Starting off the weekend at Michigan International Speedway with two NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) practice sessions Friday, Blake Koch got to work quickly, posting the 11th and second-fastest laps in his No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ Chevrolet Camaro.
Advancing on to the final round during NXS qualifying Saturday morning, Koch secured a seventh-place starting position for the Menards 250, a season-best and track-best qualifying effort for the Kaulig Racing™ driver.
When the green flag flew Saturday afternoon at the 2-mile oval, intensity picked up quickly in the field. Feeling a vibration just a couple laps in to the 125-lap Menards 250, Koch dropped back a few positions to ride out the sensation and to stay out of harms way.
Maintaining a spot within the top-15, Koch informed his Kaulig Racing™ team that the vibration has subsided but that he was “too loose” in the corners just as the first caution flag of the race was displayed on lap 29.
Crew chief Chris Rice made the call to bring Koch down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment to tighten the LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ Chevrolet Camaro up a bit.
Restarting 15th, Koch held his ground as the laps wound down on a hot, slick track that caused his car’s handling to shift from “loose” to “too tight” on exit. Fighting through the element of heat, the West Palm Beach, Fla. native searched for a line that better suited his car’s needs as the a long green flag run ensued.
Following suit with the leaders, Rice brought Koch down pit road, under green flag conditions, on lap 69 for four tires, fuel and round down on the wedge bolt. When green flag pit stops cycled through, Koch found himself 16th, the last car on the lead lap.
Trying to fend off the leader with less than 50 laps to go, Koch was ultimately put a lap down. However, just as Koch lost his lap, the caution flag flew for debris on lap 82, positioning Koch as the “lucky dog,” allowing him to get his lap back.
Coming down pit road for the final time for four tires and fuel, the Kaulig Racing™ driver restarted 15th, back on the lead lap. Dueling with the cars around him on what would be the final restart of the race on lap 92, Koch moved his way up to 13th, within striking distance of the top-10.
With the laps winding down, Koch was able to maintain his position, while holding off a hard-charging Ryan Reed, to secure a track-best finish of 13th at Michigan International Speedway, his fourth consecutive top-15 finish and his seventh top-15 finish of the 2016 NXS season.
Quote:
“I said at the beginning of today that we would finish in the top-10, but we finished 13th. We were only three spots away from our third top-10 finish of the 2016 season, and we’re creeping up on it still.
“I said at the beginning of today that we would finish in the top-10, but we finished 13th. We were only three spots away from our third top-10 finish of the 2016 season, and we’re creeping up on it still.
“Overall this weekend was a solid weekend for us. We unloaded fast and maintained it throughout the entire weekend. I’m proud of what my Kaulig Racing™ team has done and I can’t wait to head to Iowa.”
Kaulig Racing PR
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