DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 6, 2014) –After rain postponed the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway until Sunday, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had worked his way into the top-five before a multi-car accident on lap 19 which sent the Cargill/Winn-Dixie Ford to the garage. After the crew worked feverishly to get the machine back on track, rain soaked the superspeedway ending the 160-lap race early forcing Stenhouse to settle for a 41st-place finish.
“Our Cargill Ford was really fast,” Stenhouse said. “We had the outside lane working there and it seemed like some of the guys were struggling on the bottom and the middle and we got a little loose on top. I saved it and everything was good and then all of sudden we got hit in the left rear. It is a tough way to end our day though. I feel like we had a really fast race car.”
After the qualifying session was rained out after the first round, the two-time NASCAR Nationwide champion lined up in the 16th-place starting position. Within five laps, the 2013 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year had jockeyed his Cargill/Winn-Dixie Ford up to the fifth position.
Coming off turn four with Jeff Gordon lined up right behind him on the high side, the Cargill Beef Ford got a tad loose resulting in a tap in the left rear which sent the Ford spinning.
After the crew worked hastily to get the Cargill Ford back out on the track to gain as many positions as possible, the rain fell shortening the 160-lap race forcing Stenhouse to settle with a 41st-place finish.
Stenhouse and the No. 17 team travel to New Hampshire next weekend for the Camping World RV Sales 301. The race will be Sunday, July 12 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Coverage will begin at 2:00 p.m. (EST) on TNT.
