TALLADEGA, Ala. (May 3, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing’s Bubba Wallace and the No. 6 SpongeBob SquarePants Ford Mustang finished 20th at Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race, after a late-race melee left the Ford Mustang with damage.
“It was a frustrating day from Lap 2,” said Wallace. “It’s a good thing we’ve got a break so we can regroup and head into Iowa. Talladega hasn’t always been good to me, so we salvaged a top-20 finish and we’ll just have to build off of it.”
The NASCAR XFINITY Series visited the second restrictor plate track of the season, for 113 Laps of racing at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. After ending up second in Friday’s lone practice session, Wallace lined up eighth after qualifying Saturday morning.
From the start of the race, Wallace was on the move. By Lap 2 he settled behind his Roush Fenway teammate Elliott Sadler in second. The pair avoided damage after Sadler cut down low in front of Wallace, believing his Mustang was clear of his teammate.
After spinning down the track, Wallace came down pit road for the team to check if there was any damage. Norris called for fuel and a wedge adjustment.
On Lap 5, Wallace restarted 25th and began working his way through traffic again. By Lap 18 he was once again inside the top-10. As is characteristic of restrictor-plate racing, Wallace bounced around for position inside the top-15 during the middle portion of the race.
With just 14 laps remaining, Wallace was involved in a multi-car accident that left the car with damage, and forced the team to make multiple pit stops under caution for repairs. Wallace would ultimately cross the line in 20th.
With the result, Wallace remains fourth in the NASCAR XFINITY Series point standings. After an off weekend, the series will travel to Iowa Speedway.
NEXT UP:
NASCAR XFINITY May Iowa Race
.88-mile Iowa Speedway
Newton, Iowa
Sunday, May 17, 2015
2:00 p.m. ET on FOXSPORTS1 and MRN
RACE SUMMARY
Bubba Wallace
Started: 8
Finished: 20
Complete Race Results:
www.roushfenway.com
POINTS SUMMARY
Bubba Wallace
2015 Season Total: Fourth with 293 points
2015 SEASON SUMMARY
Bubba Wallace
Starts Wins Top-Fives Top-10s Poles
9 0 0 2 0
