The 2017 U.S. Cellular 250 was the 19th stock car race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and the ninth iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 29, 2017, in Newton, Iowa, at Iowa Speedway, a 0.875 miles (1.408 km) permanent D-shaped low-banked racetrack. The race was extended from 150 laps to 154 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. Ryan Preece, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, held off Kyle Benjamin in a close finish for his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win. Preece would beat Benjamin by 0.054 of a second. To fill out the podium, Brian Scott of Richard Childress Racing would finish third, respectively.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake00Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet01Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2Ben Kennedy (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3Brian ScottRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet07Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet8B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet9William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet11Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet13Bobby Dale EarnhardtMBM MotorsportsChevrolet14J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota15Reed Sorenson (i)JD MotorsportsChevrolet16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord18Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota20Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet22Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord23Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet24Dylan LuptonJGL RacingToyota28Dakoda ArmstrongJGL RacingToyota33Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet40Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsChevrolet42Tyler ReddickChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet48Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet52Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet60Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFord62Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge78Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet90Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet93Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet96Brett Moffitt (i)GMS RacingChevrolet99David StarrB. J. McLeod Motorsports with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, July 28, at 4:00 PM CST. The session would last for 55 minutes. Sam Hornish Jr. of Team Penske would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.721 and an average speed of . Pos#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed122Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord24.721127.42227Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet24.773127.155320Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota24.802127.006Full first practice results
Final practice The final practice session was held on Friday, July 28, at 5:30 PM CST. The session would last for 55 minutes. Ben Kennedy of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.244 and an average speed of . Pos#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed12Ben Kennedy (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet24.244129.929220Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota24.423128.977322Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord24.442128.877Full final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, July 29, at 11:00 AM CST. Since Iowa Speedway is under in length, the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included three rounds. The first round was 15 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 15 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 24 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Round 3 consisted of the fastest 12 drivers from Round 2, and the drivers would have 5 minutes to set a time. Whoever was fastest in Round 3 would win the pole.
Ryan Preece of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole after advancing from both preliminary rounds and setting the fastest lap in Round 3, with a time of 24.072 and an average speed of .
Bobby Dale Earnhardt would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results Pos#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)Time (R3)Speed (R3)120Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota24.307129.59224.151130.42924.072130.857218Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota24.069130.87424.156130.40224.129130.548321Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet24.268129.80124.261129.83824.181130.268422Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord24.349129.36924.158130.39224.192130.208500Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord24.262129.83324.104130.68424.193130.20361Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet24.457128.79724.289129.68824.200130.165711Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet24.317129.53924.217130.07424.200130.165848Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet24.264129.82224.308129.58724.218130.069960Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFord24.307129.59224.222130.04724.249129.9021019Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota24.455128.80824.150130.43524.253129.881113Brian ScottRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24.398129.10924.300129.63024.352129.3531223Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet24.448128.84524.295129.65624.443128.871Eliminated in Round 2132Ben Kennedy (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet24.387129.16724.317129.539 - -147Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet24.386129.17224.350129.363 - -1542Tyler ReddickChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet24.414129.02424.353129.348 - -1662Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24.424128.97224.364129.289 - -179William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet24.395129.12524.407129.061 - -1816Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord24.366129.27924.420128.993 - -1933Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24.393129.13524.423128.977 - -2028Dakoda ArmstrongJGL RacingToyota24.488128.63424.474128.708 - -2196Brett Moffitt (i)GMS RacingChevrolet24.514128.49824.482128.666 - -224Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet24.613127.98124.551128.304 - -235Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet24.610127.99724.588128.111 - -2493Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet24.505128.545 - - - -Eliminated in Round 12539Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet24.626127.914 - - - -2601Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet24.641127.836 - - - -2751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet24.683127.618 - - - -2814J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota24.703127.515 - - - -2915Reed Sorenson (i)JD MotorsportsChevrolet24.740127.324 - - - -3052Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet24.743127.309 - - - -318B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet24.769127.175 - - - -3224Dylan LuptonJGL RacingToyota24.771127.165 - - - -3389Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet24.820126.914 - - - -Qualified by owner's points340Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet24.976126.121 - - - -3578Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet25.008125.960 - - - -3699David StarrBJMM with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet25.120125.398 - - - -3707Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet25.155125.224 - - - -3890Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet25.266124.673 - - - -3940Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsChevrolet26.050120.921 - - - -Qualified by time4074Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge26.109120.648 - - - -Failed to qualify4113Bobby Dale EarnhardtMBM MotorsportsChevrolet26.063120.861 - - - -Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 60 Pos#DriverTeamMakePts120Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1021Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet9318Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota8448Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet7522Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord667Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet5700Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord4819Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota392Ben Kennedy (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet21011Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 60 Pos#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet10220Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota931Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet842Ben Kennedy (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet7518Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota6648Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet5722Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord4800Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord3960Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFord21019Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 3 Laps: 134 Pos#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts120Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota254141Running59218Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2545Running4933Brian ScottRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2540Running34448Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet2540Running45500Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord2540Running39614J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota2540Running31721Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2540Running30811Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet2540Running3099William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet2540Running281033Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2540Running271196Brett Moffitt (i)GMS RacingChevrolet2540Running0121Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2542Running421362Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2540Running241439Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet2540Running231501Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet2540Running221660Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFord2540Running231728Dakoda ArmstrongJGL RacingToyota2540Running20184Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet2540Running191919Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2530Running22207Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet252106Running322116Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord2520Running16228B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2520Running15232Ben Kennedy (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2510Running232452Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet2490Running132524Dylan LuptonJGL RacingToyota2490RUnning122699David StarrBJMM with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2490Running112778Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2490Running102851Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2490Running92990Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet2480Running83007Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2470Running73174Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge2430Running63240Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsChevrolet2410Running5335Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet2330Running43422Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord2290Accident13350Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet2180Accident23642Tyler ReddickChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet2180Running13723Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet1700Accident13889Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet460Handling13915Reed Sorenson (i)JD MotorsportsChevrolet90Transmission04093Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet30Vibration1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Elliott Sadler 707 2 William Byron 653 (–54) 3 Justin Allgaier 564 (–143) 4 Brennan Poole 518 (–189) 5 Daniel Hemric 488 (–219) 6 Cole Custer 474 (–233) 7 Matt Tifft 436 (–271) 8 Ryan Reed 424 (–283) 9 Dakoda Armstrong 388 (–319) 10 Blake Koch 374 (–333) 11 Michael Annett 371 (–336) 12 Brendan Gaughan 353 (–354)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References