Dakoda Armstrong hoped to finish the month of August with a strong finish at Road America. The WinField team ran into trouble early when a cut brake line on Lap 13 forced them to pit for repairs. The WinField crew replaced the brake line and Armstrong was able to continue. The repairs took eight minutes to complete, losing four laps in the process. He finished 34th and maintains 13th spot in the championship run.
Armstrong started the race from the 19th position. The field only made it through only five corners before the first caution flag came out for a car stuck in the gravel. Armstrong stayed out to maintain track position. The race restarted on Lap 3 with Armstrong in 19th position.
Armstrong maintained the 19th position until Lap 5, when a competitor locked his front brakes entering a corner. The field bunched up and Armstrong went wide to avoid contact, losing three positions in the process. With a good handling car, Armstrong began to work his way back up through the field. By Lap 11, Armstrong was racing for 15th position. Armstrong reported to Crew Chief Frankie Kerr, "We're good. We need just a little more drive off to run up front." Kerr called Armstrong to pit road on Lap 13. The WinField crew changed four tires and filled the fuel tank.
During the pit stop, Armstrong reported over the radio that he lost all pressure in his brake pedal. The crew confirmed there was brake fluid covering the inside of the right front wheel well. Armstrong rejoined the field. The brake issue was severe. Armstrong came back down the pit road to get the issue fixed. The WinField crew found the right front brake line was cut. They replaced the line but lost four laps in the process. Armstrong rejoined the field on Lap 19 in 35th position.
With the No. 43 WinField Ford the only car four laps down, Armstrong had to rely on other competitors running into issues in order to gain positions. The second caution of the day came on Lap 24 for fluid on the track. Kerr instructed Armstrong they would pit on Lap 25 for the final stop of the day and stretch their fuel until the end. On Lap 25, Armstrong came down to pit road for four tires and fuel. The race restarted on Lap 26 with Armstrong still in 35th position.
As the race progressed, more competitors ran into mechanical issues. On Lap 35, Armstrong has progressed two more positions to 32nd. The third and final caution of the day came on Lap 36 for an accident in Turn 7. The wreck required extensive cleanup for fluid and debris. Armstrong stayed out during the caution, saving fuel. The race restarted on Lap 41with Armstrong in 32nd position.
With only four laps remaining, the entire field drove aggressively into Turn 1. Armstrong made contact with another car and had to check up to avoid wrecking, falling back to 34th position. Armstrong charged hard to regain the position, but ran out of time. The checkered flag fell on Lap 45. Armstrong finished 34th.
"I'm so glad August is over. Hopefully this run of bad luck has ended with it. We had a good car today. Probably as good as our Watkins Glen car. We cut a brake line on the right front early. I'm not sure how it got damaged. It happened to two other guys today as well. We lost all pressure during the pit stop. Luckily it was on pit road and not at the end of a straight away. It's been a frustrating month for everyone on the WinField team. We had some great finishes ruined by bad luck. We'll put this one behind us and move forward to Darlington."
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.