2017 Rinnai 250
{{Short description|Second race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASXFIN|Car=18|Radio=Performance Racing Network|Most_Team=Stewart-Haas Racing|Most_laps=64|Pole_Driver=Kyle Busch|Most_Driver=Kevin Harvick|First_Driver=Kyle Busch|Date=March 4|Announcers=Adam Alexander, Michael Waltrip, Chase Elliott|Network=Fox Sports 1|Pole_Team=Joe Gibbs Racing|First_Team=Joe Gibbs Racing|Course_km=2.48|Scheduled_km=403.977|Location=Hampton, Georgia, Atlanta Motor Speedway|Distance_km=403.977|Distance_laps=163|Scheduled_laps=163|Scheduled_mi=251.02|Season_No=33|Race_No=2|Official_name=26th Annual Rinnai 250|Race_Name=Rinnai 250|Year=2017|Pole_Time=30.153|Course_mi=1.54|Distance_mi=251.02|Avg={{convert|128.435|mph|km/h}}}}
The 2017 Rinnai 250 was the second stock car race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 26th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 4, 2017, in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54 miles (2.48 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 163 laps to complete. At race's end, Kyle Busch, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would pull away with the lead at the end of the race to win his 87th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his first of the season.{{Cite web |agency=Associated Press |title=Kyle Busch wins Atlanta Xfinity race for second year in a row |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2017/03/04/kyle-busch-wins-atlanta-xfinity-race-for-2nd-year-in-a-row/98747876/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2017-03-04 |title=Race Recap: Kyle Busch wins second straight XFINITY race at Atlanta |url=https://www.espn.com/jayski/nxs/2017/story/_/id/18823449/kyle-busch-wins-second-straight-xfinity-race-atlanta |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} To fill out the podium, Brad Keselowski of Team Penske and Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
File:Atlanta_Motor_Speedway.svg, the venue where the race was held.]]
Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a track in Hampton, Georgia, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It is a 1.54-mile (2.48 km) quad-oval track with a seating capacity of 111,000. It opened in 1960 as a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two 1.5-mile (2.4 km) ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.
= 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 |
00
|Cole Custer (R) |Ford |
01 |
1 |
2
|Austin Dillon (i) |
3
|Ty Dillon (i) |
4 |
5 |
6
|Ford |
07 |
7 |
8 |
9
|William Byron (R) |
11 |
13 |
14 |
16
|Ford |
18
|Kyle Busch (i) |
19
|Matt Tifft (R) |
20
|Denny Hamlin (i) |
21
|Daniel Hemric (R) |
22
|Brad Keselowski (i) |Ford |
23
|Spencer Gallagher (R) |
24
|Corey LaJoie (i) |
25 |
28 |
33 |
39 |
40
|https://CrashClaimsR.Us/{{Dead link|date=June 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} |
41
|Kevin Harvick (i) |Ford |
42
|Kyle Larson (i) |
48 |
51 |
52 |
62 |
74 |
78 |
89 |
90 |
93
|Jordan Anderson (i) |
97 |
98
|Aric Almirola (i) |Ford |
99
|BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing |
colspan="5" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/nxs-02ams2017entrylist.pdf Official entry list] |
---|
Practice
= First practice =
The first practice session was held on Friday, March 3, at 10:00 AM EST, and would last for 55 minutes.{{Cite web |date=2017-02-09 |title=2017 NASCAR XFINITY Atlanta Race Info |url=https://www.espn.com/jayski/nxs/races/2017/story/_/id/18648237/2017-nascar-xfinity-atlanta-race-info |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} Aric Almirola of Biagi-DenBeste Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.567 and an average speed of {{Convert|181.372|mph|km/h}}.{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Dustin |date=2017-03-03 |title=Aric Almirola leads opening Xfinity practice at Atlanta |url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/03/03/aric-almirola-leads-opening-xfinity-practice-at-atlanta/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=NASCAR Talk {{!}} NBC Sports |language=en-US}}
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
1
|98 |Aric Almirola (i) |Ford |30.567 |181.372 |
---|
2
|18 |Kyle Busch (i) |30.597 |181.194 |
3
|41 |Kevin Harvick (i) |Ford |30.668 |180.775 |
colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/nxs-02ams2017prac1.pdf Full first practice results] |
= Second practice =
The second practice session was held on Friday, March 3, at 1:30 PM EST, and would last for 55 minutes. Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.865 and an average speed of {{Convert|179.621|mph|km/h}}.{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Dustin |date=2017-03-03 |title=Daniel Hemric paces second Xfinity practice; Brandon Jones goes to backup |url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/03/03/daniel-hemric-paces-second-xfinity-practice-brandon-jones-goes-to-backup/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=NASCAR Talk {{!}} NBC Sports |language=en-US}}
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
1
|21 |Daniel Hemric (R) |30.865 |179.621 |
---|
2
|98 |Aric Almirola (i) |Ford |31.002 |178.827 |
3
|00 |Cole Custer (R) |Ford |31.040 |178.608 |
colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/nxs-02ams2017prac2.pdf Full second practice results] |
= Third and final practice =
The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, March 3, at 3:30 PM EST, and would last for 55 minutes. Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.881 and an average speed of {{Convert|179.528|mph|km/h}}.{{Cite web |last=McFadin |first=Daniel |date=2017-03-03 |title=Kyle Busch fastest in final Xfinity practice at Atlanta |url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/03/03/nascar-kyle-busch-fastest-in-final-xfinity-practice-at-atlanta/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=NASCAR Talk {{!}} NBC Sports |language=en-US}}
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
1
|18 |Kyle Busch (i) |30.881 |179.528 |
---|
2
|41 |Kevin Harvick (i) |Ford |30.927 |179.261 |
3
|98 |Aric Almirola (i) |Ford |30.966 |179.035 |
colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/nxs-02ams2017prac3.pdf Full Happy Hour practice results] |
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Saturday, March 4, at 9:15 AM EST. Since Atlanta Motor Speedway is under {{Convert|2|mi|km}}, 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.{{Cite web |date=2018-02-07 |title=NASCAR Qualifying Rules |url=https://www.espn.com/jayski/pages/story/_/id/18676661/nascar-qualifying-rules |access-date=2021-11-02 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}
Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole after setting a fast enough time in the first two rounds to advance to the next, with Bell achieving a lap in Round 3 with a time of 30.153 and an average speed of {{Convert|183.862|mph|km/h}}.{{Cite web |last=Bonkowski |first=Jerry |date=2017-03-04 |title=Kyle Busch grabs pole for today's Rinnai 250 Xfinity race at Atlanta; to run 3 races in 24 hours |url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/03/04/kyle-busch-grabs-pole-for-todays-rinnai-250-xfinity-race-at-atlanta-to-run-3-races-in-24-hours/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=NASCAR Talk {{!}} NBC Sports |language=en-US}}
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Carl Long, Morgan Shepherd, and Mike Harmon.
= Full qualifying results =
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time (R1) !Speed (R1) !Time (R2) !Speed (R2) !Time (R3) !Speed (R3) |
1
|18 |Kyle Busch (i) | | | | |30.153 |183.862 |
---|
2
|9 | | | | |30.167 |183.777 |
3
|22 |Brad Keselowski (i) |Ford | | | | |30.186 |183.661 |
4
|42 |Kyle Larson (i) | | | | |30.241 |183.327 |
5
|20 |Denny Hamlin (i) | | | | |30.278 |183.103 |
6
|21 |Daniel Hemric (R) | | | | |30.367 |182.567 |
7
|19 |Matt Tifft (R) | | | | |30.410 |182.308 |
8
|00 |Cole Custer (R) |Ford | | | | |30.461 |182.003 |
9
|62 | | | | |30.600 |181.176 |
10
|16 |Ford | | | | |30.602 |181.165 |
11
|48 | | | | |30.610 |181.117 |
12
|41 |Kevin Harvick (i) |Ford | | | | |30.642 |180.928 |
colspan="11" |Eliminated in Round 2 |
13
|6 |Ford | | |30.528 |181.604 |— |— |
14
|3 |Ty Dillon (i) | | |30.574 |181.331 |— |— |
15
|98 |Aric Almirola (i) |Ford | | |30.578 |181.307 |— |— |
16
|7 | | |30.585 |181.265 |— |— |
17
|2 |Austin Dillon (i) | | |30.595 |181.206 |— |— |
18
|5 | | |30.632 |180.987 |— |— |
19
|24 |Corey LaJoie (i) | | |30.788 |180.070 |— |— |
20
|14 | | |30.796 |180.023 |— |— |
21
|23 |Spencer Gallagher (R) | | |30.907 |179.377 |— |— |
22
|1 |30.179 |183.704 |— |— |— |— |
23
