From Running in the Top Ten to a Last Lap Wreck

When the 19 team arrived in Kentucky, they unloaded an Arris Camry that posted the 14th and 18th fastest times during practices.  During qualifying, he easily moved out of the first round with the 16th fastest lap time.  The second round was better for Daniel, with a 9th place time.  Then lightning rolled in, cancelled the rest of qualifying, and the results from round 2 set the starting grid for the race.

So as the race got underway, Daniel rolled off 9th.  Driving up front with the big boys, he did himself proud.  During the first ten laps, he gained 3 positions, advancing up to 6th place.  During the competition caution on lap 30, he pitted for only 2 tires, allowing him to maintain 6th place for the restart.

But starting in the outside lane proved to be challenging.  The lack of grip contributed to Daniel sliding all the way back to 20th place within 4 laps.  And then 25 laps later, he tapped the wall in turn 4.  He was struggling with a car that was tight in the center, with the back out of control.  He finished stage 1 in 19th place.

During the stage-break caution, the 19 team pitted for 4 tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment.   When the race resumed, he restarted in 16th.  During stage 2, he ran as high was 12th place and as far back as 20th.  He reported his car too free in turn 1, tight on the exit of turns 2 and 4.  He finished stage 2 in 14th place.

During the stage-break caution, they pitted for fuel and just 2 tires, gaining 11 positions.  He came off pit road in 3rd.  With two cars staying out, he restarted in 5th place.  He spent the next 40 or so laps running in the top ten, as high as 4th and no further back than 8th.  Green-flag pit stops ran over the next 15 laps, with Daniel reporting that his car was loose getting into the corner.

Once the green-flag pit stops cycled through, he found himself slipping out of the top ten.  About 25 laps later, he was put a lap down while running in 12th.  He continued to struggle with a car so loose he could hardly drive it.  Then, during the final lap, he got caught up in a wreck that happened directly ahead of him.  As a result he wheeled his ARRIS Toyota home in 18th place 1 lap down.

He earned 19 points this race, bringing his season total up to 373 points.  He maintained his 18th spot in the drivers' standings.  He finished 12 spots behind Erik Jones, losing another 21 big points to him, now 53 points behind.  He finished 15 positions ahead of Ty Dillon, gaining 15 points on him, now putting him 72 points ahead.

While Daniel has been leading in the separate rookie standings throughout the season, his lead had been whittled down to just a couple of points.  I suspected that his bad luck in this race would see him lose his lead, and that is exactly what happened:

• Erik Jones -- 193
• Daniel Suarez -- 189
• Ty Dillon -- 166
• Corey LaJoie -- 124
• Gray Gaulding -- 109