On a day when track position was key, Trevor Bayne and the crew of his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion came away with a respectable 17th-place finish in the Curtiss Shaver 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Bayne spent most of the 400-mile race at the famed Brickyard running door to door with some of the Sprint Cup circuit’s top drivers, but he and his fellow drivers found themselves in mid-pack most of race because passing was so difficult.
Bayne’s finish was something to be proud of, for only his second race at Indianapolis, as team co-owner Eddie Wood pointed out.
Wood went on to say that he was pleased with the performance of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion and the entire Wood Brothers team.
“We had a really good car,” Wood said. “It’s a brand-new car, and we’re looking for good things from it on down the road.”
“I’m sure Donnie Wingo will run it several more times before the end of the season.”
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew members also played support roles as the team’s long-time crew chief Leonard Wood was honored for his upcoming induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The No. 21 Ford Fusion was painted in the candy apple red colors that it made famous back in the day, and Wood’s picture was on the hood.
“Leonard had a blast,” Eddie Wood said.
Bayne and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team left Indianapolis and headed to Michigan International Speedway, where on Monday, they will be one of 28 teams testing Goodyear tires in preparation for the Pure Michigan 400 on Aug. 19.
The Woods will test with the same Ford Fusion they ran in the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan on June 17. Bayne qualified seventh for that race and was running seventh when engine trouble sidelined him early in the race.
Wood and the Motocraft/Quick Lane team say they hope to use the test day to make that car even faster.
“It’s a good car too,” Wood said. “Things are looking really good for the remainder of the season.”
Officials at Michigan International Speedway will open the Turn 1 Grandstand from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday for fans to watch the test free of charge.
