After a successful test at Darlington Raceway just a few weeks earlier, Ben Kennedy and the No. 96 team picked up where they left off, finishing ninth in first practice and 17th in final practice Friday afternoon. He then went on to qualify 15th for Saturday’s Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200.
Fighting a tight No. 96 Hurricane Harvey Relief Chevrolet Camaro from the start of the 148-lap race, Kennedy maintained a spot within the top-20 until the stage one break. Crew chief Charles Denike called the No. 96 down pit road for a lengthy stop for four tires, fuel, a round of chassis adjustments as well as
a bit of front nose repairs. Fighting his way back into the top-20 during stage two, Kennedy was still battling a tight Camaro. At the stage break, Kennedy pit for four tires, fuel and another set of adjustments to aid in his tight-handling. Restarting 23rd, Kennedy methodically worked his way through the field until a caution on lap 138 allowed him to pit for the final time for fresh tires. Avoiding a late-race incident, Kennedy maneuvered his way to a 12th-place finish when the checkered flag was displayed.
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“Today was an overall great day for the No. 96 team. We not only brought awareness to the people affected by Hurricane Harvey but we also had a strong finish with GMS in my first start at Darlington. We were battling with a tight handling condition a majority of the race but this team never gave up and kept working to get a 12th-place finish. I see this XFINITY program get stronger every race and this one of the little victories that we can take back to the shop and build on.”
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