Kansas Lottery 300 Post-Race Report

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 8, 2011) -The JR Motorsports teams of Aric Almirola and Danica Patrick emerged from Saturday's Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway with a pair of top-15 finishes. Almirola led the way with a 12th-place finish. The No. 88 Degree Men Chevrolet was solid from the onset. The team climbed to the top position prior to the halfway mark and led 11 laps. After losing vital track position late in the race, they settled for a 12th-place finish. Danica Patrick's stock car debut at Kansas Speedway netted a 15th-place finish, marking her fifth top-15 this season. Brad Keselowski dominated the 300-mile race, leading four times for 173 laps. Carl Edwards, Elliott Sadler, Paul Menard and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top-five finishers.

No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Key Moments

Start - 15th / Finish - 15th / Laps Led - 0 / Owner Point Standings - 12th

Patrick took her 15th-place starting spot and patiently settled in early, learning the nuances of the 1.5-mile speedway. She wisely began adjusting her line around the track in a search for more grip. When the caution flag flew on lap 62, Patrick and the GoDaddy.com crew were riding in 22nd.

The team took the opportunity to pit for the second time. After a stellar stop by the GoDaddy.com team, Patrick lined up in 14th for the restart. Over the course of the next 40 laps, Patrick worked her way into the 13th spot. She then radioed crew chief Tony Eury Jr. of a tight condition on corner exit and dropped to 16th by the lap-143 caution flag.

After the restart, the GoDaddy.com team occupied a position inside the top-20 through the next run. The team took the final restart on lap 178 in 18th, but Patrick tenaciously wheeled her way to 15th before the checkered flag fell.

"We had a little bit of everything today with our Go Daddy car, loose and tight," Patrick said after the race. "We made it better about halfway through. We ran every lap and finished. For me, these kinds of experiences can definitely help in getting more accustomed to the cars."