The 2017 Drive for the Cure 300 was the 29th stock car race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the third and elimination race of the Round of 12, and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, October 7, 2017, in Concord, North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. Alex Bowman, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, would control the late stages of the race to win his first and to date, only career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and his only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Sam Hornish Jr. and Ryan Blaney, both driving for Team Penske, would finish second and third, respectively.
The eight drivers to advance to the Round of 8 were William Byron, Justin Allgaier, Elliott Sadler, Daniel Hemric, Cole Custer, Brennan Poole, Ryan Reed, and Matt Tifft.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet00Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet01Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet2Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet07Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet8B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet9William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet11Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet12Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord13Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge14J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota15Reed Sorenson (i)JD MotorsportsChevrolet16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord18Daniel Suárez (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota20Erik Jones (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota21Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet22Ryan Blaney (i)Team PenskeFord23Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet24Corey LaJoie (i)JGL RacingToyota33Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet38Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota42Alex Bowman (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet48Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet52Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet62Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge78Angela RuchB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet90Mario GosselinKing AutosportChevrolet92Dexter BeanKing AutosportChevrolet93Gray Gaulding (i)RSS RacingChevrolet99David StarrBJMM with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, October 6, at 3:00 PM EST. The session would last for 55 minutes. Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.721 and an average speed of . Pos#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet29.721181.690242Alex Bowman (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet29.889180.66839William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet29.892180.650Full first practice results
Second and final practice The final practice session, sometimes known as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, October 6, at 6:00 PM EST. The session would last for 55 minutes. Sam Hornish Jr., driving for Team Penske, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.602 and an average speed of . Pos#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord29.602182.420222Ryan Blaney (i)Team PenskeFord29.728181.647319Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota29.762181.439Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was originally scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 7. However, inclement weather would cancel the session. The starting lineup was determined by the current owner's points. As a result, Daniel Suárez, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole.
Full starting lineup Pos#DriverTeamMake118Daniel Suárez (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota222Ryan Blaney (i)Team PenskeFord320Erik Jones (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota442Alex Bowman (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet57Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet69William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet71Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet821Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet948Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet103Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1116Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord122Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1300Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord1419Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1511Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet1662Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet175Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet1824Corey LaJoie (i)JGL RacingToyota1914J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota204Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet2139Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet2233Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2423Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet2507Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2652Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet270Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet288B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2999David StarrBJMM with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet3001Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet3112Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord3238Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet3390Mario GosselinKing AutosportChevrolet3440Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota3578Angela RuchB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet3674Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge3713Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge3893Gray Gaulding (i)RSS RacingChevrolet3989Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet4015Reed Sorenson (i)JD MotorsportsChevroletFailed to qualify4192Dexter BeanKing AutosportChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 45 Pos#DriverTeamMakePts120Erik Jones (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0218Daniel Suárez (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0322Ryan Blaney (i)Team PenskeFord047Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet7521Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet669William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet5742Alex Bowman (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet082Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet0900Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord21012Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord1 Stage 2 Laps: 45 Pos#DriverTeamMakePts118Daniel Suárez (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0220Erik Jones (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0312Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord8422Ryan Blaney (i)Team PenskeFord0542Alex Bowman (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet0621Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet579William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet4800Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord391Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2102Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet0 Stage 3 Laps: 110 Pos#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts142Alex Bowman (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet20032running0212Sam Hornish Jr.Team PenskeFord2000running44322Ryan Blaney (i)Team PenskeFord20038running042Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running0548Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet2000running32600Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord2000running36721Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running41818Daniel Suárez (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota200111running0919Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2000running18101Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2001running291162Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running261216Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord2000running251333Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running24144Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet2000running23153Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2004running0169William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet2006running301724Corey LaJoie (i)JGL RacingToyota2000running01839Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet2000running191914J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota2000running182051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1990running172107Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1990running162201Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet1991running15230Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1990running142490Mario GosselinKing AutosportChevrolet1990running132511Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet1990running22699David StarrBJMM with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1980running11275Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet1970running10288B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1960running92940Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota1930running83020Erik Jones (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1927running03152Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet1610oil leak63274Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge1600suspension5337Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1120overheating113423Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet620crash33513Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge520steering23678Angela RuchB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet360crash13715Reed Sorenson (i)JD MotorsportsChevrolet150electrical03889Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet130handling13993Gray Gaulding (i)RSS RacingChevrolet30electrical04038Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet20steering1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 1 William Byron 3,026 1 2 Justin Allgaier 3,023 (-3) 3 Elliott Sadler 3,020 (–6) 1 4 Daniel Hemric 3,009 (–17) 1 5 Cole Custer 3,007 (–19) 6 Brennan Poole 3,006 (-20) 1 7 Ryan Reed 3,005 (-21) 1 8 Matt Tifft 3,004 (-22) 9 Brendan Gaughan 2,079 (-947) 10 Blake Koch 2,058 (-968) 11 Michael Annett 2,055 (-971) 12 Jeremy Clements 2,052 (-974)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References