| (Concord, North Carolina -- June 13, 2016)
Matt Kurzejewski and his Ansell-Menards race team went into the Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan International Speedway with hopes of having a solid run along with a good points day. The Mansfield, Pennsylvania native did just that with his eighth-place finish that also jumped him to tie for third in the season’s points standings.
Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell was cancelled on Friday afternoon due to crashes and the allotted time frame. The field was set by combined practice speeds from Thursday’s practice sessions. Kurzejewski and his Ansell-Menards team started the Corrigan Oil 200 from the 12th position.
“This place is scary fast and although our practice speeds didn’t indicate the speed we had in our Ansell-Menards Toyota, it didn’t bother me to not qualify,” stated Kurzejewski at Michigan International Speedway.
Once the 32-car field took the green flag, Kurzejewski quickly made his way into the top-10. During the first caution of the race, the Ansell-Menards team pitted for four fresh General Tires and fuel. On a mid -race restart, Kurzejewski quickly found himself battling inside the top-5 when an electrical connection came loose inside the car. This issue caused the car to shut off and forced the Ansell-Menards Toyota onto pit road.
“I had a ton of momentum on the bottom and was passing for fifth when out of nowhere the car just shut off,” Kurzejewski said. “Luckily we didn’t get hit and a caution flew a few laps later that allowed us to pit and get the issue fixed without losing a lot of positions.”
During the remainder of the race, Kurzejewski continued to battle inside the top-10 and found himself as high as second position in the latter laps of the race. The team pitted at lap 90 for fuel and finished the race in eighth position.
“We had a good day on the track and in the points standings. To come out of Michigan with an eighth place finish and tied for third in points is a good boost for our team,” continued Kurzejewski. “These new composite body cars are fun to drive but very hard to pass with, anytime you go to pass someone you would immediately get aero tight. The Ansell-Menards team will work on it and be better for the next one.”
Next up for Matt Kurzejewski and the Ansell-Menards team is the June 19 running of the Montgomery Ward Father’s Day 200 at Madison International Speedway in Madison, Wisconsin. |
