Danica Patrick – 2016 Kentucky Race Report

Patrick Soldiers to 17th-Place Finish at Kentucky

Event: Kentucky 400 (Round 18 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Kentucky Speedway in Sparta (1.5-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 27th/17th (Running, completed 266 of 267 laps)
Point Standing: 24th (327 points)

Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Danica Patrick and the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) brought home a workmanlike 17th-place finish after starting 27th and overcoming an early race incident not of her doing in Saturday night’s Kentucky 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.It was Patrick’s best result since she finished 13th in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism May 15 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.Like most of the drivers who took to the track for Saturday night’s 400-mile event, Patrick and her team spent the early part of the race coming to grips with the newly repaved and slightly reconfigured 1.5-mile tri-oval. Her No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevy was able to make forward progress during the initial laps of the evening, moving from 27th to 23rd before the race’s first caution period just 10 laps in.

Patrick stayed on track and held that relative position until a scheduled competition caution another 15 laps later. After pitting for four tires and fuel, Patrick resumed in 27th place behind a handful of cars that took just two tires. She lost several spots during the ensuing green-flag run as she found herself fighting a loose condition.

After managing to escape trouble during a flurry of on-track incidents – five caution periods over the next 53 laps – Patrick simply could not avoid the sixth, which occurred on a lap-91 restart when three cars collided in front of her, spreading oil that prevented her from getting through cleanly. She brushed the car of Chris Buescher with her left front just enough to require several stops under yellow to make repairs, dropping her off the lead lap.

She resumed in 29th on lap 102, fought her way back onto the lead lap by lap 160 as she moved into 22nd place, and gradually picked off five more positions by the time the checkered flag flew on lap 267.

“It is what it is – we all knew it was going to be another new learning experience coming in with the repave the new banking,” said Patrick after her sixth top-20 finish in 18 races this season. “We tried a variety of things and knew pretty quickly what was going to work and what was not. We had a bit of a setback when I hit some oil and just couldn’t get through that incident without getting into somebody. But the guys did a tremendous job patching things up and the car actually felt better in a lot of ways during the rest of the race. We got out of here with a decent finish, all things considered.”

Patrick’s teammate Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car SHR contingent Saturday night at by finishing fourth.

Busch started from the rear of the field after crashing his primary racecar in practice Friday afternoon. Using his backup car, Busch methodically worked his way to the front and led once for 10 laps en route to his sixth top-five and 15th top-10 finish this season and first top-five and fourth top-10 in six career Sprint Cup starts at Kentucky.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished fifth to earn his second top-five and fourth top-10 finish this season and his first top-five in six career Sprint Cup starts at Kentucky.

Stewart maintained his position in the top-30 in the driver standings by a 31-point margin over 31st-place Brian Scott. If Stewart can remain in the top-30 through the 26th race of the season, he will secure his spot in the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff by virtue of his victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

To compete for the series championship, Stewart had to win at least one race and must be within the top-30 of the championship standings by the 26th race of the season Sept. 10 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. With his victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, Stewart checked one box on his way toward Chase eligibility.

Kevin Harvick, driving the No. 4 Busch Light Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished ninth. He led five times for a race-high 128 laps but had to make a late-race fuel stop. It was Harvick’s 14th top-10 this season and fourth top-10 in six career Sprint Cup starts at Kentucky.

Brad Keselowski won the Kentucky 400 to score his fourth victory of the season, his third at Kentucky and the 21st of his career.

Carl Edwards finished .175 of a second behind Keselowski in the runner-up spot, while Ryan Newman, Busch and Stewart rounded out the top-five. Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 11 caution periods for 53 laps, with eight drivers failing to finish the 267-lap race. The 11 cautions tied the track record, set last year.

With round 18 of 36 complete, Harvick leads SHR and the series in the championship standings. He is first with 599 points, four ahead of second-place Keselowski. Busch remained in third with 583 points, 16 behind leader Harvick.

Harvick earned a spot in the Chase via his win March 13 at Phoenix International Raceway, and Busch secured his position via his win June 6 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Patrick is 24th with 327 points, 110 ahead of 31st-place Scott. Like Stewart, if Patrick can win a race and finish among the top-30 in points following the 26th race of the season, she will earn a Chase berth.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the New Hampshire 301 on Sunday, July 17, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. NBCSN will broadcast the race starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT.