Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed and the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association team finished 21st for the second week in a row in Friday night’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Richmond International Raceway (RIR).
“I hate to leave this track with such a disappointing finish,” said Reed. “I really thought we had a top-10 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang after today’s practice and qualifying sessions but we just missed our mark when it came to tonight’s race. We do well at superspeedways so hopefully next weekend at Talladega will be a chance for us to turn things around.”
Reed started Friday night’s race in the 14th position after surviving two of three rounds of qualifying earlier in the afternoon. After the green flag flew, it was quickly apparent that the car’s handling was not where Reed expected it to be as he had fallen back to the 19th position by Lap 35. Reed reported to the team that the car’s handling would not allow him to run the bottom line of the racetrack.
The first caution flag flew on Lap 48 and allowed the team to bring Reed down pit road to make adjustments to the car. Reed reported he was loose on the entry to the turns and tight in the center. Crew Chief Seth Barbour called for a spring rubber and wedge adjustment to help the handling of the car. Reed received his lap back for being the first car one lap down and restarted in the 19th position on Lap 55.
On the next green flag run, Reed was quiet on the radio and continued to run in the 19th position. By the Lap 109 caution flag, Reed reported the car was tight and kept getting tighter as the green-flag run progressed. The team had to wait to pit as a fire on pit road closed the pit road down for several laps. When it reopened, Reed came in for a track bar and wedge adjustment to try to free up the racecar.
Reed restarted in the 18th position on Lap 120 and reported the car had not improved by the Lap 144 caution flag. The team did not pit in an effort to save track position and wait a few more laps before using the last set of tires.
Reed’s final pit stop of the night for four tires and a wedge adjustment came on Lap 217 under the green flag. Reed held his ground on the track to bring home a 21st-place finish in the 250-lap event.
Reed drops to eighth in the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship standings after Friday night’s race at RIR, 50 points out of the lead. He is still the only series regular to win a race so far in the 2015 season with his win in the season opener at Daytona.
Reed and the No. 16 team return to the track next Saturday, May 2 at Talladega Superspeedway.
RFR PR
