Ty Dillon Pilots No. 95 Chevrolet to 21st Place Finish in AXALTA 400

Plagued by rain and fog in the area, the Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing team had a long weekend at Pocono Raceway, but ended it with a solid 21st place finish in the AXALTA 400 with driver Ty Dillon behind the wheel of the No. 95 Chevrolet.

“The team did a great job today,” said Dillon after the race.  “Every time we made adjustments on the car we got better.  And I think if we had more practice time earlier in the weekend, we would have been even faster at the start of the race.”

Dillon qualified the No. 95 Chevrolet in 28th position on Friday after getting only one lap of practice in due to weather delays at the speedway.  The team had a full hour of practice time on Saturday to adjust the car, but would have to wait until Monday to race due to persistent rains on Sunday.

During the 400-mile race, crew chief Dave Winston focused on a race strategy that would allow the team to get the most laps possible on their tires and keep fuel in the car until the end of the race – a key factor that came into play at the closing laps of the 160-lap event.

“I’m proud of our team and the effort they’ve put in this season,” said crew chief Dave Winston.  “This finish is a great boost of confidence for our team and we’ll be working hard to continue to progress this season.”

Both Dillon and Winston added to their NASCAR resumes as it was the first time the driver and crew chief led laps during a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.  Dillon led three laps during the event.

CSLFR had a special paint scheme for the Pocono race which featured Blake’s Snow Shack and Breckenridge Village of Tyler – two small businesses that have ties to special needs individuals.  The race team made an effort to raise awareness for these businesses and special needs individuals during the Pocono race weekend.

Blake Pyron, the owner of Blake’s Snow Shack who happens to have Down Syndrome, was in attendance along with representatives of Breckenridge Village of Tyler and Tanner Hensley, the grandson of race team owners Bob and Sharon Leavine who is autistic.

Both Blake and Tanner were very hands-on with the No. 95 crew during the race weekend as they helped put tires on the race car and supported the team that was showcasing their colors to NASCAR Nation.

“It was a very special weekend for our family,” said Melynda Hensley, business manager for CSLFR.  “Both Tanner and Blake had a great time at the track.  I’m proud that we were able to have this opportunity to share the stories of these two young men and bring attention to the things that people with special needs can accomplish.  There are no boundaries to what they can do!”

CSLFR PR