Joe Nemechek was in position to make a move during the late stages of Saturday night’s Pepsi 400. But with 10 laps remaining and running with the lead draft in 18th place, his strong effort took a 180-degree turn.
Entering the high-banked Turn 1 at Daytona International Speedway, Nemechek’s No. 13 Charleston S. C. Fire Department Chevrolet got tangled with the No. 83 car of Brian Vickers. The contact sent Nemechek’s car spinning into the concrete wall.
The heavy damage to the right-front fender didn’t put Nemechek out of the race, but it did relegate him to the back of the field with a 30th-place finish.
“We had a shot of making something happen, but then it went sour in a hurry, ” said Nemechek. “We just can’t seem to close the deal lately. The incident with Vickers was that I got stuck in the middle with old tires and slid into him. I feel bad about what happened. It was costly for both of us. “
The beating didn’t stop for Nemechek, who got spun out on the last lap (160) by the No. 45 car of John Andretti.
“We had some handling problems during the race, but nothing major, ” noted Nemechek. “We were in pretty good shape at the end, but those last 10 laps ruined a decent run. “
Nemechek’s paint scheme on his No. 13 Chevy paid tribute to the Charleston S. C. Fire Department and the nine firefighters who perished in a furniture warehouse blaze on June 18.
“I wish we could have put on a better show for the brave firefighters, but we gave it our best shot, ” added Nemechek. “It was truly a privilege to drive the car that honored the nine men who lost their lives. “
The next stop for the No. 13 team will be Sunday (July 15) at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.
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