Battling the Elements, Blake Koch Scores 12th-Place Finish at Mid-Ohio

Looking for redemption at the second road course race of the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) season, Blake Koch kicked off his weekend setting the 13th and eighth-fastest laps of the two NXS practice sessions Friday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Following that up with qualifying later in the day, Koch secured a track-best starting position of 13th in his No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday’s race.

 

However, before the 40-car NXS field could even make a lap in the Mid-Ohio Challenge Saturday afternoon, the skies opened up, forcing the first caution of the race to be displayed, and for teams to head to pit road to put rain tires on.

 

Looking at the bigger scope of the season, Koch decided to play it on the cautious side when the 75-lap race went back green, sliding back to 22nd, trying to stay on track and out of trouble.

 

With the caution flag being displayed on lap 15, crew chief Chris Rice called Koch down pit road for four more rain tires, fuel and for the Kaulig Racing™ team to pull the spring rubbers from the rear to try help Koch’s handling. Koch would bring the No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ Chevrolet Camaro down pit road again, just three laps later under caution for a splash of gas.

 

In a race filled with cautions and cars off track, Koch did his best to remain damage-free while the wet-conditions ensued. But, as the race went on, the track began to dry and teams started to debate putting slick tires back on. Under green on lap 41, Rice called Koch down pit road for fuel and a set of slick tires cycling him back to 19th-place.

 

Coming back down pit road, this time under caution on lap 51, Koch received four more slick tires, fuel and major adjustments to loosen his LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ machine up. However, before the race could go back green, the rain resumed, forcing teams back down pit road to swap out their slick tires for rain tires once again.

 

Restarting 14th, Koch went into conservation mode once again for the final 20 laps. While other cars struggled to stay on-track, Koch was able to glide his way to a track-best finish of 12th in the Mid-Ohio Challenge.  

 

Quote:
“That was crazy. I’ve raced in the rain one other time, in ARCA, but I don’t remember not being able to see like that. I just knew I needed to keep it on the track. There was one point where I thought we were in trouble, but we pulled a good finish out in the end. Now it’s on to Bristol.”

 
Kaulig Racing PR