After posting an eighth place finish in the 2013 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, Eric McClure and the No. 14 Hefty®/Reynolds Wrap® Toyota Camry returned to the 2.5-mile superspeedway this past weekend looking to repeat last years performance. After starting the 300-mile event from the 13th position, the Hefty®/Reynolds Wrap® Camry finished the DRIVE4COPD 300 in the 35th position.
When the green flag dropped, McClure quickly jumped to the outside lane and began working the draft. The Virginia driver wouldn’t remain there long, however, as the water temperature began to rise, forcing him to exit the pack of cars to avoid overheating. By lap 20, the team was scored in the 30th position.
Although green flag pit stops began on lap 42, McClure didn’t receive service until lap 51. The team changed two tires and added Sunoco Racing fuel. When the 35-year-old driver returned to the track, he was without a drafting partner and as a result, lost a lap to the race leader.
As the race continued, McClure was never able to overcome the one lap deficit and with only four laps remaining, the No. 84 car made contact with the No. 14 Hefty®/Reynolds Wrap® Camry and sent it into the outside retaining wall. With damage too severe to repair, the team was forced behind the wall where they were credited with a 35th-place finish.
Eric McClure Quotes:
“It was just a bizarre weekend for us. We qualified well, but then we had a faulty gauge it appears and had to bail out of the pack in order to avoid overheating. We intended to ride for awhile after that, but then pitted by ourselves and that pretty much finished us off. The car was okay in a group, but it hasn’t been the same the last two superspeedway races, but we will rebound.”
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