Custer wins Xfinity race

SPARTA, Ky. – Cole Custer grabbed a NASCAR Xfinity Series-high fifth victory of the season Friday night with a win over Christopher Bell in the Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

Custer, Bell and reigning series champion Tyler Reddick have dominated the series all year and finished 1-2-3 at Kentucky. Bell, who has four wins this season, won the first two stages and led 72 laps. Reddick, the series points leader and a three-time winner this season, didn’t lead a lap.

It was Custer who dominated by leading 88 of the 200 laps in a Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. He took the lead for the final time on lap 155 and beat Bell by 1.651 seconds.

Michael Annett and Chase Briscoe completed the top five. Only the top five cars finished on the lead lap.

Custer has now won consecutive races on 1.5-mile tracks following his win at Chicago two weeks ago. He’s won three of the last six races.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup: Daniel Suarez led a front row sweep for Stewart-Haas Racing in provisional qualifying for the Quaker State 400.

The field will not be finalized until cars pass inspection prior to Saturday night’s race.

Suarez turned a lap at 184.590 mph in his SHR Ford to nab the top starting spot. If it stands after inspection, it will be Suarez’s second pole in 91 career starts. He bumped teammate Aric Almirola to the outside front row in Friday qualifying.

Three-time Kentucky winner Brad Keselowski completed a top-three sweep for Ford by qualifying third. Kurt Busch was fourth in a Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing while SHR driver Kevin Harvick made it four Fords in the top five.