10/10/2015

Reed earns an 11th-place finish at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (October 9, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed and the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association team finished 11th on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway after starting in the same position.

“I felt like we had a better Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang than that on the long run,” said Reed. “That last caution didn’t do us any favors because we were making up a lot of time on the track. It was a solid day, a lot of progression, so there are a lot of things to look forward to and be really excited about. I feel like the changes we made earlier in the year are starting to pay off, so I’m looking forward to better things.”

Reed started the 200-lap event from the 11th position, just behind Roush Fenway Racing teammates Bubba Wallace and Elliott Sadler. Within the first 20 laps, Reed reported the car was extremely tight and continuing to get tighter. He settled into the 15th position early on and by Lap 42 reported the car was so tight it was tough to drive.

Six laps later, the caution flag flew for the first time, allowing crew chief Chad Norris to bring his driver down pit road to make adjustments. The team pitted from the 17th position on Lap 50 for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment in the left rear of the car. The team’s quick work put Reed in the 14th position for the restart on Lap 52.

On the following green-flag run, Reed continued to report that the car’s handling was tight. By the halfway point, Reed ran 16th and said that the car was hard to turn when he was under throttle.

The team’s only green-flag stop of the day came on Lap 102. Reed pitted for a track bar adjustment, tires and fuel. Twenty laps later, he had made his way up to the 13th position and was gaining ground.

The second caution of the night came on Lap 141 while Reed was running 13th. The team brought him down pit road under caution for a slight track bar adjustment, four fresh tires and fuel. Reed told Norris that the car’s handling was pretty close, but he was a little free. He restarted 12th on Lap 146.

Five laps later, the caution was displayed again. Reed ran 11th and had no complaints about the handling of his No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang. Norris brought Reed down pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. He restarted 10th with 44 laps to go in the race.

In the last 50 laps, Reed battled for position with Kasey Kahne and teammate Elliott Sadler, eventually passing Kahne and finishing door-to-door with Sadler for an 11th-place finish on Friday night.

Reed remains 10th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship standings after his top-15 finish at Charlotte. Reed will compete in a double header at Kansas Speedway next weekend with the ARCA Racing Series event on Friday, October 16th and the NASCAR XFINITY Series event on Saturday, October 17th.

Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series competition with drivers Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Reed, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace. Now in its 28th season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering motorsport’s first team-focused TV show and producing multiple award-winning digital and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by Jack Roush, the winningest team owner in NASCAR history and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, circle on Google+, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.

About The American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. For the past 75 years, our mission has been to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

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 broad and growing product portfolio 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.