Seldom does a driver have an uneventful race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Competitors either have a really good day at the 0.526-mile track or one they’d soon like to forget.
Tyler Reddick (@TylerReddick) experienced the latter in the Alpha Energy Resources 250 on Saturday afternoon.
The driver of the Cooper Standard Ford F-150 overcame being trapped in the dreaded outside lane on multiple restarts and contact with more than a few of his fellow competitors to finish on the lead lap. He has now completed every possible lap in five Martinsville starts (1,169 total laps, 614.89 miles). He was credited with a 20th-place finish and is 16th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship standings, 35 points behind the leader.
Reddick posted a solid effort in qualifying Saturday morning, grabbing the ninth-place starting position. He ran among the top 10 throughout the first 100 laps despite having a tight-handling truck. Reddick was running 10th when he pitted during the second caution for four tires and adjustments, restarting 12th in the outside lane when the race went green on lap 102. He squeezed in line 20th as the race roared past halfway.
He and crew chief Doug Randolph spent the second half of the race trying to regain track position and improve the handling characteristics of their Cooper Standard Ford F-150. They pitted during the third caution on lap 135 for tires and adjustments but were still stuck in traffic. Randolph chose not pit during the fifth caution on lap 173, a move designed to gain track position. Reddick restarted seventh but a tire rub on the right front forced him to pit during the sixth caution on lap 187. He restarted outside the top 20 when the race went green on lap 192.
From there, Reddick simply tried to pick off as many positions as possible over the final 64 laps. He picked his way through five cautions (and survived each chaotic restart) to complete all 255 laps.
BKR PR
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