Ryan Reed started the race from Texas Motor Speedway in the fourth position under chilly 34 degree temperatures and had a fast Lilly Diabetes Drive Down A1C Ford Mustang right from the start. A pit road penalty late in the race cost him valuable track position, but Reed rebounded to earn a 14th-place finish.
“I was really encouraged to start the race,” said Reed. “It seemed like we were right around the top-10 and had a fighting chance today. We stayed out for some stage points and the end of the second stage and thankfully we got them because we lost all our track position and then we had a penalty on pit road, that put us all the way to the back and that really cost us. There weren’t enough restarts at the end of the race to get it back. We had a fast Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang but we have to be able to close these things out a little better because we are bringing fast race cars. We are close. We just have to clean things up a little bit everywhere.”
Qualifying was cut short due to a light mist that wet the track surface. NASCAR was able to get in only one of the three rounds, but things worked out for the No. 16 team. Reed posted the fourth fastest lap in round one, resulting in him earning the fourth starting position.
Reed spent Stage 1 solidly running inside the top five and closed out the Stage sixth. Reed pitted at the Stage break, but the car turned off on him leaving the pit box, costing spots on pit road. The slight hiccup on pit road resulted in Reed starting Stage 2 from 14th.
Reed wasted no time making up lost ground and with the help of some pit strategy closed out Stage 2 fifth. A penalty for an uncontrolled tire on the next pit stop left Reed restarting at the tail end of the field for the final Stage of the race.
As the laps dwindled down Reed made up for the penalty by steadily advancing through the field. At the conclusion of 200-laps he worked his way up to cross the finish line 14th at Texas Motor Speedway.
RFR PR/Photo Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
