Dakoda Armstrong started the first intermediate race of the season from the 20th position. He raced in the Top-20 for the majority of the 250-mile race while the team worked to help a loose handling condition and improve the side bite. Despite making progress on the handling of the No. 43 WinField Ford, the team was marred laps down and couldn't make up position late in the race. They finished 20th, Armstrong's best XFINITY Series finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The finish puts them in the fifth spot in the Championship Point Standings and in a good spot to start off the 2015 season.
Armstrong started 20th and raced in the Top-25 before the first caution on Lap 9 for a spin on the track. He used the caution to tell the crew the No. 43 Ford was loose, especially in the middle groove. With a limited number of tires, Crew Chief Frankie Kerr chose to stay out and save tires for later in the race.
The WinField Ford restarted 23rd. By Lap 50, the team made their first scheduled pit stop under green-flag conditions. Kerr chose to pit for four tires and trackbar and rubber adjustments to help a loose No. 43 WinField Ford. Armstrong returned to the track in the 24th position but fell a lap down to the leader.
Eleven laps later, he told the crew the car lacked side bite. Another caution on Lap 87 for debris allowed the team to continue working on adjustments. With Armstrong's feedback focusing on the loose condition and lack of side bite, the team made another four-tire pit stop and a big swing at adjustments. Armstrong restarted 20th and quickly radioed that the car was better this run.
Armstrong raced in the Top-20, and as the team was about to make their last green-flag pit stop, the caution came out for fluid on the backstretch. The team focused on side bite with the next set of adjustments as they changed four tires and prepared for the final 23 laps of the first intermediate race of the season.
Armstrong restarted 19th but fell to 21st on the restart. He fought hard to race into the 20th spot and spent the final 10 laps trying to race down 19th place. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to get up to the 19th spot, and the No. 43 WinField Ford brought home a 20th-place finish. The finish puts Armstrong fifth in the Championship Point Standings.
"It was just really hard to turn the car like we needed to in Turns 1 and 2," said Armstrong. "The guys did a great job of getting the car to handle better throughout the race, but we just couldn't get the car turned in Turns 1 and 2. All in all, it was a good day for us. We'll take our notes from today and work on our intermediate program. We showed we were fast in the qualifying sessions, and I think we can build on that. We'll put our heads together and get ready for Vegas."
About Richard Petty Motorsports:
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C