Saturday, July 9
Track: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, 2.258-mile road course
Race: 15 of 23
Event: O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio (67 laps, 151 miles)
Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Craftsman Ford F-150
Start: 28th
Stage 1: 15th
Stage 2: 17th
Finish: 10th
Hailie Deegan would start in the 28th spot following a wet Friday afternoon qualifying session at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. For Saturday’s race, the No. 1 fired off fast as the Craftsman Ford F-150 reached 15th by the end of Stage One. As Deegan made her first pit stop of the afternoon, Crew Chief Mike Hillman Jr. called for a slight air pressure adjustment to fix tightness through the center. However, the problem would persist throughout Stage Two, finishing 17th ahead of the race’s closing stage. Deegan radioed the crew to loosen her condition, proving beneficial as the No. 1 jumped to 12th place before a caution forced the field to line back up for a green-white-checkered finish. Fighting through a tire rub, the 20-year-old would skyrocket two more spots on the final lap, netting her first top-10 of the season.
Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150
Start: 16th
Stage 1: 12th
Stage 2: 11th
Finish: 20th
Tanner Gray started 16th by way of his qualifying lap from Friday afternoon. At the drop of the green, the Ford driver set his sights forward, and after Stage One found himself in 12th. He entered the top-10 for the first time on lap 34 but ended up 11th at the conclusion of Stage Two, following a spirited battle with Kaz Grala and Ty Majeski. After the final round of pit stops, Gray continued his career-best road course effort by moving into ninth and maintaining there throughout the final stage. A late caution set the field up for a green-white-checkered finish, and on the opening lap after the restart, Gray was spun out by the 19 truck and stuck with a 20th-place finish at the tail of the lead lap.
Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance F-150
Start: 10th
Stage 1: 34th
Stage 2: 25th
Finish: 15th
Taylor Gray rolled off in 10th position after making it into the second round of qualifying at Mid-Ohio. The 17-year-old had a blistering start, placing him in the eighth position within the first five laps. Despite the early speed, mechanical troubles hindered the Ford Performance driver as he tumbled down the running order due to a lack of engine power. After being diagnosed with a dropped cylinder and making numerous stops on pit road, Gray salvaged the afternoon by running a conservative race and marching his way to a 15th-place finish.
Next event: CRC Brakeleen 150 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania on July 23 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
