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. To fill out the podium, Brad Keselowski of Team Penske and Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake00Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet01Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet6Bubba WallaceRoush Fenway RacingFord07Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet8Jeff GreenB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet9William Byron (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet11Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet13Carl LongMBM MotorsportsToyota14J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord18Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota20Denny Hamlin (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota21Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet22Brad Keselowski (i)Team PenskeFord23Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet24Corey LaJoie (i)JGL RacingToyota25Chris CockrumChris Cockrum RacingChevrolet28Dakoda ArmstrongJGL RacingToyota33Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet40Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyota41Kevin Harvick (i)Stewart–Haas RacingFord42Kyle Larson (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet48Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet52Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet62Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge78Clint KingB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet90Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet93Jordan Anderson (i)RSS RacingChevrolet97Stephen LeichtObaika RacingChevrolet98Aric Almirola (i)Biagi–DenBeste RacingFord99David StarrB. J. McLeod Motorsports with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, March 3, at 10:00 AM EST and lasted for 55 minutes. Aric Almirola of Biagi–DenBeste Racing set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.567 and an average speed of . Pos#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed198Aric Almirola (i)Biagi–DenBeste RacingFord30.567181.372218Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.597181.194341Kevin Harvick (i)Stewart–Haas RacingFord30.668180.775Full first practice results
Second practice The second practice session was held on Friday, March 3, at 1:30 PM EST, and lasted for 55 minutes. Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing set the fastest time in the session with a lap of 30.865 and an average speed of . Pos#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed121Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet30.865179.621298Aric Almirola (i)Biagi–DenBeste RacingFord31.002178.827300Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord31.040178.608Full second practice results
Final practice The final practice session was held on Friday, March 3, at 3:30 PM EST and lasted for 55 minutes. Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.881 and an average speed of . Pos#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed118Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.881179.528241Kevin Harvick (i)Stewart–Haas RacingFord30.927179.261398Aric Almirola (i)Biagi–DenBeste RacingFord30.966179.035Full final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, March 4, at 9:15 AM EST. Since Atlanta Motor Speedway is under , 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.
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 .
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Carl Long, Morgan Shepherd, and Mike Harmon.
Full qualifying results Pos#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)Time (R3)Speed (R3)118Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.153183.86229William ByronJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.167183.777322Brad Keselowski (i)Team PenskeFord30.186183.661442Kyle Larson (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet30.241183.327520Denny Hamlin (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.278183.103621Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet30.367182.567719Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota30.410182.308800Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord30.461182.003962Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.600181.1761016Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord30.602181.1651148Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet30.610181.1171241Kevin Harvick (i)Stewart–Haas RacingFord30.642180.928Eliminated in Round 2136Bubba WallaceRoush Fenway RacingFord30.528181.604——143Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet30.574181.331——1598Aric Almirola (i)Biagi–DenBeste RacingFord30.578181.307——167Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.585181.265——172Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet30.595181.206——185Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.632180.987——1924Corey LaJoie (i)JGL RacingToyota30.788180.070——2014J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota30.796180.023——2123Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet30.907179.377——221Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.179183.704————2328Dakoda ArmstrongJGL RacingToyota30.521181.645————244Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet30.645180.910————Eliminated in Round 12511Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet30.795180.029————2693Jordan Anderson (i)RSS RacingChevrolet30.816179.907————2751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet30.865179.621————2839Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet31.023178.706————290Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet31.225177.550————3033Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31.247177.425————3140Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyota31.250177.408————328Jeff GreenB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet31.367176.746————3390Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet31.376176.696————3478Clint KingB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet31.384176.651————3501Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet31.387176.634————3607Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet31.545175.749————3752Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet31.687174.961————3899David StarrBJMM with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet31.924173.662————3925Chris CockrumChris Cockrum RacingChevrolet32.728169.396————4097Stephen LeichtObaika RacingChevrolet33.580165.098————Failed to qualify4113Carl LongMBM MotorsportsToyota31.837174.137————4289Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet32.432170.942————4374Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge15:13.7796.067————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 40 Pos#DriverTeamMakePts122Brad Keselowski (i)Team PenskeFord0218Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0341Kevin Harvick (i)Stewart–Haas RacingFord0420Denny Hamlin (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0521Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet6600Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord579William ByronJR MotorsportsChevrolet4842Kyle Larson (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet093Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet0101Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 40 Pos#DriverTeamMakePts141Kevin Harvick (i)Stewart–Haas RacingFord0222Brad Keselowski (i)Team PenskeFord0318Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0442Kyle Larson (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet0520Denny Hamlin (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota069William ByronJR MotorsportsChevrolet571Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet4800Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord3921Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2102Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet0 Stage 3 Laps: 83 Pos#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts118Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota16326running0222Brad Keselowski (i)Team PenskeFord16353running0342Kyle Larson (i)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet16320running0441Kevin Harvick (i)Stewart–Haas RacingFord16364running051Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1630running3766Bubba WallaceRoush Fenway RacingFord1630running3179William ByronJR MotorsportsChevrolet1630running3982Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1630running0921Daniel Hemric (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1630running361000Cole Custer (R)Stewart–Haas RacingFord1630running351148Brennan PooleChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet1630running261219Matt Tifft (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1630running251362Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1630running241433Brandon JonesRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1630running23155Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet1630running221624Corey LaJoie (i)JGL RacingToyota1630running0173Ty Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1630running01816Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord1630running191998Aric Almirola (i)Biagi–DenBeste RacingFord1630running02020Denny Hamlin (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1620running02128Dakoda ArmstrongJGL RacingToyota1620running162239Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet1610running152390Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet1610running142401Harrison RhodesJD MotorsportsChevrolet1600running13254Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet1600running12268Jeff GreenB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1600running11270Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1600running102823Spencer Gallagher (R)GMS RacingChevrolet1600running92907Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1590running8307Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1590running73152Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet1580running63299David StarrBJMM with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1580running53340Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyota1560running43425Chris CockrumChris Cockrum RacingChevrolet1560running33578Clint KingB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1390rear gear23614J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota1280engine13751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet760suspension13897Stephen LeichtObaika RacingChevrolet240brakes13993Jordan Anderson (i)RSS RacingChevrolet20ignition04011Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet20crash1Official race results
References