After a late incident in Watkins Glen knocked Dakoda Armstrong out of a Top-15 finish, the No. 43 Sunrise Cooperative Team hoped Mid-Ohio would bring them better luck. However, a midrace spin ended with an unexpected trip into the tire barrier. The Sunrise Cooperative crew repaired the damage and Armstrong was able to continue. He finished 23rd and dropped to 13th spot in the championship run.
Armstrong started the race from the 23th position. The race went green for the first seven laps. Armstrong was racing for the 24th position as the first caution flag of the day flew on Lap 8 for a stalled car on the backstretch. Armstrong reported the car was tight. Kerr called Armstrong to pit road. The Sunrise Cooperative crew changed four tires, filled the fuel tank, and made a track bar adjustment. The race restarted on Lap 9 with Armstrong in 29th position.
Armstrong took advantage of a good restart and jumped up to 28th position. Armstrong continued to move up through the field as the second caution flag flew for a single car incident on the front stretch on Lap 14. Armstrong stayed out during the yellow to gain track position. The race restarted on Lap 16 with Armstrong in 13th position.
Armstrong carried a good pace and advanced to 12th position on Lap 19. An aggressive move by one of the lead pack cars caused a spin on Lap 20. Armstrong was able to avoid the spin, but lost track position dropping to 17th. Two laps later, a single car wreck in Turn 2 brought out the third caution of the afternoon on Lap 22. Armstrong stayed out during the caution to maintain track position. The race restarted on Lap 25 with Armstrong still in 17th position.
Shortly after the restart, many competitors reported fluid still on the track from the earlier incident in Turn 2. The caution flag flew on Lap 27. The safety crew quickly cleaned the racing surface. The race restarted with on Lap 29 with Armstrong in 18th position.
Armstrong battled hard after the restarted, racing his way into 15th position on Lap 30. As Armstrong caught the pack in front of him, the racing line got congested. Armstrong exchanged positions with his competitors over the next eight laps. On Lap 38, while racing for 17th position Armstrong spun off the course, backing the No. 43 Sunrise Cooperative Ford into the tire barrier. The contact with the barrier damaged the right rear quarter panel. Armstrong came to pit road on Lap 38. The Sunrise Cooperative crew changed all four tires, filled the fuel tank, and pulled the quarter panel away from the tire. Armstrong rejoined the field on Lap 39 in 33rd position one lap down.
On Lap 42, a stalled car in Turn 9 brought out the caution flag. Kerr called Armstrong down to pit road to check the damaged quarter panel again. While there, the Sunrise Cooperative crew changed four tires and added fuel. With no tire rub from the quarter panel, Armstrong rejoined the field. Armstrong benefitted from the Lucky Dog and found himself on the lead lap again. The race restarted on Lap 45 with Armstrong in 29th position.
Armstrong raced his way through the field moving into 24th position on Lap 49. The sixth caution of the day came on Lap 53 for fluid on the track. Armstrong stayed out during the caution. The race restarted on Lap 55 with Armstrong in 23rd position.
The car began to tighten up after a few laps on the tires. Armstrong began to fall back through the field, racing for 27th on Lap 57. The caution flag flew again on Lap 66 for a two car accident in Turn 2. Kerr called Armstrong to pit road for four tires, fuel, and shock adjustments. The race restarted on Lap 68 with Armstrong in 27th position. With the end of the race closing in, the intensity flared up on track. The race quickly went back under caution with a multi-car in Turn 2 on Lap 70. The race restarted on Lap 72 with Armstrong in 21st position. Armstrong fought hard to maintain his position, but got caught up in contact as competitors charged hard to get any position they could. He fell back to 23rd as the checkered flag fell on Lap 75. He drops to 23rd position in the points standings.
"Today just wasn't our day. We started off a little tight and made some adjustments early on. We pitted early to get on a different fuel strategy and hoped for a quick caution to gain track position. It worked out for us. At that point, I thought we had a shot at a Top-10. But I spun out battling hard for position around the halfway point and got into the tire barrier. The damage wasn't too bad, but it put us deep in the field. It got really intense there at the end of the race. Everyone was bumping each other, fighting for whatever they could get. We're fortunate we didn't get involved in anything to serious. I'm looking forward to a quick change of pace at Bristol next week."
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.