DARLINGTON, S.C. (September 6, 2015) – Honoring David Pearson during NASCAR’s Throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was running in the top 20 when his No. 17 Cargill Beef Ford got loose under the No. 15 machine causing the No. 17 machine to spin sending it to the garage for repair. The crew worked feverishly to repair his Cargill Ford to maximize points but Stenhouse Jr. settled with a 38th-place finish at Darlington Raceway.
“That was just hard racing,” said Stenhouse. “I got up under the No. 15 and got loose. We saw a lot of us get loose. It just snapped around. I hadn’t been that loose early in a run and it just jumped out from under us there. We were slowly making it better and clawing our way toward mid-pack or a little better than mid-pack but it just got out from under us there. It was difficult out there tonight but a lot of fun. We enjoyed it. It is a lot of fun out there sliding around and tires wearing out and I think this is what we all wanted. It just bit a few of us.”
After starting in the top 10 the past two races, the two-time XFINITY Champion slowly fell back due to a tight handling machine. After taking a big swing at adjustments on the first pit stop the Cargill Beef Ford was too loose on the next run. With multiple cautions, the No. 17 team slowly worked on tightening up the machine and Stenhouse Jr. was steadily working his way up through the field.
While racing the No. 15 machine, the Cargill Beef Ford got loose sending him nose first into the inside wall. The damage forced Stenhouse to the garage for repairs.
Due to the hasty work by his team, Stenhouse returned to the track 55 laps later and was able to gain two additional positions before taking the checkered flag in the 38th position.
The No. 17 team heads to Richmond International Raceway for the final race before the Chase begins. The Federated Auto Parts 400 will be televised on Sept. 12, 2015 at 7:30 pm E.T on NBCSN. Race coverage can also be heard on Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SIRIUS channel 90.
