LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 21, 2014) – With less than 40 laps remaining in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got caught in the middle of four wide racing resulting in a left front fender rub that eventually blew the tire sending the EcoPower Re-Refined Oil Ford to the garage. With limited laps remaining, the crew was unable to repair the mangled machine forcing Stenhouse to settle for a 39th place finish.
“I blew a left front tire,” Stenhouse said afterwards. “We were all racing really hard on that restart. Everybody was bouncing off each other. I don’t know who hit my left-front, but it got a fender rub and just blew the tire going down front straightaway. I was trying to get my EcoPower Re-Refined Oil Ford slowed down as much as I could but it wouldn’t turn. We had a top-15 car but just wasn’t our day.”
The two-time NASCAR Nationwide champion lined up in the 19th-starting position and steadily maneuvered his Ford up through the field running solidly in the top-15 for a majority of the race.
With less than 100 laps remaining, the EcoPower Re-Refined Oil Ford had contact from the No. 88 machine spinning Stenhouse. Stenhouse saved his machine staying on the lead lap with minimal damage to the Ford.
When the green flag waved on lap 260, the field got dicey leaving Stenhouse part of a four wide battle causing a left front tire rub. Eventually the tire blew sending the No. 17 machine into the outside wall, ending the day for Stenhouse.
Stenhouse and the No. 17 team travel to Dover International Speedway next weekend for the AAA 400 on Sept. 28, 2014. Race coverage starts at 2:00 pm EST on ESPN and can also be heard on SIRIUS XM Channel 90 and MRN.
