Pastrana Finishes 16th in New Hampshire

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In: Xfinity Series News

After a relatively calm race, Roush Fenway Racing’s Travis Pastrana took advantage of a wild finish and multiple cautions to go from two laps down in 22nd, to finish 16thand on the lead lap Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS). 

“Loudon has always been a challenging track for me,” Pastrana said.  “We had a good test there with all of the Roush Fenway team and had hoped for a top-10.  I felt that I drove well and improved a lot from last year.  I’ve had a lot of crashes lately and my first priority was to finish without a scratch on the car.  My second was to finish on the lead lap and my third goal was to finish in the top-10.  I got two out of three and we will live to fight another day.”

Pastrana qualified 17th for the CNBC Prime the Profit 200 at the 1.06-mile track.  The NASCAR Nationwide Series race took the green flag shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET, with Pastrana settling into 17th for the opening run of the race.

On Lap 37 the No. 60 team visited pit road for the first time for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to Pastrana’s tight handling Ford Mustang.  He restarted 19th and remained in the top-20 during the second green flag run of the day.

Pastrana worked to adjust his driving line to help the handling of his car, which was loose into the corner and tight through the middle.  Crew Chief Chad Norris called Pastrana down pit road for the second stop of the day on Lap 117.  On this green flag stop, the crew took four tires and fuel.  Through the cycle of green flag stops, the No. 60 lost one lap to the leader.

On the next long green flag run, Pastrana went down another lap to the leaders.  With just a handful of laps left, he found himself two laps down in 22nd.  A caution the lap before the field took the white flag put the race into overtime, with the first attempt at a green-white-checker finish. 

The caution flag flew again during the first overtime attempt, giving Pastrana one lap back, putting him just one lap behind the leaders.  He was again the beneficiary of the free pass when yet another caution occurred during the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish. 

The No. 60 team made one last stop down pit road under the final caution, opting for four tires and a splash of fuel.  Pastrana survived the final overtime attempt, piloting the No. 60 Ford Mustang to a 16th-place finish.

RFR PR

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