WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 5, 2017) – Ryan Reed drove his No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang to a 15th-place finish Saturday afternoon at Watkins Glen. Reed showed off some road course skills, finishing final practice fourth and making the final round of qualifying. Different pit strategies unfolded with late race cautions and a gamble for four tires at the end did not turn out to be as beneficial as the team had hoped.
“We were pretty solid in practice and qualifying, but needed more during the race,” said Reed. “We had a good strategy, but it doesn’t always play out how you need it to. We’ll move on and get set for Mid-Ohio next weekend.”
Over the course of Stage 1, Reed reported that he was losing lateral grip and a little tight. Crew chief Phil Gould called Reed down pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment prior to the Stage end. The strategy call lined Reed up in the sixth position for the start of Stage 2.
Two cars spun out ahead of Reed going into turn one on the restart. Reed swerved to avoid any contact, but in the process lost multiple positions. By lap 34 Reed had worked his way back up to 11th and reported to his team that he needed the center to run better. Under caution he was called down pit road for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Reed restarted 19th and worked his way up to 13th to close out Stage 2.
Reed started the final Stage 12th and cycled up to sixth before visiting pit road on lap 52 for fuel only. The No. 16 was good to go until the end and Reed was solidly running in the top 10. A caution flag came out with six laps remaining in the race. The car wasn’t handling as well as Reed needed to hold off the field on a restart, so Gould brought Reed down pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment.
Reed took the final restart with three laps to go from the 15th position and was able to maintain his ground until the checkered flag.
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 wide range of therapies 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.
