2017 DC Solar 200
The 2017 DC Solar 200 was the fourth stock car race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and the 13th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 18, 2017, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would pull away on the final restart with four to go to win his fourth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his first of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Ryan Blaney of Team Penske and Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 4 of 33 in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
| Date | March 18, 2017 | ||
| Official name | 13th Annual DC Solar 300 | ||
| Location | Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 200 mi (321.868 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 200 mi (321.868 km) | ||
| Average speed | 91.013 miles per hour (146.471 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | JR Motorsports | ||
| Time | 26.969 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 85 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FOX | ||
| Announcers | Adam Alexander, Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Background
Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Entry list
*Withdrew due to fellow driver B. J. McLeod convincing Bilicki that the car was a safety hazard and should not be run.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, March 17, at 10:00 AM PST, and would last for 55 minutes.[2] Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.372 and an average speed of 131.521 miles per hour (211.663 km/h).[3]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.372 | 131.521 |
| 2 | 22 | Ryan Blaney (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 27.407 | 131.353 |
| 3 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.417 | 131.305 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Friday, March 17, at 1:00 PM PST, and would last for 55 minutes.[2] Ryan Blaney of Team Penske would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.423 and an average speed of 131.277 miles per hour (211.270 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Ryan Blaney (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 27.423 | 131.277 |
| 2 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.546 | 130.690 |
| 3 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.547 | 130.686 |
| 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 17, at 3:00 PM PST, and would last for 55 minutes.[2] Brendan Gaughan of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.449 and an average speed of 131.152 miles per hour (211.069 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.449 | 131.152 |
| 2 | 22 | Ryan Blaney (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 27.455 | 131.124 |
| 3 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.477 | 131.019 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying would take place on Saturday, March 18, at 10:05 AM PST.[2] Since Phoenix International Raceway is under 2 miles (3.2 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.[6]
William Byron of JR Motorsports would win the pole after advancing from both preliminary rounds and setting the fastest lap in Round 3, with a time of 26.969 and an average speed of 133.487 miles per hour (214.827 km/h).[7]
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time (R1) | Speed (R1) | Time (R2) | Speed (R2) | Time (R3) | Speed (R3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.306 | 131.839 | 27.160 | 132.548 | 26.969 | 133.487 |
| 2 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.451 | 131.143 | 27.113 | 132.778 | 26.980 | 133.432 |
| 3 | 2 | Austin Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.327 | 131.738 | 27.213 | 132.290 | 27.061 | 133.033 |
| 4 | 11 | Blake Koch | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 27.482 | 130.995 | 27.260 | 132.062 | 27.124 | 132.724 |
| 5 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.335 | 131.699 | 27.214 | 132.285 | 27.130 | 132.694 |
| 6 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.582 | 130.520 | 27.176 | 132.470 | 27.193 | 132.387 |
| 7 | 6 | Bubba Wallace | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 27.333 | 131.709 | 27.287 | 131.931 | 27.222 | 132.246 |
| 8 | 19 | Matt Tifft (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.659 | 130.157 | 27.207 | 132.319 | 27.227 | 132.222 |
| 9 | 00 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 27.529 | 130.771 | 27.275 | 131.989 | 27.262 | 132.052 |
| 10 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.545 | 130.695 | 27.289 | 131.921 | 27.281 | 131.960 |
| 11 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 27.424 | 131.272 | 27.295 | 131.892 | 27.316 | 131.791 |
| 12 | 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.472 | 131.043 | 27.277 | 131.979 | 27.415 | 131.315 |
| Eliminated in Round 2 | ||||||||||
| 13 | 3 | Ty Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.556 | 130.643 | 27.299 | 131.873 | — | — |
| 14 | 24 | Drew Herring | JGL Racing | Toyota | 27.519 | 130.819 | 27.320 | 131.772 | — | — |
| 15 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 27.606 | 130.406 | 27.399 | 131.392 | — | — |
| 16 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 27.457 | 131.114 | 27.411 | 131.334 | — | — |
| 17 | 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 27.366 | 131.550 | 27.450 | 131.148 | — | — |
| 18 | 14 | J. J. Yeley | TriStar Motorsports | Toyota | 27.799 | 129.501 | 27.634 | 130.274 | — | — |
| 19 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 27.753 | 129.716 | 27.730 | 129.823 | — | — |
| 20 | 01 | Harrison Rhodes | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.990 | 128.617 | 27.873 | 129.157 | — | — |
| 21 | 07 | Ray Black Jr. | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 28.012 | 128.516 | 27.936 | 128.866 | — | — |
| 22 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 27.950 | 128.801 | 28.022 | 128.470 | — | — |
| 23 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.971 | 128.705 | 28.101 | 128.109 | — | — |
| 24 | 8 | Matt Mills | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.069 | 128.255 | 28.436 | 126.600 | — | — |
| Eliminated in Round 1 | ||||||||||
| 25 | 52 | Joey Gase | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 28.099 | 128.118 | — | — | — | — |
| 26 | 93 | Jordan Anderson (i) | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 28.137 | 127.945 | — | — | — | — |
| 27 | 99 | David Starr | BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 28.200 | 127.660 | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | 90 | Mario Gosselin | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 28.355 | 126.962 | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Chevrolet | 28.401 | 126.756 | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Dodge | 28.563 | 126.037 | — | — | — | — |
| 31 | 40 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | 28.717 | 125.361 | — | — | — | — |
| 32 | 13 | Carl Long | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 29.310 | 122.825 | — | — | — | — |
| Qualified by owner's points | ||||||||||
| 33 | 22 | Ryan Blaney (i) | Team Penske | Ford | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 34 | 18 | Daniel Suárez (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | 28 | Dakoda Armstrong | JGL Racing | Toyota | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eliminated in Round 1 | ||||||||||
| 37 | 33 | Brandon Jones | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Qualified by owner's points | ||||||||||
| 38 | 4 | Ross Chastain | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 39 | 78 | B. J. McLeod | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 40 | 97 | Stephen Leicht | Obaika Racing | Chevrolet | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Withdrew | ||||||||||
| WD | 77 | Josh Bilicki | Obaika Racing | Chevrolet | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Official qualifying results | ||||||||||
| Official starting lineup | ||||||||||
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 2 | 2 | Austin Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 22 | Ryan Blaney (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 5 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 6 | Bubba Wallace | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 11 | Blake Koch | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Ryan Blaney (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 2 | Austin Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 6 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 6 | Bubba Wallace | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 11 | Blake Koch | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 110
Standings after the race
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References
- "Justin Allgaier perseveres to win NASCAR XFINITY race in Phoenix". ESPN.com. 2017-03-18. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- "2017 NASCAR XFINITY Phoenix Race Info". ESPN.com. 2017-02-27. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- Long, Dustin (2017-03-17). "Erik Jones paces opening Xfinity practice at Phoenix". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- Bonkowski, Jerry (2017-03-17). "Blaney fastest in young guns shootout in 2nd Xfinity practice Friday at Phoenix". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- Bonkowski, Jerry (2017-03-17). "Brendan Gaughan is fastest in final Xfinity practice at Phoenix". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- "NASCAR Qualifying Rules". ESPN.com. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- Bonkowski, Jerry (2017-03-18). "William Byron on pole, Erik Jones alongside in today's Xfinity race at Phoenix". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- "2017 Boyd Gaming 300 - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.