William Byron wins first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Iowa
Series leader Elliott Sadler finished eighth in his 800th career start
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1 min read
William Byron won his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday night at Iowa just one week after suffering a heartbreaking second-place finish to Denny Hamlin. The 19-year-old was a seven-time winner last year in the truck series and now sits third in the regular-season standings in addition to clinching a playoff spot.
.@WilliamByron earns redemption in Iowa with first-career @NASCAR_XFINITY victory: https://t.co/AuC6cCSLm7 pic.twitter.com/H5CRwVKEf1
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 25, 2017
"Last week was just exciting to be that close to a win," said Byron, who won the Truck race at Iowa in 2016. "It gave us a lot of momentum going into this week."
Christopher Bell dominated most of the race in the No. 20 car, but was taken out by Brennan Poole late in the race just before a green-flag pit stop. It was not a complete loss for Bell -- the young driver was able to win Stage 1 over Sam Hornish Jr.
.@CBellRacing was just an innocent bystander in this crash. Heartbreak after leading 152 laps. #E15250 pic.twitter.com/6vMBGG8jUd
— NASCAR XFINITY (@NASCAR_XFINITY) June 25, 2017
Late in Stage 2, Bell rubbed fenders with Hornish, ending the No. 22's night.
"I felt like we were heading in the direction we needed," said Hornish, who'll return to Iowa Speedway with Team Penske next month. "This is not how we wanted it to go at all."
Race over for @SamHornish. #E15250 pic.twitter.com/yuUYV50CJD
— NASCAR XFINITY (@NASCAR_XFINITY) June 25, 2017
Brendan Gaughan used pit strategy to his advantage to win Stage 2, staying out as Bell and the other leaders went in for adjustments after a late caution. The stage victory was Gaughan's first of the season.
Series leader Elliott Sadler finished eighth after qualifying fourth and being sent to the back of the field for an adjustment in his 800th career start.
American Ethanol E15 250 from Enogen results
- William Byron (first win)
- Ryan Sieg
- Tyler Reddick
- Ross Chastain
- Dakoda Armstrong
- Michael Annett
- Jeremy Clements
- Elliott Sadler
- Justin Allgaier
- Garrett Smithley
- Tommy Joe Martins
- Quin Houff
- JJ Yeley
- David Starr
- Dylan Lupton
- Christopher Bell
- BJ McLeod
- Joey Gase
- Ryan Reed
- Ben Kennedy
- Daniel Hemric
- Matt Tifft
- Brandon Jones
- Cole Custer
- Blake Koch
- Brendan Gaughan
- Brennan Poole
- Timmy Hill
- Ray Black Jr.
- Spencer Gallagher
- Kyle Benjamin
- Scott Lagasse Jr.
- Dexter Bean
- Ty Majeski
- Mike Harmon
- Harrison Rhodes
- Sam Hornish Jr.
- Carl Long
- Morgan Shepherd
- Jeff Green
2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series Driver Standings
POS | DRIVER | POINTS | BEHIND | RACE WINS | PLAYOFF POINTS |
1 | Elliott Sadler | 502 | LEADER | 0 | 3 |
2 | Justin Allgaier | 477 | -25 | 1 | 7 |
3 | William Byron | 445 | -58 | 1 | 6 |
4 | Daniel Hemric | 356 | -146 | 0 | 1 |
5 | Ryan Reed | 347 | -155 | 1 | 5 |
6 | Brennan Poole | 336 | -166 | 0 | 0 |
7 | Cole Custer | 322 | -180 | 0 | 0 |
8 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 321 | -181 | 0 | 1 |
9 | Matt Tifft | 310 | -192 | 0 | 0 |
10 | Michael Annett | 304 | -198 | 0 | 0 |
Racing action continues on Sunday as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Sonoma for the first of two road races this season. Check out our picks and predictions as well as the latest odds for the 3pm ET race.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
