Fontana, CA (October 10, 2009)—Eric McClure and the No. 24 Team Rensi-Motorsports (TRM) team started the Copart 300 in the 42nd position and battled with the car’s handling for much of the race, losing two laps to the race leader prior to the event’s halfway point. However, after receiving the “wave around” on lap 101, the sixth caution occurred making the driver the recipient of the “Lucky Dog” award on lap 119. As a result, the Hefty® Odor Block™ Ford was placed on the lead lap where it stayed for the remainder of the 200-lap event to cross the finish line in the 28th position.
“Our Hefty® Odor Block™ Ford was much better than I was today. I’m just not very good here so, as a result, we struggled with making adjustments to the car. I could run decent speeds on old tires, but we just lost so much on the first get go. Chris (Wright) made great changes throughout the race that helped and we played the strategy game that allowed me to get both laps back and get my career best finish at California, but I’ve got to be better at California in the future. I knew coming in that this race would be a challenge and I told the guys that if they could get us through it, we’d be better at the rest of the races.”
Starting Saturday’s Copart 300 in the 42nd position, McClure advanced to the 35th position by lap 14, although the car was “wrecking” loose on entry and exit and tight through the center of turns. One lap down to the leader, Crew Chief Chris Wright brought the No. 24 Ford to pit-road under the first caution on lap 37 for tires with an air-pressure adjustment, a track-bar adjustment, and fuel. After a quick stop by the crew, the Team Rensi machine was shown in the 30th position.
McClure slid back to the 32nd position over the next several laps as the changes made didn’t help the car’s handling, resulting in an additional lap lost to the race leader. When the second caution occurred on lap 79, the call was made to receive a left side track-bar adjustment, tires, and fuel. Unfortunately, the left side track-bar couldn’t be adjusted under the caution so the team was hoping for a quick caution once the race resumed. Shortly thereafter on lap 82, the third caution flag waved allowing McClure to revisit pit-road for fuel and to adjust the left side track-bar. The adjustment made the Hefty® Odor Block™ Ford “tighter” on entry, which aided the car’s handling throughout the rest of the turn. As a result, when the fourth caution occurred 14 laps later Wright made the call not to visit pit-road and receive the “wave around,” placing the driver one lap down to the leader in the 33rd position.
Two additional cautions occurred in the next 18 laps, one of which awarded McClure the “Lucky Dog” free pass, placing him back on the lead lap. Chassis adjustments were made under each caution and scuffed tires were received on the final stop on lap 119 which cost McClure during the final 31 laps of the race as he lost six positions prior to the green, white, checkered finish to place TRM in the 28th position at the conclusion of the Copart 300. With this finish, McClure remains 17th in NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Standings and TRM remains 28th in NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner Standings.
Up next for the Hefty® Racing™ team is the Dollar General 300 on Friday, October 16, 2009.
