back to News

Braun Notches First Top-10 Of Season At Dover

DOVER, Del. (May 15, 2010) – In his first race back in the No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford after a two week hiatus, Colin Braun secured his first top-10 finish of the season and was the highest finishing Roush Fenway Racing Ford in the Heluva Good! 200 at Dover International Speedway. Braun survived two green-white-checkered finish attempts, snaking through a multi-car accident on the first attempt that delayed the conclusion of the race for nearly 15 minutes. Braun went on to finish 10th, his highest finish of the season.

Braun took the green to start the event in the 16th spot and jumped ahead to 13th within three laps. He radioed to crew chief Eddie Pardue that his car was starting to get tight in the center and off of the corners. Under the first caution laps of the event, Braun brought his car down pit road for service and restarted in 17th. Unfortunately, the tight handling race car was an issue that would plague Braun throughout the afternoon. Pardue and the No. 16 team continued to make changes to help correct the issue, but during the long, green-flag runs the problem persisted.

Braun brought the car down pit road one final time on lap 151 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. He restarted in 18th on lap 156. When it looked as though the race would end without another caution flag, the yellow was shown on lap 193. After most teams elected not to pit, the field took the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish on lap 198. The cars didn’t even get into turn one before a multi-car accident erupted, initiated by the No. 20 of Denny Hamlin and No. 21 of Clint Bowyer. Following the direction of his spotter, Lorin Rainer, Braun worked his way through the wreckage and emerged on the other side, escaping any significant damage. When the yellow was displayed after the red flag period, Braun was scored in the ninth position.

A second attempt was made at a green-white-checkered finish on lap 202 and Braun made the final two circuits without issue and finished 10th. This was Braun’s first top-10 of the season, and second for the No. 16 team. He was the highest finishing Roush Fenway Racing Ford and the No. 16 team is now locked into the top-30 in owner’s points.

“What a great finish for this team today,” Braun said after the race. “We fought with a tight race car most of the afternoon, but Eddie (Pardue, crew chief) and the guys just kept working on it. My spotter was on it today too, helping me navigate through that big wreck at the end. I feel like maybe our luck is starting to change and we can build on this finish going forward.”

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch won the race followed by Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Reed Sorensen, and Jason Lefler to round out the top-five. Braun is currently fourth in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, 31 points behind leader Bryan Scott. The NASCAR Nationwide Series is off next weekend and will return to action at Charlotte Motor Speedway in two weeks.