Talladega, Ala. (May 2, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed and the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association team finished 32nd Saturday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway after getting caught up in a mid-race incident while running in the top-10.
“We had a fast Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang,” said Reed. “Me and Chris (Buescher) were trying to work the top and I felt like we got it going and we were really just experimenting, and I knew we were going to be fine if we got to the end, but obviously didn’t get that opportunity. We tore up a fast racecar, which is bad, but we’ll go to Iowa and get them there.”
The defending superspeedway winner started Saturday afternoon’s race in the ninth position after making it through to the second round in qualifying. In addition to the strong showing in qualifying, Reed showed speed in Friday’s practice session, posting a time of third-fastest.
After taking the green flag on the 2.66-mile superspeedway, the caution flag was displayed before the field had completed one lap. After restarting the race in the 11th position on Lap 5, Reed was able to eventually settle into the eighth position and follow the front pack of cars to pull away from the field.
The team made a green flag pit stop on Lap 35 for four fires and a full tank of fuel. Reed was quiet on the radio, only reporting that he had no complaints with the car’s handling. The caution flag was displayed again soon after the pit stop, leaving Reed in the eighth position for the following restart.
By Lap 60, Reed broke out of the draft and switched to the high lane in front of Roush Fenway Racing teammate Chris Buescher to try to make a charge toward the front of the field. The line of six or so cars maintained the 17th position on back by Lap 70 when it was time for a second round of green flag pit stops to begin. As drivers began to make their way to the bottom of the track to pit, contact was made between cars around Reed, collecting him in the Lap 73 incident. Reed spun facing oncoming traffic on the front stretch and sustained significant damage to the left side of the car before sliding through the grass and coming to a stop close to the team’s pit stall.
“It was frustrating,” said Reed. “I knew getting to pit road there was going to be a fiasco and the team told me, ‘You know what, you’ve got plenty of fuel just bail out of there.’ But people just tried to force the issue and make something happen when they didn’t need to and I got caught up in someone else’s mistake.”
Reed was able to quickly bring the car into the team’s pit stall so that the team could get to work on the damage. The red flag was soon displayed after the team began work, preventing them from continuing repairs. When the red flag was lifted, Reed attempted to return to the track reported the damage was too severe to continue. After several additional stops, the team brought Reed behind the wall on Lap 78 to better repair the damage.
Reed returned to the track on Lap 89, 13 laps down and in the 35th position. After making several additional stops throughout the end of the race to continue to repair damage, Reed held on to finish 32nd in the 113-lap Winn Dixie 300.
Reed remains eighth in the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship standings after Saturday’s race, 75 points out of the lead. He is still the only series regular to win a race so far in the 2015 season with his win in the season opener at Daytona.
Reed and the No. 16 team return to the track on Sunday, May 17 at Iowa 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.
