{"id":22705,"date":"2018-11-03T23:00:22","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T04:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=22705"},"modified":"2018-11-04T09:55:20","modified_gmt":"2018-11-04T15:55:20","slug":"cole-custer-locks-up-championship-berth-with-last-lap-pass-at-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/03\/cole-custer-locks-up-championship-berth-with-last-lap-pass-at-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Cole Custer locks up championship berth with last-lap pass at Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Autodesk Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

FORT WORTH, Tex. \u2013 In a race that produced a last-lap pass for the win, a record 13 cautions and an unmitigated disaster for favorite son Christopher Bell<\/strong>, Cole Custer<\/strong> moved past Tyler Reddick<\/strong> on the backstretch to win Saturday\u2019s O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts 300<\/strong> at Texas Motor Speedway<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Autodesk Ford, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Robert Laberge\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Custer\u2019s first victory of the season gave the driver of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford an automatic berth in the Nov. 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Custer dominated last year in winning for the first time in the series.<\/p>\n

Reddick led the field to green with two laps left, after the 13th<\/sup> caution, and held the top spot until Custer mounted a strong run off Turn 2 on Lap 200. The cars made side-to-side contact on the backstretch before Reddick surrendered the position, and Custer held on to win by .162 seconds, the third closest finish in an Xfinity Series race at Texas.<\/p>\n

With his first victory of the season and the second of his career, Custer is the first of the Round of 8 drivers to clinch a chance at the championship in the season finale.<\/p>\n

“I can’t believe it,” Custer said. “I did all I could and drove in deeper than I had all weekend into Turn 1 (on the final lap) trying to get on (Reddick’s) bumper, and it worked out.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Autodesk Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Robert Laberge\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

“We’re going to Homestead, and I think we have a great chance to win it. It’s just awesome. We haven’t won this year, but we’ve been so close. It’s been frustrating, but we’ve kept going. There\u2019s no better time to do it.”<\/p>\n

Bell\u2019s stunning run of ill fortune continued at Texas. Two weeks ago at Kansas Speedway, in the first race in the Round of 8, Justin Allgaier wiped him out in Turn 2 of the first lap. On Saturday, after winning the pole, Bell spun out of control\u2014again in Turn 2 of the first lap.<\/p>\n

Though Bell recovered to finish fourth in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2, his recovery was short-lived. The coup de grace came on Lap 133 when eventual third-place finisher Austin Cindric pushed up the track slightly, clipped the back-left quarter of Bell\u2019s No. 20 Toyota and sent it sliding into the outside wall.<\/p>\n

Resulting suspension damage knocked Bell out of the race in 32nd<\/sup> place at the speedway closest to his Norman, Oklahoma, home.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Autodesk Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt caught me off guard,\u201d Bell said of the Lap 1 spin. \u201cYou saw the same thing from the No. 7 (Allgaier) at Kansas. I didn\u2019t feel like I was up to speed at all. The next thing I knew, I spun out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, it has to be the tire combination. It\u2019s tricky. There wasn\u2019t much room for error.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the Playoff field to be cut from eight drivers to four next Saturday at Phoenix, Bell Faces a 34-point deficit to Daniel Hemric (10th<\/sup> Saturday), who holds fourth place in the standings. A six-time winner as a Sunoco rookie this season, Bell, for practical purposes, must win again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis format, it\u2019s very tough and it creates a lot of drama,\u201d Bell said. \u201cI\u2019ve always been proud of myself for winning races, and I\u2019ve won six races this year, and I\u2019ve got a chance to win two more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to go out there and try to win races. I\u2019ve never been a points racer, and my results show for that. I\u2019m either up front or crashing. I\u2019m going to go out and try to win two more races.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Autodesk Ford, celebrates by placing the Winner’s Sticker on his car after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

In a race in which fortunes changed radically with differing pit strategies, Hemric won the first stage. But his luck soon took a turn for the worse. Hemric fell back after a Lap 194 restart and was knocked sideways when Richard Childress Racing teammate Shane Lee lost control underneath Hemric\u2019s Chevrolet in Turn 3.<\/p>\n

Aside from Custer, no one in the top eight has much breathing room heading to Phoenix. Reddick has a 20-point edge over fifth-place Allgaier, who came home fifth on Saturday. Veteran Elliott Sadler, who ran eighth, is 13 points ahead of Allgaier, his JR Motorsports teammate. Hemric has a 12-point cushion.<\/p>\n

But even huge leads can evaporate in a single corner, as Bell has discovered in the last two races.<\/p>\n

Last in the Playoff standings and 61 points out of fourth, Cindric must win at ISM Raceway at Phoenix to advance. That\u2019s nothing new for the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, who finished .316 seconds behind Custer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in a must-win position since Kansas,\u201d Cindric said. \u201cFor me, that hasn\u2019t changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notes: Kansas winner John Hunter Nemechek finished fourth\u2026 The 13 cautions broke the previous mark of 10 set in 2003\u2026 The closest Xfinity Series finish at Texas came in 2007 when Matt Kenseth beat Denny Hamlin to the finish line by .128 seconds.<\/p>\n

