No. 43 Winfield Team Looks at New High Downforce Package as Equalizer
This weekend is a homecoming for Dakoda Armstrong at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Growing up just an hour away from the track, the New Castle, Indiana native looks to wow the hometown crowd with a strong performance. The wildcard for the weekend is the new high downforce, high drag aero package NASCAR instated. With an emphasis placed on drafting, Armstrong looks to capitalize on that skill to advance through the field.
This weekend’s race will be just the second start for Armstrong at the Brickyard. Currently, Armstrong sits 12th in the XFINITY Series Championship Point Standings, just 13 points outside of 11th place.
Armstrong has one start at the famed Brickyard, where he scored a Top-20 finish during his rookie year in 2014. As an organization, IMS has been kind to Richard Petty Motorsports. The team posted a pair Top-10s in two of its three XFINITY Series starts.
“I still can’t believe I get to turn laps at the Brickyard. Growing up as a local racer in Indiana, it’s something you dream you get to do at some point in your life. Even though I raced here last year, it’s still a huge deal to me to be able to do it again. The new high downforce package changes things quite a bit. We’ll definitely have more grip and less straightaway speed. Drafting will become much more important. You’ll need draft to help pass. It’s possible we’ll see some kind of pack racing, which plays into our advantage. Handling is still a premium here. You have be able to hold speed through the tight corners in order to move up through the field. The fans will love what they see this weekend. I’m looking forward to it, and I know they are too. I’m ready to put on a great show for the hometown crowd.”
No. 43 WinField Ford
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
