Ryan Reed and the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes/American Diabetes Association team finished 16th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“I’m really proud of my team for their effort throughout the season,” Reed said. “We battled all year and really improved by the end of the season. Finishing 6th in the season standings is a testament to the work that my guys put in week in and week out.”
During Saturday morning’s qualifying session, Reed advanced to the second round before narrowly missing the cutoff line for the third and final round. He would take the green flag from the 13th position.
Reed’s Ford Mustang began the race with a loose handling condition that worsened after Reed scraped the wall. The contact resulted in a flat tire that sent Reed spinning to bring out a caution on Lap 23. He would pit three times during the yellow flag to repair damage to the side skirt and change all four tires. Fast work by the Lilly Diabetes/American Diabetes Association pit crew kept Reed on the lead lap, and he restarted 34th on the ensuing restart.
Adjustments during the pit stop gave Reed’s Mustang the balance needed to move through the field and he was back in the top-20 within ten laps. A long green flag run saw Reed get to the 13th position before the third caution of the race flew on Lap 87.
With excellent long run speed, Reed would pick off competitors one by one until he entered the top-5 on Lap 110. His race car would get loose again, however, and another flat tire after contact with the wall sent him spinning for a second time. The crew was able to repair damage and reed would restart 16th, ultimately finishing the race in that position.
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