09/05/2016

Reed Finishes 13th in Darlington

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DARLINGTON, S.C.  (September 3, 2016) – Sporting a red, white and blue throwback paint scheme reminiscent of Bobby Allison’s 1970’s car, Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed drove the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes/American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang to a 13th-place finish on Saturday after starting 15th.

“We had a decent car and made our way up to about 10th and then we got caught pitting,” said Reed.  “The caution came out as we were pitting and we went a lap down and got the free pass but there weren’t any cautions after that to get us grouped back up. We felt like we had a pretty good shot at a top-10 if we would have cycled through pit stop-wise. I am proud of the guys on our No. 16 Lilly Diabetes/American Diabetes Association team.”

With legendary NASCAR driver Bobby Allison and NASCAR’s First Officially Licensed Artist Sam Bass, who helped design Reed’s No. 16 throwback car, looking on, Reed rolled off from the 15th position on Saturday afternoon. With all on-track activity cancelled on Friday due to inclement weather, the field lined up by owner’s points.

Reed maintained the 15th position for the start before dropping back to 16th and reporting that the car was loose.  The team had their first chance to adjust on the No. 16 machine on Lap 24 under caution. Crew chief Phil Gould brought Reed down pit road for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. The team’s quick stop put Reed in the 14th position for the impending restart on Lap 27.

By Lap 50, Reed had made his way up to the 13th position and reported that he needed grip in Turns 1 and 2. A lap later, the caution flag flew and Reed was able to come down pit road for adjustments. The team once again gained position on pit road, putting Reed 13th for the restart on Lap 56.

With 85 laps to go, Reed raced his way up to 11th and was running faster lap times than several of the cars in front of him. But with just over 50 laps to go, Reed began losing rear grip and fell back to 12th. Gould brought Reed down pit road under green-flag conditions soon after for a quick stop by the No. 16 team. Unfortunately, the caution was displayed right after the stop, putting Reed a lap down to the leaders.

Reed ultimately restarted 15th on Lap 111, but the field raced under green flag conditions until the end of the race, preventing him from making up much of the lost ground. In the final 10 laps of the race, Reed was able to gain three positions to cross the finish line 13th.

After today’s race, Reed remains 10th in the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship standings.

Reed and the rest of the NASCAR XFINITY Series will be back on track on Friday, September 9th at Richmond International Raceway.

About the Drive to Stop Diabetes

The Drive to Stop Diabetes campaign strives to educate people about living well with diabetes. The campaign encourages the millions of Americans who have diabetes to talk about it with their doctor, family, and friends and to actively manage their health.

About Lilly Diabetes

Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world’s first commercial insulin. Today we are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research and collaboration, a broad and growing product portfolio and a continued determination to provide real solutions—from medicines to support programs and more—we strive to make life better for all those affected by diabetes around the world. For more information, visit www.lillydiabetes.com or follow us on Twitter: @LillyDiabetes.

About The American Diabetes Association

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes® and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, the Association’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.