Media Center Interviews:<\/h3>\n

Cole Custer, Joe Custer and Jeff Meendering –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TMS_NXS_Custer_Meendering_110318.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TMS_NXS_Cindric_Reddick_110318.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – 14th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Texas Motor Speedway<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fort Worth, Texas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, November 3, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

               1. (3)  Cole Custer (P), Ford, 200.<\/p>\n

               2. (4)  Tyler Reddick # (P), Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               3. (8)  Austin Cindric # (P), Ford, 200.<\/p>\n

               4. (10)  John Hunter Nemechek, Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               5. (5)  Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               6. (14)  Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200.<\/p>\n

               7. (7)  Matt Tifft (P), Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               8. (13)  Elliott Sadler (P), Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               9. (12)  Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               10. (9)  Daniel Hemric (P), Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               11. (23)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               12. (17)  Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               13. (38)  Ty Majeski, Ford, 200.<\/p>\n

               14. (18)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               15. (22)  JJ Yeley, Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               16. (16)  Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 200.<\/p>\n

               17. (19)  Chad Finchum #, Toyota, 199.<\/p>\n

               18. (21)  Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 199.<\/p>\n

               19. (29)  Ray Black II, Chevrolet, 199.<\/p>\n

               20. (24)  Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 198.<\/p>\n

               21. (34)  Bayley Currey(i), Toyota, 197.<\/p>\n

               22. (30)  Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 197.<\/p>\n

               23. (2)  Shane Lee, Chevrolet, 197.<\/p>\n

               24. (32)  David Starr, Chevrolet, 196.<\/p>\n

               25. (33)  Spencer Boyd #, Chevrolet, 195.<\/p>\n

               26. (26)  Quin Houff, Chevrolet, 193.<\/p>\n

               27. (36)  Vinnie Miller #, Chevrolet, 193.<\/p>\n

               28. (37)  Mike Harmon, Chevrolet, 192.<\/p>\n

               29. (15)  Ryan Reed, Ford, Accident, 186.<\/p>\n

               30. (20)  Alex Labbe #, Chevrolet, 176.<\/p>\n

               31. (6)  Ryan Preece, Toyota, Accident, 139.<\/p>\n

               32. (1)  Christopher Bell # (P), Toyota, Accident, 133.<\/p>\n

               33. (11)  Ryan Truex, Chevrolet, Accident, 120.<\/p>\n

               34. (35)  Bobby Earnhardt, Toyota, Accident, 104.<\/p>\n

               35. (27)  Timmy Hill, Toyota, Vibration, 56.<\/p>\n

               36. (25)  BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Electrical, 44.<\/p>\n

               37. (28)  Stephen Leicht, Chevrolet, Fuel Pump, 32.<\/p>\n

               38. (31)  Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Brakes, 10.<\/p>\n

               39. (39)  Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Electrical, 4.<\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner:  116.82 mph.<\/p>\n

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 34 Mins, 5 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.162 Seconds.<\/p>\n

Caution Flags:  13 for 54 laps.<\/p>\n

Lead Changes:  17 among 9 drivers.<\/p>\n

Lap Leaders:   C. Bell # (P) 0;S. Lee 1-6;T. Reddick # (P) 7-24;D. Hemric (P) 25-51;T. Reddick # (P) 52-80;C. Custer (P) 81-85;T. Reddick # (P) 86;C. Custer (P) 87-92;C. Bell # (P) 93-127;B. Jones 128-131;D. Hemric (P) 132-138;J. Allgaier (P) 139-144;D. Hemric (P) 145-152;J. Allgaier (P) 153-183;J. Nemechek 184-189;C. Custer (P) 190-193;T. Reddick # (P) 194-199;C. Custer (P) 200.<\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Tyler Reddick # (P) 4 times for 54 laps; Daniel Hemric (P) 3 times for 42 laps; Justin Allgaier (P) 2 times for 37 laps; Christopher Bell # (P) 1 time for 35 laps; Cole Custer (P) 4 times for 16 laps; Shane Lee 1 time for 6 laps; John Hunter Nemechek 1 time for 6 laps; Brandon Jones 1 time for 4 laps.<\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 21,00,9,20,1,2,7,18,42,19<\/p>\n

Stage #2 Top Ten: 00,7,18,9,20,1,2,21,51,19<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service FORT WORTH, Tex. \u2013 In a race that produced a last-lap pass for the win, a record 13 cautions and an unmitigated disaster for favorite son Christopher Bell, Cole Custer moved past Tyler Reddick on the backstretch to win Saturday\u2019s O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Custer\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":22712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[257,16,181,665,21],"class_list":["post-22705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-cole-custer","tag-nascar","tag-nascar-xfinity-series","tag-oreilly-auto-parts-300","tag-texas-motor-speedway"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/358446-e1541343913125.jpg?fit=640%2C427","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-5Ud","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22705"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22715,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22705\/revisions\/22715"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}