Eric McClure and the Hefty®/Reynolds® team returned to Iowa Speedway for the second time this season looking for another top-20 finish. After posting the 26th fastest time in qualifying, McClure was able to overcome the tight-handling condition on his No. 14 Camry late in the race to finish the 250-lap event in the 23rdposition. With this finish, the team was able to advance one position in the NASCAR Owner standings.
Early in the race, McClure maintained the 26th position in the running order, despite battling a tight-handling condition on his No. 14 Hefty®/Reynolds® Camry. A caution on lap 54 allowed the team to change four tires, add fuel, and make a chassis adjustment. When the race resumed on lap 59, McClure was scored in the 26th position.
As the race progressed, the car’s handling showed slight improvement, allowing the 34-year-old driver to advance two spots in the running order by lap 75. Still battling a car that was tight in the center and on exit of the turns, the team utilized a caution on lap 141 to bring the orange and blue Camry to pit road for tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment. After quick work by the team, the Virginia driver advanced one position to 23rd for the lap 146 restart. Despite slipping to the 25th position on the restart, McClure was able to make up one of the positions lost by lap 165.
As the laps completed neared 200, McClure not only occupied the 24th position, he was still battling a car that was tight in the center of the turns. Although the team needed a caution to make additional adjustments to the car, it unfortunately came one lap too late, trapping the Virginia driver another lap down to the race leader. Not giving up, the team brought McClure to pit road once again for four tires, fuel, and an air-pressure adjustment to help the car’s drivability. When the race resumed on lap 205, the team was scored in the 24th position.
In the closing laps, the car’s handling showed great improvement, allowing McClure to run his fastest lap times of the event, and also helping him advance one position in the running order to finish the U.S. Cellular 250 in the 23rd position.
Driver, Eric McClure Quotes:
“It was a solid night for us, although the finish doesn’t reflect it. We started off just a bit tight and got trapped behind an extra lap with an untimely caution, but all in all it was a night we needed. We raced hard, made the car much better throughout the night, and the pit stops were flawless…if we can keep doing all of that the finishes will come.”
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