Sunoco Rookie of the Year competitor Cole Custer roared to his very first Cup Series victory Sunday afternoon at Kentucky Speedway, emerging from a late-race restart with a strong four-wide relocation just after the white flag.
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Driving the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford, Custer led simply 5 of the 267 laps in the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart. The first-year chauffeur likewise won at the 1.5-mile Kentucky track in Xfinity Series competition last year.
Martin Truex Jr. ended up second,.271 seconds behind at the checkered flag. Matt DiBenedetto netted 3rd location with a tire-smoking Kevin Harvick 4th and Kurt Busch fifth.
RELATED: Unofficial race results|Stage recaps
Jimmie Johnson finished 18th in his very first race back given that he reported a favorable COVID-19 test that kept him out of the series previous race, July 5 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnson continued after a late brush of the outdoors maintaining wall with his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
The Cup Series next event is the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race, set up Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM). The NASCAR All-Star Open qualifier is set earlier Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) to round out the invitational field. The next points-paying race for the Cup Series is arranged next Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM) at Texas Motor Speedway.
The Cup Series next occasion is the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race, set up Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM). The NASCAR All-Star Open qualifier is set earlier Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) to round out the invitational field. The next points-paying race for the Cup Series is arranged next Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM) at Texas Motor Speedway.
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Aric Almirola led the most laps– a career-best 128– and won Stage 1. He faded to an eighth-place outcome, snapping a streak of five consecutive top-five finishes. Brad Keselowski won Stage 2, leading 34 laps before coming home ninth.
