But on Lap 41 as he slammed on the brakes to avoid spinning cars in front of him, Nemechek flat spotted the tires and was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop. The incident sent him all the way back to 40th place. “I locked up the brakes and wasn’t 100 percent sure if we needed new tires or not, ” noted Nemechek. “I hated to lose the track position, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially early in the race. “
Nemechek eventually found his way back to the top-20 as he patiently marched forward in the Pinnacle Chevy. He was one of 19 drivers who finished on the lead lap. “It feels good to make a comeback like we did tonight, ” said crew chief Peter Sospenzo. “Joe drove a smart race and the pit crew did a good job. We can be better, but we need to have a clean race to get the job done. “
The next opportunity for Nemechek and the No. 13 team will be Sunday (April 29) in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega (Ala. ) Superspeedway.
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