10/18/2015
REED FINISHES 17TH AT KANSAS
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (October 18, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed and the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association team finished 17th on Saturday at Kansas Speedway in the Kansas Lottery 300 after starting in the same position.
“We were really loose to start the race and then about halfway through (crew chief) Chad (Norris) got our No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association machine tightened up. We were pretty fast after we took the wave around and I felt like we were running some top-10 lap times in the middle of the race. Unfortunately, on the last restart we sputtered like we were out of gas so we will go back and see what the deal with that was. I felt like the guys did a good job of making adjustments throughout the race and I’m proud of how we battled back and were in position for a decent finish.”
Reed started the 200-lap event from the 17th position after making it through to the second round of group qualifying with a loose-handling racecar on Saturday afternoon.
Reed had gained two positions by the second lap of the race, when the first caution flag was displayed. He restarted 15th on Lap 5 and soon after reported that the car was really loose in traffic.
He continued to report loose conditions through the first 45 laps of the race and settled into the 20th position by the Lap 45 caution flag. He said the car ran better on the top line of the track, but still needed some adjustments.
The team made their first pit stop of the day under caution on Lap 48. Crew chief Chad Norris called for four fresh tires, fuel, a track bar adjustment and a wedge adjustment. Reed restarted 18th on Lap 57.
One lap after the restart, the caution was again displayed. The team took the chance to make more adjustments to the No. 16 Ford Mustang. The team’s second stop of the day was on Lap 61 for tires, fuel and another track bar and wedge adjustment.
After restarting 24th on Lap 63, Reed raced his way up to 21st by the next caution on Lap 80. At this time, Reed took the wave around to get back on the lead lap.
By the halfway point in the race, Reed ran 20th and continued to gain positions despite reporting that the car’s handling was still extremely loose.
The fifth caution of the evening was displayed on Lap 115 while Reed was scored 19th. The team pitted for a track bar and air pressure adjustment, putting Reed in the 18th position on the impending restart.
He made his way up to the 14th position by Lap 123 and ran 15th by Lap 130 when the sixth caution of the evening was displayed. Norris told Reed he had just run his fastest 10 laps of the race and to keep it up for the remaining laps. Reed restarted 13th on Lap 135.
The seventh caution of the night slowed the field on Lap 145. Reed ran 14th and told Norris he could stand to be a little tighter. Norris brought his driver down pit road for four fresh tires on Lap 152, putting him 11th for the restart on Lap 156.
Two laps after the restart, Norris told Reed that he had just run his fastest lap of the race. As the run went on, Reed reported that the car continued to get looser. He fell back several positions and reported by Lap 175 that the car was sideways through Turns 3 and 4.
The final caution flag of the night was displayed with five laps to go in the race. Norris made the call to bring Reed down pit road to put on a scuffed set of tires that they had run fast times with earlier in the race and to make a wedge adjustment.
The pit strategy call put Reed in a position to gain several positions on the pending restart; however, a potential fuel pick-up problem caused the No. 16 car to sputter on the Lap 202 restart and halted Reed’s march to the front, relegating him to a 17th-place finish.
Reed remains 10th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship standings after Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway. After two off-weekends, Reed and the rest of the NASCAR XFINITY Series will return to the track on Saturday, November 7th at Texas Motor Speedway.
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.
