The 2019 U.S. Cellular 250 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held on July 27, 2019, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. Contested over 250 laps on the D-shaped oval, it was the 19th race of the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Background
Track
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile (1.4 km) paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful. It has over 25,000 permanent seats as well as a unique multi-tiered Recreational Vehicle viewing area along the backstretch.
Entry list Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 0 Garrett Smithley JD Motorsports Chevrolet 01 Ryan Repko JD Motorsports Chevrolet 1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Stephen Leicht JD Motorsports Chevrolet 5 Matt Mills B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 07 Ray Black Jr. SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 08 Gray Gaulding (R) SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 8 Zane Smith JR Motorsports Chevrolet 9 Noah Gragson (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 13 Timmy Hill MBM Motorsports Toyota 15 Ryan Vargas JD Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Mark Meunier Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 18 Riley Herbst (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 23 John Hunter Nemechek (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 28 Shane Lee H2 Motorsports Toyota 35 Joey Gase MBM Motorsports Toyota 36 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet 38 J. J. Yeley (i) RSS Racing Chevrolet 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 42 Chad Finchum MBM Motorsports Toyota 51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet 52 David Starr Jimmy Means Racing Chevrolet 66 Stan Mullis MBM Motorsports Toyota 68 Will Rodgers Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 74 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 78 Vinnie Miller B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 86 Brandon Brown Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 89 Morgan Shepherd Shepherd Racing Ventures Chevrolet 90 Dillon Bassett DGM Racing Chevrolet 93 Camden Murphy (i) RSS Racing Chevrolet 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 99 Stefan Parsons B. J. McLeod Motorsports (R) Toyota
Practice
First practice Christopher Bell was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 24.297 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 24.297 129.646 2 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 24.377 129.220 3 28 Shane Lee (R) H2 Motorsports Toyota 24.400 129.098
Final practice Cole Custer was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 24.236 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 24.236 129.972 2 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 24.262 129.833 3 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 24.280 129.736
Qualifying Christopher Bell scored the pole for the race with a time of 23.710 seconds and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 23.710 2 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 23.742 3 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 23.785 4 18 Riley Herbst (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 23.823 5 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 23.859 6 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 23.865 7 28 Shane Lee (R) H2 Motorsports Toyota 23.876 8 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 23.891 9 1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet 23.915 10 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 23.941 11 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23.945 12 8 Zane Smith JR Motorsports Chevrolet 23.989 13 9 Noah Gragson (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet 24.040 14 23 John Hunter Nemechek (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 24.069 15 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 24.096 16 51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet 24.150 17 90 Dillon Bassett DGM Racing Chevrolet 24.183 18 38 J. J. Yeley (i) RSS Racing Chevrolet 24.197 19 08 Gray Gaulding (R) SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 24.215 20 86 Brandon Brown Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 24.328 21 68 Will Rodgers Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 24.412 22 42 Chad Finchum MBM Motorsports Toyota 24.448 23 15 Ryan Vargas JD Motorsports Chevrolet 24.510 24 07 Ray Black Jr. SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 24.561 25 4 Stephen Leicht JD Motorsports Chevrolet 24.569 26 35 Joey Gase MBM Motorsports Toyota 24.576 27 93 Camden Murphy (i) RSS Racing Chevrolet 24.579 28 99 Stefan Parsons B. J. McLeod Motorsports Toyota 24.580 29 36 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet 24.590 30 5 Matt Mills B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 24.619 31 13 Timmy Hill MBM Motorsports Toyota 24.752 32 52 David Starr Jimmy Means Racing Chevrolet 24.755 33 78 Vinnie Miller B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 24.889 34 89 Morgan Shepherd Shepherd Racing Ventures Chevrolet 24.989 35 0 Garrett Smithley JD Motorsports Chevrolet 25.216 36 66 Stan Mullis MBM Motorsports Toyota 25.280 37 74 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 25.710 38 01 Ryan Repko JD Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000Did not qualify 39 17 Mark Meunier Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 45.262
Race
Summary Christopher Bell started on pole and lead for the first 49 laps. The first cautions occurred when Justin Allgaier and Austin Cindric both hit the wall on lap 45. Bell won stage 1 ahead of Cole Custer. On lap 75, Riley Herbst spun and collected Jeremy Clements. Stage 2 was also won by Bell, whose strong lead continued.
In the later half of the race, David Starr and Cole Custer each ended up hitting the wall on separate instances and brought out cautions. With 48 laps to go, Michael Annett brought out a caution after spinning in turn 2. On lap 219, the caution was thrown for fluid on the track. Cleaning trucks were in the entrance of pit road when the drivers began pitting, and Dillon Bassett crashed into the rear of one of the trucks, heavily damaging his car.
In the final moments of the race, Chase Briscoe raced hard with Tyler Reddick and John Hunter Nemechek, eventually leaving them behind while Bell's lead increased. With 5 laps remaining, Briscoe caught up to Bell, driving alongside him before taking the lead due to better cornering. Briscoe was able to hold off Bell to score his first win of the year.
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 60
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 93 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 84 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 66 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 57 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 48 23 John Hunter Nemechek (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 39 1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet 210 18 Riley Herbst (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 0
Stage Two Laps: 60
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 93 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 84 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 75 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 66 23 John Hunter Nemechek (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 57 1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet 48 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 39 8 Zane Smith JR Motorsports Chevrolet 210 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 1
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 130
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 2 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 250 572 1 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 250 553 14 23 John Hunter Nemechek (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 250 424 13 9 Noah Gragson (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet 250 335 11 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 250 456 5 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 250 387 7 28 Shane Lee H2 Motorsports Toyota 250 308 15 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 250 399 12 8 Zane Smith JR Motorsports Chevrolet 250 3010 9 1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet 250 3311 24 07 Ray Black Jr. SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 250 2612 10 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 250 2813 4 18 Riley Herbst (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 250 014 19 08 Gray Gaulding SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 250 2315 29 36 Josh Williams (R) DGM Racing Chevrolet 250 2216 25 4 Stephen Leicht JD Motorsports Chevrolet 249 2117 23 15 Ryan Vargas JD Motorsports Chevrolet 249 2018 30 5 Matt Mills (R) B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 249 1919 26 35 Joey Gase MBM Motorsports Toyota 248 1820 33 78 Vinnie Miller B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 246 1721 28 99 Stefan Parsons B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 246 1622 35 0 Garrett Smithley JD Motorsports Chevrolet 245 1523 36 66 Stan Mullis MBM Motorsports Toyota 243 1424 27 93 Camden Murphy (i) RSS Racing Chevrolet 239 025 38 01 Ryan Repko JD Motorsports Chevrolet 237 1226 17 90 Dillon Bassett DGM Racing Chevrolet 222 1127 20 86 Brandon Brown Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 217 1028 21 68 Will Rodgers Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 211 929 6 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 160 2430 16 51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet 160 731 32 52 David Starr Jimmy Means Racing Chevrolet 150 632 22 42 Chad Finchum MBM Motorsports Toyota 113 533 3 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 105 1134 37 74 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 87 335 31 13 Timmy Hill MBM Motorsports Toyota 80 236 34 89 Morgan Shepherd Shepherd Racing Ventures Chevrolet 73 137 8 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 43 138 18 38 J. J. Yeley (i) RSS Racing Chevrolet 5 0
References