2017 AAA Texas 500

2017 AAA Texas 500

Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Race 34 of 36 in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
The 2017 AAA Texas 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr., featuring his first ever win. "It All Started Here."
Date	November 5, 2017 (2017-11-05)
Location	Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Distance	334 laps, 501 mi (801.6 km)
Average speed	143.234 miles per hour (230.513 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Kurt Busch	Stewart-Haas Racing
Time	26.877
Most laps led
Driver	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row Racing
Laps	107
Winner
No. 4	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
Television in the United States
Network	NBCSN
Announcers	Rick Allen, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte
Radio in the United States
Radio	PRN
Booth Announcers	Doug Rice, Mark Garrow and Wendy Venturini
Turn Announcers	Rob Albright (1 & 2) and Pat Patterson (3 & 4)

The 2017 AAA Texas 500 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race which was held on November 5, 2017, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Contested over 334 laps on the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) intermediate quad-oval, it was the 34th race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, eighth race of the Playoffs, and second race of the Round of 8.

Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The track measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns, and is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The track layout is similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway). The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the same company that owns Atlanta and Charlotte Motor Speedways, as well as the short-track Bristol Motor Speedway.

• Daniel Hemric filled in for Menard for Qualifying, First and Second Practices as Menard and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their second child that week.

Ryan Blaney was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 27.009 seconds and a speed of 199.933 mph (321.761 km/h).^[11]

Kurt Busch scored the pole for the race with a time of 26.877 and a speed of 200.915 mph (323.341 km/h).^[12]

Kurt Busch was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 28.159 seconds and a speed of 191.768 mph (308.621 km/h).^[13]

Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 28.203 seconds and a speed of 191.469 mph (308.139 km/h).^[14]

Stage 1 Laps: 85

Stage 2 Laps: 85

Stage 3 Laps: 164

• Lead changes: 13 among different drivers
• Cautions/Laps: 8 for 40
• Red flags: 1 for 10 minutes and 29 seconds
• Time of race: 3 hours, 29 minutes, 52 seconds
• Average speed: 143.234 miles per hour (230.513 km/h)

NBCSN covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen and Dale Jarrett had the call in the regular booth for the race. Two–time Texas winner Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte had the call in the NBC's Stock Car Smarts Booth for the race. Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane during the race.

PRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Martin Truex Jr. 4,168 2 Kyle Busch 4,118 (−50) 1 3 Kevin Harvick 4,112 (−56) 1 4 Brad Keselowski 4,111 (−57) 2 5 Denny Hamlin 4,092 (−76) 6 Ryan Blaney 4,089 (−79) 1 7 Chase Elliott 4,062 (−106) 3 8 Jimmie Johnson 4,060 (−108) 9 Kyle Larson 2,255 (−1,913) 10 Matt Kenseth 2,255 (−1,913) 4 11 Kurt Busch 2,177 (−1,991) 1 12 Kasey Kahne 2,176 (−1,992) 1 13 Austin Dillon 2,175 (−1,993) 1 14 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2,171 (−1,997) 1 15 Jamie McMurray 2,165 (−2,003) 16 Ryan Newman 2,147 (−2,021) Official driver's standings

Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Toyota 1,212 2 Ford 1,189 (−23) 3 Chevrolet 1,178 (−34) Official manufacturers' standings Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.