David Ragan, driver of the No. 23 Dr Pepper Toyota Camry, finished in the 21st position in Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) event at Martinsville Speedway. Teammate Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the No. 83 Cosmo Motors Toyota Camry, finished in the 29th position.
“I really enjoyed the 500 laps today,” Ragan said. “Our BK team improved the car all weekend and we had a strong car Sunday. We will debrief at the shop this week and work to improve our runs so that on our next trip we can contend for a top 10 finish.”
“I am proud of the progress both of our BK Racing teams have been making this season,” DiBenedetto said. “David and I are working in sync and it is showing in our performance on track. We will go get ’em next week at Texas!”
David Ragan started the STP 500 in 22nd position with teammate Matt DiBenedetto starting 35th.
Just after the drop of the green flag, Ragan and Dale Earnhardt Jr. came together to bring out the first caution of the STP 500. With no damage to the No. 23 Dr Pepper Toyota Camry, Ragan continued on and restarted 22nd. Scored in 23rd at the mid-point of the race, Ragan was running good lap times compared to the race leaders.
In the early stages of the event, DiBenedetto reported to crew chief Gene Nead that the Cosmo Motors Camry was tight through the center, affecting his drive off of the corner. Despite the issues early, DiBenedetto was able to improve ten positions over the course of the 220 laps, running in 25th. After pitting for a loss of fuel pressure, DiBenedetto restarted in 33rd.
As the field took the green flag with just 11 laps to go, Ragan and DiBenedetto battled hard to advance their positions in the closing laps of the STP 500. DiBenedetto finished 29th while Ragan finished 21st and scored his third top-10 finish of the season.
Next up, the NSCS heads to Texas Motor Speedway for a Saturday night showdown. Duck Commander 500 race coverage beings at 7:30 p.m. on FOX.
BK Racing PR
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