Indy was good for us on a few accounts and let me tell you why:
First, we ran the Nationwide race at ORP. Matt hasn’t raced there in 10 years but was really excited to go back. Because of the rain delay at IMS he was only able to get a few laps in the Nationwide car during the day. However, we had Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the saddle to help with the set up and get it ready for Matt to race. He did an outstanding job for us!
Because Matt was unavailable to qualify the car, we were relegated to start at the tail end of the field. To be honest, I love starting in the back of a race—it makes going to the front that much more rewarding! Within 10 laps we were eighth—our Ford Fusion was super-fast and Matt really drove the heck out of it. I really can’t remember when I’ve had more fun spotting a race—it was a blast!
When it was all said and done, we finished third. Although we didn’t win, Carl was able to pull it off; so it was a great night for Ford!
We qualified 25th for the Allstate 400 at IMS. It was actually a better spot than we expected as we chased the set up all weekend. When the race started we began to make some progress. Little by little we gained a few spots and the pit crew helped us get a few more.
It’s really tough to pass with these new cars at a track like IMS—but we did our jobs and were able to bring home a 10-place finish. Not too bad considering the past several races have not gone well for us.
When you’re able to take a 25th place car and finish 10th it gives the whole team a lot of confidence. These next few races are going to be critical for us to be able to stay in Chase position—lots of pressure, but we’re ready for it!
For more information about Mike visit www.mikecalinoff.com
