2017 Mid-Ohio Challenge

{{Short description|21st race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASXFIN|Scheduled_km=272.542|Most_Driver=Sam Hornish Jr.|Most_laps=61|Pole_Team=Team Penske|Most_Team=Team Penske|First_Team=Team Penske|First_Driver=Sam Hornish Jr.|Car=22|Course_km=3.634|Course_mi=2.258|Date=August 12|Avg={{convert|64.154|mph|km/h}}|Distance_km=272.542|Location=Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course|Scheduled_laps=75|Scheduled_mi=169.35|Distance_laps=75|Official name=5th Annual Mid-Ohio Challenge|Race_Name=Mid-Ohio Challenge|Announcers=Dave Burns, Dale Jarrett|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Network=NBCSN|Pole_Time=1:23.921|Year=2017|Distance_mi=169.35|Pole_Driver=Sam Hornish Jr.|Race_No=21|Season_No=33|Image=Mid-Ohio.svg}}

The 2017 Mid-Ohio Challenge was the 21st stock car race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and the fifth iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 12, 2018, in Lexington, Ohio at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a 2.258 miles (3.634 km) permanent road course. The race took the scheduled 75 laps to complete. At race's end, Sam Hornish Jr., driving for Team Penske, would hold off the field on the final restart with five to go to complete a dominant performance.{{Cite web |date=2017-08-12 |title=Hornish Jr. edges Hemric to claim first Mid-Ohio victory |url=https://www.espn.com/jayski/nxs/2017/story/_/id/20324981/hornish-jr-edges-hemric-claim-first-mid-ohio-victory |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} The win was Hornish's sixth and to date, final career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and his only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Daniel Hemric, driving for Richard Childress Racing, and Matt Tifft, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The track is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington. Mid-Ohio has also colloquially become a term for the entire north-central region of the state, from south of Sandusky to the north of Columbus.

The track opened as a 15-turn, 2.4 mile (3.86 km) road circuit run clockwise. The back portion of the track allows speeds approaching 180 mph (290 km/h). A separate starting line is located on the backstretch to allow for safer rolling starts. The regular start / finish line is located on the pit straight. There is grandstand seating for 10,000 spectators and three observation mounds alongside the track raise the capacity to over 75,000.

= Entry list =

(R) denotes rookie driver.
(i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" !# !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor
0 \|Garrett Smithley \|JD Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Wheeling Nailers
00 \|Cole Custer (R) \|Stewart-Haas Racing \|Ford \|Haas Automation
1 \|Elliott Sadler \|JR Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|OneMain Financial
01 \|Sheldon Creed \|JD Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|United Rentals
2 \|Ben Kennedy (R) \|Richard Childress Racing \|Chevrolet \|Rheem
3 \|Scott Lagasse Jr. \|Richard Childress Racing \|Chevrolet \|Screen Your Machine
4 \|Ross Chastain \|JD Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|SEM Products
5 \|Michael Annett \|JR Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Allstate Parts & Service Group
7 \|Justin Allgaier \|JR Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Brandt Professional Agriculture
07 \|Andy Lally \|SS-Green Light Racing \|Chevrolet \|Motorcrush, Branson Supply
8 \|Josh Bilicki \|B. J. McLeod Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Prevagen
9 \|William Byron (R) \|JR Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Axalta, Ambassador Supply
11 \|Blake Koch \|Kaulig Racing \|Chevrolet \|LeafFilter Gutter Protection
13 \|Enrique Baca \|MBM Motorsports \|Dodge \|Peak Antifreeze
14 \|J. J. Yeley \|TriStar Motorsports \|Toyota \|TriStar Motorsports
16 \|Ryan Reed \|Roush Fenway Racing \|Ford \|Lilly Diabetes
18 \|Regan Smith (i) \|Joe Gibbs Racing \|Toyota \|Interstate Batteries
19 \|Matt Tifft (R) \|Joe Gibbs Racing \|Toyota \|Akron Community Foundation
20 \|James Davison \|Joe Gibbs Racing \|Toyota \|Sport Clips Haircuts
21 \|Daniel Hemric (R) \|Richard Childress Racing \|Chevrolet \|Blue Gate Bank
22 \|Sam Hornish Jr. \|Team Penske \|Ford \|Discount Tire
23 \|Spencer Gallagher (R) \|GMS Racing \|Chevrolet \|Allegiant Air
24 \|Dylan Lupton \|JGL Racing \|Toyota \|Nut Up
28 \|Dakoda Armstrong \|JGL Racing \|Toyota \|WinField United
33 \|Brandon Jones \|Richard Childress Racing \|Chevrolet \|Menards, Bali
39 \|Ryan Sieg \|RSS Racing \|Chevrolet \|RSS Racing
40 \|Tim Cowen \|MBM Motorsports \|Ford \|Cowen Logistics
42 \|Justin Marks \|Chip Ganassi Racing \|Chevrolet \|Katerra
46 \|Anthony Kumpen \|Precision Performance Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|LeasePlan
48 \|Brennan Poole \|Chip Ganassi Racing \|Chevrolet \|DC Solar
51 \|Jeremy Clements \|Jeremy Clements Racing \|Chevrolet \|BRT Extrusions
52 \|Joey Gase \|Jimmy Means Racing \|Chevrolet \|Jimmy Means Racing
62 \|Brendan Gaughan \|Richard Childress Racing \|Chevrolet \|South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa
74 \|Cody Ware (i) \|Mike Harmon Racing \|Dodge \|Veterans Motorsports Inc.
78 \|Stephen Young \|B. J. McLeod Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Wealth Recovery International
89 \|Morgan Shepherd \|Shepherd Racing Ventures \|Chevrolet \|Racing with Jesus
90 \|Matt Bell \|King Autosport \|Chevrolet \|Actev Motors
93 \|Jeff Green \|RSS Racing \|Chevrolet \|RSS Racing
98 \|Casey Mears \|Biagi-DenBeste Racing \|Ford \|GEICO Military
99 \|David Starr \|BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing \|Chevrolet \|BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing
colspan="5" \|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/nxs-21moh2017entrylist.pdf Official entry list]

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"

!Driver

!Team

!Make

!Sponsor

2017 Mid-Ohio Challenge

Background

= Entry list =

Practice

Qualifying

= Full qualifying results =

Race results

Standings after the race

References