William Byron wins emotional battle for XFINITY title, as Cole Custer dominates

November 18, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service HOMESTEAD, Fla. – As Cole Custer celebrated his first victory in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and 19-year-old William Byron reveled in the series championship, a heartbroken and angry Elliott Sadler confronted the driver he believed cost him a long-coveted NASCAR title. Custer took the checkered flag in a different zip code, crossing the finish line 15.405 seconds ahead of second-place Sam Hornish Jr., who delivered the owners’ championship to Roger Penske. The real action, however, occurred three-quarters of a lap behind the winner. Sadler had passed Byron, his JR Motorsports teammate on Lap…

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Justin Allgaier Steals Chicagoland Speedway Victory on Late Restarts

September 16, 2017   By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service JOLIET, Ill. – Justin Allgaier had the drive of his life. Brendan Gaughan was hanging on for dear life. But both drivers were winners at Chicagoland Speedway. Grabbing the lead with a bold move to the inside after a restart on Lap 186 of 200, Allgaier, an Illinois native, captured the big prize at his home track—a victory in Saturday’s TheHouse.com 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series regular-season finale. Gaughan rallied from an equalized tire that put him three laps down to finish 13th on the lead lap and nail down the final spot…

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Ryan Preece finds Victory Lane at Iowa in pressure-packed performance

July 29, 2017 By Rob Gray NASCAR Wire Service NEWTON, Iowa — Ryan Preece’s short-lived, but ambitious 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule began three weeks ago at his de facto home track, New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It ended Saturday in the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway — as confetti swirled and soared to highlight his first career series triumph in Victory Lane. Preece, held off a hard-charging Kyle Benjamin in a green-white checkered finish that came after the third restart in the race’s final 17 pulse-quickening laps. “I thought this race would never end, that’s for sure,” an emotional Preece told…

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XFINITY rookie William Byron holds off Paul Menard in Brickyard debut

July 22, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service SPEEDWAY, Ind. – With a new competition package that produced a race-record 16 lead changes and the closest NASCAR XFINITY Series finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, William Byron threw more blocks than an NFL fullback in holding off charging Paul Menard to win Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250. Byron made the decisive pass for the lead on Lap 85, surging past JR Motorsports teammate Elliott Sadler into the top spot. Menard gained two spots, from fourth to second over a six-circuit stretch from Laps 90 to 96 but couldn’t overtake Byron, who blocked each…

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Kyle Busch wins, and Ryan Preece impresses at New Hampshire

July 15, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service LOUDON, N.H. – Kyle Busch’s celebratory burnout produced a cloud of smoke over the frontstretch at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but Ryan Preece’s first run in top-of-the-line equipment made an even bigger impression in Saturday’s Overton’s 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series race. After a major snafu on pit road took a potential win away from Brad Keselowski, who had arguably the fastest car at the Magic Mile, Busch cruised to a 10.425-second victory, collecting his third win in six starts this season, his sixth at NHMS and the 89th of his career, extending his…

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Denny Hamlin edges William Byron for NASCAR XFINITY win at Michigan

June 17, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – The rookie drove like a veteran in Saturday’s Irish Hills 250 at Michigan International Speedway, but in the end, the veteran took the rookie to school. Side-drafting off the final corner, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin pulled ahead of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron and won a drag race to the finish line to win his first NASCAR XFINITY Series race of the season in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “We were battling really hard, and Denny just schooled me there at…

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