07/01/2017
Reed Collected in Wreck at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2017) – Ryan Reed returned to Daytona International Speedway looking for back-to-back victories at the 2.5-mile superspeedway and was laps away from defending his win. Reed had a fast No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang and was running third and making his move, when he was clipped in the left rear. Reed attempted to complete the overtime laps, but the damage was too severe to continue, resulting in a 31st-place finish.
“We had a really fast Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang,” said Reed following the race. “We were in the perfect position right there at the end and got hit from behind. These cars are hard to handle, so it doesn’t take much. I hate it for my team, we definitely had a shot at it today.”
Reed started the race from the 12th position Friday night under the lights at Daytona. Mother Nature had other plans, sprinkles started to fall eight laps in, bringing out the caution. On lap 11 NASCAR parked the field on pit road for the evening, postponing the race to Saturday at noon.
The rain continued on Saturday, once again delaying the race for a few hours. The rain cleared out just in time to go the scheduled distance before the Cup cars were scheduled to race. Reed restarted the delayed race sixth and reported back that he was loose on entry. Reed dropped back to play it safe and closed out stage one 22nd. Reed pitted at the stage break for four tires, fuel and wedge adjustments.
Another red flag for weather ensued before the conclusion of stage two. When the field did resume racing, Reed raced his way up to 10th before pitting prior to the conclusion of stage two. Multiple competitors opted to pit during the stage break, setting Reed up 10th for the final stage of the race.
Reed consistently worked his way forward over the final stage and took the restart on lap 96 from the fourth position with what should have been four laps remaining. Reed was sitting in the perfect position to make a run for the lead, when a multi-car wreck happened behind him. Reed was clear of the accident, but got tagged from behind and sent spinning.
With severe right-side damage, Reed had to come down pit road for repairs. Under a red flag the team surveyed the damage. Reed attempted to take the final green-white-checkered, but the damage was too severe and he returned to the garage four laps shy of race completion.
About Lilly Diabetes
Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world’s first commercial insulin. Today we are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research and collaboration, a wide range of therapies and a continued determination to provide real solutions—from medicines to support programs and more—we strive to make life better for all those affected by diabetes around the world. For more information, visit www.lillydiabetes.com or follow us on Twitter: @LillyDiabetes.
