Tyler Young came home with an 18th-place finish in the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway (PIR) on Friday. The event, which was scheduled for 150 laps, was shortened to 126 laps due to a power outage in the regions West Valley. As a result, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender scored his fifth consecutive top-20 finish in his debut at the 1-mile oval.
Young started the delayed event from the 23rd position, and immediately took evasive action to avoid an accident on the initial start. After a 17-lap caution period, the race’s tumultuous start continued as Young was forced to avoid incidents on lap 22 and 28, respectively. As a result, Young had worked his way into the 16th position by lap 34, reporting an inconsistent balance on the No. 02 Chevrolet through abbreviated green flag runs.
By the race’s scheduled halfway point, Young had surrendered a lap to the race leaders as a result of a “free in, and tight off” handling condition. Crew chief Bryan Berry brought Young to pit road under green on lap 91, from the 17th position, for four tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment. An ill-timed caution flag at lap 101, in the middle of a green flag pit stops, would trap Young two laps down in the 19th position.
With nothing to lose, Young would make a second pit stop under yellow on lap 114 for four tires and a chassis adjustment, restarting 17th on lap 119. After a seven lap green flag run, the track’s lights suddenly dimmed on lap 126 to bring out the seventh and final caution of the night, forcing NASCAR to call the race 24 laps shy of the scheduled distance. Young would be credited with an 18th-place finish behind race winner Erik Jones in his PIR debut.
Young Motorsports PR
