The No. 43 WinField Ford team needed a great points day and got exactly what they asked for. The team adjusted on the car throughout the race and improved their speed while some their points race competitors ran into mechanical and engine issues. Armstrong avoided trouble and finished 18th. He remains in the 14th position in the Championship Points Standings. Only six points seperate 14th from 12th.
Armstrong started the race from the 19th position. The race began with a 17 lap green flag stretch. Armstrong dropped back to 22nd position within the first five laps. Armstrong regained momentum and moved into 21th by Lap 10. The first caution flag of the day came on Lap 18 for a single car accident in Turn 2. Armstrong stayed out for track position as others pitted. The race restarted on Lap 21 with Armstrong in 19th position.
The race went green over the next 39 laps. Armstrong fought in lapped traffic and fell back to 20th spot. The leaders caught Armstrong on Lap 56, putting him one lap down as traffic impeded his progress. Just four laps later, the second caution of the day came on Lap 60 for another single car wreck Turn 2. Armstrong came down to pit road on Lap 64. Crew Chief Frankie Kerr called for an air pressure adjustment to help the car rotate better through the center. The WinField crew made an air pressure adjustment, changed all four tires, and filled the fuel tank. The race restarted on Lap 66 with Armstrong 20th position, the first car one lap down.
Armstrong maintained the 20th position until the next caution flag. Armstrong fought off three competitors for the Lucky Dog positions until the leaders caught him on Lap 105 and put the WinField Ford two laps down. The third and final caution of the day came on Lap 114 for a single car wreck in Turn 3. Armstrong reported the track changed and the car tightened up. Kerr called for air pressure, wedge, and trackbar adjustments. The WinField crew made the air pressure adjustment, changed four tires, filled the fuel tank, and adjusted the wedge and trackbar. With a quick pit spot, Armstrong gained two positions on pit road. The race restarted on Lap 120 with Armstrong in 18th position two laps down.
The race went green until completion. Armstrong was the first lapped car. Armstrong maintained the 18th position for the first 60 laps of the run. Kerr told Armstrong to start saving fuel as reports came in most other cars would need to pit again On Lap 180, Armstrong fell back to 19th position running a slower pace to make it to the finish. Just a few laps later, the competitor who passed him ran out of fuel and Armstrong regained the position. Armstrong stretched his fuel and took the checkered flag waved on Lap 200. He finished in 18th position and remains 14th in the Championship Points Standings.
"The tires made the race really interesting. To be fast today, you were loose early in the run and then as the tire wear increased the car would go to the neutral and then tight. You really had to be on the wheel. We were just a little off and would get tight too soon in the run. The laps went by really fast. We took advantage of the mid race cautions to adjust on the car. The last half of the race we decided to use a fuel mileage strategy. A few of the guys were running for points had some issues today and we gained a ton of points by staying out of trouble. We'll take our Top-20 finish and look to close out the year next week in Homestead with a strong finish."
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.