DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 5, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed and the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association team finished 13th on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) after getting caught up in the “big one” while running second.
“I felt like we had the car to beat,” said Reed. “We were taking our time in second there but we weren’t great on restarts. We ran up front all day long so it is a shame to be where we are at but the guys did a heck of a job to fix this thing and salvage a 13th-place finish. I am proud of that and we had a fast Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang tonight.”
After winning the season opener at DIS in February, Reed had high hopes of sweeping the season at the superspeedway. Reed started in the eighth position after a lengthy thunderstorm delayed the start of the race for over an hour. Soon after the green flag dropped, the race was stalled by two quick cautions, allowing Reed to move up to the fifth position by Lap 10.
The competition caution scheduled for Lap 20 came early as the third caution flag was displayed on Lap 16. Reed was up to the third position and brought his No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang down pit road for fuel only.
Reed restarted in the fifth position on the Lap 19 restart and made his way up to the third position soon thereafter. He ran his preferred line on the inside of the racetrack until it was time for a green-flag pit stop on Lap 56. Crew chief Seth Barbour brought Reed down pit road for right-side tires and a full tank of fuel. The team gained Reed a spot on pit road, putting him in the second position with 37 laps to go in the race.
Reed ran comfortably in the second position through the Lap 80 caution flag. On the impending restart, Reed was shuffled back a few spots but stayed inside of the top 10. With 10 laps to go, Reed was sent spinning through the tri-oval, collecting 11 other cars in the first “big one” of the event. He sustained significant damage to the left-side of the racecar, but would be able to finish the event.
After spending several minutes under the red flag while safety workers cleaned up debris, the team worked feverishly to repair the damage to the No. 16 Ford Mustang. By the restart on Lap 93, Reed was one lap down and in the 17th position.
With four laps to go, the race was again stopped by a multi-car wreck. Reed was able to avoid the incident and hold on through a green-white-checker restart to finish 13th and record his tenth top-15 finish of the season.
Reed moves up to eighth in the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship standings after Saturday’s race. He and teammate Chris Buescher remain the only NASCAR XFINITY Series regulars to win a race this season. Reed and the No. 16 team return to the track on Friday, July 10 at Kentucky 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.
