Fike Falls Two-Laps Short of Near Win in Mansfield
Posted 05-29-2007
Mansfield, Ohio (May 28, 2007) - Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader Aaron Fike came close to winning his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday at Mansfield Motorsports Park, but he fell short of fuel with two laps to go in the Ohio 250. Fike raced the No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra to second in Saturday’s rain-delayed race at the 0.5-mile oval and was poised to procure his best finish of the year, but his fuel fell two laps short of the checkered flag.
“Everyone at Red Horse Racing gave me a great truck,” said Fike after the race. “I’m just really disappointed that we ran out of gas with two laps to go. We were running strong all day and never thought that we would have run out of fuel, so that’s why it’s so disappointing.”
Fike didn’t disappoint in qualifying on Friday afternoon, laying down a lap of 16.619 seconds at a speed of 108.310 miles per hour. Fike’s lap put him outside of the fourth row in eighth position for the start of the 250-lap event.
Fike didn’t remain in eighth spot long as he rode the outside line to move into seventh position by lap two. Fike’s No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra was “not bad, just a little free” at the drop of the event’s second caution flag on lap 10. When the race returned to green, Fike remained in seventh but had to bring his Toyota to pit road after rain began to fall across the Mansfield short-track.
After a two hour rain delay, Fike returned to the wheel of the No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota, only to climb back out running four laps under caution when the garage area was evacuated due to impending thunderstorms. After another substantial delay for rain, Fike returned to the helm and restarted the race under caution on lap 24. After running ten laps under caution, Crew Chief Jamie Jones called Fike to pit road for fuel only.
Fike fell back to 25th at the green flag restart on lap 37, but quickly began to pick off trucks on his way to the front. After narrowly avoiding a two truck wreck in turn four, Spotter Kevin Ray keyed the radio to tell Fike, “That right there was a heck of a job, wheelman.”
Fike proved to be a wheelman, moving into 10th position on the restart at lap 57. Fike picked off another truck to move into ninth on lap 58 and he continued to use the outside groove to pick off two more spots by lap 68. Moving into sixth just a few laps later, Fike was on a roll, but his momentum was briefly slowed as NASCAR displayed the red flag again on lap 106 when rain began to fall again.
When the race resumed, Fike moved into fourth position at lap 118, and Jones began to give his driver some encouragement. “You’re doing good, buddy,” he said. “Just be patient.” Fike showed patience and poise by working his way past the No. 88 truck who hit the wall while leading on lap 163. Fike picked up another spot on lap 240 when the inherent leader (Rick Crawford) blew a tire, leaving Fike on the bumper of Dennis Setzer, who did not pit, for the final five-lap shootout.
Fike was bumper-to-bumper with the veteran Setzer coming to two-laps to go when his No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra ran out of fuel and he coasted into the pits and a 24th place finish.
“I’m really proud of everyone on the team,” said Fike after the race. “This just goes to show that we can run competitive each week. Every race we continue to get better and better, and we proved that today. I thought we had a solid shot at winning, but we’ll just move on to Dover next weekend and try to get our first win together there.”
Fike fell one spot in the 2007 Championship Point Standings to 10th, only 361 behind the Point’s Leader, Mike Skinner, and 34 point’s out of 9th.
Fike and the Red Horse Racing team will take the No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra to Dover International Speedway on Friday, June 1st, 2007 for the running of the AAA Insurance 200. Live television coverage will be provided by SPEED at 8 p.m. ET with radio coverage coming to you live from MRN Radio.
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