MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
Overton’s 400
Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, Pa.
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Race Winner: Kyle Busch
Age: 32
Team: No. 18 – M&M’s Caramel Toyota
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Crew Chief: Adam Stevens
IN THE WORDS OF THE WINNER – “It’s been a frustrating year and this certainly relieves a little bit of that – I wouldn’t say all of it. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and these guys did an awesome job today. I can’t say enough about this M&M’s Caramel Camry – Toyota, this is their 100th Monster Energy Cup Series win. I can’t say enough about all of our partners and everyone on this team. All these guys, the pit crew – they do a great job each and every week. We had to rely on them on that final stop so we didn’t lose too much time to those guys because we had so much distance that we were letting them have it on us with those fresher tires that they had. It’s been a frustrating year, but an awesome day today.”
· Kyle Busch
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· Kyle Busch won the 44th annual Overton’s 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Pocono Raceway Sunday afternoon. It is Busch’s 39th win in 447 career MENCS races, and his first victory of 2017.
· With the win, Busch snaps a career long 36-race winless streak. Prior to today, his last win came at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 24, 2016.
· It was Busch’s first win in 26 starts at Pocono. Prior to today his highest finish was a second-place showing (2010). The win checks Pocono Raceway off Busch’s list of MENCS tracks where he has not won a race. Charlotte Motor Speedway now remains as the lone track where Busch is winless.
· With Busch’s win there now has been ten different winners in the last ten MENCS races this year, covering eight different race teams.
· Overall, Busch is the 14th different winner in MENCS this year, as he becomes the 13th driver to a secure a spot in 16-driver field of the 2017 MENCS playoffs.
· Busch’s victory marked the 100th MENCS win for Toyota.
· Kevin Harvick (2nd) posted his 14th top-10 finish and eighth top-5 showing in 21 MENCS races this year.
· Martin Truex Jr. (3rd) also posted his 14th top-10 finish and eighth top-5 showing in 21 MENCS races this year.
· Daniel Suarez (7th) 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).
· Kyle Busch won Stage 1 of the race while Clint Bowyer claimed Stage 2.
· Martin Truex Jr. (823) leads the 2017 point standings by 85 points over Kyle Larson (738). They are followed by Kevin Harvick (726) and Kyle Busch (723).
· Thirteen 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, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch, 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.
· In 12 career MENCS starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Busch has had five top-10 finishes, including a victory in the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 as he captured the first championship of his career.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
· Ryan Preece won the 9th annual U.S. Cellular 250 Presented by American Ethanol NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Iowa Speedway Saturday afternoon. It is Preece’s first win in 38 career XFINITY Series starts.
· It was Preece’s second top-5 finish in as many races this year finishing second two weeks ago at New Hampshire.
· Kyle Benjamin (2nd) posted his first top-10 finish in four XFINITY starts this year.
· Brian Scott was third in what was his first XFINITY Series race of the year. It marked his first top-5 finish in the series since he finished fourth in the Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 21, 2015.
· Cole Custer (5th) was the highest finishing rookie.
· With victories to their credit this year, William Byron (3), 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 (707) leads the XFINITY Series points standings by 54 points over rookie William Byron (653). They are followed by Justin Allgaier (564).
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
· Christopher Bell won the 8th annual Overton’s 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race Saturday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. It is Bell’s series-leading fourth win of the year.
· Overall, it is Bell’s sixth NCWTS win 42 career starts.
· Ben Rhodes (2nd) accounted for his sixth top-10 finish and fourth top-5 showing in 12 NCWTS races this year. It tied for his best finish in 39 career Truck series races.
· Ryan Truex (3rd) posted his seventh top-10 finish and third top-5 showing in 12 races this year. It marked his best finish of 2017.
· Austin Cindric (7th) was the highest finishing rookie.
· Christopher Bell (4 wins), John Hunter Nemechek (2 wins), rookie Kaz Grala (1 win), Johnny Sauter (1 win) and Matt Crafton (1 win) 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.
· Christopher Bell (528) leads the points standings by 18 points over Johnny Sauter (510). Chase Briscoe has compiled 470, while two–time series champion Matt Crafton has collected 464 points.
