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DANICA PATRICK – 2017 Watkins Glen Race Report

Patrick Finishes 22nd at Watkins Glen

Aspen Dental Driver’s Shot at Top-15 Run Dashed by Midrace Contact

Date: Aug. 6, 2017
Event: I LOVE NEW YORK 355k at The Glen (Round 22 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (2.45-mile road course)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three segments (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 25th/22nd (Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
Point Standing: 28th (325 points, 556 out of first)

Race Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Daniel Suarez of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-20):

  • Danica Patrick started 25th and finished 11th.
  • The No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion team was scored inside the top-20 for much of the first stage as Patrick noted the car was “tight to the right” and “snappy on exit.”
  • Crew chief Billy Scott called Patrick to pit road at the end of Stage 1 for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to address the car’s handling issues. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 21-40):

  • Started 20th and finished 31st.
  • Patrick ran as high as 15th during the stage as she continued to have trouble with the right-hand turns. She also noted having trouble with her brakes toward the end of the stage.
  • The No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford team pitted for four tires and fuel at lap 37, which put Patrick 31st at the end of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 41-90):

  • Started 21st and finished 22nd.
  • Patrick started the stage in the 21st position and pitted under caution at lap 54 for a fuel-only stop. She ran as high as 13th and was scored just outside of the top-15 in 16th at lap 55 when the No. 18 car spun Patrick in turn one. She was able to get the car righted but dropped back to 32nd.
  • In the closing laps Patrick managed to race her way forward to the 22nd position.

Notes:              

  • This was Patrick’s fifth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and her 176th career NASCAR Cup Series start.
  • Patrick raced Sunday with more than 150 employees from Aspen Dental Management Inc. on hand to cheer her on at the track, including founder and CEO Bob Fontana.
  • Patrick earned 15 points in Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International, which puts her at 325 total points for the season thus far. She is ranked 28th in the driver point standings.
  • There were three caution periods for a total of eight laps.
  • A total of 29 of the 37 drivers in the I LOVE NEW YORK 355k finished on the lead lap.
  • Martin Truex Jr. won the I LOVE NEW YORK 355k to score his 11th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Watkins Glen International. His margin of victory over second-place Matt Kenseth was .414 of a second.
  • Truex leads the championship standings with 881 points and has a 116-point margin over his nearest pursuer, Kyle Busch.