PHOENIX — Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Reed finished 22nd after a race ending single-car accident in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.
“We knew the race was coming and we were faster than the guys in front of us and running them down,” said Reed. “On the replay we could see drops on the windshield. It was a perfect situation for me to get myself into trouble. I got a little loose and any other time I think I would have gathered it up, but it got a little too far stepped out on me and the damp race track just got out from underneath me. I tried to save it and then chased it down into the inside wall. I tore up another good race car that these Roush Fenway guys worked so hard to build. We had a really fast Ford Mustang.”
After the morning qualifying session, Reed wound up with a 15th-place starting spot. The NNS race took the green flag on time, although rain was forecasted for much of the day.
The driver of the No. 16 American Diabetes Association Drive to Stop Diabetes presented by Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang was happy with the balance of his race car, working his way up to 10th by a Lap 28 restart.
On the next green flag run, Reed reported to the crew that the handling of his Mustang started to swing to the tight side, as the car was a little too snug.
Crew Chief Seth Barbour radioed his young driver down pit road for the first pit stop of the day under green flag conditions on Lap 82. The team opted for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.
A caution flag during the cycle of green flag pit stops left the No. 16 team in 17th, one lap down. As the leaders visited pit road, Reed took the wave around, in order to get back on the lead lap.
Reed restarted 15th on Lap 96; settling into the top-15 during the next green flag run. The driver came over the radio to inform the crew that as the green flag run progressed, his Mustang continued to loosen up.
Barbour called Reed back down pit road to adjust on the handling of his Ford Mustang during a caution period on Lap 136. The pit crew changed four tires and added fuel as well as making an air pressure adjustment and removing a rubber from the right rear.
The race resumed green flag racing on Lap 142, under heavily clouded skies. With the threat of rain looming, Reed battled hard to work his Mustang towards the front of the pack. Ultimately, as the rain started to fall, Reed was involved in a race-ending single car accident on Lap 166.
NASCAR displayed the red flag shortly thereafter. When the race was called, the No. 16 team was credited with a 22nd-place finish.
Photo via Twitter/@MRNRadio
