. Worth, Texas
Sunday,
April 9, 2017
Race
Winner: Jimmie Johnson
Age:
41
Team:
No. 48 – Lowe’s Chevrolet
Owner:
Hendrick Motorsports
Crew
Chief: Chad Knaus
IN THE WORDS
OF THE WINNER – “I guess I remembered
how to drive; and I guess this team remembered how to do it! I’m just
real proud of this team. What a tough track and tough conditions. We were
really in our wheelhouse and we were just able to execute all day. Thanks to
everybody at Lowe’s and Chevy and the fans and a ton of sponsors. Oh, it was
hot in there. I got cooked in the car today. I didn’t have any fluids so I’m
not feeling the best, but we got into Victory Lane. I’m so proud of the fight
in this race team. I can’t wait to celebrate during this off-weekend with my
family and friends and really enjoy this.”
-- Jimmie
Johnson
----------------
·
Jimmie
Johnson won the 21st annual O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Monster Energy
NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon. For Johnson,
it is his 81st victory in 550 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
races. It is his first victory of 2017, and his initial victory since
claiming the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway when he
captured the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.
·
Johnson
won today’s race starting from the rear of the field due to a tire change
following qualifying. He is the first driver to win a race starting from
the rear since he did it in the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami
Speedway.
·
It
is Johnson’s seventh win in 28 starts at Texas Motor Speedway, as there are now
four tracks at which Johnson has notched seven or more victories (Dover-10,
Martinsville-9, Charlotte-8). Johnson also has amassed 21 top-10
finishes and 15 top-5s at Texas.
·
It
marks his 16th straight season with at least one win.
·
Kyle
Larson (second) posted his third top-10 finish in eight races at Texas Motor
Speedway. It is his best finish at Texas. It also marks his fifth top-5
finish in seven races this year.
·
Joey
Logano (third) posted his eighth top-10 finish in 18 career Monster Energy
Series races at Texas Motor Speedway. It is his best finish of 2017 and
he has now finished in the top-6 in six of the seven races this year.
·
Dale
Earnhardt Jr. finished fifth today, his first top-5 showing since he finished
second on June 6 of last year at Pocono.
·
Ty
Dillon (17th) was the highest finishing rookie today.
·
For
2017, NASCAR has introduced a new stage format in all three national series
where each race is segmented into three stages. In addition to the points
awarded at the end of a race (Final Stage), points are also awarded to the
top-10 finishers of the first two stages (Stage 1 & Stage 2).
·
Ryan
Blaney won both Stage 1 and 2 of today’s race.
·
Kyle
Larson (315) leads the point standings by 17 points over Chase Elliott
(298). They are followed by Martin Truex Jr. (275) and Brad
Keselowski (274).
·
Through
seven races of the 26-race regular season, six drivers have qualified for the
16-driver field of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, a list
consisting of Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Kyle
Larson and Jimmie Johnson, each of who has won at least one race this season.
The Playoffs culminate with the Ford EcoBoost 400 championship finale on
November 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
·
In
16 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway,
Johnson has posted one win and 11 top-10 finishes, including five in the
top-5. He has celebrated all seven of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series championships at Homestead-Miami Speedway, most recently in 2016 when he
took the checkered flag at the Ford EcoBoost 400.
NASCAR
XFINITY SERIES
·
Erik
Jones won the 21st annual My Bariatrics Solutions 300 NASCAR XFINITY
Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. It is Jones’ seventh
victory in 63 career NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
·
It
is his second victory and fifth top-10 finish in five career XFINITY Series
races at Texas Motor Speedway. Jones also captured Stage 1 of the race.
·
Rookie
William Byron took Stage 2 of the race.
·
Ryan
Blaney (second) accounted for his fourth top-10 finish in as many XFINITY
Series races at Texas Motor Speedway.
·
Kevin
Harvick (third) posted his 17th top-10 finish in 20 career XFINITY
Series races at Texas Motor Speedway.
·
Cole
Custer (fifth) was the highest finishing rookie as well as the highest
finishing XFINITY Series regular.
·
With
one win apiece this year, Justin Allgaier and Ryan Reed have clinched spots in
the 12-driver playoff field in the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs.
The Playoffs culminate with the Ford EcoBoost 300 XFINITY Series championship
race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, November 18.
·
Elliott
Sadler (225) leads the XFINITY Series points standings by six points over
rookie William Byron (219), winner of the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 200 Camping World
Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. They are followed by Ryan Reed
(183), Bubba Wallace (176) and Justin Allgaier (174).
NASCAR
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
·
The
Camping World Truck Series was off this weekend. They will resume action
on Saturday, May 12 with the Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway.
