MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts
Kentucky Speedway – Sparta, Kentucky
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Race Winner: Martin Truex Jr.
Age: 37
Team: No. 78 – Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota
Owner: Furniture Row Racing
Crew Chief: Cole Pearn
IN THE WORDS OF THE WINNER – “This is completely unbelievable. I’m so excited to win here. It felt like we had a shot last year and it got away from us on fuel mileage and just wanted to win here so, so bad after that. This is sweet redemption.”
--Martin Truex Jr.
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· Martin Truex Jr. won the 7th annual Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway Saturday night. It is Truex’s 10th win in 423 career MENCS races, and his third of 2017, tying Jimmie Johnson for the most wins in the series this year.
· It is Truex’s 12th top-10 finish and sixth top-5 showing in 18 races this year. It is his first win and fourth top-10 finish in 10 races at Kentucky Speedway.
· Kyle Larson (second) posted his 11th top-10 finish and eighth top-5 in 18 MENCS races this year. Each of his eight top-5 finishes have been second or better, including two wins.
· Chase Elliott (third) posted his 11th top-10 finish and sixth top-5 showing in 18 MENCS races this year.
· Erik Jones (6th) was the highest finishing rookie.
· 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).
· Truex also won each of the first two stages of the race, his fourth sweep of the two stages of a race this year. He now has won a series-high 13 stages. The next highest figure is four stage wins by Kyle Busch.
· Kyle Larson (710) leads the 2017 point standings by one point over Martin Truex Jr. (709). They are followed by Kyle Busch (609) and Kevin Harvick (599).
· Ten drivers currently have qualified for the 16-driver field of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The list consists of Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick, each of whom 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.
· Martin Truex Jr. has seven top-10 finishes in 12 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He was part of the Championship 4 in 2015, where he finished 12th.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
· Kyle Busch won the 17th annual Alsco 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Kentucky Speedway Saturday afternoon. It is Busch’s 88th victory in 333 career XFINITY Series races. It was his second win in five XFINITY races this year.
· Ryan Blaney (second) posted his seventh top-5 showing in as many XFINITY Series races this year. Blaney also won Stage 2 of the race.
· Erik Jones (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in nine XFINITY races this year. Jones also won Stage 1 of the race.
· William Byron (7th) was the highest finishing rookie.
· With victories to their credit this year, William Byron (2), Justin Allgaier (1) and Ryan Reed (1) 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 (578) leads the XFINITY Series points standings by 45 points over rookie William Byron (533). They are followed by Justin Allgaier (520).
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
· Christopher Bell won the 7th annual Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Thursday night at Kentucky Speedway. For Bell, it was his fifth victory in in 40 career Truck Series starts, and his series-leading third win of 2017.
· Brandon Jones (second) accounted for his third top-10 finish in four Camping World Truck Series races this year.
· Rookie Justin Hayley (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in eight NCWTS races this year.
· Ben Rhodes won Stage 1 of the race while Noah Gragson won Stage 2.
· Christopher Bell (3 wins), rookie Kaz Grala (1 win), Johnny Sauter (1 win) and John Hunter Nemechek (2 wins) all have qualified for the 8-driver field in the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs. The Playoffs culminate with the Ford EcoBoost 200 Camping World Truck Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday, November 17.
· Johnny Sauter (464) leads the points standings by 28 points over Christopher Bell (436). Rookie Chase Briscoe has compiled 390, while two–time series champion Matt Crafton has collected 375 points.
