Ryan Reed – Texas Advance
Team: No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Chad Norris
Twitter: @driverRyanReed, @Reed16Team and @RoushFenway
ADVANCE NOTES
Reed at Texas Motor Speedway
Reed has competed at Texas Motor Speedway three times in the NASCAR XFIINTY Series. In April, Reed finished 15th after starting 14th. In 2014, he earned 20th- and 17th-place finishes in the spring and fall races, respectively.
Riding with Ryan
American Diabetes Association® Youth Ambassador Grace Kendzierski will ‘ride’ along with Reed during Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Texas. The Carrollton, Texas native will have her name featured on a decal above the passenger-side door on the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang. Kendzierski was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2009 at just 16 months old. Now seven years old, Kendzierski knows the importance of staying active to manage her diabetes. She is a triathlete who loves riding her bike, playing basketball and baseball, and taking hip-hop dance lessons. Four years ago, Kendzierski and her family began participating in the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure® cycling event to show support for people who are living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
On the car
The No. 16 Lilly Diabetes American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang will sport a paint scheme inspired by the Texas flag and the number of people living with diabetes in the state of Texas. The gray stars on the car represent the number of people living in Texas while the red stars represent the 14 percent of the population of Texas who live with diabetes, diagnosed and undiagnosed.
Reed, Lilly Diabetes and the American Diabetes Association are working to spread awareness and provide support for those diagnosed and the estimated 663,000 undiagnosed diabetes patients in Texas. Diabetes costs an estimated $23.7 billion in Texas each year and people living with diabetes have medical expenses approximately 2.3 times higher than those without diabetes.
On the crew
Reed’s No. 16 pit crew members will feature names of the Lilly Diabetes My Diabetes Pit Crew Sweepstakes winners on the back of their firesuits this weekend. To emphasize the importance of a support system in diabetes management, Lilly Diabetes and Reed launched the My Diabetes Pit Crew Sweepstakes in July to encourage people with diabetes to acknowledge the people who have supported them throughout their diabetes journey.
Winners were chosen at random to be honorary members of Reed’s pit crew during the three NASCAR XFINITY Series races in November during American Diabetes Month. In addition to having their names displayed on the firesuits, winners also had the chance to submit a photo to appear on the team’s pit wall banner. This weekend, Ashley VanDresser of Florence, Colo.; Don Adams of Akron, Ohio; David Ashburn of Piqua, Ohio; and Anne DePerty of Sarasota, Fla. will be featured as honorary pit crew members for the No. 16 team.
American Diabetes Month
November kicks off American Diabetes Association’s American Diabetes Month® (ADM). ADM is part of an effort by the American Diabetes Association to spread awareness of the disease, featuring programs designed to focus the nation’s attention on the issues surrounding diabetes and the many people who are impacted by the disease. Reed, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2011, will run an ADM decal on the c-post of his No. 16 Ford Mustang to help in spreading awareness throughout the month of November.
Kansas Recap
Reed finished 17th on October 18th at Kansas Speedway after starting in the same position. After making adjustments throughout the race, Reed’s lap times were the same as drivers running in the top-10 by the middle portion of the event. A pit strategy call late in the race put Reed in a position to gain several positions on the final restart, but a fuel pick-up problem halted his march to the front, relegating him to a 17th-place finish.
2015 Season
Reed is currently 10th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship standings after one win and 16 top-15 finishes.
Reed on Texas
“After two weeks off, I’m excited to get back in the car and kick off a really special month for Lilly Diabetes, the American Diabetes Association and everyone who lives with diabetes. We have been preparing hard for this race during the off weeks, in the shop and in the simulator. With three races to go, I feel confident we can wrap up the season with some solid top-10 finishes. Hopefully we can find success on the track and in spreading awareness during American Diabetes Month.”
Tune-in
Reed and the rest of the NASCAR XFINITY Series will take the green flag from Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, November 7th at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and PRN.
About The American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. For the past 75 years, our mission has been to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
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 broad and growing product portfolio 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.
