2017 AAA Texas 500

The 2017 AAA Texas 500 is 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.

Background
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 mi 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.

Entry list

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

First practice
Ryan Blaney was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 27.009 seconds and a speed of 199.933 mph.

Qualifying
Kurt Busch scored the pole for the race with a time of 26.877 and a speed of 200.915 mph.

Second practice
Kurt Busch was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 28.159 seconds and a speed of 191.768 mph.

Final practice
Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 28.203 seconds and a speed of 191.469 mph.

Start
Kurt Busch led the field to the green flag at 2:16 p.m., Denny Hamlin took the lead on lap 1 and led 46 laps, then Kyle Larson took the lead on lap 47, Kyle Busch had nothing at stake in the final two races ahead of the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway since the Joe Gibbs Racing driver locked in a spot to compete for the championship with a victory at Martinsville last weekend. That didn’t mean had he had no impact on those vying for the three other spots among the final four drivers, including a driver he’s been feuding with for a while. Busch’s car rode up the track moments after the green flag dropped and clipped Brad Keselowski, who entered Texas third in the standings. The collision forced both drivers down pit lane.

Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson qualified ninth on Friday and was 12th-fastest in the final practice on Saturday. Once the race started, however, he slowly began to drop farther back in the field. He went two laps down after making an unscheduled pit stop on lap 68 because of a vibration. He was scored three laps down well before the midpoint of the race. Johnson has won at this track a record seven times, the most recent victory coming in April. Johnson finished 27th and enters Phoenix in eighth place, 51 points outs of the fourth and final slot in the finals.

Kevin Harvick took the lead with 16 laps remaining in the first stage and held off Martin Truex Jr. to secure the stage that concluded on lap 85, The first caution of the race flew for conclusion of the first stage.

Stage 2
The race restarted on lap 92 and the second caution of the race flew two laps later for a two-car wreck in turn 2, A total of two cars was involved including Kasey Kahne and Daniel Suárez, Brad Keselowski won the free pass under caution.

The race restarted on lap 99.

Kyle Larson, who started 11th and worked his way up to third by the end of the first stage, secured the second stage win at lap 170. Larson led the final 10 laps of the stage, which included two caution flags that totaled 10 laps. Larson led the most laps (72) through the first two stages, The third caution of the race flew on lap 172 for conclusion of the second stage.

Final stage
The race restarted on lap 178 and the fourth caution of the race flew three laps later for a single-car spin in turn 1, Landon Cassill spun out in turn 1, Kyle Busch won the free pass under caution.

The race restarted on lap 186 and it remained green for 48 laps, The fifth caution of the race flew on lap 234 when Michael McDowell spun out in turn 2, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the free pass under caution,

The race restarted on lap 239 and the sixth caution of the race flew on lap 242 for a single-car spin in turn 2, Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove his car to the garage, Earnhardt, who scored his first career Cup Series victory on April 2, 2000 at this track, and whose final race here was promoted on several billboards in the area, said in a television interview that his car had an issue with a wheel hub, the part in the car where the wheel is bolted to the suspension.

The crash and fire brought out a red flag that lasted 10 minutes.

The race restarted on lap 246 and it remained green for 24 laps, The seventh caution of the race flew on lap 270 when Ray Black Jr. spun out in turn 2, Kurt Busch won the free pass under caution

The race restarted on lap 275.

On lap 284, Kyle Larson spun and crashed hard into the outside wall between Turns 1 and 2, brought out the eighth caution, The rear of Larson's car errupted in flames before the automatic exhaust system in the car put it out. For Larson, who was eliminated after the second round of the playoffs when he blew an engine at Kansas Speedway, it is the third consecutive DNF after crashing last weekend at Martinsville.

The race restarted on lap 289.

Kevin Harvick passed Martin Truex Jr. with nine laps to go and held onto the lead to take the checkered flag for his second win of the season and first at Texas. The victory for Harvick guarantees him a spot in the final four of the playoffs in two weeks at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Truex finished second, followed by Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski.

Post race
"Damn it's good to be in victory lane here in Texas," said Harvick, the 2014 series champion. "I knew I had a really good car, and I knew I needed to do something different, and I started driving it into Turn 1 just a whole lot deeper. I saw (Kyle Larson) doing that earlier in the race, and I was just concerned that I didn't have the brakes to continue doing that all day. So I waited until the end and was able to get on the outside of Martin.

"I'm real proud of everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing."

Stage results
Stage 1 Laps: 85

Stage 2 Laps: 85

Final stage results
Stage 3 Laps: 164

Race statistics

 * 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 mph

Television
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.

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

Standings after the race

 * Drivers' Championship standings


 * Manufacturers' Championship standings
 * Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.