|28 |30.521 |181.645 |— |— |— |— |
24
|4 |30.645 |180.910 |— |— |— |— |
colspan="11" |Eliminated in Round 1 |
25
|11 |30.795 |180.029 |— |— |— |— |
26
|93 |Jordan Anderson (i) |30.816 |179.907 |— |— |— |— |
27
|51 |30.865 |179.621 |— |— |— |— |
28
|39 |31.023 |178.706 |— |— |— |— |
29
|0 |31.225 |177.550 |— |— |— |— |
30
|33 |31.247 |177.425 |— |— |— |— |
31
|40 |31.250 |177.408 |— |— |— |— |
32
|8 |31.367 |176.746 |— |— |— |— |
33
|90 |31.376 |176.696 |— |— |— |— |
34
|78 |31.384 |176.651 |— |— |— |— |
35
|01 |31.387 |176.634 |— |— |— |— |
36
|07 |31.545 |175.749 |— |— |— |— |
37
|52 |31.687 |174.961 |— |— |— |— |
38
|99 |BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing |31.924 |173.662 |— |— |— |— |
39
|25 |32.728 |169.396 |— |— |— |— |
40
|97 |33.580 |165.098 |— |— |— |— |
colspan="11" |Failed to qualify |
41
|13 |31.837 |174.137 |— |— |— |— |
42
|89 |32.432 |170.942 |— |— |— |— |
43
|74 |15:13.779 |6.067 |— |— |— |— |
colspan="11" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/nxs-02ams2017qualresults.pdf Official qualifying results] |
colspan="11" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/nxs-02ams2017lineup.pdf Official starting lineup] |
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 40
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Fin !# !Driver !Team !Make !Pts |
1
|22 |Brad Keselowski (i) |Ford |0 |
---|
2
|18 |Kyle Busch (i) |0 |
3
|41 |Kevin Harvick (i) |Ford |0 |
4
|20 |Denny Hamlin (i) |0 |
5
|21 |Daniel Hemric (R) |6 |
6
|00 |Cole Custer (R) |Ford |5 |
7
|9 |4 |
8
|42 |Kyle Larson (i) |0 |
9
|3 |Ty Dillon (i) |0 |
10
|1 |1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 40
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Fin !# !Driver !Team !Make !Pts |
1
|41 |Kevin Harvick (i) |Ford |0 |
---|
2
|22 |Brad Keselowski (i) |Ford |0 |
3
|18 |Kyle Busch (i) |0 |
4
|42 |Kyle Larson (i) |0 |
5
|20 |Denny Hamlin (i) |0 |
6
|9 |5 |
7
|1 |4 |
8
|00 |Cole Custer (R) |Ford |3 |
9
|21 |Daniel Hemric (R) |2 |
10
|2 |Austin Dillon (i) |0 |
Stage 3 Laps: 83
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!St !# !Driver !Team !Make !Laps !Led !Status !Pts |
1
|1 |18 |Kyle Busch (i) |163 |26 |running |0 |
---|
2
|3 |22 |Brad Keselowski (i) |Ford |163 |53 |running |0 |
3
|4 |42 |Kyle Larson (i) |163 |20 |running |0 |
4
|12 |41 |Kevin Harvick (i) |Ford |163 |64 |running |0 |
5
|22 |1 |163 |0 |running |37 |
6
|13 |6 |Ford |163 |0 |running |31 |
7
|2 |9 |163 |0 |running |39 |
8
|17 |2 |Austin Dillon (i) |163 |0 |running |0 |
9
|6 |21 |Daniel Hemric (R) |163 |0 |running |36 |
10
|8 |00 |Cole Custer (R) |Ford |163 |0 |running |35 |
11
|11 |48 |163 |0 |running |26 |
12
|7 |19 |Matt Tifft (R) |163 |0 |running |25 |
13
|9 |62 |163 |0 |running |24 |
14
|30 |33 |163 |0 |running |23 |
15
|18 |5 |163 |0 |running |22 |
16
|19 |24 |Corey LaJoie (i) |163 |0 |running |0 |
17
|14 |3 |Ty Dillon (i) |163 |0 |running |0 |
18
|10 |16 |Ford |163 |0 |running |19 |
19
|15 |98 |Aric Almirola (i) |Ford |163 |0 |running |0 |
20
|5 |20 |Denny Hamlin (i) |162 |0 |running |0 |
21
|23 |28 |162 |0 |running |16 |
22
|28 |39 |161 |0 |running |15 |
23
|33 |90 |161 |0 |running |14 |
24
|35 |01 |160 |0 |running |13 |
25
|24 |4 |160 |0 |running |12 |
26
|32 |8 |160 |0 |running |11 |
27
|29 |0 |160 |0 |running |10 |
28
|21 |23 |Spencer Gallagher (R) |160 |0 |running |9 |
29
|36 |07 |159 |0 |running |8 |
30
|16 |7 |159 |0 |running |7 |
31
|37 |52 |158 |0 |running |6 |
32
|38 |99 |BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing |158 |0 |running |5 |
33
|31 |40 |156 |0 |running |4 |
34
|39 |25 |156 |0 |running |3 |
35
|34 |78 |139 |0 |rear gear |2 |
36
|20 |14 |128 |0 |engine |1 |
37
|27 |51 |76 |0 |suspension |1 |
38
|40 |97 |24 |0 |brakes |1 |
39
|26 |93 |Jordan Anderson (i) |2 |0 |ignition |0 |
40
|25 |11 |2 |0 |crash |1 |
colspan="10" |Failed to qualify |
41
! rowspan="3" | |13 ! colspan="4" rowspan="3" | |
42
|89 |
43
|74 |
colspan="10" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/nxs-02ams2017racereport.pdf Official race results] |
References
{{Reflist}}{{NASCAR next race|Previous_race=2017 PowerShares QQQ 300|Series=NASCAR Xfinity Series|Monsteryear=2017|Next_race=2017 Boyd Gaming 300}}
{{NASCAR on Fox}}{{2017 NASCAR Xfinity}}
Category:2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series
Category:NASCAR races at Atlanta Motor Speedway