Danica Patrick Green-White-Wreckers

Danica Patrick was poised to score a solid result in Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, but she ended up credited with a 27th-place finish after the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) got caught up in a wreck when the race was pushed beyond the scheduled distance for a green-white-checkered finish.

Despite qualifying 20th, Patrick had to start at the rear of the field after the team had to change transmissions on Sunday morning. Once the green flag was displayed, Patrick strategically remained back toward the tail of the lead pack with her SHR teammate Tony Stewart and several other drivers in an effort to keep the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet out of harm’s way in the early stages of the race.

With about 60 laps to go, Patrick began making her way to the front and was scored as high as 13th before the caution flag waved for the first time at lap 131. Crew chief Daniel Knost called for right-side tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, and Patrick lined up in the 15th position for the restart. She was able to stay inside the top-25 before making a scheduled, green-flag pit stop – the team’s final stop of the race – at lap 170 for fuel and a chassis adjustment.

When the caution flag waved again at lap 183 after the engine of the No. 1 car expired, Patrick was scored in the 19th position. The race was pushed passed the scheduled 188-lap distance as track workers attempted to clean the racing surface. The field attempted to restart the race at lap 190 for a green-white-checkered finish, but NASCAR reissued the caution flag as the field bunched up and two cars spun through the infield grass prior to taking the green flag.

Once NASCAR officials had the lineup sorted out, Patrick restarted in the 16th position at lap 194 for a green-white-checkered finish. Cars immediately started wrecking ahead of Patrick, and the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet was collected in the melee. Despite sustaining significant damage, Patrick was able to complete the race. When the official results were posted, she was credited with a 27th-place finish, the last car on the lead lap.

TSC PR