Fighting to climb back up in the points standings, Dakoda Armstrong and the No. 43 WinField team arrived in Chicago with high expectations after a strong run during the spring race. Armstrong kept the WinField Ford out of trouble as the crew adjusted on the car as the track conditions changed throughout the night. After his last pit stop, Armstrong saved his tires and fuel for a late race green flag run as some of the leaders were forced to pit with only a handful of laps to go. He finished 15th and remains 14th in the points.
Armstrong started the race from the 18th position. The race went green for first 22 laps. Armstrong raced for the 18th position until the caution flag flew on Lap 23 for debris on the back stretch. Armstrong came down pit road under yellow on Lap 24 for four tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment The race restarted on Lap 26 with Armstrong in 23rd position.
As the daylight faded, the track tightened up. On Lap 48, Armstrong tried different lines searching for speed. The leaders caught him on Lap 55, putting him one lap down. Armstrong maintained the 23rd position until pitting under green on Lap 78. Crew Chief Frankie Kerr called for an air pressure and track bar adjustment to loosen the car up. The crew changed four tires, filled the fuel tank, and made the track bar adjustment. Armstrong was in 24th position one lap down after all the green flag stops had cycled through.
Armstrong improved his position to 23rd before the leaders caught him on Lap 86 putting the WinField Ford two laps down. The second caution of the night came three laps later on Lap 89 for debris in Turn 2. Armstrong stayed out to take advantage of the wave around, regaining one of his laps. The race restarted on Lap 92 with Armstrong in 24th position.
The third caution of the night came on Lap 104 for an accident in Turn 3. Armstrong came to pit road on Lap 106. The crew changed all four tires, filled the fuel tank, and made a wedge adjustment. The race restarted on Lap 108 with Armstrong in 22nd position. Armstrong maintained the 22nd position until the next yellow flag flew just a few laps later on Lap 133 for debris. Armstrong stayed out to take the wave around. The race restarted on Lap 136 with Armstrong in 22nd position on the lead lap.
Just seven laps later, the final caution flag on the night on Lap 143 for oil on the racing surface. Kerr called Armstrong pit road for the final time. The crew made an air pressure adjustment, changed all four tires, filled the fuel tank, and made a track bar adjustment. Kerr told Armstrong to take care of the tires and fuel to make it to the end without pitting again. The race restarted on Lap 147 with Armstrong in 20th position.
The adjustments from the pit stop were immediately effective. Armstrong raced into the 17th position three laps after the restart. Armstrong paced himself to save fuel and tires until the end, maintaining the 17th position until Lap 199. Armstrong charged hard to pass the next competitors who slowed down to make to it the end. Armstrong picked up two positions on the white flag lap. The checkered flag fell on Lap 200. Armstrong finished 15th.
"The track changed a lot from the time when we qualified to race time. The temperature dropped and the track tightened up. We struggled a bit early during the race but were able to make good adjustments. We lost a couple laps but kept fighting and eventually made our way back on the lead lap using good strategy. Our last set of adjustments really woke the car up. We had good speed even while saving our tires and fuel. As soon as the leaders began running out of fuel, we were able to charge hard and pick up some extra spots coming to the checkers. We're gaining some of our points that we lost during out run of bad luck. It was a good night for 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.