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DANICA PATRICK – 2017 Atlanta Race Report

Event:               Folds of Honor 500 (Round 2 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format:             325 laps, broken into three stages (85 laps/85 laps/155 laps)
Start/Finish:      24th/17th (Running, completed 325 of 325 laps)
Point Standing: 22nd (36 points, 54 out of first)
Race Winner:    Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-85):

  • Danica Patrick started 24th and finished 17th.
  • The No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion team pitted at lap 35 for tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.
  • Patrick was scored as high as 16th during Stage 1. She radioed to the team that the car was “a little tight in the center,” so crew chief Billy Scott called for wedge and packer adjustments in addition to fuel and tires when the field pitted between stages at lap 89. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 86-170):     

  • Patrick started 17th and finished 17th.
  • The team pitted under green-flag conditions at lap 125 for tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.
  • Patrick went a lap down to the leader during the cycle of green-flag pit stops.
  • At the conclusion of Stage 2, the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford team pitted for tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to help tighten the car up for Patrick. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 171-325):          

  • Patrick started 15th and finished 17th.
  • She battled a loose-handling car for the first half of the stage and went a second lap down to the leaders during a long green-flag run.
  • The team pitted twice during the stage for tires, fuel and adjustments to help tighten up the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford for Patrick.
  • In the final segment of the race, Scott had Patrick stay out twice under caution and take the wave-around to get a lap back. This put her on the lead lap for the end of the race. 

Notes:              

  • Patrick earned 20 points in Sunday’s race at Atlanta, which gives her a total of 36 points for the season thus far. She is ranked 22nd in the driver point standings heading into next weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 “I have to thank my Aspen Dental Ford team for all of their hard work today. The car was all right there at the end. We got off to a good start and ended well, but the middle got a little rough. The car was just way too loose. Billy (Scott) and the guys made solid changes throughout the day and helped put us in a better position at the end.” 

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Kobalt 400 on Sunday, March 12 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX.