Dakoda Armstrong and the No. 43 WinField Ford team came to Dover International Speedway hoping to continue building momentum after a strong finish the prior week in Charlotte. And, after starting their day battling the slick conditions of the Monster Mile, the team pulled out the "ace up their sleeve" and played their fuel strategy perfectly to pick up their second consecutive Top-15.
Armstrong stretched his fuel and maintained his tires over the 97 lap green-flag run at pick up eight positions over the final 50 laps. Armstrong finished in the 14th position and climbed two spots to 13th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship standings.
Armstrong started the race from the 19th position and quickly picked up two positions on the first lap. The caution flag flew on Lap 3 for a spin in Turn Four. Crew Chief Frankie Kerr told Dakoda to stay out and maintain track position. The race restarted on Lap 7 with Armstrong in 17th position and by Lap 30, Armstrong had dropped to 23th position after loosing grip. Armstrong found better traction on the bottom groove and started to run consistent laps. On Lap 42, Armstrong went one lap down but maintained his track position. Relief in the form of the caution flag came on Lap 57 for debris.
Kerr told the WinField crew to change four tires, top off the fuel tank and make a track bar adjustment. The pit crew made a fast stop, picking up one spot on pit road. The race restarted on Lap 62 with Armstrong in 22nd position. The caution came out again after the restart for a wreck in Turn One. Armstrong picked up three positions as Kerr told him that track position was critical and elected not to pit the green and white 43 Ford.
Racing in 23rd, the caution flag waved on Lap 101 for a wreck in Turn Two. Kerr told Armstrong that he would make extensive adjustments to try to get more stability in the car. The crew made an air pressure adjustment, changed all four tires, adjusted on both wedge and the track bar and filled the gas tank. Despite the many adjustments the crew picked up one spot on pit road.
The race restarted on Lap 106 with Armstrong in 22nd position, and after 10 laps into the run, the car responded to the adjustments from the pit stop. Armstrong reported the stability was better and he had more side bite. Kerr told Armstrong to not focus on speed, but to start saving as much fuel as possible. The strategy proved to be successful on both fronts. Armstrong progressed through the field even after lifting the throttle early and using less brake. The added stability helped maintain a higher corner speed compared to earlier in the race. Armstrong passed two cars moving up to 21st position in 20 laps. Kerr reminded Armstrong that the slower pace also meant he was saving more fuel. Armstrong continued to dial in the balance between competitive speed and fuel mileage.
On lap 169, Armstrong moved toward the bottom of the race track, using the shortest distance possible to complete the circuits. The competition began their final pit stops under green. Armstrong slowed his pace even more. As the laps counted down, more cars pitted. By Lap 175, Armstrong was in 19th position, slowly progressing forward through the field. By Lap 190, Armstrong cracked into the Top-15. Kerr reminded him to keep running his pace and not to worry about the rest of the field. On Lap 199, as he passed one more car as it ran out of gas coming to the checkered flag.
"Today was all about getting that last drop of fuel," said Armstrong. "We had excellent fuel mileage. It's the same strategy Chris Buescher, also in a Ford, used. I really appreciate the great pit stops from the crew and the coaching from Frankie. He kept my head on straight over the last run. I can't believe we made it 97 laps on one tank of fuel. We jumped up in the points and proved that we can use different strategies to help us."
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, 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.